Horizon Lines

~12~

Saraya arrived at work in a fairly good mood, Sam's approval making her not wanting her to watch the world burn for a change. Her good mood slowly evaporated as she parked her car in the employees parking lot, a long day ahead of her as she eyed the shabby restaurant.

She slowly got out, knowing she was in for a long, miserable shift. She sighed, knowing it was better to suck it up and get it over with than wallow in self pity. After all, she was getting paid, no matter how small the tips were.

She headed inside and quickly walked to the employees storage room and put her purse inside one of the lockers. She walked out and surveyed the restaurant, which was already starting to get a fairly large crowd.

Saraya sighed as she gazed around the room. While more customers meant more tips, she wished business was slow today so that way she wouldn't have to deal with so many people.

Martin came by to give her the section she'd be working in today and she started toward the first table. The first table had a young man and woman with a baby in a booster seat. The baby began to screech, the wails echoing off the walls.

Saraya sighed, knowing it was going to be one of those days. She could already feel a headache forming.

Forcing a smile on her face, she approached the table.

About an hour later, the people at her first table left and Saraya couldn't hold back the sigh of relief. She loved babies and toddlers to death, but she was on the verge of throwing that baby out the window. It screamed the. Whole. Freaking. Time.

She had just got done taking an order from a man who looked to be in his mid thirties and his friend when her headache was starting to ease.

"I'll have your drinks out as soon as possible," Saraya said politely and turned to go when the customer's words stopped her.

"While you're at it, could you maybe smile? You'd look prettier if you did," the customer said and his friend chuckled.

Her fists clenched and she quickly walked away, wanting to wipe the smug look off the asshole's face. Damn, but she hated this restaurant with a passion. The food was horrible, the employees were horrible, the customers were assholes. Days like these really, really made her want to quit.

She got the two assholes their drinks and set them down. She bared her teeth at them in what loosely could have been a smile.

"Your drinks," she forced herself to say civilly.

She turned to walk away when the customer had something else to say.

"Now that you've smiled, try losing a little weight. You'd look like a million bucks if you did."

She stopped still, completely taken aback by the rude comment. She vaguely heard someone around her gasp, as though they found the man's audacity appalling as well.

Oh, that does it.

A waiter was walking past her with a tray that held two salsa bowels.

Without thinking, she grabbed one of the bowels and dumped the contents all over the man's head.

"What the hell?!" the man yelled in bewildered outrage. He leapt to his feet, red salsa flowing down his face and clothes, the chair falling to the floor behind him.