When i first saw you | Ashton Irwin Fanfic

1. She works hard for the money

I quickly tied my shoelaces and got up from the navy blue couch that takes up half of my living room. Los Angeles is an amazing city, but finding an affordable apartment had been an absolute nightmare. Even though the rent was way too high for this tiny broom closet, I was grateful for the small space that I made my own. It was home. I felt safe here. And that was something I had accomplished all on my own. It made me feel proud. In the living room, the kitchen could also be found. The rest of my apartment consisted of a small bedroom and a bathroom. The tall windows in my living room opened up to a fire staircase, which led me to my favorite place in this entire city; my roof terrace. It wasn't officially mine, but my apartment was the only one in the building that could bring you up to the roof, so nobody else could get up there.

I shoved an apple and my water bottle into my backpack before zipping it up and grabbing it off the kitchen counter. I would have dinner at work. I slid my house keys into the pocket of my denim jacket while pulling the front door shut behind me. I ran through the hallway of the apartment building and flew down the two sets of stairs before reaching the main entrance of the building. I stepped outside while looking to my left side first continued by looking to my right. There were many people in the streets. I checked the time on my Iphone which I held in my right hand. 16:15 PM. Crap. I was going to be late for work again. My shift officially started at 16:30 PM. That was gonna be the third time this month. My classes ended only 45 minutes earlier and the LA traffic was always crazy, which resulted in my bus always taking ages to get me home from the University's campus. I decided to take my chances and hailed a cab that was just passing by. I got in the backseat before the car even came to a complete halt, knowing full well i actually couldn't afford to take a cab. On the other hand i knew, if I was going to be late again, I would be fired immediately. I just had to cut off some groceries for the rest of the month and I would be fine. I told the driver where to go and tapped my foot nervously while he started driving.

I ran in through the back door, which was also the staff entrance, two minutes before my shift started. I knew that, despite taking the cab, I wasn't gonna be changed into my working attire on time. I entered the restaurant area only a minute too late when I could already see the look on my boss' face. Richard, who was a motivated, 34-year old, friendly manager, looked pissed. Richard had always been good to his staff, me included, but I knew he couldn't keep brushing off my inability to be on time. The rules were there for all of us, which meant that I knew what was coming. Richard looked at me and I followed him to the other side of the room, while the other waiters were getting briefed before their evening shift. "Elisabeth, you know what I am going to say." Richard said with a sorry look in his eyes. "Richard, I am so sorry! The traffic was a nightmare. Please, I need this job. I need the money. I won't be able to pay for the rent if I don't have this job." I tried, feeling the tears already burning in my eyes. I hated that I needed to beg for me to keep my job, knowing full well that it was my own fault if I got fired this instant. "One last chance, that's it. If you're late again, you're out" he looked at me with a stern smile. A smile crept across my face as I thanked him four times and quickly walked back to the rest of my colleagues who were still getting briefed.

The beginning of the night went by in a rush. The restaurant was absolutely packed and it was hot inside. The September weather still consisted of the always sunny, high temperatures and the temperatures barely ever dropped at night. The heat was getting to me and I took a second to grab a glass of water in the kitchen, before running back to my waiting area. I had 18 tables under my responsibility and everyone was walking their asses off. I didn't take my 30-minute break, figuring that I couldn't make any other mistakes tonight. Feeling dizzy, I took a second to catch my breath. I went over all the tables in my head, checking where I needed to go next when I saw Maddie walking up to me. "Hey Liz, are you okay?" she asked me, concern written over her face. Maddie had been one of my best friends ever since I moved to Los Angeles. We met on the University campus during introduction activities and hit it off as best friends right away. Maddie had already been working here in the restaurant when I told her I was looking for a job and she put in a good word for me. I gave her a small smile. "Yeah, it's just busy. I'll be fine, thanks." she squeezed my shoulder before heading back to her own tables.

I got snapped back to reality by a male voice calling me over. "Eh miss, come over here right now!". I let out a sigh, knowing exactly which table was asking for my attention. Cocky business man, mid 50's, one of the regular guests we saw in this place. Most of the guests were either loaded business people or famous people, since the restaurant is located in West Hollywood. Most guests were kind, polite to the employees while others were just arrogant and rude. I plastered a smile onto my face before walking over to the table, knowing that this man was not one of the particularly kind guests. "Do you know how long we have been waiting for your assistance? You were just standing over there doing nothing. My wife's tournedos is cold. Take it back to the chef and make sure we get a new main within 3 minutes." the man spoke with an arrogant look on his face. I tried my best to keep up with his story, while the room started spinning around me. I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to steady myself. "ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME? THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!" the man yelled, slamming his fist on the table, causing all the other guests to look over in our direction. "Sir, I-, I-....." I stammered. He pushed the plate into my hands, which made me stumble back. I tried hurrying to the kitchen, while Richard met me halfway. "Liz, what's wrong? What happened? Which table is it?" Richard asked me while he held my arm gently. I looked at him, trying to concentrate on the question he just asked me. "Table 12." I said without any further information. I stumbled my way to the kitchen, almost dropping the plate while handing it to Andy, our chef. I told him what was wrong which resulted in Andy telling me he knew exactly which guests I was talking about. His irritated words only registered partly into my brain. The dizziness was getting worse and worse. What the hell was wrong with me? I held onto the working table as Andy remade the dish. Andy hit the small bell on the corner of the table indicating that the new dish was ready to be served. I grabbed the plate with both hands, trying to steady myself as I made my way back to the restaurant.

As I left the kitchen I bumped into Richard, who looked frustrated and walked into his office immediately. I turned back around, now facing the restaurant as I started walking again. My sight became more troubled as the room started spinning again. I could feel my cheeks burning, the blood rushing up and down my vessels. I could see black dots appear in my sight and felt my knees buckle under the weight of my body. I stopped in my tracks next to another table to try and make the awful feeling go away. "Hey, are you alright?" a male voice asked me. I squinted my eyes shut, trying to recover my normal sight and get rid of the dizziness. I felt a hand grabbing my wrist and my head hitting a table before darkness completely took over.

Song: She works hard for the money - Donna Summer