Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Lost Wife ❯ Chapter 3

"Thank goodness." The young women heard their boss sigh, relieved as he shoved The Podium's back door open for them. Leo was a short, stout man with reddish brown hair and a big smile. He was a kind man, but always buckled down when it came to business. "I need you guys in. Now." He didn't give them the chance to say a word as he practically pushed them toward the doorway that lead into the main restaurant area where impatient customers were waiting. Rea almost cringed, but Chelsey looked comfortable as she grabbed both their notepads off the counter on the way in.

 

"You take the left, I'll take the right." Chelse said as she handed Rea hers.

 

"Fine." She mumbled in response, reluctant to start her work. Following Chelse's lead, Rea plastered a smile onto her face and moved to the table closest to The Podium's entrance. "Hello, and welcome to The Podium. Have you decided on entrées yet?" Rea almost rolled her eyes at the cliché phrase she had said quite a few times before since this job, but the way the male customer looked her up and down made her eyes slightly narrow instead.

 

With a cocky smirk on his face, he asked, "Would you mind if we skipped to dessert?" She wanted to rip out those eyes of his that rested on her legs as he said this, and simultaneously wished her uniform skirt were not so short.

 

"Um, sure." Rea replied placidly. "What would you like?"

 

"How 'bout your number?" Rea looked at the other man at the table who had uttered the question. Ugh, she'd heard that line way too many times.

 

Forcing a smile, she told them, "Sorry, we only offer what's on the menu." She decided that she didn't want to stay at the table and added, "I can see that you haven't decided yet, so I'll leave you to yourselves to consider." She was ready to scurry away when one of the two lusty customers quickly grabbed her wrist.

 

"Hon, I think we both know that we're plenty decided on what we want." The middle-aged man told her in a gravelly growl he must have thought was seductive. "And we're willing way to pay as much as is required to get that." He looked her up and down with a lazy smirk to make his point.

 

Rea had to try her hardest not to let a grimace disrupt her smooth features. "Um, sir, I don't appreciate any of your sleazy comments, and I'd be relieved if you'd let me go." She could hardly budge her wrist in his iron grip and it was starting to hurt.

 

"Maybe you don't understand what I mean by as much as required; we'll give an easy thousand. Each." He gestured toward his buddy on the same table who had dropped the corny pick-up line.

 

Now Rea let her disgust show. Not only did they think one of them would pick her up by the end of the day, but that both would have her, and in the same night. Ew. She would totally tell his ass off.

"Listen, buddy"---

 

"Is there a problem here sir?" Rea heaved a sigh of relief when Chelse came and cut in for her. "I think my friend here would like you to release her." The Dominican had both hands on her hips and a mean glare on her face.

 

"Hmm, and she has a friend too." He chuckled smugly, talking to his companion. "Even better. What price do you want, sugarlips?"

 

"Sugarlips?" Chelsey's face was scrunched up in repulsion as she uttered the word as though it were poisonous. "I wouldn't touch you for all the money in the world, dickhead. So I'd suggest that you and your little friend get your heads out of your asses so you can just order and go home. Or security will do it for you. Got it?"

 

The men glared at her, disliking her sharp tongue. The man who had a grip on Rea glanced quickly at the entrance where a man who was easily twice his size sat with a gun on his lap. "Whatever." he mumbled as he let her go.

 

"Thank you for your comprehension. Another waitress will be with you shortly." Chelse put on a falsetto cheery voice and walked away, pulling Rea along with her.

 

"Thanks, Chelse." She said, rubbing her sore wrist.

 

"No prob. Those sleazebags should've gone further. I totally would've enjoyed kicking their asses. You shouldn't let them do that to you."

 

"I didn't want to start anything Leo would be bugged about. Besides, when it happens all the time, it seems like less of a deal." Rea offered a small reassuring smile.

 

Chelse shook her head. "Nuh-unh. It's called sexual harassment and everyone in the world knows it. Each man guilty of it deserves to be castrated without anesthetics, in my opinion."

 

Rea chuckled, glad that she had a friend who was so strong-minded and protective like Chelse.