Waiting Tables (open)

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty liked working in the little diner in town. It was small and quiet and very often busy. Waiting tables was hard work, but she didn't mind that so much. She'd always applied herself with vigor to the task at hand. And she liked the people in the diner. They were kind and moreover they made her feel safe. Not to mention that the hours were flexible so she could still go to school which was important.

Dusty was clearing a table when she saw someone walk in. "You can sit anywhere," she called. "Give me just a second and I'll be right with you."

She quickly brought the dishes to the back, straightened her black work apron over her black skirt and went back out into the dining room. She grabbed a couple of menus on her way and set them on the table. "Can I get you something to drink?"

[Mordred Le Fey]

Mordred hadn't slept. After he'd unceremoniously kicked Meredith out, he'd spent the night sat on the sofa in the dark, making his way through a bottle of rum he'd found in a kitchen cupboard - probably Aiden's. He figured if she noticed he'd replace it. Probably. Probably not.

He just couldn't face going back upstairs, not yet.

So he had sat, alone and in the dark, drinking the pain away. Until the sun rose, and heard movement from Aiden's room. Chucking the empty rum bottle in the bin, he'd left and headed into town. He looked rough; dark rings under his bloodshot eyes, his hair dishevelled and sticking out at odd angles. He'd wandered aimlessly, finding himself at the diner, and figured coffee probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

As he walked in, the server spoke and Mordred found a seat in a quiet corner, where he rested his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. His head was both spinning and pounding, and while normally he wouldn't mind a hangover, this was different.

The server reappeared and he looked up at her, confused for a moment, wondering why she was talking to him. It took him a minute to gather his thoughts. "Erm, coffee, I guess. Yeah, coffee." He muttered, looking away and putting his head back in his hands.

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty was a bit concerned. Most of her customers didn't come in looking that rough. She recognized the stench of alcohol and for a minute Dusty was transported back to the Saloon in Los Avalos. There were plenty of men who had imbibed too much and left looking the way this one had come in. Dusty didn't think that such over-indulgence was good for a body. She was quite sure it wasn't good for the mind either. She set the menus on the table gently. He looked so lost. This must have been quite the night.

"Okay," she agreed. "I can bring you some coffee. Maybe you'd like to think about ordering some breakfast," she suggested, pushing one of the menus closer to him. "Looks like you could use a little food." She turned quietly, making her way behind the front counter. She grabbed the pot of coffee and poured it into a mug. Then she grabbed a plate that was piping hot. She dropped the plate off with one of the other customers, the smell of bacon wafting around the small area. Then she made her way to the corner to drop off the coffee. "Can I get you anything else?" she asked gently. "Some bacon and eggs maybe? Just bacon? A stack of pancakes?"

[Mordred Le Fey]

Ignoring the menu pushed his way, Mordred took it his phone and began scrolling through his contacts. Reaching his best friend’s name, he hit the call button... and immediately cancelled the call and put his phone down again. After a couple of seconds of staring steadfastly out of the window, trying to ignore the phone on the table, he huffed a picked up the phone again, quickly typing out a text message.

It took him about 5 seconds to delete it and put his phone down again.

Drumming his fingers on the table, he leans back in his chair and stared at the device, as if willing it to ring. Maybe she’d call him? Maybe she’d realise he’d been lying through his teeth last night and call him to tell him he was a complete jerk but it was ok, she’d realised and it didn’t matter, she understood what he’d been doing...

Yeah, right.

The server returned and placed a mug of coffee in front of him, which he picked up and closed his hands around, breathing in the heady aroma deeply. This was what he needed. A strong coffee, clear his head and then he’d be back to normal.

He glanced up as the server asked about food. She was cute, Mordred noticed dimly that she was pretty cute. Maybe that’s what he needed to sort his head out - another girl. Perfect.

He switched on his charming smile, although it didn’t reach his eyes, which were still full of pain and confusion. “What would you recommend?” He asked with a wink. “I know what looks good, but I just can’t decide on the food.”

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty waited patiently for an answer, wondering what he'd choose to do. Sometimes people who came in looking this awful only wanted coffee. Sometimes they wanted something greasy. But instead he decided to try and charm her. It made Dusty want to throw up. Men who thought they could get a pretty girl just because they were attractive were terrible. Dusty didn't want any part of this mess who had walked into her diner and winked at her.

She frowned at him. "I would suggest bacon and eggs. Maybe a little dry toast and a glass of water," she replied just short of dryly. She pulled out her pad. "But of course, the customer always know best." She gave him her sweetest smile. It was one that made her look like a sweet innocent little thing. "So, what will it be?"

[Mordred Le Fey]

He wasn't sure if she was as innocent as she seemed, or if it was a good act to try and throw him off, dissuade him from continuing. He momentarily debated backing off and leaving it - what good could it really do, and hadn't he learnt anything from the previous night? But that thought didn't last long, and he leaned back in his chair, smirking up at the innocent looking girl.

God, you're such a douchebag.

"Oh, I don't know, I prefer my choices a little sweeter..." He grinned. "And, you know, it's pretty lonely eating alone, I could do with some company." He reached his leg out and pushed out the chair opposite him, with an expectant look at the girl.

[Dusty Fae]

He just kept looking at her as if he expected her to fall under his spell just because he was charming and attractive. Dusty wondered if she would get sent home if she threw up. She probably would and she needed the money more than she needed to throw up. She would have to keep it together. Worst case scenario she would have Seamus wait on him. He didn't take kindly to drunks who were hitting on the wait staff.

Dusty raised an eyebrow. "Well, we do serve caramel stuffed french toast," she offered. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could tolerate. "I'm sorry. I'm on the clock and the boss don't allow such things. You'll have to find company elsewhere, I'm afraid." She tapped the menu with her pen, redirecting the conversation. "Did you want to order anything?"

[Mordred Le Fey]

She was making this really hard, and he wasn't in the mood for a challenge just now. He needed something nice and simple, quick and easy, just to get his head clear and help him get back to normal. He'd clearly chosen poorly, but it could never be said that Mordred was a quitter.

"Well, that's devastating news. Surely you're allowed a break - you must work so hard in here, on your feet all day - I'm exceptionally good at foot rubs." He decided to turn it up a notch, see if he got a reaction. "So I'll take one of those delicious sounding french toasts, 10 minutes of your sparkling company as you take a break, and if your boss has a problem then you can send him my way." He winked.

[Dusty Fae]

He still wasn't giving up. That was so typical of men like him. They never gave up until the woman gave in. It made Dusty feel a little better that she had both her gun and get knife on her. Nothing says no quite like the barrel of a gun pointing right at your face.

Dusty continued to smile. "Oh no," she contradicted. "These are the most comfortable boots I've ever owned. I can work all day and be just fine in these."

Dusty wrote down the order. "I'm afraid I've already taken my break. I'll put your order in right away though. And I'll be around again with the coffee pot." Maybe if she hurried his order he would hurry and leave. A girl could only hope.

[Mordred Le Fey]

Mordred really hated being rejected. He was supposed to be the one who did the rejection, and the way he was feeling right now, he really did not want to be dealing with rejection. He could feel his irritation rising, and as she walked away he began to tap the table loudly and rhythmically in his frustration, watching her move around the diner with slightly narrowed eyes, waiting for her to come back.

He needed her to acknowledge his advances, stop this innocent ignorance that she was doing. His frustration getting the better of him, he couldn't wait for her to come back so as he saw her move to the counter he jumped up and followed her, taking a seat at the counter and drumming on the top with his hands. "So, Miss Comfortable Boots, how about a name?" He grinned, leaning over the counter. "It would really help to have a name to put to that beautiful face when I'm telling my friends about you later."

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty made her way back to the counter, slipping behind it easily. She tipped the ticket from the pad of paper and slipped it into the holder in the window between the dining room and the kitchen. There weren't too many orders so it would be done pretty quickly. She grabbed the plate that was in the window waiting to be handed to one of the customers seated at the counter. She turned around to find the man had moved to sit at the counter. He was intent on getting her to notice him and he wasn't taking no for an answer. That sent shivers down her spine. This man was dangerous.

She quickly set the plate in front of the customer at the end of the counter, Todd, a regular here. And then she came back to stand in front of Mordred. She talked her name badge. "Name's Dusty," she told him, still keeping up the pretense of being innocently unaware. It was easier with a counter between the two of them. It made her feel marginally safe. And Seamus wasn't too far away if she needed him. And he gun was tucked into her thigh holster if she needed it. She'd never shot anyone, but she wasn't afraid to. "Coffee?" she asked, turning to grab the pot and another mug from behind the counter. She poured it and set it before him. Then she moved down the counter refilling coffee cups as needed.

[Mordred Le Fey]

She was definitely playing hard to get. And that was not going to deter Mordred.

She finally gave him her name and he shot her another charming smile. "What an incredibly beautiful name." He almost purred, resting his elbow on the counter and his chin on his hand as she poured him more coffee. She moved away again, and he sighed slightly, a small frowning creasing his brow. How was he going to win this one over?

Maybe he should just back off. It had been a matter of hours since the whole Meredith thing had kicked off, and he was definitely messed up over it. And while he did sort of think that maybe sleeping with someone else would help - in fact, he was sure of it - maybe it would be better to just head to a bar once they'd opened, and pick up someone who was actually up for it.

Folding his arms on the counter, he dropped his head onto them and hid his face.

God, he was such a damn mess.

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty reckoned there should be some kind of law that prohibited people from trying to be charming and seduce people while they were working. It was uncomfortable at best. And Dusty was feeling very uncomfortable.

She met his charming smile with another one of her own sweet ones. "Thank you. My momma certainly thought so," she replied cheerfully as she bustled about behind the counter.

The chef rang a small bell and Dusty turned to the window. Three plates for one of the groups of students was ready and Dusty too care to make sure she could get all three safely to the table. On her way back to the counter she checked in with a couple other tables and gave one table their check.

On her way back to the counter she noticed that Mordred had put his hand on the counter. He must really be in rough shape. She filled a glass with water and placed it close to him. Not close enough that he would knock it over, but close enough to indicate that it was his. "You'd best keep hydrated," she told him gently. "Your French toast will be up in a minute."

[Mordred Le Fey]

He heard the glass of water placed next to him and turned his head on his hands, staring at it without really seeing it. Moving his head so that he was able to look at Dusty with his chin resting on his arms, he studied her for a moment. Most women who'd rejected him like that, after he'd been that much of an ass, would have ignored his presence entirely until he left, not made sure he had water and was going to stay hydrated.

"Thanks." He muttered, sitting up a little and reaching out to take the water. He drained most of the glass in one go, suddenly struck by how thirsty he was.

"Sorry." The word came out even more quietly than the thanks, and he lay his head back down again, covering his face once more. It was just striking him how much his life really sucked just now.

[Dusty Fae]

He barely seemed to register the water. For a moment Dusty wasn't sure if he'd fallen asleep or not. And then he moved. Alright, not as hungover as he could be then. Good.

She watched as he watched her too. It was a strange feeling knowing you were being assessed like that. She wasn't sure what to make of that. "You're welcome," she replied softly. She wanted to make some flippant comment about how she had to make sure that the customers didn't die on her, but now wasn't the time.

The apology surprised her and for a moment she was completely still. She didn't know how to respond. She couldn't just tell him it was okay because it wasn't. Instead she merely nodded. That was acknowledging it without accepting it. She turned and grabbed a pitcher of water and refilled his glass.