Birthday Boy

I opened my eyes to the same gray wall, the same cactus that was slightly off centered on my desk, and the same alarm that chose violence every morning.

With one eye open I hit stop. I huffed and turned over onto my left side, so I was facing the other grey wall.

Is this really all there is to my life? I felt myself drifting to sleep.

Get up or you'll be late for work. I let out a small groan and made my way into the bathroom. I put the same uniform on that they required of me, and the same messy bun that has held me down day in and day out. The only thing that was different was that the commute to work felt quicker, the walk down the street felt quicker, and the two trains to get to work felt eerily smooth.

As the train ride moved through the stops my mind wandered to think about my mom and I daydreamed about what my life was like when she was alive and with me.

When I got to work, the instant aroma of sweet and spicy smells hit my nose. I used to love that smell, but now it makes my stomach churn. Before I knew it, the day turned into the evening quickly and I had 3 more hours left in my shift.

"Behind." I looked up. It was Derek. I moved forward; he was putting empty glasses behind me for the bar.

"You think we'll get high rollers today?" he asked wiping his hands off.

I rolled my eyes. Fussy from counting my tips, I grumbled, “I doubt it.” before the management change, I would have been counting over $1,000, but now I wasn't even looking at $500.

"Jeez B, where's your optimism?!"

I pointed to the trash can and put my tips in my back pocket, “It’s in there.”

He looked at the trash can and laughed, "Oh please, B." rolling his eyes.

I let out a small chuckle, "“What!? I'm just being honest." letting out a wider smile. "But seriously, I'm getting tired of this place." I crossed my arms.

"Well did that other place every pan out?" he asked.

I shook my head, "never heard back actually."

Derek put his hand on my shoulder, "You'll be free one day Dobby."

I laughed, "oooohhhh, fuck you."

Derek jumped around at what he saw, “Ooooooooo??!”

"What?" I exclaimed.

He pointed, “Look.”

I turned my head to meet the direction of his point and I could see the hostess walking a party of four into my section.

"Why are we ooo-ing at the fact that she just walked a party of four into my section?" I let my head drop backwards. For crying out loud, this hostess has been nonstop, seating people in my section.

Derek quickly started walking towards the front, "Those guys look like HOT daddies.” and he looked back at me and whispered, "and me likely."

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head and poured four waters for the table making my way over.

As I got closer, I could overhear their voices, one of them for sure spoke with a Irish lilt.

"Hi everyone, welcome in, I'm Belle" I placed the first water down in front of a man who when I looked at him had the greenest eyes I've ever seen and he looked like the sun paid him a kind visit.

Hot. I shook the thought off a bit.

I continued, "I'll be your server today." I placed the second water in front of a blonde.

"Thank you" he replied. I smiled and nodded. As I turned, I placed the third water on the table in front guy sitting across from the blonde.

"Oh, thanks." He had the Irish accent. Again, I smiled.

When I went to put the last water down, I locked eyes with him, and I felt it almost immediately, that the air left the room. He was insanely handsome. Scratch that- he was crazy attractive. I broke my eye contact and cleared my thoughts focusing on the rest of my script, "Is- Is this our first time at Louie's?"

You could hear his Irish tone through his, "Yes!"

Green eyes and the blonde kind of agreed after, but he didn't really say anything instead focused his attention on the menu.

"Well, tonight our soup of the day is a roasted tomato and basil bisque, finished with a drizzle of cream. The catch of the day is pan-seared halibut, and we're featuring a Rutherford Hill Merlot."

"Try saying that ten times." The Irish accent quipped, which got green eyes and the blonde to laugh, but the last guy was still disengaged and not speaking.

"I think... I think we'll just do a round of shots." the blonde said.

"That's a fantastic idea, and- and a round of fries for the table too." Irish accent said.

I replied, “I can only do truffle right now.”

"Yeah yeah, that's fine." Irish accent smiled and handed me all the menus. I grabbed them from him, "If that's all for right now, I can go put that in for the table."

I turned and walked to punch the order in with the kitchen, it wasn't too long before Derek rushed me.

"Belllllleeeeee. PLEASE, tell me you see how hot your table is?" I pretended to not know what he was talking about as I thumbed in four shots and a side of truffle fries.

I stated plainly, "D, I have other things to worry about.”

He looked at me with wide eyes, "You have a table full of HOT men and you're going to be miss sour puss boots!???!!!"

I shushed him. "Lower your voice. It's not that serious. It's just four guys." I didn't tell him my body was absolutely throbbing at that man sitting at the table.

He scoffed "Your loss, I guess." and he fled away to help his section.

As I waited for their truffle fries, I looked over at him sitting interacting with his friends. He had this mysterious and gruffness about him. It was entrancing.

Finally returning with their order, I asked, "What else will be having today?"

That's when he finally spoke. His voice was deep and mellow, you could hear he spoke with an British accent, and when he spoke he commanded the attention of everyone. "Can I get a double shot of whiskey, top shelf, the other stuff doesn't matter. Please."

I made deep eye contact, "Of course." I said.

"Anything else?" I could have sworn he wanted to say more, but his friends cut him off.

"OHH! SO NOW the Birthday boy knows what he wants!!!!?????" The blonde enthused loudly.

"It's your birthday?" I asked.

He frowned at me. "Yes." He looked down.

I looked at the blonde confused as to why he was so sad.

"Big man, doesn't really want to celebrate. So, we're forcing him too" he smiled and nodded like he was very proud of that idea.

I was a bit unimpressed by their birthday attempt, "Please tell me this isn't the only stop for your birthday?"

The blonde spoke, "What's so wrong about here?"

I shook my head, "Oh there's nothing wrong with this place, please don't get me wrong. I just mean, what will you do after? Have you been anywhere else today?"

They looked at each other a bit stumped. The blonde guy replied again, "Ehhhh we kinda just flew in today, just as a one off thing."

"From where?" I asked.

That when he spoke up again commanding my attention, my question was lost, "Well, what would you do on your birthday?" he asked.

I looked at him for a moment, basking in his eye contact and thinking about what he was asking, "Well first I'd close out my tab here and-"

I checked my watch for the time.

"And I'd go to Blue Ember, they have the best drinks in New York. Fantastic place to start. After that I'd probably stop at Bravura's. Bravura's has the best nightlife especially if you're celebrating a birthday."

I took a short pause to think again, "and if you're still feeling frisky after Bravura's, then you can stop at Crepes. New York's best late night spot for a desert and a nightcap. You should have time to do all of that, if you leave.....right now." I chuckled at that last part.

His eyes softened before he spoke, “So it’s settled. That’s what we’ll do.”

I smiled. I was for sure proud of my suggestions. "Okay, so if you want I can close out the tab for you." I smiled, I was proud that's what four years of living here is like. People just trust your recommendations.

"You misunderstood me." he said.

I titled my head in confusion. "What do you mean." I asked.

He replied to me, "I said we."

I looked at the rest of the table in confusion, but they were all looking at him in confusion. "I'm not sure I follow."

“We” He pointed at himself, the Irish guy, green eyes, and the blonde, and then he pointed at me.

I could feel my face flush red. He couldn't seriously mean me, right?

I let out a nervous chuckle, "I don't think that's something I should be doing."

"Well how does 5,000 dollars sound?" He asked intently.

I looked around at the rest of the group, but they looked like they thought he was serious.

"You would pay me five grand to go out with you for your birthday?" I said in disbelief.

He replied as calmly as he suggested, "Yes."

Before I could even make up an excuse on why I couldn't, He continued, "You know what... lets make it $10,000. For 10 grand you'll come with us for the night and celebrate my birthday with me." he replied.

I hesitated.

The look in his eye was brutally dangerous, but what they are asking me is brutally dangerous. But with 10,000 dollars I could finally move out of my apartment and into that new place I was looking at, or maybe finally start my bakery.

I tapped my pen against my leg.

Fuck it.