summer love

It was nice to see her smile; she didn’t smile like that at work and Nate couldn’t help but feel a little proud that that smile was because of him. “Well lucky for you you’re at the hottest party in town,” he joked with her, a smile breaking onto his face that mirrored hers. For a quick second he wondered what kind of parties she went to back in Manhattan; definitely ones much larger and fancier than this. It made him feel very small-town.

Lightly laughing under his breath, Nate moved so that he was now standing opposite her on the other side of the drink table. “There we go. That more familiar to you?” He was kidding but it was a little strange to see her outside of the restaurant, though he was the one that had invited her. And she was still the boss’s daughter, and his boss, but it was easy to forget at a causal party like this, somewhere more on his territory than hers. 

“Yeah just people from around town, friends of friends and stuff like that.” He waved it off with a small shrug. He figured it must be hard to literally be the only person not from the area and to not really know anybody. It wasn’t anyone’s ideal party. “Since I’m back here do you want anything to drink? We’ve got beer, some wine coolers, White Claws, cheap liquor store vodka and tequila,” none of the top-shelf stuff that they had at the restaurant, “What are you feeling?”

" OH YEAH ? “   she laughed, glancing around at the oh-so hot party he was referring to.  there were a lot more people at the party than she expected.  in fact, the small backyard seemed a little cramped for this many people, though maybe she was just used to obnoxiously large summer homes.  this was a real house, where people lived for twelve months out of the year rather than the three she spent in her beach house.  then again, her beach house was rented, so she could only assume people lived there the other nine months.  but honestly, who knows ?   “ there’s a lot of people here, “   she commented, and part of her felt bad he was going out of his way to talk to her.  then again, she was thankful for it, too.

juliette laughed again when he moved to stand behind the drinks table, nodding vigorously.   “ much better, thank you. “   the blonde eyed the cup in her hand, torn between asking for another drink or forcing herself to finish the beer because she had already taken it.   “ i’m going to chug this beer, “   she decided, looking across at him with a growing smile,   “ and then you’re going to surprise me with a drink that is NOT beer.  if that’s alright for you, i mean. “   she didn’t want to come off as demanding.  

before she could wait for his answer, she brought the cup to her lips and quickly downed it, making a face the entire time.   “ god, that tasted like freshman year, “   she cringed when it was all over, tossing her cup in the nearby trash.

It was one of those summer nights that singers wrote songs about. It had been a hot day but the setting sun brought the pleasant chill that cooled sunburned skin, the fireflies and crickets were out and about, and he had friends, food, music, and a cold beer in his hand. What more could Nate ask for? 

Get-togethers like this were typical for nights when his close group of friends all had off, a miracle, and could actually take some time to relax and be away from the restaurant. Listening to the chill tunes that were playing off of someone’s speakers was a much-needed break from the loud chaos that restaurants tended to have. And it was nice to catch up with people that he didn’t see on a day-to-day basis, all their separate summer jobs and plans keeping them busy and apart, unlike when they were kids. 

“Oh Christ,” he heard Miranda hiss under her breath. “Who invited the boss?”

Turning to look at Zach’s gate, a small smile came to his face when he saw Juliette walk in. He had invited her but hadn’t thought that she would actually come. So far she had declined invitations to hang with work people outside of the restaurant. Nate wondered what had changed her mind. “Come on Miranda she’s cool,” he said to her and she shrugged in response.

“Yeah but she’s still our bosses daughter.”

“Just be nice will ya?” He flicked a chip at her before getting up and out of his seat to go over and greet Juliette. It wouldn’t have been very polite to let her linger by the drinks table all by herself. 

“Hey, you made it!” His smile widened as he approached her. “Was wondering if you were gonna show up or leave us all hanging again.” 

Juliette stayed over by the drinks, teaching herself how to sip the beer without making a face to give away just how gross she thought it was, and glancing around the backyard for some familiar faces. Shy was definitely a word used to describe the blonde -- she always had a nice group of friends both growing up and now in college, and was always willing to go out of her way to meet someone new. 

Unfortunately, it seemed that extraverted personality of hers disappeared as soon as she hung out with people from work. Juliette began to overthink everything -- the sundress she was wearing, which she had spent nearly a half hour picking out, and still seemed too out of place; the way she lingered alone by the drinks, too nervous to reach out to the coworkers who were friendly to her at work, as they were now speaking people people who Juliette didn’t even recognize; and in general, just the question of why did she show up in the first place?  Perhaps it was too soon for her to try to get a social life out of work, and instead stick to the boring dinners and parties her parents were always inviting her to.

Just as Juliette began wondering how long she’d have to stick around before Irish exiting, a familiar face approached her. Her lips broke out in a relieved smile at the sight of Nate, so happy to see someone nice that she could’ve hugged him right there.  “Hey! Yeah,”  Juliette let out a laugh, taking a sip of her drink.  “This may just be the most social I’ve been this entire summer. I haven’t been to a party in ages.”  Parties that Juliette went to usually involved uppity Manhattanites and guys humble-bragging about themselves to get her attention. Juliette would gladly take this kind of party any day, even if it meant hanging out in the corner.

“It’s weird to see you not behind a bar,” she observed, flashing him a small smirk. “Who are all the non-restauranters here? Friends from the area?” 

It appeared to have taken about two weeks for people to finally warm up to Juliette, but she didn’t mind. She had expected as much, honestly, knowing that the stigma of being the boss’ daughter didn’t make people want to immediately become her friend (and anybody who did want to was usually bad news). But after talking to the Assistant GM, they seemed to reach an understanding in her slippery job description; on the days where certain positions were busier than usual, Juliette helped out where she was needed. Nothing crazy -- it was clear nobody wanted her to talk to any customers, although she didn’t really understand why -- but when the hostess stand was empty she’d be there, or when the bussers needed an extra set of hands for dirty dishes, she’d be there. Some days it involved coming home with her beautiful new dresses soaked or stained, but it made the other employees warm up to her better, which was worth it.

Nate was by far one of the coworkers who was nicest to her, something she couldn’t exactly understand, but took it anyway. He had invited her out last week with some of the other employees at a nearby bar, but knowing that she’d likely be ignored by the rest of them, she had decided to decline. But maybe it was because the thought of spending another Saturday night alone was tragic, or the fact that she had been invited by two separate people, but when he mentioned that Zach the server was throwing a party at his house, Juliette had agreed to go. Why the hell not?

She made sure her driver dropped her off around the block, knowing that if she was caught by the others with her own chauffeur, she’d never hear the end of it. Per the sign on the front door, Juliette let herself into his backyard, where at least a dozen other people already were. She recognized some, but not others, leading her to believe it was more than just a work party. Everyone who she knew seemed wrapped up in conversation, so Juliette silently made herself familiar with the space, grabbing a drink from the line of coolers Zach had provided. She didn’t normally drink beer, but when in Rome, right?

“Well damn that ruins my plan to around telling everyone that the owner’s daughter is a spoiled bitch, but I guess I can go ahead and do that instead,” Nate joked back, though in actuality he probably would. He knew that her being the assistant GM had already rubbed some people the wrong way, and if he was being honest when he had heard first heard about it he had gotten a little bristled. Nepotism wasn’t most people’s favorite business tactic. Though now after meeting her, Nate saw that Juliette deserved a fair shot. 

“Yeah born and raised,” he told her. He was done wiping down the glasses and though there were more than a few things he could be doing before the dinner rush, Nate leaned down and rested his forearms on the bar counter. “I live a few miles down the road, closer to the ocean than inland.” That made him what people, and himself too, would call “a local” and he took pride in that. He would run on the beach in the winter when it was bitter cold and it would only be him and the seagulls, he would go to the restaurants that would have lines out the door in the high season and not have to wait 5 minutes, and would enjoy the peace and quiet of the streets without all the weekly renters coming in and out. But that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy the summer. The summer was when things got way more fun. 

“What about you?” he asked her. “City girl through and through right?

“How far from the ocean are you?” Juliette asked curiously, wondering if he lived close to where her beach house was. The house the Daniels family rented every summer was right on the coast, its backyard being a private beach for just her and her neighbors. Her back porch even had its own outdoor shower, which her mother used to have to force her to get in so she wouldn’t track sand all over the house. Most of the people in her neighborhood were from the city like her, but maybe Nate lived a block or two away, for all she knew. Not that Juliette knew much about the area beyond her private beach and the little town she enjoyed shopping in.

Juliette realized that Nate was probably the first native of the area she had spoken to in years, possibly forever. Her summer was always spent with the same families that her parents hung out with in the city, the same neighbors she lived next to every year. Even as a kid, the summer camps she attended were all kids from the city. The idea alone of something different was enough to get Juliette’s mind swirling with questions, though she didn’t want to be rude. But it didn’t make her stop wondering how different the two of their summers usually were.

“Born and raised, yes,” she nodded, mimicking his words. “Do you visit the city often?” It was a good hour and change ride from all the way out where they were, but Juliette assumed anyone who lived in New York was at least a little familiar with the city. “It’s nice to get a break from it, though. Maybe you can show me around one day, where all the locals go.” Again she played her tone light, perhaps even flirtatious, but the blonde hoped she wasn’t stepping out of line. The thought of having a new friend for the summer, especially one who knew the town better than even she, who went there every summer, did. “Do people from the restaurant go out a lot?” the blonde added, hoping that bringing other people into the conversation would make it seem like she wasn’t blatantly hitting on him.

“Oh yeah for sure. I know this place like the back of my hand,” Nate said, half joking and half serious. Carmen’s was practically his second home over the summer, closely followed the by the beach. He knew all the regulars and what weeks in July or August they were likely to come, he knew where Danny stashed his secret pack of cigarettes even though he always claimed that he was going to quit, and he knew that a. little mild flirtation with the city wives was the best way to get the biggest tip. 

Nate scoffed at the mention of their general manager but then made sure to give her a small reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about Carlos. Ever since he got promoted to GM he’s let the power get to his head a little bit. It would nice to see him knocked back down a few pegs back to the rest of the staff’s lowly level.” And having to work alongside the boss’ younger daughter would definitely help with that. The guy used to be cool but now was starting to get borderline annoying. 

“You should cut yourself a break. Give it a few days and I’m sure you’ll be doing fine. It’s probably in your blood right?” 

"So you're a powerful ally to have around here, then," Juliette teased, though she knew how true her words probably were. Making some friends at work was obviously a goal for her, seeing as none of her friends were around this summer and it would make working at the restaurant a lot less miserable, but perhaps she was lucky that he was the first person she met. Having an insider's knowledge on everyone at the restaurant certainly couldn't hurt. "Alright, so tell me -- is there anyone I need to look out for? What's the latest drama going on? I want to be in the know."

His words were comforting, as was the small smile he gave her. Juliette couldn't help but smile back. "Right. My blood runs red wine," she let out a short laugh. "But thanks, really. It means a lot. And if you could go ahead and spread around that the owner's daughter isn't some spoiled bitch, I'd really appreciate it." The blonde's tone was light, kidding, though if he took it to heart she certainly wouldn't mind. More than anything else, Juliette was a little nervous to get some weird treatment just because her father owned the restaurant. Well, more than getting an assistant GM job to begin with.

"So I take it you're from the area?" she asked after a moment, settling her bright blue eyes on him once more. "Did you grow up here?" People who lived out here year round fascinated her; Juliette would love to see what it was like here in the winter, when the beaches were likely covered with snow.

“Don’t worry about it. On Jason’s first day as a server, he looked like he was going to shit his pants. Just don’t let him know that I told you that,” Nate joked with her. But if there was anyone who could come into a new job without a care and feel 100% confident, it would probably be the bosses daughter.  It was probably nice to know that you couldn’t be fired. “I’ll be here,” he promised. But would giving his bosses daughter a drink get him fired? 

Having her sit in front of him as he worked was welcome entertainment. Cleaning and restocking glasses could only have a very limited amount of excitement. And since the restaurant was slow right now and wouldn’t pick up until the early evening, he knew no one would mind him talking to her. Especially since she was the assistant manager. “Four summers now,” he answered her, “I worked here when I was home for break. But school’s over now so we’ll see if this becomes a fall gig too.” 

“What about you? Excited for the summer?” Nate wondered why she was working at Carmen’s when everyone knew that the bosses family usually stayed in the city or travelled suring the summer. Was her dad making her? That would definitely suck but right now she seemed to have a good attitude about it. 

Juliette laughed at the bartender's comforting words, despite not being able to remember which server Jason was. It wasn't that she was nervous to start working there -- whether she knew everyone around her or not, the restaurant was still basically her second summer home. The quiet but growing gnawing in her stomach had more to do with anxiety about... well, about being the owner's daughter who was promoted for a job she wasn't qualified for. Outside of babysitting and a few unpaid internships, it was her first real job. 

But there was no way in hell she was admitting that to anybody, and risking pissing off coworkers that were technically her subordinates. "Really?" Juliette raised her eyebrows, impressed he had been there so long and that she didn't recognize him. Not that she ever sat at the bar when she went there with her parents. "So you know everyone and everything about this place, I'm guessing?" Her words were slightly teasing, even though it was likely true. Having an ally or friend like Nate who knew his way around this place wouldn't be the worst thing. "I'll keep that in mind."

His question made her smile, albeit hesitantly. "Yeah, I am," she told him, with a nod. "It'll be a nice change from what I usually do. Though between you and me, when I told my dad I was interested in working at the restaurant, I was thinking more like a waitress position," the blonde admitted, sheepishly. "I'm afraid I'm in a little over my head. And I don't think Carlos likes me very much," she added, referring to her now Co-Assistant GM.

There wasn’t much that Nate Parker could complain about in his life. While yes he was a young man out of college that still lived with his mother, he was lucky enough to live only blocks away from the ocean where he could run, swim, and surf as much as he wanted. And though he was still trying to figure out exactly what career he wanted, at least he steady income coming out of Carmen’s. 

Nate had started working at the upscale restaurant his first summer coming home from college and had every summer since. Though back then he had been just a busboy. Now that he was working there full-time, he had been upgraded to the front of the restaurant as one of the bartenders. Charlie, the other bartender, liked to joke that it was because all the rich city women that came to the Hamptons and to Carmen’s for the summer liked his pretty face. But despite Charlie’s jokes, Nate liked the job. He enjoyed being right in the action and interacting with people. Plus, the tips, especially from the rich city women, were never too shabby. 

But today, Carmen’s was buzzing because a certain someone was coming in. The gossip that the bosses daughter was going to working in the restaurant that summer had quickly spread amongst all the staff. He didn’t know much about her except from the few glances that he had gotten of her when she was here with her family over the summer and what some of the staff that knew her better said. While some people were prickly that she was going to work as a manager just because of who she was, Nate didn’t care as long as she didn’t make work miserable. 

“First day right?” he said after the two of them were left alone at his bar and he grabbed a glass from underneath the bar and filled it with her requested drink. “You sure you don’t want something a little stronger?” Nate added in with a little smirk as he handed her the water. 

“Is it that obvious?” she countered with a wry smile and small laugh, shaking her head at his question. The idea of something stronger was honestly tempting, especially thanks to the beautiful wine list Carmen’s always seemed to have. It was there that Juliette had her first sip of wine, when she was only fifteen years old. Safe to say, she's loved it since. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure drinking on the job would do any better for her reputation. “Tempting, I may take you up on that when my shift is over,” she laughed, gratefully taking a small sip of the water. “But thanks.”

There was something satisfying about watching the man clean and wipe down glass after glass, his hand motions appearing to be nothing more than second nature to him. It was clear he had done it before, and likely had been working here for awhile. Juliette’s eyes flickered up to his face, but with the amount of employees her father employed, she already knew she wouldn’t recognize him. It was a shame though — he was pretty easy on the eyes.

The blonde almost introduced herself, before realizing that the assistant manager had done that not even two minutes ago. She had been introduced to dozens of people already, but thankfully since he was the last, his name was still fresh in her mind. Nate. “Have you worked here long?” she asked, hoping he didn’t mind some conversation while he worked. If she was stuck sitting here for who knows how long, the least she could do was make a friend on her first day.

Juliette had always been an only child, but when it came to competing for her father's attention, there was someone else that made it increasingly difficult: Carmen's. Named after Juliette's grandmother and her father's late mother, Carmen's was a small chain of high class restaurants that her father owned, and his own personal baby. The Upper West Side location, Carmen's very first location, debuted when Juliette was only seven years old, and she still remembered the huge party her parents threw for it. Her father had always been a workaholic, spending more time at the office than with his wife and daughter, but as soon as the doors of Carmen's opened, he was hardly ever around. Running a successful restaurant wasn't easy, her mom liked to tell her, on the nights that he never came home for dinner. But as Juliette got older, she could see more clearly: while she was her mom's baby, Carmen's was her father's.

So when she had asked her father casually if he could get her a job at the Carmen's in East Hampton, only six miles from their beach house, Juliette wasn't sure if she had ever seen him so happy with her. She even overheard him bragging to his friends about how his daughter was planning on "taking in the family business." The blonde didn't have the heart to tell him that all she wanted was something to do for the summer, since her two closest friends would be abroad instead of in the Hamptons this year. It would even be her first job, apart from the few internships she kept during her past semesters. 

She had only asked her father because she knew it would be easier than applying to places and waiting to hear back, but even then, her expectations were pretty low. So when he offered her the position of working under the General Manager, rather than a hostess or server, the blonde had already begun to regret her decision. 

That was particularly relevant now, as the blonde followed quietly behind the Assistant GM on her first day of work, showing her around the restaurant as if it wasn't a place her family frequented every summer. It was obvious the Assistant GM wasn't a fan that she was basically on his level, without so much of an ounce of experience -- but if that was the case, that made two of them.

The last stop on their tour was the bar, which other than the single bartender polishing glasses, was basically empty. When one of the servers approached the Assistant GM needing help with a customer, it seemed like he was all too happy to leave Juliette behind. After promising to come get her when there was work for them to start, the man left the Daniels girl alone, settling onto the stool of the bar. "Could I get a water, please?" she asked the bartender, resting her elbows on the bar. And to think, she had picked a cute outfit just so she could be abandoned at the restaurant bar.