#table five

“Sure, Tracy, no problem,” Anna smiled.  

“I appreciate it.  Oh, and you can thank me later,” the young woman winked, and Anna wondered that the hell that meant.

Anna finished taking the order or her newest table and put it in the Point-Of-Sale system before greeting table five.  As soon as she approached, and the blond man looked up at her, she understood in an instant why Tracy wanted Anna to thank her. He was drop-dead gorgeous.

Anna was used to serving hot customers however, and she knew how to remain professional, even when she was burning up inside at the sight of his soulful brown eyes.

“Hello.  My name is Anna, and I will be taking care of you this evening.”  She looked over at the closed menu sitting on the other side of the table.  “Would you like to order a drink now, or are you waiting on someone?”

“Just waiting for now, thank you,” he said and offered her a kind smile.

Anna nodded and went about her rounds.  She grabbed the pitcher of water and went to her tables filling any glasses and taking any additional orders.  When she walked by the lone blond man, his water goblet was empty.  Anna decided to fill it before putting the requests in the POS system.  His eyes scanned the menu as Anna filled his glass, and he said a quiet ‘thank you’ when the cup was full.

Not many people thanked her for a simple water refill and smiled to herself as she went to the computer. After that, she ran a plate of appetizers to one of her tables, then delivered the meals to another couple that were ready, before she checked on the blond again.  It had been about ten minutes, and his water glass was empty again.

Anna filled it without a word.  She was about to turn and leave when he spoke.

“Thank you, and think maybe I’ll order a drink now please.  My date is a little late.”

“Sure thing,” Anna smiled. “What can I get you?”

“Have anything local on tap?”

Anna nodded.  “We have an excellent honey ale, a light lager, and a blonde wheat ale.”

“I’ll have a pint of the blonde please.”

“I’ll get that out to you right away.”  

She put the order in at the bar and did her rounds again, careful to make sure water glasses were filled, nearly finished drinks were offered to be refilled, and any empty plates were cleared away.   Next she put the new orders in the system and grabbed the pint of beer when it was ready at the bar.  She delivered it to the incredibly sexy blond guy and asked if he would like the complementary bread that the restaurant offered.  She was going to wait until his date showed up, but so far, the seat was still empty and the man looked hungry.  

He nodded and let out a sigh, “Yes, thank you.”

He was clearly disappointed and Anna’s heart went out to him.  She hoped that he would not be one of those poor people that was about to be stood up.  He looked too kind to have that happen to him.  Anna was suddenly mad at his mystery date, and she was not used to feeling that way.  Normally she would never get so invested in a customer.  What was it about this man that seemed… special?  

Anna delivered checks to two of her tables that were headed out, then went back to the service window to see if the orders for the other table were ready.  

“So, he’s hot right?”

Anna looked over at Tracy and giggled quietly.  “Oh my God, yes.  Thank you for that.”

“I see his date hasn’t shown up yet,” Tracy wiggled her eyebrows.

“Yeah, I feel bad for the guy.  He’s seems really nice.”

“Nice guys finish last, Anna.  Don’t you know that?”

“And yet there’s an exception to every rule,” Anna countered.

“Ah touché,” Tracy said. “You working close tonight?”

“No, I worked the lunch crowd.  I’m off in an hour.”

“Ah, you bitch.  It’s going to be so boring without you on. Well if I don’t talk to you before you head out, have a good one.”  She reached over and grabbed two plates of food.

“Thanks Trace,” Anna said, as her friend walked away.  

Anna took the plates for her table as soon as they came to the window and delivered them.  That one last table, the sexy blond, and then she was free for the night.  

She delivered the bread to him, and even though his menu sat closed in front of him, she didn’t want to ask yet if he wanted to order anything.   These situations were often delicate.  She had seen people get teary eyed before about being stood up.   She had also seen people quietly seethe.  This man just seemed to be lonely, so for the time being, Anna asked him if there was anything else she could get for him.

He shook his head with a polite smile and Anna went to ask her other table how they were making out, and if there was anything else they needed, like a refill on their wine.  The nice elderly couple said they would like one, so Anna got their wine, then helped a new server deliver plates to a table of eight, and refilled all the water on the table for her frazzled co-worker, before she wandered past his table again.  His drink was almost finished and the bread basket was empty.  He must have been hungry.  Anna’s heart lurched for him again.  She had lost track of how long he’d been sitting there, but it was enough time to know that his date wasn’t going to show.

“Can I get you another refill on your drink?” she asked, careful not to look at the other side of the table.  She didn’t want to embarrass the poor fellow further.

“Sure,” he sighed, forcing a smile.

Anna nodded and went to put in the order.  She felt bad for him, and wished there was something she could do to lift his spirits.

It was hard to finish dealing with her last table while watching him stare at the television in the corner of the lounge with his chin resting in his palm.  She was a little grateful when the elderly couple decided to forgo desert and get their check.  Anna delivered it quickly and brought the second pint back to the man.

She put it on the table and was about to ask if he wanted to order anything when he looked up at her and spoke.

“It appears my date is a no-show.  Can I move over to the bar?”

“Of course,” Anna said, trying not to let her empathy come through too much in her voice.  “I will transfer you over to the bartender.”

His eyes widened a little. “Oh, I can settle up with you first and start a new tab, I didn’t realize,” he shrugged.  

“It’s okay.  Less hassle for you.  I’m off now anyway, so it’s not a big deal.”

The man paused, and Anna could see the question in his eyes.  He opened his mouth, and she was ready to say yes, when he seemed to change his mind.  

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

Anna couldn’t let it go like this.  Not after how kind she believed him to be.  Not after how lonely he seemed.  

“I just have to settle my last table and I could join you,” she offered, “if you’d like some company?”

His face broke out in a smile.  “You know, I was just about to ask you the same thing, but I thought maybe it was inappropriate since you work here.”

Anna shrugged. “A lot of us will have a drink and a meal at the bar when we’re done a shift.  It’s not a big deal.”

“Alright then,” he said and stood slowly.  “I’ll see you in a bit?”

Anna smiled wide and nodded, then went to gather the check from her last table.  She finished her tallies in the system and logged out before going to the back to change into her street clothes, all the while filled with butterflies of anticipation.

She found him on the very edge of the bar and sat beside him.  He looked over at her and frowned, looking very concerned, and Anna suddenly wondered if his date had shown up after all.

“I have to apologize,” he started.  “I just realized how much of a skeeze I must seem, to be hitting on my waitress after my date bails on me.”

Anna laughed.  Boy he was a thinker.  Probably spent a lot of time alone, overanalyzing things like manners.

“Don’t worry,” Anna smiled at him, delighted that it seemed to put him at ease.  “I don’t think you’re a skeeze.  I think you’re just a kind man who got stood up by a fool, and I am really happy to share a drink and a bite with you.”

“That makes me feel better,” he smiled, and offered her his hand.  “I’m Kristoff, by the way.”

“Anna,” she smiled.

“I know,” he smirked. “You told me.”

“Oh right,” Anna giggled, feeling her cheeks heat up.  

“Usual tonight Anna?” The bartender interrupted them.

“Sure Dean, that’d be great.”

Dean nodded with a knowing smile and left to get her the same drink that Kristoff was having.  

“So, I’m starving,” Kristoff chuckled.  “What’s good here?”

“Oh, lots.  What are you in the mood for?”

“Steak sounds good.”

“Mmmm, I second that. The steak sandwich here is excellent. Or they have the Prime Rib on special tonight if that’s more what you’re in the mood for.”

“Steak sandwich sounds good to me.”

“Me too.”

Dean came over and put Anna’s drink in front of her.  “You guys want to order something?”

“Two steak sandwiches,” Anna smiled.  “Medium for me and,” she looked over at Kristoff.

“Medium-rare please.”

“Sautéed mushrooms on top?” Dean asked.

Anna was still looking at Kristoff.  He looked back at her and nodded.  “Sure, I love mushrooms.”

“Me too,” Anna said, still gazing into his beautiful brown eyes.

Dean chuckled quietly. “Alright, coming right up.”

“So, what do you do, Kristoff?”  

“I’m just a carpenter.”

“Just a carpenter?  Don’t be silly, that’s amazing.  What do you build?  Houses?”

He nodded, blushing a little.  “Houses, sheds, decks, anything with wood really.  I run my own one-man business.”

“Oh really?  That’s fascinating.  You must like working for yourself?”

“I do,” he smiled. “But it’s less and more stressful, at the same time.”

“Oh gosh I can imagine,” Anna said, turning her body on the bar stool a little more towards him.  

It did not go unnoticed, and he turned himself a little more towards her as well.  

Anna suddenly had a very good feeling about him.  She hoped by the end of the night that he would ask her out on a proper date, and if he didn’t, she was going to ask him.

-----

He held her hand as they walked slowly out of the Pub.  After their dinner and another drink, Anna felt like she was getting the stink eye from her manager, so they decided to continue their evening in the Pub across the street.  

Kristoff had apologized again for making work awkward for Anna.  She had laughed and told him that that particular manager was just a stick in the mud, and she was happy to leave anyway so as to avoid Tracy throwing her sassy looks every time she came to the bar to get a drink order.

“She is going to be all over me tomorrow,” Anna laughed, loving the way her hand felt in Kristoff’s large palm.

“Why’s that?” he asked, raising his arm to hail a taxi.

“Because your table was hers.  She asked me to take it because she was running her ass off.”

“Really?” Kristoff smiled, stepping to the edge of the sidewalk where a cab pulled up.  “Well I’m glad she did.”

“Hmmm, me too,” Anna smiled up at him, stepping a little closer to his chest.

Anna didn’t just have a good feeling about Kristoff, she had an incredibly good feeling about him.  She had never been out with a guy who was so easy to talk to, and polite, and hot – good lord was he ever sexy.  She knew they both felt the instant attraction to each other, and he did ask her on another date alright, for the next evening to be exact.  Anna had nodded and given him a very enthusiastic yes.

“This was such a wonderful night, Anna.  Thank you, for everything.”

“Kristoff, you don’t need to thank me.  Thank your date for not showing up.”

“Or Tracy for giving you her table?” he said, inching his face a little closer to hers.

“Sure, or maybe we should just thank me for being the one to actually ask you to have a drink with me,” Anna smirked, inching herself closer too. He was going to kiss her, and she wanted it.  Badly.

“Thank you, Anna,” he said softly, and pushed his lips against hers.

Anna sighed happily into the kiss.  His warms lips, so soft and gentle, were the perfect way to end the evening.  She wanted him to deepen the kiss, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t.  After a moment, he pulled back slowly and looked down at her with dreamy eyes.  

“Until tomorrow night?”

Anna nodded.  “Until tomorrow,” and tiptoed up to give him one last kiss before she tucked herself into the waiting cab.  

The entire ride home, she could not stop grinning.

-----

Anna stood outside the same Pub from the night before and Kristoff was right on time.  He had walked over, like he had done the other night, since he only lived a block away.  His cheeks were pink from the cool nip in the air and he looked delicious in his fleece lined canvas jacket.  

He went right up and hugged her and Anna kissed his cold cheek as she hugged him back.

They went inside and it was busy, so they stood off to the side in the line to talk to the hostess. They were just about up at the front when a couple walked in behind them, and they heard a woman say, “Kris?”

Kristoff and Anna both turned around to see a tall blonde on the arm of a clean-cut brunette man that looked like he thought of himself as tall, dark and handsome, when in reality, came off more as tall, skinny and creepy-looking.

“Angela,” Kristoff deadpanned.

“Look, about last night, I just,” she shrugged.  “Something came up, I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry,” Kristoff said, his natural kindness creeping into his voice as he looked over and down at Anna.  “It was the best night of my life.”

Anna smiled, looking up into Kristoff’s eyes.  She knew exactly what he wanted, so she gave it to him by tiptoeing up, wrapping her arms around his neck, and kissing him.

It was his turn to sigh into her kiss, and she felt his arms wrap tightly around her, caressing her back. Anna really wanted to give into the intense attraction between them, but it wasn’t the time or the place. Kristoff obviously thought the same, when he slowly pulled back a fraction of a second before Anna did.

“Next,” the hostess said.

Neither one of them looked back over their shoulder to see the fool woman’s reaction.  They stepped forward and asked for a table for two. The waitress grabbed two menus and they followed her into the Pub and were seated at a small table by the fireplace.