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This has become a normal occurrence for Cynthia. After work everyday, she would find herself in the same booth in the corner of the same diner at the edge of town. She opens the menu even though she already knows what she wants to order.
A waitress comes up to her, a notepad in her hand and a pencil tucked behind her ear. “What would you like today?”
Cynthia recognizes that voice. She looks up. She recognizes that pretty smile too. Lucy, it says on her name tag atop her teal buttoned up uniform.
She returns the smile, her face bright. This might be her favorite time of day. Sure, she loves food, but she likes interacting with people that she actually finds pleasant even more. “I’d like a water please, and uh-”
“Will it be the Reuben burger set, no pickles and onions, with 10 buffalo wings and large wedge fries, extra crispy, with extra sauce on the side?” Lucy recites effortlessly, interrupting her order.
Cynthia is stunned, to say the least. All she can say is, “Uhhh yeah- yep-” She nods a few times too many, trying to keep her jaws shut and her face any other color but red.
“Perfect,” Lucy says, writing the order down on her notepad with a twirl of her pencil, as if she needed to. “Your food will be ready in a moment.”
With a parting smile, she’s gone, back into the kitchen to place the order.
Cynthia’s eyes follow the woman leaving. She realizes she’s staring way too late, whipping her head back immediately. She buries her steaming face in her hands.
What the hell is this?? She thinks while listening to the thumping of her heart in her ears.
Lucy returns while Cynthia is still panicking with her water. “Are you alright there, doll?” Lucy asks.
Oh god, oh fuck-
Cynthia jolts, lifting her head up, trying to be as normal as possible and admittedly failing miserably. “Yes, mhmm! Totally fine- thank you so much,” she says, maybe a bit too loud, lowering her volume sheepishly at the end. In her defense, Lucy calling her doll does not help her in the slightest bit.
“Ok, just let me know if you need anything, alright?” Lucy doesn’t sound like she believes Cynthia one-hundred percent, but she takes pity on her and departs once again.
This gives Cynthia time to breathe, not very well, but air in her lungs nonetheless. She sips at her water as she thinks, and overthinks. She’s only met this woman, what? Like two weeks ago, when she started coming to this place? She fell in love with their wings, what can she say? And she might have fallen for something else, or rather someone else here too… Lucy remembers her long, complicated ass order so flawlessly. No one has ever cared enough to even know her favorite food before.
And then she smells them, all her favorites being carried out on a tray. Lucy comes right over with the food, putting all the plates on Cynthia’s table. “Enjoy your meal~” she says, a melodic hum under her usual deep voice.
“Th-thank you!” Cynthia stutters. Why she is stuttering like that?? Ugh, she sounds like an idiot.
Lucy doesn’t seem to mind though, even letting out a chuckle before she goes back to work, serving another table.
She’s definitely laughing at my stupid ass, Cynthia thinks with a sigh. But she can’t dwell on that for long lest the food gets cold. She digs into the burgers and fries, demolishing them almost immediately before moving onto the wings.
After about ten joyous minutes, the plates are cleared. Cynthia leans back in her seat, wiping her mess of a face with a napkin, feeling content. She waves for a check and, of course, Lucy promptly comes over, handing over the bill. “Had a good time?” she asks, almost in a teasing tone.
Cynthia doesn’t care at this point when her tummy is full of burger. “Yeah, that was awesome,” she nods. She reads through the bill and pulls out her card from her wallet. And of course, she writes on the bill, tipping generously. Lucy deserves it. She deserves the world, actually.
When Lucy returns with Cynthia’s card and the receipt she says, “Have a good night, doll~” adding a wink for good measure.
Cynthia’s flabbers are most certainly gasted. “Uhh…” she is stunned for a moment before she can speak again as Lucy is leaving. “Y-yeah- Thank you! You too!” she says, giving Lucy a shy smile. She lets out a huge breath after that. She looks at the receipt, looking to tuck it away in her pocket without a second thought before she spots the faint bleeding of blue ink from the back. She flips it over to see a message that reads:
I clock out in 20. Meet me in the parking lot?
– L ♡
As if everything that has happened tonight isn’t enough. Cynthia might die here. She looks all around the diner for Lucy to find that she’s no where to be found currently. She bites her lip. She might as well take her chances.
Swinging her tote bag over her shoulder, she heads out to the parking lot to find her pickup truck. Once there, she throws her bag in the backseat and rounds her truck. She flips open the tailgate and settles herself on it, doom scrolling through her phone. It would be quite embarrassing right about now if Lucy did that only to mess with her.
But as she’s about to spiral into her own thoughts while the Pajama Parties no Uta is playing faintly from a TikTok through her phone speaker, a voice snaps her out of it. “Hope that wasn’t too long of a wait?” It’s Lucy, right in front of Cynthia. She almost threw her phone away or crushed it into pieces with her bare hands. Thankfully, none of those things happened. What she does is look up at Lucy, a blush most definitely growing on her face. Oh fuck- she is so close…
“Oh- hi! Um- not at all,” she says oh so nonchalantly as she slides off her truck, closing it back up then turning back to face Lucy again. “So uh- why do you wanna meet out here- me? Why me? I mean- that’s not what i meant! You know what I mean…” She’s… gonna shut up now.
Lucy lets out what can only be described as a giggle. And is she blushing too? “Um… I don’t know- I thought you’re cute and I just… wanted to shoot my shot?” She has the audacity to bite her lip as she looks down, tucking both sides of her hair behind her ears.
Cynthia blinks. It takes her a moment to realize she should probably say something. “Shoot your shot? Like- are you asking me out??” If she could kick her feet and squeal right now, but she steels her composure.
Lucy nods, “Yeah, I guess I am doing that- yes.” She meets Cynthia’s eyes once again, sporting a hopeful smile.
All Cynthia knows to do is nod, repeatedly. “Yes. Yes, please,” she says.
“Alright then,” Lucy chuckles, smiling a bit wider. “Shall we?”
And Cynthia has never driven so fast in her entire life.