Second Hand Waitress

It's faster

The laughter and chatter filled the cozy living room, a warm glow emanating from the lamplight and the shared joy between the three friends. Kira was genuinely happy for Ramon and Becky, their engagement a bright spot in her somewhat turbulent week. She listened intently as they recounted the proposal, the details of which were both romantic and hilariously clumsy, thanks to Ramon's initial fumbling with the ring box. Kira teased him gently, but her heart swelled with happiness for them.

As the evening progressed, the conversation flowed easily, moving from wedding plans to funny anecdotes about their travels. Kira felt herself relaxing, the tension from work slowly melting away. She’d almost forgotten about Tesah, the awkward encounter in his office, and the lingering feeling of unease. Almost.

Suddenly, Ramon’s phone rang, interrupting Becky mid-sentence about the disastrous attempt to cook a romantic dinner on a camping stove. He glanced at the screen, his expression shifting from amusement to something Kira couldn’t quite decipher.

“It’s Tes,” he said, a hint of surprise in his voice. He answered the call. “Hey, Tes. What’s up?”

Kira’s stomach clenched. Tes. She’d heard Ramon mention Tes before, a friend from a completely different world, a world of wealth and privilege that Ramon had somehow managed to bridge. But she’d never actually met Tes. Until now, it seemed.

Ramon’s side of the conversation was brief and punctuated with a few “uh-huhs” and “yeahs.” He listened intently, occasionally nodding. Then, he spoke, and Kira’s heart seemed to stop beating for a moment.

“Yeah, sure, man. We’re just at the new place. I can send you the address. Give us about half an hour?”

He hung up the phone and turned to Becky and Kira, a slightly apologetic look on his face. “That was Tes,” he said. “He’s… uh… he’s in the area and wanted to stop by.”

Kira’s mind was reeling. Tes. It couldn’t be. It simply couldn’t be the same Tes. But a cold dread settled in her stomach. What were the odds? What were the odds that Ramon’s Tes was the Tes, her boss, the man she’d had a… complicated encounter with just days ago?

“Oh,” Kira managed to say, trying to keep her voice neutral. She could feel her palms starting to sweat.

“He’s a good guy,” Ramon said, oblivious to Kira’s inner turmoil. “We’ve been friends for ages, even though… well, you know.” He gestured vaguely, referring to the difference in their backgrounds.

Becky nodded. “Ramon’s known him since they were kids. They went to school together.”

Kira’s mind raced. She remembered Ramon telling her stories about his childhood, about a wealthy friend who’d always had his back. It was all starting to click into place. The pieces of the puzzle were fitting together, and the picture that was emerging was not one she wanted to see.

A wave of panic washed over her. She couldn’t face him. Not here, not now. Not in front of Ramon and Becky, who knew nothing about what had happened between them. The thought of seeing him, of having to pretend that everything was normal, was unbearable. The “Medina incident,” as Tesah had called it, would be dragged back into the light, exposed and scrutinized. She couldn’t do it.

“Kira?” Becky’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

“I… I just remembered something,” Kira stammered, trying to sound convincing. “I have a… a really important thing I need to take care of. A project for work. It completely slipped my mind.” She cringed inwardly at the lameness of the excuse, but it was the best she could come up with in her panicked state.

Ramon frowned. “Tonight? Really? Can’t it wait until morning?”

“No, it’s… it’s urgent,” Kira insisted, her voice a little too high-pitched. “It’s a deadline thing. I completely spaced it.”

Becky gave her a sympathetic look. “Oh, that’s too bad. We’ll miss you.”

“Yeah, me too,” Kira said, forcing a smile. She stood up, her hands shaking slightly. “But I really have to go. I’ll call you guys tomorrow.”

As she was saying her goodbyes, she heard a car pull up outside. Her heart pounded in her chest. It was him. She knew it.

“That must be Tes,” Ramon said, glancing out the window.

Kira’s panic intensified. She couldn’t stay. She had to get out. Now.

“I… I’m going to slip out the back,” she said quickly, grabbing her bag. “It’s faster. Tell them I said hi.”

Before either of them could say anything, she hurried out of the living room and into the hallway. She knew there was a back staircase; she’d seen it earlier when Becky had given her the tour. She found the door and slipped through, grateful for the anonymity of the dimly lit stairwell.

She descended the eight flights of stairs as quickly and quietly as possible, her breath catching in her throat. She could almost feel his presence, his eyes on her, even though she knew he wasn’t there. The image of him, his intense gaze, his smooth demeanor, filled her mind, making her heart race.

When she finally reached the ground floor, she burst out of the building and into the cool night air, gasping for breath. She didn’t stop running until she was several blocks away, her lungs burning and her legs aching. She finally slowed down, leaning against a lamppost, trying to catch her breath.

She looked back at the building, her heart still pounding. She couldn’t believe it. Of all the people in Midian City, of all the “Tesses” in the world, Ramon’s best friend was him. It was a cruel twist of fate, a cosmic joke.

Kira felt a wave of frustration wash over her. She was tired of running, tired of hiding. She was tired of the awkwardness, the unspoken tension, the constant reminders of her one-night stand with her boss. She wanted to move on, to put the “Medina incident” behind her, but it seemed like the universe was determined to keep it alive.

She knew she couldn’t avoid him forever. They worked together. Their paths were destined to cross. But for tonight, at least, she had escaped. She had bought herself some time to figure out what she was going to do, how she was going to face him, how she was going to navigate this incredibly awkward and complicated situation. She just needed to breathe, to calm down, and to figure out her next move. The night was still young, and she had a lot to think about.