Second Hand Waitress

Despite the fact that Tesah Clover's manipulative tactics left a bad taste in his mouth, he couldn’t bring himself to regret using them. It was done now. The document was signed and would soon be notarized.

For a brief moment, he felt a pang of regret that he wouldn’t be with Kira Samia again, but he quickly pushed her out of his mind.

All weekend, Kira thought about what to say and how to behave when she saw Tesah again on Monday. She thought she would never meet him again but she received a call from her manager Geo asking her to report on Monday as Tesah' Secretary back at Medina because he still had unfinished business.

Kira took a sip of her margarita, licking the salt off the rim. “I don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone this much before,” she said. She paused, considering her words. “But I really do hate him. The thought of facing him again on Monday makes me sick. I’m so tempted to just quit.”

“You can’t quit,” her roommate, Cal, said firmly. “Who’s going to pay the bills? Until I find work, we need your paycheck.”

“You’ll find something soon,” Kira said, patting his shoulder, her movements a little unsteady from the drink. “But right now, can we focus on my problem?”

“All right,” Cal said with a conspiratorial grin. “Tesah’s a jerk. He treated you terribly, you hate him, but you’re stuck working with him. Did I get that right?”

Kira nodded miserably, her stomach sinking as he spoke. She pushed aside her drink, wishing she felt like getting drunk—it might help.

“But here’s what I really want to know,” Cal leaned closer, his tone playful, “is he good in bed?”

Kira sighed. “He’s incredible, and that just makes me hate him even more. I probably shouldn’t even be talking about this. Doesn’t it violate that confidentiality agreement?”

“It probably does,” Cal said with a shrug. “But if I can trust you with my secrets, you can trust me with this.”

Kira smiled faintly. She trusted Cal completely. He was more than just a friend; he was like family. After her accident, when her world had fallen apart, he had been there for her. He’d helped her recover, encouraged her to go back and bake again, and understood her loss in a way no one else could.

“All I’m saying,” Cal continued, “is that the man is attractive. If he wasn’t so completely straight, I’d probably try my luck.”

“You’re way too good for him,” Kira said, managing a small laugh.

“So are you,” Cal replied seriously.

“Thanks, Cal,” she said, leaning in to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her, supporting her slight weight.

“I’m really glad we’re roommates,” she said softly.

“Not exactly roommates,” Cal corrected with a bitter laugh. “More like a freeloader and a breadwinner.”

“Don’t say that,” Kira scolded him. “You’ve done so much for me, and everyone goes through rough patches. Don’t ever put yourself down like that, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. “Now, spill the details. I want to know everything. Length, shape, angle—does it point down, straight ahead, or up?”

“Are you serious?” Kira asked, choking on a laugh.

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“Well, a downward angle just seems... underwhelming,” he teased.

“I’m not having this conversation with you.”

“Why not? You told me all about that other guy, remember?”

“I didn’t!”

“Maybe not in detail, but that guy was boring. I didn’t care enough to ask.”

“He was nice,” Kira said.

“And dull.”

“He was sweet.”

“And dull,” Cal repeated, unimpressed.

Kira couldn’t argue. Frank, her ex, had been nice but utterly forgettable. Their brief relationship had ended after she literally fell asleep during their second time together. Not her proudest moment. Tesah Clover, however, was unforgettable—and infuriating.

“Let’s drop it,” Kira said firmly. “I’ve probably already broken enough of his stupid confidentiality rules by telling you this much. I’m done talking about it.”

Kira left her friend and started packing for her trip back to Medina city, she wasn't even sure how long she was gonna work under Tesah again and if the signed contract was going to affect her. She snorted absentmindedly before continuing to pack her stuff, that's when she realized one of her stuff was missing, it was her underwear. She facepalmed herself when the reality struck her.