“Order up! Chrissy, table two!”  The cook behind the counter yelled for the waitress who lazily made her way over to take her order out.

    “Jesus John, you don't need to yell, I can hear you, you know!” she smirked as she took her heaping plates of food.

     “Chris, I can already see your tips dwindling if you don't hurry your cute ass out there and work.”  Chrissy smiled at the cook and took the food to her table.  She walked back and sat down on a barstool and watched the people who were coming into the restaurant.  She tucked some of her curly red hair behind her ear and sighed.  Only five more hours then you can go home Chris, she thought to herself.  Chrissy stared at the people eating their hamburgers and drinking their sodas.  She glanced over just about everyone in the place when her eyes fell on a somewhat interesting person.  He had brown hair, sunglasses covering his eyes, he was talking on a cell phone and smoking a cigarette.

    “Hungover,” Chrissy mumbled.  He was wearing a tank top and it showed off tattoos that ran all the way down both arms, he seemed to be into his phone call.  He was smiling and carrying on what seemed to be like a good conversation with whoever was on the other end.

     “Cute,” she thought.  Chrissy was still staring when her friend, and co-worker, Josh, walked up to her with his cart full of dishes.

     “Hey, Chris, see that guy over there?” he said as he motioned over to the person she had been starting at.  Chrissy nodded dreamily.  Josh smirked at her and shook his head.

     “Well, see, people come into restaurants because they are, in fact, hungry.  You staring at the customers is not going to make them any less hungry.  So, I think that you should just get up, and you know, maybe take his order!” Josh smiled at her as she Chrissy took her ticket book out of her apron and smacked him with it.

     “He's busy,” she said making a telephone motion with her hand.

     “Do your job Chris, then, I can do mine!” Josh said as a smile spread across his face.  She rolled her eyes at him and got up off her seat.

     “Get to work Chris,” she muttered to herself as she began walking towards the mysterious figure.  Just as she walked up to him, she overheard him say,

    “Happy Birthday girl! Take care and I'll talk to you soon!” then he hung up the phone.  Chrissy walked up to him in his booth and smiled.

     “Hi, I'm Chrissy.  Are you ready to order?” she asked.  He looked up at her over his sunglasses and nodded a little.  He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and smiled at her.

     “I'll have a cheeseburger with fries. And an iced tea,” he said.  His voice was low and rough, but in a nice way, and he spoke slowly, handing her his menu back and smiling.

     “I'll have that right out,” she said.

         Chrissy sat back on her barstool, watching people come and go into the restaurant.  This was one of her daily pastimes.  She sat on her stool and then she saw “HIM” come walking into the restaurant, yet again.  She smiled a little.  Josh was on the opposite side of the counter and saw him walk in as well.

     “Damn, he comes in here a lot.  The food ain’t that good,” he said.  Josh grabbed a towel and began wiping down the counter.

     “Chrissy, this place isn't self-service,” Josh muttered.  She looked at him and rolled her eyes.

     “I'm going.  Oh yeah, Josh, did I ever tell you I hate my job?” she said as a smile spread across her face.

     “Only everyday,” he said as he continued to wipe down the counter.  “Go!” he said.

     “Alright, alright! Geez, give a girl a break!” she said as she made her way to the back of the restaurant.  She smiled as she saw him look up at her as he stubbed out his cigarette.

     “Lemme guess, burger with fries and an iced tea, right?” she said.  He smiled a little and nodded.

     “How’d you know that?” he asked.

     “When someone comes in here as much as you do, and I keep waiting on you, I just, ya know, pick these things up,” Chrissy said with a smirk.

     “Well, aren't you a quick one?” he said.  He took of his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes a little.

     “Late night?” Chrissy asked.  He nodded.  “Ya know, you've been coming in here for a while now, and I don't even know your name.  You know mine, cause, well, you've been here enough and I'm pretty sure you can read,” she said as she lifted her eyebrows and pursed her lips into a smirk.  He smiled.

     “I'm Alex, but most people call me AJ” he said as he extended his hand for her to shake.  She took his hand in hers.

     “Well I'm not most people Alex,” she said.  “I'll have that food right out for ya,” Chrissy said as she walked off to place his order.

     “Shit, I made like no tips tonight,” Josh mumbled as he was unbuttoning his work shirt.  Chrissy smiled at him and nodded in recognition.

    “I know man, tight ass people.  Gratuity means gratitude, you'd think they'd get that.  Gratitude is more than a dollar.  A dollar is just basically asking for an ass kicking if I do say so myself,” she said as she saw the same familiar person sitting in his regular booth.

     “Dude, what does he see in this place?” Josh said as he saw the same person Chrissy was staring at.

     “Beats me, but I'll see ya tomorrow,” she winked as she began walking towards AJ.  She got to the booth and plopped down in the seat next to him.

     “Hey!” she said loudly.  AJ shot his head up.

     “Hey yourself,” he said, smiling back at her.

    “Okay.  You come in here way too much to actually enjoy the food.  So, what is up with you? Be honest,” Chrissy said.  She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
 

     “I don't know, I just like it here.  This little booth and I have become quite close,” he shrugged.  Chrissy rolled her eyes.

    “So, you aren't gonna tell me why you come in here almost everyday.  Alone.  Talk to no one but your obedient server, that would be me,” she said as she pointed to herself. “And, you eat the same thing day after day.  The burgers here can't be that good.”  AJ laughed.

     “I like my own company.  The atmosphere in here is good, and well, you are certainly the best waitress I've ever encountered!”

     “Oh well, yeah, of course I am! When one makes waitressing their profession, what else can one do? I'm still keeping myself on the amateur side though, you know, the Olympics might have a calling for me one day,” Chrissy laughed.

     “Oh, and you're funny too,” he said.

     “You're damn right I am!” she said.  Chrissy looked out the window.  And, then she looked back at Alex. “Well, you don't seem to be doing anything now Alex, so I guess you can just take me home,” she said.  Chrissy saw the half-shocked expression on his face.

     “You need a ride?” he asked.

     “Well, I could always get a ride with Kathy over there,” she said as she nodded towards another young waitress.  “But, you are far more sexier than she could ever be, and well, I hate her.  So, it's either you leave me here to ride with the skank, or you take me home!” she said as her eyes lit up.  AJ smiled at her and slid out of the booth.

     “Wouldn't want you to ride with someone you can't stand, now would I?” he said as he extended his hand out to Chrissy.

     “Now, that's the spirit!” she said as she got out of the booth and followed him out the door.