Waiter. Waiter - 1. Chapter 1

My mobile rang just as I was about to bite into my lunch. I sighed long and loud when I glanced at the caller ID and saw the name Simon flashing at me. What did he want?

I knew he wouldn’t give up so I answered sharply, “I thought you weren’t going to talk to me ever again?” Those had been the last words thrown at me six months ago, after I told him that I only wanted to be friends. That was, of course, after I had found out he was cheating on me. Then he’d had the gall to say it was my fault. I wouldn’t have sex with him so he, of course, found it elsewhere. Apparently that is a normal reaction of a partner who isn’t getting his needs tended to. I showed him my reaction to being cheated on by throwing his arse out of my parents’ house—he’d come to reason with me—and telling him if he cheated on all his boyfriends it was no surprise he was alone. It was a few weeks later when I’d seen him out and offered to be friends when he’d told me he never wanted to talk to me again.

I noticed I was getting a few curious looks from my co-workers in the staff room, so I moved out to the hallway to keep my conversation as private as possible.

“Now Carl, is that any way to talk to a friend? You know I didn’t mean what I said; I was just upset. A group of us are getting together at six at The Wildlife Café, and we wanted you to join us. Lee and Martin will be there, as well as Milly, Sara, Billy, and maybe Terrence.”

I hadn’t seen my brother, Lee, for a while and, after a bit of thought, a night out sounded like fun. Maybe Simon and I could get along with other people there to mediate. He was with someone else now; hopefully we could work out our differences. If for no other reason, at least to make our other friends’ lives easier.

“Okay, I’ll be there by six fifteen. But, I am only going as your friend. You try anything and I’m heading straight home.”

“Of course, whatever you say.” His voice was smug and I started to have second thoughts, but I really needed a night out and I wanted to see Lee. I was sure I could handle anything.

After Simon hung up a sudden thought had me panicking. I didn’t have a change of clothes at work. I grabbed my phone and dialled as I prayed he was in.

“What you done now?”

I breathed a sigh of relief and grinned at the fake annoyed tone. “Dad, I haven’t done anything. I’m on my break and thought I would just call to say hi.”

Dad’s laughter echoed through the line. “Son, you never call just to say hi. Now if you haven’t done anything, you must need something. Come on, hurry up, I have a cup of coffee going cold here.”

“Well…you see…I may need a small favour.” I paused while my father finished laughing again before I continued. “Simon called and he’s meeting up with Lee and Martin and a few others. I said I’d join them, but I don’t have anything to wear. I can’t go out for the evening in my work uniform.” I glanced down at my bright yellow t-shirt, wrinkling my nose when I thought about the huge letters on the back spelling out staff in capital letters.

“Okay, okay, I’ve got to come into town anyway. What do you want me to bring?”

I punched a fist in the air and listed what I needed. “My red shirt, some deodorant, and the neck chain hanging on my wardrobe door. Thanks, Dad. Gotta go, my break is almost over and I really want to eat my lunch.”

After a quick goodbye I returned to my lunch, excited for my shift to end quickly.

Good food, great company (maybe with one exception), who could ask for a better plan for the evening?

***

My shift ran late. My last three customers decided the total the till gave was wrong. Two made me add everything up by hand to prove how much they owed, while the third demanded the manager check I’d put everything through correctly. On the plus side, it turned out I had missed something on the third customer and she ended up paying more. I didn’t laugh…honest…well, not until I was out of earshot.

I ran out of work at six ten and headed straight for The Wildlife Café at Priory Meadow. The town was busy with people finishing work and the evening shift starting.

When I entered the restaurant I spotted Simon immediately. He was wearing the same outfit he’d been wearing the last time he took me out—could he be more obvious? I had to admit he did look handsome in his pale blue shirt and skinny blue jeans. But, I took a deep breath and headed over.

I saw Lee and Martin sitting opposite him. They made a lovely couple and the love between them was so sweet. The only spare seat was next to Simon, and I was sure that was by his design. I also noticed there were none of our other friends there at all. I started to smell a set up, but headed for the seat anyway.

“Hey guys,” I greeted and put my coat on the back of the chair before sitting down. As I sat I glanced at Simon. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Oh, they pulled out at the last moment.” He waved a hand as he spoke, and I let the matter drop. I could still enjoy an evening with my brother and his boyfriend. I just had to keep Simon at arm’s length.

I was reading the menu when I looked up and saw the approaching waiter. Oh. My. God. He was….

“Actually, I needed a private word with you, Bro,” Lee said suddenly as he rose and moved away from the table, out of hearing range.

“But, that’s….” I watched the waiter talking to Simon. The young man was taller than me and had a very good body that was being shown off by a tight yellow t-shirt bearing the café’s logo. I suddenly wished I’d left my uniform on, but I wouldn’t fill mine out like he was. His dark trousers showed off long legs and, as he turned, a butt I wanted to take a bite out of.

I jumped and held back a yelp when Lee punched my arm.

“Yes, that’s the waiter you’ve been drooling over since this place opened. Simon knows him.”

“What?” I turned to stare at him. “Simon is friends with that and we’ve never met him?”

Lee shrugged. “You’ll have to ask them about it. Also, be warned Simon is single again.” My face must have asked the question I was too shocked to put words to. “Ian dumped him; apparently Simon was not enough fun. Oh, and of course he also got caught cheating again, this time with a woman!

“Now, are you calm enough to not humiliate yourself if we go and sit back down?”

I glared at him, but it was a lost cause. He knew me too well. If he hadn’t intervened I most likely would have said, or done, something to embarrass either myself, and/or everyone in attendance. He’d also rather neatly cut off any more questions I could ask about Simon by hinting we should get back to the others.

As we sat back down Simon slung his arm around my shoulders.

“Carl, there you are,” Simon said leering in my face. Glaring at him I removed his arm and pointedly turned my back. I would have moved my chair away from him, but they were all fixed to the tables. I was already starting to regret coming, the only bright point so far was hopefully getting to meet the dishy waiter.

The object of my thoughts—and a lot of private fantasies—spoke, bringing me back to the present. He raised his pad and asked to the table in general, “What can I get everyone?”

I could think of a few answers, but kept them to myself as the others ordered and I added mine last.

“When does your shift end, Mack? Maybe you could join us?” Simon said and I prayed silently he was finishing soon; it would make this whole night out idea worth it.

“Sounds great. Actually, I’m just finishing. I’ll bring your food over along with something for myself.”

****

Mack arrived with our food about twenty minutes later, and we chatted as we ate. Turned out Mack and Simon had both attended the Hastings Collage catering course at the same time.

I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t met Mack before. Simon and I had been going out all through college and I was a frequent visitor to the catering department. I especially remembered visiting when I was collecting for Children in Need. I had dressed up in some ridiculous costume—no I am not saying what it was—and allowed a friend who was attending the beauty school department to practice some makeup on me.

I’d found Simon and his class when their lecturer was giving them their assignments for the day. I’m sure I would have remembered someone as gorgeous as Mack standing in the line of boys as I charmed, and threatened, them out of their money. I found threatening to hang off their arm for the rest of the day unless they paid was very effective. I also always got the lecturer to match whatever his class could come up with.

Tuning back into the conversation, I realised they’d moved on to embarrassing stories. I cringed as Lee regaled everyone with stories of how many times I have managed to fall over and end up hurt. It was not my fault I had hypermobility syndrome—also known as being double jointed. It meant if I tripped on something or lost my balance, I couldn’t catch myself. I had to let myself fall and hope I didn’t land too badly.

Then I had a memory give me a shove and I grinned as I interrupted.

“Of course, there’s always the time mum and dad left us to housesit; it was about two years ago.” Lee had slumped in his seat, but I wasn’t going to be deterred, and I turned my attention to the others. “We had agreed on how to share chores and the one we both hated was washing up. We decided to just take turns each day and that was fine until the last day before our parents were due back. Lee decided to do spaghetti and meatballs for his dinner. Of course, the first pan he chose was too small, so he tipped the spaghetti into another. That would have been fine, but he also had to try three different pans for the meatballs as well. All told, by the time he’d finished, he’d used six pans and three plates. The washing up took me ages that evening because it had all dried out by the time I’d got home from work.” I grinned at a glaring Lee and couldn’t resist adding more.

“Oh, and there was the summer Lee had an argument with one of mum’s sunbathing chairs.”

“They don’t need to hear about that,” Lee tried to break in.

But I wasn’t going to stop and so continued. “Our mum had one of those garden chairs that when you lift the arms, the back reclines and the foot rest comes up. Lee was laying on his front and a noise behind him made him jump. He leant up and knelt on the foot rest. That went down and the back came up, throwing him a good couple of feet down the garden.”

Lee continued to glare at me as our friends and Mack laughed.

“I’ll get you for that. You know I will.” Lee’s tone was petulant, and I just stuck out my tongue to show I didn’t care. I was having more fun than I had expected to have, and I didn’t want to ruin it by getting into an argument. Of course, if he wanted to continue I had a lot more stories about him I could share. Some of them I was sure he didn’t want Martin hearing—ever.

After we had all finished our meal and paid, we headed for Rock-n-Nore and the beach. We were all laughing and having fun; we even stopped another couple and got one of them to take a picture of us all on Lee’s digital camera.

The moon was high and stars were twinkling as we walked along the stones and found a sandy patch to sit on. Lee was lying with his head in Martin’s lap, looking so happy. I felt a twinge of jealousy. I wanted to find someone who I could cuddle up to and feel comfortable with. All my past boyfriends had told me I was too clingy and that I should act more like a boy and not a girl. Apparently I liked the wrong movies, I wore the wrong clothes, and I liked to cuddle too much. Was it really so unmanly to want to cuddle on the sofa and watch soppy movies? Or to want to hold my boyfriend’s hand as we walked along the street? And as for my clothes, what was wrong with bright colours and tight tops? I liked to show off my slim body, so sue me.

Martin and Mack were trading dirty jokes and I was enjoying it until Simon told them to stop. “Grow up, you two. We’re almost not teenagers anymore. Look at Lee and Carl, at least they know how to act now we’re all nearly twenty.”

I glared at Simon. “You’re not nearly twenty. You’re exactly a year younger than me, and I won’t be twenty until next year. Don’t you remember how to have fun?” I looked at Lee and grinned. “Lee, do you remember the one about how many animals you can fit into a condom?”

Lee’s answer was lost in the others laughing at a blushing Simon. He really needed to learn to loosen up, but I guessed he was trying to impress Mack with how much older he could act—he was failing spectacularly.

Lee and Martin paired off from the group so they could have time alone. At least they went far enough away we couldn’t hear them. Which meant I was left with Simon and Mack.

Mack spoke up next. “I think I’ll go have a smoke.” So saying, he moved off down the beach until all we could see was a shadow. Then I saw a glow moving and had to repress a giggle, it reminded me of Dad’s Army when people were using lanterns to signal to ships.

Simon moved closer and tried to slip his arm round my shoulders—again. “Now, we’re alone, what will we do?”

I was furious and finally snapped at him, “Look. We have already had this conversation. I am not interested. We were terrible together. We don’t like the same things, we argue all the time, and to cap it off you hated the fact you couldn’t get into my pants.”

Simon huffed. “Well, if you weren’t such a prudish, nervous, little virgin, we may have still been together. We were together for a year, sort of, for heaven’s sake. A man has needs, and you couldn’t meet mine.”

I clenched my fists to stop myself from punching him. “Prudish? After you were the one telling everyone to grow up because they were telling dirty jokes? Is that why you decided Ian was better than me? You’re only sniffing around me again because he dumped you. I will make this very clear, I. Am Not. Going. Out. With. You. Ever again. Is that understood? I didn’t have sex with you because I didn’t feel right with you, and to be honest I didn’t even feel safe with you. I’ll repeat it one more time. I am not going to date you.”

“Well, who else would date you?” Simon asked snidely.

I was too upset to reply; instead I stood and stormed off down the beach toward the sea. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry, that would just start him up on the lecture about how I’m oversensitive. I wasn’t oversensitive, I just didn’t like being lied to, cheated on, or told I should have sex because I’ve been with a man for a certain length of time.

The sound of a voice made me stop. “I would date you.”

I spun around to see Mack sitting on the stones with a lit cigarette still held in one hand. I moved closer and sat beside him.

“I’m fairly sure Simon doesn’t mean all he says. We were best friends before we decided to start dating. It was the worst mistake I ever made. We were so incompatible it would have been funny if it hadn’t been so upsetting at the time. A year of an on-again, off-again relationship. He knew I was worried about sex, and he knew why. But instead of trying to help me get over those worries, he just made demands. I think we split up five times, and each time he left I took him back, like the idiot I am. Finally, Lee took me in hand when I caught Simon cheating. Lee told me rather bluntly I was worth more, and I threw Simon out when he came crawling back again.” I let out a long sigh. “This was not how I saw my night going. I was looking forward to seeing Lee and Martin. I just wanted to relax after work and enjoy some good company. Obviously, I haven’t left it long enough for me and Simon to get along as friends yet.”

“Would it be getting too personal to ask what worried you? Maybe I could help a bit by giving an outside point of view.”

I thought hard before answering. Did I really want to talk to a stranger—especially one I thought was gorgeous—about my hang ups? I made a decision and prayed hard I wasn’t making a mistake.

“Four years ago a close friend of ours was attacked by my then boyfriend—let’s call him the bastard. I’d been saying no to sex—and please note that four years ago I was only fifteen, but our friend was only fourteen and the bastard was sixteen. When the bastard tried to push too hard one time—I’ll spare you the details and just say I was left in pain—I threw him out of the house and told him if he came around again I’d report him. When he couldn’t get what he wanted from me he decided to make a move on someone else. When this friend said no too, the bastard took what he wanted. I still wish I’d told people what he was like. If I’d spread the word about how pushy and angry he could get, I may have been able to prevent what happened. My friend made it to my house and, thank God, my parents were out. He was bleeding badly from…Well…I think you can guess where. I got him to the hospital, but he refused to speak to the police when they were called. He only told his parents and spoke to the school because he wanted the boy to be expelled—and he was. Every time Simon got angry, or a bit rough, he reminded me about that time and that bastard. I couldn’t make him understand that all he needed to do was take things slowly.”

“You want to be romanced, taken care of, treated like you matter.” Mack’s voice was soft next to me.

“Yes!” I grabbed onto his arm. How did a stranger get what I was getting at, when my boyfriend of a year didn’t? Then I let out another sigh. “When I tried to explain to Simon he said I was acting like a teenage girl and that I should grow up. Because the attack didn’t happen to me it shouldn’t affect me. No, I wasn’t attacked, but the bastard wasn’t exactly nice to me, and as for the friend, you should have seen the blood. His clothes were crusty with it. I….”

I startled slightly as Mack slid an arm around my waist and pulled me nearer. I was tired from a long day at work and arguing with Simon and now reliving that day. I just wanted to curl up and sleep. I relaxed into him and tried not to read too much into the fact I seemed to fit perfectly against him. I could feel tight, warm muscles against my cheek and an image of running my hands and lips over them came to mind. Catching myself before my hands decided to try and follow my imagination, I pushed closer to his warm body; the air really was getting chilly.

Mack’s voice startled me out of my fantasy. “So, what was the answer to that joke?” When I frowned he added, “How many animals can you fit in a condom?”

I grinned at the change of subject and answered automatically, “One cock, two bulls, and as many hares as you like.” Mack chuckled and I stiffened, then melted, when I felt a kiss being dropped on the top of my head.

“I like a bloke that knows how to tell a good joke and who likes to snuggle.” Mack’s voice was husky, and I turned my face up to look at him. He took that as an invitation and kissed me. I froze for all of two seconds before I snaked my arms around his neck and kissed him back for all I was worth. He must have thrown his cigarette away, because the next thing I knew his hands were in my hair as he pulled me closer so he could kiss me harder. He pushed me gently down on the stones; my back protested, but I ignored it and just kept right on kissing him. It was like I had taken a trip into my own imagination. I had never been kissed like he kissed me. I felt it down to my toes—making some interesting diversions on the way there. His tongue explored my mouth as though we’d been doing this for years. His hands moved from my hair and slid smoothly down my sides.

We finally broke apart to catch our breath. I was hard and aching, and wishing we weren’t outside, on the beach, in the cold. Why couldn’t we have met in a warm club? One with private bathrooms, or at least some very dark corners. I shivered and Mack pulled me closer and rubbed my arms to keep me warm.

“Would you believe me if I said I was falling in love?” Mack whispered, his breath tickling my ear. He dropped kisses down my throat and sucked lightly at a spot just under my ear.

I chuckled lightly and shoved at his shoulder. I couldn’t answer his question because, up until that night, I would have laughed at anyone talking about love at first sight. Right at that moment though? I think became a convert to the cause. His eyes captivated me, and all I could think about was dragging him down for another kiss and never letting him go.

After one last kiss we went to rejoin the others.

Simon got straight up into Mack’s face as we approached. “You didn’t take long to poach my boyfriend. Some friend you are.”

Before I could interrupt Mack yelled right back, “He is not your boyfriend and hasn’t been for a while if all I’ve heard tonight is right. I also have eyes. He’s been pushing you away since he met you at the café. He’s mine now and for as long as he wants me.”

“I hope you like blue balls then,” Simon shot back, sneering at me standing beside Mack. “He won’t put out until he meets the ‘right man’.” He even made air quotes as he spoke.

“I wouldn’t ask him to ‘put out’ as you call it. I would hope to be given the chance to prove I am the right man and to get to know the man I have been told so much about. Relationships are about more than sex, and you would know that if you zipped your trousers up and actually spoke to the person you were with.”

“Huh,” Simon huffed and went striding off back towards the town centre.

Lee and Martin joined us and I shook my head when Lee looked at me in query.

I let out a sigh. “Let’s get home. Mum and Dad will have my hide if I’m tired for work tomorrow.”

Lee raised his eyebrows when Mack wrapped an arm round my shoulders and in turn I held onto his waist, his back trouser pocket was in just the right place to keep my hand warm—and if I took the opportunity to cop a feel? Well, who could blame me, right?

Mack insisted on walking me and Lee home; Martin also had work the next day and so left us in town.

“I am eighteen years old. I do not need an escort home,” Lee complained.

Mack shook his head and pulled me closer. “I’m not escorting you. I’m using the opportunity to spend a few moments with my new man. You just happen to be here.”

Lee glared while I giggled. “Your man, huh?” Lee asked. “That was quick. After all you only met tonight.”

I shook my head at him. I didn’t want Mack knowing I’d been watching him since the café opened. He’d think I was a stalker or something. Lee and I had been meeting for lunch whenever we were free, and once we figured out which tables the dishy waiter served we always made sure to sit in his area. Of course, he never realised we were there so I could flirt, and I wasn’t very good at it. It seemed fate had decided to take an interest and give me a helping hand. I was going to cling on to that hand and use it for as long as I could to keep hold of Mack.

Thankfully, Lee let it go and we continued home. I found out Mack actually lived in Bexhill, the next town over. He planned on getting the night bus back to the train station where he’d parked his car in the long stay parking. Lee got into a debate about cars with him, but I wasn’t interested. I never meant to drive and I liked it that way. As for types of cars, as long as the car got from A to B, I didn’t see what all the fuss was about.

I rejoined the conversation when it turned to hobbies. Mack apparently loved to read as much as I did. We found we had a few authors in common, and we passed the rest of the journey debating which Terry Pratchett book was his best—I said it had to be Men at Arms, but that’s just my humble opinion.

We arrived and I sent Lee on ahead so I could get a kiss goodnight. When Mack pulled me into his arms I melted. Was this real? Had I really met the right man at last? Would it last? Would I wake up in the morning and find it was all a dream? So many questions….

The sound of tapping on glass drew us apart, and I’m sure my face was red when I saw my father standing at the window grinning like a loon. Mum must have been in bed and I’m sure she left instructions for dad to wait up for us to get home safe. I loved my parents dearly, but at that moment I wanted to punch my dad and stop him laughing at me.

Turning my back on the window I took one more kiss. “Give me your phone,” I whispered against his lips, making him grin. I put my number in Mack’s phone and made him promise to text me when he got home. I then headed indoors to face the third degree I was sure was going to be waiting for me.

I couldn’t help looking back, and I waved when I saw Mack still standing at the end of the walkway watching me.

***

Sixteen years later

“Look at this,” I said holding up a picture for Mack to see. He grinned and took the photo from me to look closer. The photo showed me with Simon and Martin on one side and Lee and Mack on the other. It seemed like a lifetime ago Mack and I had met and gotten together. The years had been good. We’d had our bad times of course, but we’d gotten through it by relying on each other.

“It’s hard to believe Simon is married with a child now,” Mack’s voice brought me back to the present.

“Yep, I always thought he was just playing around. But I was still surprised when he met Mandy. I’m happy for them. She is just what he needs in a partner. And of course, when they had Kyle. He was the cutest baby. I think I have a photo of him in here too.”

I turned back to the box I’d dragged out of the loft. After a few moments rummaging, I found several baby photos and sorted them until I found the one labelled Kyle. Passing it up to Mack on the settee I kept looking to see what else there was.

I found a photo of my parents’ wedding; my dad had given it to me when I was trying to make an album of all the family. I also found a photo of my dad’s dad; I’d never met him in person, but I’d heard all the stories.

“I think Lee is still upset over Martin,” I said as I found another picture of Lee, Martin, Mack and me.

Martin had stayed with Lee for over five years. But, when Lee said he wasn’t ready to think about commitment and adopting a child, Martin walked out. He had left Lee in thousands of pounds’ worth of debt and heartbroken. Lee had been in college still and had been planning on university. The debt meant he had to scrap those plans and get two jobs so he wasn’t taken to court for the money owed. Even ten years later Lee hadn’t settled down, but he’d learnt not to allow anyone to use his name and credit to get anything. He’d had five boyfriends since Martin and each had been worse than the last. He went out every weekend picking up anyone who would have him. Mack had been called twice by the police to pick Lee up when he’d had too much and the cabs wouldn’t take him home.

I still had trouble reconciling the man Lee and I had met fifteen years ago, with the man that left Lee high and dry. Lee would have wanted a family eventually; he just wanted to finish his education and get a good job first. I shook my head and continued to dig through the box.

“Ha, look here’s when we moved in our first place.” I handed the photo up to Mack and leant back again the settee to rest my back.

We’d been going out for two years when we finally managed to find somewhere we could afford to rent. It had been small and pokey, but it had been ours. We’d moved three times since then and now lived in a lovely house in a quiet cul-de-sac. I was working as a writer now, and Mack was working as a delivery driver for a local supermarket. Life was great and of course there was…

“Daaad, can I have some sweets now?”

“Don’t shout down the stairs. You have better manners than that,” I yelled back. Heavy footsteps heralded the arrival of our five-year-old daughter, the best addition to our family. Alison stood in the doorway of the lounge doing her best puppy dog look.

I laughed and passed the box of photos up to Mack before heading for the kitchen.

Our house was close to a park and the local infant and junior school. When we’d had Ali, she became our sole focus. We found the house and moved in when she was a few months old. I would be forever grateful to my cousin. Christina had offered to have a child for us with the condition we kept her updated on Ali’s progress and visited regularly. She signed over all decision making to us, and we couldn’t have been happier with our little girl. Everything since had been to make sure she had the best upbringing we could give her. She had also been great for bringing Lee out of himself. He was a doting uncle.

When I returned with a large bowl filled with various sweets, Ali was cuddled up next to Mack rooting through the photos. She pulled out a few and was trying to name all the people when she came across the one of our group on the night Mack and I met.

“When was this photo taken, Dad?”

I took it and just held it. “This, honey, was taken on a night to remember.”