"I figured I'd find you here," a raspy voice echoes behind me.

Surprised, I spin around, nearly dropping the tray of dishes and hot food balanced on my arm. "Austin?"

A dark aqua gaze and a small, crooked smirk greet me from my section of booths at RJ's. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I was in the area," he says nonchalantly. Unconvinced, I walk two feet in front of me, swiftly place each designated plate of greasy food to its assigned customer, and turn back towards one of my bosses with a raised brow and butterflies in my stomach.

"You were in the area?" I question.

He flashes a cute, knowing smirk and leans back against the booth. "The food here is good."

I fake a grimace, "Its alright."

He laughs. "I also knew that taking more than two days off isn't your style. I'm here to keep an eye on you," he jokes.

"I'm an adult," I state.

"I'm aware," he says smugly.

I sigh dramatically and pull my notepad and pen from my apron. With an over exaggerated smile and overly sweet tone, I say, "Welcome to RJ's. Serving you would be an absolute honor. What can I get you?"

Austin lets out another deep chuckle and places a simple order of a double cheeseburger and a side of onion rings. I give him a mock salute and trek my way to the kitchen, carefully swerving around booths of chatty customers and loud children. I place the order on the counter for Anthony and am scooping ice into a glass when Sidney pops up beside me.

With a suggestive smirk, she briefly peers behind my shoulder and states, "You're smiling."

I scrunch my nose but keep my gaze on the glass I'm filling with soda. "Am I?"

"I can count on one hand the number of times you've smiled while on the job. One of which was the day I busted my ass from the bucket of ranch dressing that I spilt. I swear sometimes I randomly get jolts of pain in my tailbone. That shit hurt," she rambles, rubbing her lower back mindlessly.

I let out a small laugh and spin around so that I can take Austin's soda to his table, while also effectively keeping the grin on my face from her line of sight.

She's right. I'm smiling. I can't help it.

Austin flashes me another grin when I hand him his drink, and it embarrassingly takes everything in me to not completely burst into high-pitched giggles when his fingers brush my own.

I like Austin.

There, I finally said it.

His smile and his unwavering concern and his ability to repeatedly stick his nose in my business has ended with me crushing on him like an anxious, inexperienced teen. I know I should push him away and steer clear of him, but I can't. And I don't really think I want to.

"Aria Emery Adkins," Sidney muses, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

I turn my back on the room full of customers and lean against the counter. "I texted him," I blurt out.

I take a deep breath, and before Sidney can interrupt with an excited screech, say, "I told myself I was just going to put his number in my phone so that I could text him if I ever needed to cancel a shift or something.. but then my mom puked in the kitchen sink yesterday morning and yelled at Savannah and it pissed me off, and I just felt so angry and confused, and if I'm being honest, kinda horny... but I texted him and he texted back, and I kinda sorta, maybe like him? Yeah, no, I like him. Oh my god," I gush.

Sidney gapes at me, confused, excited, and... proud?

My face flushes and I tighten the knot in my apron, trying not to dwell on the rant that I just unloaded on my co-worker/best friend.

Finally, she straightens up, a pensive look on her face. "You texted him first," she remarks.

"That's what I said,"

"You hate people," she states.

"Yeah, usually, but-"

"You like Austin," she repeats.

"I literally just said-"

"My baby is growing up," she sniffs, dramatically wiping away a fake tear.

"Oh my god," I mutter, turning away from her. I briefly sweep my eyes over the busy diner, avoiding Austin's booth and his gaze that seems to always be trained on me, and sigh in relief when Anthony says, "Aria," and slides a plate through the tiny window behind me.

I take a deep breath, mentally prepare myself, and take Austin's order over.

Sidney follows me.

"Oh my god," I murmur again.

"Enjoy!" I rush, placing Austin's food in front of him before quickly turning away.

"Wait," Austin and Sidney say at the same time.

I freeze, slowly turn, and raise a brow at both of them. Austin flicks his gaze between Sidney and I, smirks, and says, "Sit down."

"I'm working-"

"That's a great idea!" Sidney exclaims.

"Okay, uh. What?" I ask incredulously.

Sidney pushes against my shoulder, urging me into the booth, but I don't budge.

"When's the last time you ate?" Austin asks.

I think about it for a minute. "Last night?" I question, more to myself than to him.

Sidney stops shoving me, and at the same time they both ask, "Last night?"

My stomach answers for me by growling extremely loudly.

"Sit down," Austin says again. "Please," he adds.

I fling my arms out again and motion to the eating customers around me. "I'm working," I say again.

"I've got you! Take your break," Sidneys says.

"Of course you do," I mutter dryly.

After the two of us watch Sidney scamper off, Austin clears his throat. I watch silently as he unravels his wrapped silverware and begins to slice his burger in half. I open my mouth to protest when Sidney pops back up beside me, places a clean plate and a glass of water on the table, and leaves.

"Oh my god," I mutter for the third time.

Austin laughs. "Eat," he says sternly.

I sigh dramatically, but pick up the half of the burger he placed in front of me. My mouth waters, and my traitor stomach lets out another unattractive growl.

"You guys are bossy," I say after I finish chewing.

"Yeah?" he questions, wiping his hands on a napkin.

"Yeah," I sigh. "Like I said, I'm an adult."

"And like I said, I'm aware. But don't worry, I am too," he teases.

I gasp. "No shit? I thought you were Sav's age."

"Nope. Haven't been for awhile actually," he smirks.

"Oh, so you're old," I say, dipping an onion ring in ketchup.

"Older than you," he shoots back.

I tilt my head and narrow my eyes. "Are you in your 40s and are just really good at dying your hair and staying in shape?"

He chuckles and says, "You caught me."

I sit quietly for a minute before I decide to muster up enough courage and take the plunge. I like him. I want to get to know him.

"No really," I say casually, "How old are you? Where are you from?"

Austin leans back and studies me quietly. A grin tugs at the corner of his lips as he answers, "Twenty-six. I'm from New Orleans. Born and Raised. Ever been?"

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and mentally scream. We're talking. I'm having fun. He's opening up to me. I want to tell him everything about me; the good, the bad, the ugly.

I was uneasy and nervous about asking him such personal questions, even though he'd already seen the worst parts of my life up close and personal. Austin seems to know just how reserved and guarded I can be, and this... getting to know him? I'm completely out of my comfort zone. Unsure. Anxious. But I'm finally ready to learn and tackle these unknown feelings I've developed for someone that I haven't known for very long. He knows I'm making an effort, and isn't rushing me. And that makes me like him even more.

Feeling like a weight has been lifted off of me, I relax and lean back in my seat. "Nope," I grin easily, "What's it like?"

——

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