CHAPTER 6
Emma
Miffed, I sauntered out of the kitchen with my head held high. I spotted Katie grinning at me from the bar, her arms crossed as she tipped her head toward the table filled with orcs. I didn’t need to look. I already felt his gaze on me again.
I rolled my eyes as she laughed, and I turned back to the table, struggling for composure as I approached them. “How is the wine?” I asked the human-looking female that I’d first spoken to.
“Amazing,” she told me, tipping her glass toward me. There were only a few more sips left in it. “This is a great bottle, and I’m nowhere near fancy enough to know anything about wine.” She grinned at me and I found my smile turning more genuine.
“Most of it tastes the same to me,” I admitted in a low voice, sending a wink her way. “So I get it.”
She giggled and the other female nodded at me, laughing as well as I put plates in the center of the table for them to share.
“I was actually hoping to get a glass of water,” the second female said, shaking her head. “Wine isn’t my thing.”
“I’m sorry,” the male who had ordered said, grimacing. “I acted like Dristan and ordered for the entire table. Does anyone want anything else?”
“I’ll take a water too,” the quieter male on the end said, raising his hand, his eyes focused on Krusk. “If that’s okay.”
“That’s perfectly okay,” I told him, aiming a smile his way. “I’ll go grab those now.”
The rest of the table members were putting me at ease, and I was able to take a moment to peer at the little one sucking on her father’s shoulder…
or was she biting it? She didn’t look half-orc, but the way that male was holding her told me that it was his daughter, and he was proud of it.
I ignored the melting sensation in my chest and near my uterus. It was a dangerous combination.
I could do this. I could make it through this day without crumpling into a pile of hormones and humiliation. And then I would be free to go home and relive the entire day. One embarrassing moment after another.
I turned to walk over to Katie who was making drinks for another one of my tables. “There’s nothing going on,” I told her, leaning closer. “And I don’t appreciate you betting on me.”
“If it helps in any way,” she said with another head tilt in Krusk’s direction. “I was betting about him, not you.”
“It doesn’t help,” I told her, rolling my eyes. “And I’ll take two waters for their table.”
She filled them up and set them on my tray with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Glaring at her while she grinned, I turned and walked back to the table. The talking stopped immediately and they all sent innocent smiles my way as I set the glasses down on the table.
Paranoia wasn’t typical for me, but I had a feeling that they were talking about me.
Immediately self-conscious, I moved to another table, feeling eyes on me.
There was a tingle at the back of my neck, but when I looked back at them, I found that there was only one being who wasn’t laughing and joking with the others.
Krusk.
His gaze was zeroed in on me and warm heat spread under my skin. Spinning back around, I struggled to hide my reaction, trying not to walk like a yeti as I moved between tables, forcing a smile on my face that was usually genuine.
Why did he have to come here? Of all the restaurants in the city? They’re not even vegan!
Going to check on the food, I passed by Krusk’s table, looking everywhere but at him. Once again, the talking stopped as soon as I approached.
Way to be subtle.
“Is everything to your liking?” I asked, and watched as the orcs forced smiles while the females nodded with enthusiasm.
Every single plate and tray on the table was empty.
I started stacking them for removal, carefully maneuvering my way around the table so that I was nowhere near Krusk at any time.
It was an intricate dance, but one that I’d do over and over again for the rest of the night, just to make sure that no part of me touched any part of him. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if I got close enough to be tempted by all that deep green, velvety skin that looked as though it would taste—
Cutting my thoughts off right away, I bit my lower lip hard enough to almost make it bleed, focusing on the response to my question instead.
“Delicious,” the outgoing female said, running her fingers along the arm of the male who had ordered. “And so very filling. Don’t you think, Rud?”
“So very filling,” he repeated in a dry voice. “I’m sure the rest of the food will be as well.”
He sent a smile my way that was more of a grimace, wincing as the female appeared to stomp on his foot under the table. “Please give our compliments to the chef,” he gritted out, leaning down to rub at his foot and the female beamed her agreement.
The rest of their meal was much of the same.
Awkward silences whenever I approached that were then filled with a lot of chatter and questions from the females, overflowing trays of plates going to the table and then being completely cleared by the time they returned.
When I stacked the last dessert plate, relief swept through me in a rush.
Almost done.
For some reason, even though Krusk’s stare was constant and unwavering, I wasn’t nervous. Annoyed, yes. Nervous? No. Even so, I was certain that I wasn’t going to be making as many tips tonight as I should have.
With my usual banter significantly affected by the huge male’s presence, I was behind on where I should be for the night. Cursing myself, I realized that it was already nearing the end of my shift and the rest of my section was empty. I’d have to try harder tomorrow.
This is why you should have been schmoozing customers and not being awkward as hell and constantly checking on their table. Learning all of their names won’t help you get Grandma’s payment together on time.
It also didn’t help that every single other member of staff was peering at them, observing, whispering and very obviously handing over bets to be added to the pot.
Heaving a deep sigh, I returned to them, ready to clear their dessert plates.
“How was dessert?” I asked, staring down at the dishes as I gathered them.
“I don’t know how the chef did it,” Zara, the outgoing female moaned, tipping her head back against her mate’s shoulder. “But that tiramisu was some of the best I’ve ever had and it was vegan.”
I grinned, since it was one of my favorites as well. “He has a gift,” I told her, watching as Rudgar—her mate—swept his huge palm over her arm, keeping her tucked against him. “I can let him know, if you’d like,” I added, a twinge of loneliness squeezing at my chest as I watched them.
“Please do, Zemar,” came the deep purr from my left and my smile became tighter—more forced—as I nodded. I’d decided to ignore whatever the hell that word meant. I couldn’t just ask him in front of everyone, after all.
“Of course. Let me just get these out of your way. Do you want anything else?” I asked, settling all the plates into a pile, as if I didn’t do this every night and needed to concentrate.
“I think we’re ready for the bill,” Rudgar said in his rumbling voice.
“Wonderful,” I said with a relieved beam that might have been my first, honest response for the night. “I’ll get that ready for you and I’ll be right back.”
Pushing through the doors of the kitchen, I rolled my eyes as I noticed that Hans was on his stool, peering out of the glass window between the kitchen and the dining area.
“Did they love it?” he asked, eager for more information and praise. I snorted out a laugh, shaking my head as I moved to the dish pit.
“You know they did. They fell in love with the tiramisu, as I expected. You know you’re a genius,” I told him, rolling my eyes.
“I do,” he preened, doing a little jig on his way back to the stoves. “I fed a horde of orcs,” he cackled, shaking his head. “And they loved my food. I can’t wait to tell the others.”
I didn’t know how to tell him that the orcs weren’t the ones doling out the compliments.
In fact, I was fairly certain they could take down the same amount of food again and still not be satisfied.
Deciding to leave him to his excitement, I moved to the billing terminal, waiting patiently as it spat out the longest piece of paper I’d ever seen since starting working in food service.
Rolling it up a few times, I tucked it into a bill folder, not quite able to close it, heading over to the table, relief that they were about to leave making me bolder.
I had a real smile across my face as I walked, and I saw Krusk perk up.
Even that couldn’t ruin my mood now that they were leaving.
I didn’t have to put up boundaries to guard against this male who acted like the most attentive orc on the planet, when he’d been chatting up my friend a couple hours ago. I didn’t need that energy in my life and I was relieved to be rid of him.
Especially when he gives you tingles in places that you didn’t know existed before him.
Shushing the voice in my head, I stood next to the table, ready to hand over the bill folder. As I reached out to place it on the marble surface, I wasn’t ready for the huge green hand to take it from me, engulfing a few of my fingers—which were forever cold—into his heated ones.
The shiver moved lower then as I looked up into the eyes of the male I had just been admonishing myself for being attracted to. For a moment—that felt like an hour—he held my gaze, the corners of his lips turning up and flashing those dimples that were my kryptonite.
Damn him and his staggering good looks.
I dropped the bill folder into his hands, tucking my hand that was still tingling with shared heat behind my back. I took a swift step backward and those dimples dropped away along with his smile.
He lowered his gaze, a frown forming on his face instead. I much preferred that. A frowning orc was much better than a heartthrob with dimples.
He didn’t bother to open it, just slipping his card inside and handing it back to me, keeping his gaze on the folder instead.
“T-thank you,” I said, clearing my throat, and hurried my way back to the payment station, not caring that I was probably jiggling in all the places as I went.
My heart was still hammering and I lifted the fingers that had touched his, wondering if I’d ever felt anything quite as right as his skin against mine. Squeezing my eyes shut, I gave myself a short, stern lecture about priorities, along with a swift shake of my head.
“You realize that you look insane right now, right?” Hans asked from next to me, crunching on a carrot and I startled, gasping. Mischief curled his grin even bigger and he leaned forward conspiratorially. “It was the orc, right? Did he ask you out?”
I rolled my eyes, clearing my throat. “Well I hope you’re ready to lose your pot because we’re about to close out the check and not a single proposition was made.”
For some reason, the relief that was spreading inside of me felt a little bit like disappointment.