Chapter 6 - Colliding Hearts by Delaila Adams
Chapter 6
Eden’s POV
Seeing Gavin in front of me nearly took my breath away. What on earth is he doing here? I screamed in my mind. He stared up at me, equally taken aback. I could almost see the shift in his expression from shock to amusement.
“Eden,” he said, my name flowing off his tongue effortlessly. I couldn’t help but love the way he pronounced it, making it sound elegant or somehow alluring. My thoughts drifted to the night we spent together, the memories flooding back. Determined to maintain professionalism since he was with others, I opted to ignore him.
“Can I start you off with something?” I asked, my eyes glued to my notepad, avoiding any direct contact with Gavin.
“Eden,” he repeated.
“Yes, what can I get you?” I asked, striving to keep my focus away from him. I felt the gaze of the other guys on me, and my cheeks flushed with heat.
“You can’t ignore me forever, Eden,” Gavin said, a teasing lilt in his voice. I silently vowed to try.
“What can I get for you all?” I repeated. I caught a soft laugh from one of the guys and glanced up. The man sitting with Gavin offered me a smile, shaking his head.
“Could I get another one?” the blonde guy asked, holding up his empty glass.
“Of course! What would you like?” I replied.
“Vodka and tonic,” he said.
“And you?” I asked Gavin, daring to meet his gaze.
“Whiskey,” Gavin replied, his bright blue eyes locking onto mine, freezing me in place. He held my stare, and I felt my cheeks redden even further.
“O-okay,” I finally managed to say. I turned and made my way to the bar to get their drinks.
“Eden, focus and don’t let him get to you,” I told myself while waiting for Ted, the bartender, to prepare the drinks. For some reason, Gavin’s presence made my knees weak. Remember, you only like him because he helped you out and took care of you. Just serve him, and he’ll be out of your life for good, I thought. Grabbing the drinks, I headed back to the table. You can do this, Eden. I repeated the mantra in my head. My legs trembled as I approached their table, and I couldn’t shake the nervousness. Maybe it was the reality of seeing Gavin again, now aware of his millionaire status and self-proclaimed womanizing ways.
“Here you are,” I said, setting their drinks down. “Are you guys ready to order?” I asked, trying to steady my voice. Thankfully, it came out stronger than I expected. You’ve got this, Eden. You’re not weak.
“Yes, I’ll have the blackened salmon with asparagus,” the blonde guy said, beaming at me as he handed me his menu. He was cute, his short blonde hair fitting him well, and his blue eyes sparkled with interest. He was probably around five years older than me, but he looked good.
“Great!” I smiled back. “And you?” I turned to Gavin.
“I’ll take the shrimp stir fry,” he said, handing me his menu. His hand brushed mine, lingering for just a moment. Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile.
“I’ll place that order for you.” I quickly turned away, trying to dismiss the tingling sensation from his touch, and dropped the order off in the kitchen. The entire time, I kept reminding myself to just do my job. Ignore him; just serve him like the lower-class worker you are. After berating myself, I frowned. Great job, Eden. Make yourself feel worse than you already do. Shaking my head at my inner critic, I returned to Gavin’s table to see if they needed anything.
As I walked over, I unconsciously straightened my skirt. I noticed Gavin laughing at something the other guy said, his broad shoulders shaking beneath his suit jacket. I could hear his laugh from where I stood, and it sent a thrill through me. I wished I could see the smile that surely accompanied it. The guy across from him was also smiling, sharing in the joke. Clearing my throat, I stood beside the table, careful not to interrupt their conversation.
“Hi! Do you guys need anything else?” I asked.
“Could I get a refill?” the blonde guy asked again. I nodded with a smile, glancing at Gavin, who shook his head in response.
Turning, I went to fetch the refill. Just as I was about to return, I heard the bell ring for Gavin’s order. I was glad I rushed back to their table; they appeared engrossed in serious conversation. I maneuvered back to the kitchen to grab both their dishes, balancing them in my hands as I navigated around tables to the deck.
“Alright, here you go. Here’s the blackened salmon with asparagus,” I said, setting the plate down in front of the blonde guy. “And here’s the shrimp stir fry.” I placed Gavin’s dish in front of him. “Do you need anything else?”
“No, I think we’re all set. Thank you, Eden,” Gavin said, his voice smooth as honey. I smiled and moved on to my other tables. It felt strange having Gavin here like this. He probably viewed me as beneath him, regretting his kindness the previous night.
I flitted between tables and the kitchen as the restaurant grew busier. I had already dropped off the bills for Gavin and the blonde guy before checking on my other customers. With everyone satisfied for the moment, I wandered back outside to see if Gavin was finished. Approaching their table, I found both chairs pushed in, with only empty plates left behind. Their bills lay on the edge of the table. A wave of sadness washed over me as I realized Gavin had left without a word. Why would he? You’re nothing but trash to him anyway, the voice in my head reminded me. Clenching my jaw, I picked up their bills and opened them.
My eyes widened in disbelief. They both left a generous tip—$100 from each! That was more than I sometimes made in an entire night. Shocked, I hurried back inside, tucking the $100 bills into my pocket. The night dragged on as I continued serving, running between tables and the bar. Finally, when five o’clock rolled around, I could clock out. I waved goodbye to everyone, grabbed my things, and prepared to leave. Nothing felt better than the moment when you saw the clock hit quitting time.
As I stepped outside, I inhaled the semi-fresh air. It smelled like the ocean—salty and invigorating. The sun was still shining, and I was grateful that summer lingered just a bit longer, though it was slowly transitioning into fall. The temperature was perfect—not too hot or cold. Relieved to be done with work, I strolled to the curb to hail a taxi. Just as I raised my hand to catch one, a car horn blared nearby, startling me.
I jumped and turned to see a sleek black limo idling at the curb. What the...? I stared at the car, fear creeping into my chest. Who was in there? When an unfamiliar vehicle pulls up, it usually isn’t for a pleasant reason, and after the events of last night, I was more on edge than ever. Narrowing my eyes to suppress my fear, I watched as the door opened, revealing none other than Gavin Hayes.
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