It took a total of four days to go through the interview process and wait as patiently as I could to receive the phone call.

But I got the job at Jimmy's Diner and today was my first day. Of course, dad insisted on driving me there as a special occasion sort of a thing, so I texted Cyrus to come get me later.

"They're waiting for you at table five, do you feel ready enough to give it a shot or do you still want to observe someone else do it first?" My manager Risa asked me. She had been completely helpful and supportive with me all day so far as she trained me. Her advice though was, the best practice is through experience.

"Never mind you're ready." She didn't really wait for my response before she shoved a notepad and a pen into my hands and sent me off to table five to take my very first order.

I was nervous but I still put my best customer service smile on before I reached the table where a small middle-aged friend group waited for me.

"Hey there, welcome to Jimmy's. My name is Rowena and I'll be your server today. What can I get you started with?" To be fair, I came here a lot and knew perfectly well what their script was to take orders. I didn't let myself get too impressed with how I handled it, feeling that I would get overconfident and mess up along the way.

"Yeah, can I get the uh, avocado burger with the bacon," said one man with hair growing only on the side of his head. "And I'll take that with a side of fries and a vanilla shake, please." I smiled at his please before repeating his order and scribbling it down as quickly as I could.

The other two people who were with him gave me their orders as well and I think I somehow managed not to screw up.

I squealed just a little as I went back to my manager who was observing me from afar. "How'd I do on my first try?"

"Not bad," She said, nodding her head in approval. "But what are you forgetting now?"

I blinked at her for a moment until I realized I still had their orders in my notebook. I should have sent it to the cook the very second I reached the counter. "I knew that," I shrugged off and clipped the order to the line over the counter.

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I worked a total of six hours my first day. It wasn't bad for a weekend when they were usually busy. I had lots of help from my manager and some coworkers if they saw me struggle, but the only mistake that happened was when I mixed up the plates I was handing off. Other than that low-grade embarrassment, It was a pretty good first day.

The diner was still open for another four hours and guess who I saw walk into the doorway about half an hour before my shift ended?

It was Declan, followed shortly after Adam, followed by Cyrus right after, and then Natalie smiling in behind them.

They sat in a booth before Natalie excitedly beckoned me over to their spot.

"Look at you being all responsible and shit," Adam said as I walked over.

"Yeah it feels great, you should try it sometime!" He knew I was joking.

I could feel Declan watching me as I walked over. Technically they were all watching me, but I could feel his gaze on me the most and it made me nervous. I think it was a good kind of nervous though.

"What do you think? How is the first day of work life treating you?" Cyrus asked me.

"Not bad for the first day. Risa is my manager over there, I think she's the reason I got the job. She said she recognized me from coming in so much with you guys."

"Aw we're special," Adam said in a sing-song voice.

"Look what I got you!" Natalie burst. "Well, technically Adam got it for you. But it was my idea and I just sent him with the money and the instructions."

She put a mini cake onto the table that was covered with chocolate frosting and pink frosting text that read 'Hpy 1 work!'

"He doesn't do that great with instructions though, so if you don't like it, he's taking all the credit for it," She defended herself.

"Listen I know it was supposed to say happy first day of work. It's not my fault they forgot the 'st' on the '1' and they had to leave out 'day' at the end of the sentence. It was a small cake, they didn't have room."

"It's okay Adam I love it," I laughed. "Thank you, Natalie."

"We also got these for you," Declan spoke for the first time and pulled some flowers from the space beside him.

"I love lilies," I gasped and took them from his outstretched hands before bringing them up to my face to smell them.

"Yeah, we thought it would make you happy," Cyrus pitched in, but he said the word we funny.

"Rowena, table three please," Risa called from the counter with steaming hot food.

"Oh shit, I should have taken your order by now you guys," I said but then I realized something. "Oh wait, this isn't even my section, Jose got you!" I said before carefully setting the flowers down and making my way to help table three.

It took a quick second to correctly place the food for whoever ordered it and to clear the dishes from the table beside that. I carried the load to the back kitchen and placed the dirty dishes into the sink filled with soapy water.

I turned around and ran right into Declan's chest. He smirked down at me without saying a word. Then he raised up the flowers he had shown me before and plopped them into a water pitcher. "Look, I found a vase," He said turning his smirk into a wide grin.

"What are you doing back here? Are you trying to get me in trouble on my first day?" I meant to sound stern but it wasn't working out for me as I watched him set the water pitcher down with my flowers in them.

"No, I just wanted to see you alone for once." He shrugged before we both turned to Lionel's back. He was the cook who was smacking his spatula on the stove as he prepared an order from the other side of the kitchen. "Well, almost alone."

"I'm off in less than 20 minutes, we can talk about it then, right?"

"No, we can't because in 20 minutes we'll still be with the others, and if we're with the others then I can't do this."

He wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me close until his lips were on mine. I knew it was coming and yet I still wasn't prepared for how easily he was able to take my breath away. Then I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and pulled him closer.

But just as quickly I pushed him away. "No," I said.

"No?" He whined.

"No more kisses until we talk with our friends first. We're basically sneaking around and that's not how I want to do this."

"Soo... Let's go talk to them," He said and grabbed my hand to pull me back to the booth they were sitting at.

"Wait, like right now?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes, like right now. Why not?"

I pulled his hand back so he would stop walking and turn around to face me instead. "Because I still have dishes to wash and it'll give me some time to work out the nerves or whatever."

"Alright fine. Twenty minutes then?" I couldn't help but smile at his eagerness.

"Even less than that." I just now noticed the mark on his face. It had been a few days since we ran into Austin and his goons. Some old lady threatened to call security if they didn't cut it out so basically I had to order Chris and Adam to break it up for me.

I reached a hand up to his cheek then gently dragged my fingers over his subtle bruise.

"And you're sure you don't want to kiss me right now?" He asked as he pulled my hand away from his face to take it in his own instead. "I'm feeling pretty irresistible."

"Get out of here already," I gave him a playful shrug.

"Not even right here?" He pointed to his bruised cheek. "It sure does hurt me Row Row."

I reached up to grab his head then and planted a rough peck right on top of his bruise. "Now go before I have to stay overtime to get these dishes done."

"Alright Alright, I'm gone," He said over his back as he walked off.

"And Declan?" I called and he turned around. "Thanks for the flowers."

All he did was wink before he walked off once again and left me to my dishes.

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"You two what?" Adam asked as he blinked at us.

"We're like... a thing now, I guess? We kissed." I tried.

"When did this happen?" Cyrus asked.

"The same day you came to my house with the jumper cables," Declan said.

Cyrus glared into space and Natalie and Adam said nothing for what felt like ages.

And then Cyrus finally blinked and said, "Well it's about damn time."

"Yeah seriously the tension was almost suffocating," Natalie said after him.

"You're saying you two didn't know?" Adam asked them both looking completely disappointed.

"You didn't know either Adam." I said to him.

He scoffed in an insulted manner, "Of course I knew. Don't you know my great great ancestors were witches? I have a tell for these sorts of things."

"The same tell that told you Sandra Collins was staring at your ass last year at that party?" Natalie asked.

"I thought Sandra Collins was very gay," Declan said.

"Yes she is, that's exactly my point."

"Okay but my point is that I still knew it before you two did," Adam countered.

"There's no way you knew it before me. Rowena how long ago was it when I asked about you two? I guarantee that was ages before you even thought about it Adam," Cyrus told him.

"You can't prove that."

"Whatever, I knew about it before both of you boys anyway. Call it girls' intuition," Natalie cut in.

"Man fuck your girls' intuition. If you're saying that was the reason you knew it first, then I have alllll the girls' intuition." That was Adam's argument until all three of them burst into a full-blown competition of who knew before who.

In the mess of it all, I felt Declan lean in real close to me before whispering into my ear. "This would be a really good time to ditch them, right? Come on, I'll drive you home."

"Lead the way, please."

A/N: Yes they all did drive to the diner  together and yes, Delcan did have to go back for them eventually.

So I feel like a lot of readers skipped over Chapter 20, I guess from the confusion of a double update? Idk but it's like 200 less reads than chapter 21 IM CONFUSED.

Anyway, Thanks for reading❤️