Make Food Not Love

Rae was working in the kitchen, taking out a batch of bread, when two female coworkers of hers came in and told her to come out to the front.

"Rae, there's something you gotta see."

"It's more like, there's someone here to see you." Another coworker giggled, obviously very excited.

Rae set the the tray down, heart pounding fast. She wiped her hands, quickly going to the sink to check the mirror. Who could it be?

And really, her coworkers never spoke to her much other than telling her what tasks they needed her to do. This person has to be someone that catches their attention as well.

Now, the first person that comes to her mind is Wes Warren. Ever since that kid, Joe, tells her that his neighbor works for a rich man and is obsessed with him, she can't stop wondering about how Wes is doing now.

So what if there's someone out there in love with Wes Warren? What does that have to do with you, Rae?

That woman goes and spies on Wes on a date? That's creepy, right? Should I tell Wes that someone is watching him when he does his personal affairs?

Well, Rae, your smart watch, Z, monitors you, too.

That's different, because, sometime I did ask Z to watch over me and give me advice. Wes doesn't know someone is doing that to him. He doesn't want that.

OK, enough talking to yourself, just go to the front. She shuts her eyes tightly, forming her hands into fists, because she is super nervous.

"The front" means where the front counter and cash register is, where people order food. Rae has never gone out to the front ever since she started working here. Because her job is hiding in the back, making the food that people order.

She goes out, and she immediately sees a squad of 5 men standing in the restaurant, all wearing navy blue shirts and red suspenders. Other customers are all looking at them.

"Oh gosh!" Rae covers her mouth in shock.

It's Dan Schneider and his team of firefighters.

"Hi Rae!" Dan smiles and waves.

"Hi Rae!' The rest of young firefighters also greet and wave.

"What are you doing here?" Rae walks over to them, eyes big.

"What do you think? I'm here to eat. Get back behind the counter and let us order some food." Dan winks.

"This is way out of your way, you are crazy!" Rae quickly walks back to the counter, flustered.

"Well," Dan leans on the counter, "I told my buddies you'll be helping me with the firehouse chili contest, and they say that they want to make sure you know what you're doing. Because they want me to win. So I say, let's check your food out."

"Did I tell you I work here?" Rae asks.

"Yes you did," Dan smiles, leaning even more closer to Rae, like he's about to tell her a secret, "I remember everything you told me in bed. I think I asked you where exactly you worked when we were about to do it the second time." Dan whispers.

Rae instantly blushes. She brushes her hair, "Well, what would you like to order?" She takes a step back, as if to give him some space to look at the menu.

"I'll have a BLT sandwich, no mayo, just put every ingredient on the side and bread on the other side, so I can taste the bread on its own and assemble it into a sandwich later."

"Oh, OK." Rae tries to use the register, but she realizes she's never trained to use it here. She looks to another coworker who is standing nearby, looking stunned.

Shit, maybe this coworker heard what Dan said.

The coworker walks over and enters Dan's very odd sandwich request on the register computer, and then takes orders from the rest of the firefighters.

"So, do you get a lunch break now or something?"

Dan walks over to Rae, who is standing at the end of the counter watching her coworker putting the orders in.

"Um, no I don't think so."

Dan has one of his arms out, going towards Rae's face, but it brushes by her, and he places his elbow against the wall above her head.

Rae's heart beats rapidly. He leans in a little, "So, I have the upcoming Saturday night off."

"But I work on Saturday night, all the way until 2 A.M."

"Excuse me, I mean, I have the A.M. off. So, it's Sunday morning off. I know you work until 2 A.M., so I'll meet you outside your club, and go back to your apartment with you."

Rae giggles nervously, but she's not sure about that. Rae knows he wants to go home with her to have sex with her.

"So you really do have Sunday morning off?"

"Yeah. I mean, I have to go in by noon."

OK, exactly. He's just coming over to her apartment for the night and leaves.

Seeing Rae a little hesitant, Dan says, "But I also have arranged my Monday off, just like you."

"Then we can just meet on Monday? I'll start making different types of bread for you to sample, and then we can choose one for your chili contest."

Rae sees from the corner of her eyes that a customer is snapping a photo of Dan and her. Oh geez. This is nothing to photograph about. Well, Dan is probably very photo-worthy. She's never been subject to this kind of attention from the public. She's a little annoyed but she's sure Dan's strong arm and body have block her out of that spectator's camera angle. If anything, it's just going to be Dan in the picture.

"Sure, we can do that. But can we meet on Saturday after you're off work? Please?"

Rae bites her lips. She knows what he wants, and she kind of doesn't want to do that. Z tells her perfectly clear that Dan isn't looking for a relationship. She can tell he doesn't want that either.

"Think about it, OK? I'll text you." Dan withdraws his arm. But he reaches his hand out near her face. His fingertips briefly touches her lips.

Rae just nods. It's so hard to reject him. He's too damn hot and sexy.

When Rae finishes work at 9 PM that night, she goes home, and asks Z what she should do.

"What do you want though, Rae? Do you like no strings attached type of relationship?"

"I don't know. I guess I wanted to ask you to help me calculate what... I mean, how I would feel out of this. Ugh, now I say this, I sound so stupid," Rae sticks her tongue out.

Z says, "I just hope I get a body so I can observe your facial expression. You turned me off when Dan came over the other night, right? So I wouldn't know how satisfied you were."

Rae blushes, "Well, yeah, I didn't want you to have to listen to that."

"And how was it?"

"It was good."

"Comparing to other guys you have slept with?"

"He's good. But, there's just something that...," Rae stops to think. "Oh my gosh, Z, you're such a great therapist and a genius in guidance. Now that you asked that, I think, I think I liked it mostly because he is Dan. He is the guy I had a crush on."

"And so?"

"So, I definitely gave him more points just based on that. Otherwise...."

Rae stops again, her voice becomes very quiet and hard to hear, "Otherwise, the sex with Wes was better."

"Why is it better, do you try to think about that?"

"Because Wes actually cared how I felt when we were doing it." Rae thinks she's got her answer.

She still likes him. Wes Warren. It hurts now. Her heart is hurting.