Nic's Devotion: An Endless Series: Book One (2 page)

     A different waitress went to greet them. The girls
pointed in our direction, and then they were headed our way.

     Another wave of groans encompassed the table. There was
one empty table right next to us. I really didn’t want my meal interrupted by
brain battering babble. Huh, say that three times fast.  

     Carrie walked past us intercepting the group. She said
something to the other waitress and suddenly the four girls were wearing
disgruntled expressions and headed to the other side of the restaurant. We
could still see them but thankfully they wouldn’t be able to disrupt our meal.
A couple seconds later Carrie came back with a placard and set it on the empty
table beside us. It read ‘
Reserved’
. She then strolled past our table
with a finger shake and a shy crooked smile. 

     “I’ll expect an extra tip for saving you guys.” She
continued on past to the kitchen. We all stared after her with open mouths. My
first thought was that she did it to keep us to herself for less competition,
but I wasn’t catching that vibe from her. I think she’d done it because she’d
noticed our communal displeasure. She did it to be nice. 

     “Dude, I am so calling dibs.” Evan laughed
uproariously.

     I opened my mouth to shoot that down instantly, but
caught myself in time. Shit! Why did I care?

     I don’t know why, but I definitely didn’t want to see
her on Evan’s arm…or any of these yahoo’s limbs.

     “No way, she’s too young.” I stated instead and raised
my menu. It was possible; she did look pretty young, and innocent, and way too
sweet. 

     There was a second of silence as if I’d shocked them.

     With my objection, or the prospect that she might be
too young, I wasn’t sure? If she was too young it would make me feel a lot
better, giving me three reasons to stay away from her.

     “You think?” Landon queried.

     “She has to be eighteen, they serve alcohol here.” Noah
declared, pointing to the menu.

     “Not if someone else carries it to the table for her.”
I theorized.

     “You’re reaching man.” Seth mumbled from behind his
menu.

     I knew I was, but I didn’t want her to be old enough. I
had already taken her out of the equation because of her status. I couldn’t go
back on that rule. I would just fell like crap after I bagged her.

     We looked over the menus and shopped talked for several
minutes until Carrie came back with our drinks. After distributing them she
pulled out her note pad and feather pen.

     “You guys ready to order or do you need a few more
minutes. Or should I just mark down steak and potatoes all around.” The corner
of that incredible mouth twitched up. It was restrained but more real than her
commercial one, and it pulled at something inside me.

     “Are you stereotyping us?” I asked with a teasing
smile.

     Her smile tugged higher and she gave a small shrug.
“Well, you all look like you eat half a cow between you every day.”

     “Did she just call us fat?” Noah exclaimed in mock
indignation.

     She shook her head with a mock frown. “No, of course
not. You’re just husky or what they call ‘big boned’.” She raised her fingers
in the air in quote signs.

      I couldn’t hold back my laughter. This girl was
actually funny.

     Noah kept his expression bland. “Well, in that case
I’ll have the Chicken Alfredo.” 

     She looked like she was holding back a smile. “You do
know the steak has fewer calories?”

     “I knew it, she is calling me fat.” Noah exclaimed.

     “Never to your face, I promise.” She placated with a
twinkle in those amazing eyes of hers. “Now what do the rest of you want;
salads with no dressing?”

     “Steak!” The four of us exclaimed collectively. Her
head tilted down, but I saw an actual fully formed smile raise those lips. Oh,
to have seen it straight on.

     The rest of us ordered our individual steaks with some
variety of potato. We did each get a salad with our meal which we asked to be
smothered in dressing. She bustled off after we’d finished our food order and
we began discussing the upcoming season that was starting soon at the end of
January, dissed the newbie’s more, and complained about classes.

     Through it all my eyes involuntarily following Carrie.
Even with the baggy clothes I couldn’t pull my gaze away. I was visualizing all
kinds of goodness under that outfit when I should be imagining rolls of fat
because she was off limits. I estimated her at about five-four, and you could
tell she wasn’t overweight from the contour of her face and neck. In fact, the
loose fitting clothes only made her look more petite.

     “Nic, you there; you-hoo, Nic?” A hand was waving in
front of my face blocking my view just as Carrie bent over giving me a more
detailed view of her figure…well, her ass at any rate, and it was an
unquestionably tight rear end. She stood back up and I became aware of someone
wiping my mouth with a napkin.

     “What are you doing?” I batted away the napkin Landon
was annoying me with.

     “We’ve been attempting to get your attention but it
seems to be focused on one hot little waitress’s ass.” Landon remarked
mockingly.

     For some reason Landon’s insolent remark about Carrie’s
ass agitated me. “What was with the napkin?” I groused.

     “Well, there was a little drool there in the corner of
your mouth and I wanted to get it before it hit the table.” Landon laughed.

     “Ha-Ha.” I not-laughed in return.

     “You were staring pretty hard at her. Were you trying
to discern what she’s got under that shapeless outfit? Her face in gorgeous,
can’t deny that, but it’s hard to appreciate the rest of her with that
loose-fitting uniform.” Evan commented.

     “Too young,” I reiterated irritably.

     “Keep telling yourself that.” Seth mumbled before
gulping down the rest of his milk. 

     I gave him a glare. God, I hope she was too young.
Hell, even if she wasn’t she looked way too sweet; the kind of sweet that makes
your teeth ache.

     Carrie was coming our way with a tray full of salads
and drink refills. The tray looked heavy and I had an almost compulsive desire
to jump up and help her with it…which was idiotic. I’d seen hundreds of
waitresses carry heavy trays and had never felt the need to lend a hand before.

     She set the tray down on the empty table next to us and
started to distribute the salads and refills. There was no jewelry on her hands
or wrists; slim dainty wrists I noted. She never once asked who had what salad
just set the correct one in front of each person. I couldn’t help but be
impressed. Lastly, she set a basket of bread in the middle of the table.

     “I’m only allowed to bring one basket of bread unless
you ask for more.” She waited expectantly with her head cocked at an angle and
her eyebrow lifted. The one with the mole. Shit, that was hot.

      “Is there any chance you could bring us more bread?” I
asked before any of the other guys could get her attention. I wanted her focus
solely on me, and fuck if that didn’t jolt me just a little bit. I was never
the one seeking the attention. It was typically the other way around; me trying
to detach myself from the clinginess. This chick was dangerous…and young…and
sweet...don’t forget those I reminded myself.

      She stared at me with those ice blue eyes and blinked.
“Uh…okay. I’ll be right back.” She rushed away.

     “I bet she comes back, sits in that empty seat, and
cuddles up right next to you.” Landon teased with a small sneer.

     “I bet she leans over your shoulder and oh-so gently
rubs whatever she’s got underneath that shirt of hers against you.” Evan
ribbed.

     “I bet she drops the bread on the table and scurries
away.” Seth mumbled around a bite of bread.

     “I bet…” Noah began.

     “Shut the hell up.” I grunted. “She’s too young.”

     They all grunted in amusement around the food they had
stuffed in their mouths.

     Once again, I found myself unobtrusively observing
Carrie as she walked around the restaurant. She stopped at a few other tables
exchanging conversation and provisions before coming our way. She deposited the
bread and kept walking leaving me with a feeling of…Was it discontent? Did I
want her to rub all over me?

     Noooo…she was too young, too young, I chanted. 

     I focused on the conversation at the table. We
demolished the bread and our salads in minutes and soon after our dinners
arrived. All our steaks had been ordered on the medium-rare to medium side so
they didn’t have to cook as long.

     Carrie carried the even heavier tray of entries to the
table, bending at the knees to set it down. She had to be pretty strong to
carry that tray full of food. She cleared the salad plates exchanging it for a
dinner plate, again without having to ask who had what. 

     “So Carrie,” Landon leaned back as she swapped his
plates. “How old are you?”

     She gave him a surprised look. I growled from my seat,
and her gaze swung my way in startled confusion.

     “Excuse me?” She asked, walking past him to exchange
Noah’s plates.

     I shook my head at Landon. I really didn’t want to know
how old she was. Thinking she was underage was working fine for me. It really
was.

     Landon ignored me. “We noticed that they serve alcohol
here, but you look too young to be serving alcohol. Do we need to be concerned
about underage servers and drinkers?”

     I had to give it to Landon, he actually sounded
troubled about the possibility. Carrie continued around the table to Evan.

     “That is so admirable of you.” Carrie stated while
continuing around the table to Seth without answering Landon’s question. I
smirked at her evasiveness. Seth handed her his salad plate and took the dinner
plate from her. She handed him another chocolate milk and water. He grunted a ‘
thanks
’
to her, and was that a wink he gave her? She gave him a small timid smile in
return and I experienced a twinge in my chest that felt suspiciously
like…jealously, but it couldn’t have been because I didn’t do jealousy.

     “So, you’re old enough to serve alcohol?” Landon
pressed. I gave him another glower.

     Carrie walked up to me and I passed her my salad plate.
Seth wasn’t going to one up me on gentlemanly behavior. She gave me a hesitant
smile of gratitude as she handed me my dinner plate and our eyes locked
together for a moment in time…man, what was with the corny terminology?
Nevertheless, during that moment I felt my entire body prickle with astonishing
awareness, sweat broke out on my back and chest, and my dick came alive with a
vengeance. Her eyes widened slightly before she blinked and she turned her
attention to Landon and I expelled a breath I wasn’t aware I’d been holding.

    
What in the hell was that?
I’d never reacted
that way to anyone before. Sure, my body took notice of beautiful, sexy women,
but that wasn’t what happened just then. That was something entirely
different. 

     “Have you seen me with any alcohol tonight?” She asked
picking up her tray.

     “Well, no.” Landon frowned.

     “Then you have nothing to worry about.” She said with a
half grin. “Thanks for your citizen concern.” She bustled off, swinging around
tables and people like she wasn’t carrying a tray above her head with dishes
sliding about precariously.

     “She told you.” Noah snapped his finger three times in
the shape of a Z.

     “Don’t do that, it looks gay.” Seth grumbled.

     “And you have a problem with gay?” Noah asked in mock
affront.

     “Only when straight people imitate it.” Seth retorted.

     The way Carrie had side-stepped Landon’s question with
aplomb only seemed to be wetting my appetite for her more. I repeated in my
head, ‘she’s too young, too sweet, poor, not your type at all’.   

     My gaze was following her again and I watched as an
older woman wearing a disgruntled expression walk up to Carrie and motion to
her. A frown crossed Carrie’s face as she walked back to the kitchen behind the
woman. I went back to my steak making some comments to what the guys were
discussing, but my gaze flickered constantly to the door she’d disappeared
through. 

     Several minutes passed with no sign of Carrie but I did
notice that the other waitresses were huddling together excitedly near the door
she’d vanish through. One of them broke away from the group and headed in our direction.

     “Hey guys. My name is Tammy. Is there anything else I
can get for you; dessert, coffee, any other drinks?” She gave us a smile that
we were all used to seeing. It said ‘I’m on the menu if you want me’.

     Carrie’s smiles had been way better.

     “What happened to Carrie?” I demanded in a much more
forceful tone than was probably necessary. But shit, where’d she go?

     An excited and uncomfortable expression flickered
across the waitresses face. That was kind of a weird combination.

     “She had an emergency and had to leave, but don’t worry
I’m taking over for her.” She smiled widely.

     “We’re all done here. Just bring us the check.” I
pushed aside my disappointment. Because I shouldn’t be…disappointed that is.
Carrie was just some random chick I’d probably never see again…Not unless I
came back.  

     The smile slipped a little from her face. “Oh, okay.
I’ll be right back with that.” She hurried away toward the kitchen and
disappeared.

     “Way to go scaring the poor girl. It’s not her fault
that Carrie got called away.” Evan chastised.

     “I could care less that she got called away.” I stated
coolly.

     I got a couple snorts and raised eyebrows that I blew
off.