Hannah

“Yes sir.”

“Right away, Mrs.”

“I’ll be right with you.”

“…just…one…second…please…”

Hannah Martin pushes her way through the dining room and into the kitchen fighting hard to keep a smile on her face. It seems everyday it gets a little harder to keep the smile in place. She’s been working as a waitress aboard Milligan Cruise Lines for the last five years. Before that she had been a second year law student. She had been living in New York, had a boyfriend and had been happy. But the universe likes to fuck things up, cause exactly a day after the start of her second semester she got a call telling her that her parents had been killed in a seven-vehicle pile up. Also that she was made the sole guardian of her brother who was only nine at the time.

Her brother, who she notices as she enters the kitchen, is sitting on top of the prep counter.

“What the hell, Neil?” she says walking toward him. He doesn’t even frown. She defiantly does not know how to create fear in the hearts of children.

“Hey, Han!” he says waving a half chewed carrot at her. “Class got out early.”

Betty Yakamoto, a friend of hers who also works in the kitchen, teaches both Neil and her son and Neil whenever she has time off. Hannah tries to do it when she’s off, but the kids never seem to get as much done with her.

“Get off the counter!” she scolds walking toward her brother and the head chef Scott Black.

“Woah! Chill sis.”

She groans but can’t help but laugh. As much as her brother drives her crazy most of the time she still enjoys having him around. He reminds her of their father. He had always been cracking jokes, and doing things that annoy her but made her laugh at the same time.

“Chill? Okay, then you go and do something that won’t get me fired! I’ll chill then. Kay?”

She moves over and ruffles her brother’s hair, which quickly makes him move out of reach, “Watch the hair!”

“The kid’s got a point Han,” Scott chips in with a laugh.

“About his hair?”

“No, you need to chill.”

“Well, you,” she says poking her finger into the chest of her friend, “need to stop being so nice to my brat of a brother, or you’ll see yourself fired as well.”

Scott laughs, “No problem there Han. I hate my job, just as you do, and everybody aboard this ship. Plus, I only took the job for the hat anyway.”

She can’t help it, Hannah laughs. Scott did that to her. No matter how sad or pissed she was he did something to make her feel better. She didn’t even know if he did it on purpose, it just seemed to happen that way. She’s had a crush on him since she’s met him, and who could blame her. Scott’s tall, muscular, and has short black hair that always looks perfect. He could have most girls on the ship as well but he’s never seen dating. He’s not gay either. She’s asked around.

“I dunno why you like it so much,” Neil says, jumping up and taking the hat off of Scott’s head and placing it on his own, “it’s pretty lame hat.”

“Dude!” Scott says mockingly, “I was sticking up for you and you go and mock the hat? That’s harsh little man.”

“Thems the rules Scott. I don’t make ‘em’”

Hannah rolls her eyes. She would actually love to go on like this all day but she knows they need to get back to work. She does need to get paid after all.

“You also don’t follow ‘em,” Hannah says grabbing her brother from the shoulder, and pushing him toward the staff door leading back into the ship, “you don’t know how to follow any rules. Now, please, get out!”

“Okay, okay c…”

“Chill, I get it!”

“Can I have money for the arcade?”

She sighs, but a smile is on her face, “Fine, you know where it is.”

“Thanks Han!”

“Whatever.”

As he finally leaves, Hannah is able to walk back to Scott and place the large pile of orders in front of him, “there you go, Mr. Chef.”

She leans against the counter glad for even just a moment to relax. This is far from her dream job. To be honest before her parents had died she had thought her waitressing days were behind her. She had worked in her parent’s restaurant all through high school, and hated every moment of it. The only reason she took this job was cause it allowed her to take Neil with her, and paid for their room and board. She has wondered though, if her parents hadn’t died what her life would have ended up as? Would she still have dropped out of school? Would she had gotten married, and started her own family?

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Scott’s voice breaks through her self-reflection. He’s busily getting about preparing the orders, but he keeps looking at her from the corner of his eye.

“You don’t have a penny to pay me,” she teases.

He shrugs before beginning to cut up an onion. “Fine, I’ll give you a post-dated cheque then.”

She laughs at this. Yes, Scott knew how to make her laugh, but he also made her feel like she had a family. And that was more important to her then anything. It made her feel like maybe, just maybe, things could be okay for her.

“It’s not worth a penny anyway.”

“Course it is,” Scott says, “you’re worth anything.”

She can’t help but blush, “I was just wondering if things would have changed if my parents hadn’t died.”

“Hmmm. That’s a good thought,” he says going silent for a second, “ You mean like if I hadn’t come here would I have been talking to another beautiful girl?”

She blushes again, “Yea, something like that.”

There is silence that goes on for a few minutes. Hannah doesn’t know what to do or say next. She’s never had this weird silence with Scott before. They’ve always been friends and nothing more. Sure she wanted more at times, but it was more wishful thinking then anything. She doesn’t have much time to worry about it though as the boss is soon yelling at her to get back on the floor.

“The beast calls,” she mumbles.

“See you after this shift?” Scott asks her suddenly. She smiles, they usually hang out on their alone time anyway.

“Yeah, Neil is going to a friends so I’ll be alone anyway. We can chill and watch a movie if you want.”

“Cool,” Scott says, “but, I was thinking more of us having dinner together. Alone. Like in a date.”

“Oh.”

“I mean if you want,” he says quickly.

“I do,” she rushes before he can change his mind about wanting to go out with her. “I’d love that.”

He smiles, “See you at eight?”

She nods, “Eight it is.”

She walked away slowly feeling like maybe, just maybe, something might happen. She just had to remember where she put her good underwear.