Through his goggles, Jamie could almost see the door moving. He involuntarily leaped back. Too late. The other waiter came straight out of the pitch-black restaurant into the bright kitchen, expertly dodging around him. Jamie wobbled on one foot, and watched helplessly as the two pastries slid straight off his platter.
Crash. The rest of the kitchen staff didn't even look up this time.
That other server he had just that he had narrowly missed snapped off his night-vision goggles, rubbed his eyes, and cast a disdainful look at Jamie. The restaurant's "Dinner in the Dark" nights, where patrons ate their meals in complete darkness, had proved so popular they had had to take on temporary staff – like Jamie.
I'll be glad when this is over
, he thought, collecting two replacement desserts.
He crossed the threshold into the restaurant, bearing his platter. The goggles illuminated his path with a vague oval of green-grainy detail. A chair. A table. Two lovers taking advantage of the darkness to feed each other strawberries, using only their mouths. The woman bit off the offered berry and giggled with abandon, pieces of the fruit falling out onto the table.
Booth 24. 25. Booth 26.
He set the two plates down. But only one customer was left, a woman. She stared straight ahead, and seemed not to notice his presence, her head slumped forwards.
"Did your date go to the bathroom?" Jamie asked. Patrons always got lost doing that on nights like these.
She didn't answer. Jamie lingered for a while, uncertain of what to do. He wasn't above leering at her ample cleavage either, glistening emerald in his goggle view.
Suddenly he noticed her left hand had strayed to her breast, and she was absentmindedly tracing circles around her nipple. The tip strained against the fabric of her dress.
Oh boy, another secret exhibitionist.
Jamie thought.
Wait till I tell the others.
"No... he's gone," she said.
"I'll just take away this extra dessert then," he said, bending over to pick up the plate. He twisted around so his head was practically at table level. She was actually pinching her nipple now.
Nice.
"Wait," she said. She reached out blindly and she caught his hand. Her flesh was hot.
Her eyes stared out at nothing, milky-green orbs flitting randomly, just inches away from his. Her hand tightened its grip, then released him. She brought her hands to her chest again. She clutched at a breast with one hand, and with the other, slowly unzipped the front.
---
Elana still felt the hot sting on her cheek, where her lover had slapped her. Coming here had been a mistake. No, it was the best thing that they had ever done. Here, in the dark, she wasn't dazzled by his gorgeous eyes. It was if all her senses had been heightened -- she heard only his grunting eating habits and crude jokes. When he had groped her, he felt like a strange beast.
He had spat out that he'd never liked her, and that she didn't know what she was doing in bed. As if he would know anything about that. She had to secretly use a vibrator while he was out.
She had sat in the dark angry and trembling for what seemed like long minutes. She drained her wine glass. And now... a voice... what was that voice...? What was she doing? The hubbub of the restaurant. Her breasts were released. The fabric fell down to her waist.