Thank you so much for the feedback and support! I'm reading everything :D some good plot catches. More feedback always welcome! I'm as excited to see where the story goes as you are.
Part 2:
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The raucous crowd populating the diner lent the atmosphere a pleasant, fuzzy vibe, with the murmurs of ambient conversation incessant yet inviting nonetheless. The restaurant was known for its comfort food, and the mom-and-pop aspect meant most regulars - such as Rachel - knew the staff by name and face. She sat across the booth from me, wearing a beige cardigan over a deep purple crop top.
"Hey Rachel!" called a voice. Rachel beamed. "Long time!"
Name tag reading Kayleigh, our server turned to me. "Hi there, first time?" I nodded shyly; I didn't consider myself a particularly timid person in general, but I never really knew how to interact as a third wheel between two friends - at least, I assumed they were. I estimated her age at probably a year or less older than us, so it wouldn't be totally crazy for her to know Rachel through school, too. Kayleigh smiled, bending slightly at her relatively shapely waist to pass only me a menu, holding one out to Rachel, but met with a shake of the head. Hair in a loose bun, either of regulation or fashion decision, she wore a very simple low-cut black tee and jeans that accentuated her curvaceous figure. Had I looked around more, I would have noticed that this seemed to be the dress code for all the servers. Simple but elegant. However, I was hyperconscious of my gaze, knowing Rachel would be scrutinizing my every action and reaction, and my eyes remained resolutely on her face, drifting nowhere inappropriate, although my peripheral certainly recognized the harbingers of attraction.
"If you like the food, you won't be needing these next time you come. If I don't see you again, I'll be taking it as a personal insult against the food. I'll give you guys a minute." Kayleigh turned to walk away, striding with purpose to another table. My eyes lingered for perhaps a second too long - yet hers did too, or was I just imagining it?
The food wouldn't be the only incentive to come back here
, I thought dryly, but then immediately felt embarrassed. While I enjoyed coming up with random pickup lines and snarky comments, ("Hey girl, are you my world? Because you're hotter every time I see you.") I definitely wasn't the kind of person to actually use one.
"She your type?" asked Rachel, with a smile that I couldn't determine the authenticity of.
I chuckled awkwardly. Kayleigh was doubtlessly attractive, and Rach was doubtlessly not insecure. "I mean, she's definitely pretty. I think anyone would agree with that, right?" I ventured uncertainly, trying to test the waters.
"Mm." She sipped her water through the straw, tilting her head down rather than lift the cup to her. "Like...how attractive? Like...if I wasn't here..would you be staring at her bubble butt as she walked away? Would you maintain that eye contact even longer?"
Of course she noticed. I felt vulnerable, but at the same time, this possessiveness from Rachel was...kinda attractive. As an empath, I felt that these were rhetorical questions. "She's hot, but she's no you."
Her mouth turned slightly upwards at the corners, suppressing a smile. Green flag? I internally pumped my fist. "If only she knew what a pervert you are. Do you think she'd still look at you that way?"
I narrowed my eyebrows, pensive. So I wasn't imagining it. Wow, so she was looking at me like that? I blushed slightly at the thought - while I didn't consider myself unattractive, I wouldn't go so far as attractive either. I'd long considered my caring personality my selling point, if anything. "Probably not. I really wouldn't want to find out though."
Rachel grinned devilishly. "I would, though." I suddenly felt a gentle weight on my crotch. Immediately looking down, I saw two manicured feet playing with the zipper of my cargos. I instinctively began moving my hands from above the table down to push her feet away, but with surprising quickness, she grabbed my hands first. Tilting her head, she asked with exaggerated naivete and wide eyes, "Is there a problem?"
Her hands were soft and fit comfortably in mine. Clean almond nails on slender fingers interlocked with my calloused hands made for a jarring visual to me, and the warmth was pleasant. The smoothness of her skin sent my heartbeat thumping dangerously high, and butterflies racing at record speeds.
Movement as she jostled my zipper further brought me back to reality. I pulled my hands, but she held on with more strength than I had anticipated. While I could have perhaps wrestled them away, I took the path of least resistance, trying to shift my torso to the side - and yet while it was somewhat successful, the cushion of the booth squeaked loudly, causing me to freeze mid-move.
"I'd be careful if I were you...I just know I would hate to draw attention to myself right now, hard in a family-friendly restaurant with a girl's feet in my lap, while I get harder and harder? If you want me to stop, you could just ask, you know..." she said in a fake-hurt tone, crossing her arms and pouting. I knew she was only joking about being hurt, but the pout was adorable nonetheless.
"Stop, please." Rachel giggled. "Nah, I'm good. Worth a try though, wasn't it?" Her feet were still in my lap, having successfully done the shorts, now endeavoring to slip under and pull down the waistband. She had some room to work with; the erection she had either felt or predicted was fully present and served to create a gap between my waist and the elastic band itself, triumphantly filled by her toes as she began peeling it down.
"Rachel, please, she's coming back," I pleaded anxiously.
She turned to verify the validity of my claim. Kayleigh smiled broadly. "Find anything you like?" I opened my mouth to speak, having not even touched the menu, but obviously expected to say something. "Uh, yeah, there were a lot of great options, but I figured I'd just ask you, honestly. What do you recommend?" I knew my face must have been redder than the flag of the USSR, but there was really no option. This did not go unnoticed by Kayleigh, though.
"You okay, hun? You look a little sick there. Is everything alright?" I laughed awkwardly, waving my hand dismissively. "Oh, no, I'm fine, thanks."
Rachel sucked in air through her teeth, scratching her temple in deliberation. "Actually...I don't know if he is. I think you're right, Kayleigh, he is a little sick. More in the head, though, if anything." Kayleigh paused, confused. "In the head?"
Rachel nodded solemnly, her demeanor belying concern that didn't really exist. "Kayleigh, could you do me a favor? Look under the table and tell me what you see."
With the table obscuring my boner when looking at a downwards angle, all she could see at first were the stray crumbs of bread strewn on the floor. As she bent at the knee to look, head tilting downwards, I silently begged Rachel to stop with my eyes. She leaned forwards across the table, satisfied with the events she had set irreversibly in motion, smiling and cocking her head slightly.