The Waitress

I used to write on another site, which has now closed down. I stored a load of the articles I had written there on here, and was having a look at some of them. I wrote a few short stories on there, which I probably need to tweak a little, but thought I would share them on here. I would welcome any feedback.

The Waitress

Mandy sighed as she changed the door sign over to closed. She sank down onto one of the chairs and sipped at her now-cold cup of coffee. She considered getting up and making herself a fresh one, but it just seemed like too much effort. She had had a hard day. One of the other waitresses had called in sick, and she had ended up staying on to do a double shift. 'I'm too old for this,' she thought kicking her shoes off.

When Mandy had moved to the city twenty years ago, she had taken on a waitressing job, thinking it would be a way to pay her bills until Mr Right came along. She had it all worked out. She would meet the very handsome and very rich Mr Right. They would marry, and she would never have to work again. She would have a couple of children, and would be a lady who lunches. She wanted to be like one of those celebrities she read about, having no worries other than fundraising for the latest fashionable charity and deciding which ball gown to wear.

Two years after moving to the city, Mandy had met someone who would do. He was nice enough, and Mandy enjoyed spending time with him. But he definitely wasn't rich. Mandy decided that, until Mr Right came along, Jim would do. A few months into their fling, Mandy discovered she was pregnant, and soon found out Jim's wife was too. She was furious. She didn't know whether she was angry that she was pregnant, angry that he was married or angry that she had fallen for him. She had bumped into Jim and his wife and new baby in the street when her little one was just four weeks old. It had taken all her willpower not to cry.

Mandy shook herself. She was starting to wallow in self pity. She might have lost the man she loved. But she had to be grateful for what she had. A beautiful daughter who was growing into an amazing young woman and a nice home. And an ever-expanding chain of up-market coffee shops. She might not have met the handsome man she had dreamed of, but she felt proud that she had still made it on her own. She poured her coffee down the sink and washed her mug. She had a charity ball to get ready for.