Imperfection is Beauty

Imperfection is Beauty (Seven)

Lauren had just walked out of the club into the breezy night and was patting her pockets for a cigarette to calm down her nerves when her eyes spotted two familiar forms sitting in the diner across the street. Jesy and Jade were sitting on a table by the window, they looked so different in full clothing and without their stage makeup. Lauren remembered Jade's invitation to join them for drinks and how she had accepted it during her moment of weakness. It had seemed such a good idea at the time, a chance to pour your heart out to someone who understood but now, standing in the alleyway after hours of gyrating half-naked in front of strange men, the last thing she wanted to do was to think about it more. 

Lauren was just about to just sneak away and head home when Jade turned her head to the window and noticed Lauren standing outside, and waved to her with that thousand megawatt smile on her face. Too late to run away now, Lauren sighed mentally as she waved back with slightly less enthusiasm and dragged her feet across the road to join the two women.

Once Lauren stepped inside the diner, she was met with the smell of greasy food and warmth that spread from the big ovens at the back. Already she felt bad for even considering running away, she felt like she could eat a horse and back home she couldn't had even sneaked into the kitchen without waking up her family. Just going out every night this late was bit of a hassle to her but she had managed to make up somewhat believable excuses thus far. Jade bid her to come sit at their table and she obliged. Jade moved on the seat to make room for her.

"Glad you could make it," she said as Lauren sat down, placing her bag on the floor under the table. Jesy raised an eyebrow at her and took a sip from her milkshake.

"Do you want something to eat? They make really good pancakes here," Jade asked, she had a plateful of said pancakes in front of her.

"Yeah sure," Lauren said casually, even though her stomach was churning just from the smell of food. Jade waved to the waiter at the counter and the young man quickly walked over to them, wiping his hands on his greasy apron.

"You want something?" he asked Lauren, and she was a bit taken aback by his bluntness. Jesy chuckled and whisked her straw at the young man.

"You should treat paying customers with little more respect, Danny-boy," she grinned at the waiter. The young man narrowed his big turquoise eyes at her and then quickly ducked as the woman reached to tousle his punk-styled blue hair.

"No touching," he hissed at her and took a step back, moving his eyes back to Lauren, "so, you wanted to order anything, miss?" Lauren heard Jade giggle softly beside her and tried to think straight.

"Umm, yeah, some pancakes," she mumbled, earning an amused look from Jesy.

"Anything else?" the young man asked, seemingly disinterested in his job. Lauren felt slightly insulted and tried to peer at the menu that was written over the counter.

"Ah, yes, a strawberry milkshake and some toast with eggs please," she added with a slightly sardonic smile. The waiter just nodded and turned to walk to the kitchen.

"You're not gonna write that down, Danny?" Jesy hollered after the boy, who just scoffed at her without even looking back and walked through the swinging doors into the kitchen.

"What's his problem?" Lauren asked laughingly as she turned back to her co-workers.

"He's just in that age," Jesy shrugged and swirled her straw in her milkshake, "young boys get like that in the presence of beautiful women at some point." 

Jade rolled her eyes and chomped down a huge piece of her pancake, "Daniel just doesn't like being teased, we come here almost every day so he's had enough of us already," she explained to Lauren and licked her lips clean from maple syrup, "he's a serious young man." Jade imitated Daniel's stern expression and Jesy laughed, but quieted down as he came back with Lauren's order.