jack's pov +

today was the annual california college sports reward ceremony - a few teams from usc were selected to attend and a few players from the trojans were nominated.

the first half of the ceremony was already over, so we're currently in an intermission to have the three course meal that's provided.

"i hate wearing a suit. it's so uncomfortable" sam complained, adjusting the tie around his neck. he was seated at the same table as me whereas the rest of our friends were allocated somewhere else.

"you'll live, sam" i replied whilst scanning the short menu.

"why do we even have to be here? there's literally like three people on our team receiving an award and we're not any of them" he continued.

i chuckled, "dude it's free food, i thought you'd be the last to complain".

"true but all i really wanna do is be on our vacation already. no one better cancel okay, i need this" he pointed his finger at me.

"are you talking about spring break?" the cheerleader who came as sam's date gasped. "i heard that you're going to connor's beach house in cancun.".

"ooo that sounds like so much fun" iris added, flashing me a grin.

i awkwardly scratched the back of my neck as i watched sam subtly shake his head and cough as a red flag. i frowned at how obvious he was being then smiled at the girls and tried to find a good enough lie.

"actually, it's more of a boys trip" i explained. "y'know, no girls allowed".

surprisingly, the girls took it well and eventually shrugged off the idea.

to be honest, the guys and i just wanted the trip to be a mini reunion with our high school friends - being at college has made me realise that there's only so much time you can spend with usc cheerleaders.

we just wanted to invite adrianna, seriyah, and possibly jonah and kelsey too. but with dakota, i know that going on vacation with me would be the last thing that she'd want to do.

dakota's pov +

i was assigned to work the table 5 and 8 today, so i promptly made my way to table 5 in my dressed up waitress uniform and flipped open the mini notepad.

"hi, i'm dakota and i'll be taking your orders today" i said, before i started to read the notes that i usually write down to prevent from messing up.

"as you saw, the special today is the lemon butter salmon with potatoes and asparagus but we also have a few other options, and ones that are veg—"

i lost my train of thought when i finally looked up, seeing jack sat straight in front of me in a black and white suit and sam alongside him too.

my chest tightened and my mouth dried up as jack's eyes locked with mine. he sat with his lips slightly parted, clearly in shock from seeing me too.

"um, sorry" i chuckled and looked back at the notepad - my voice more weak from my dry mouth. "there are also options that are vegan and vegetarian too. so what would you like, miss?".

i first asked the young girl seated near me. i went around to every individual person, asking what food they wanted and left jack until last. he was staring at me the whole time i was taking down orders but i just needed the time to mentally prepare myself for it.

"and you sir?" my eyes connected with jack's again but everyone on the table was too deep in their own conversations to notice what was going on.

jack was so stuck in a reverie that the pretty girl beside him gently stroked his arm. i stared at her gesture, wondering what their relationship was.

"hey babe, what are you having?" she asked jack, clearly answering my question.

"uh, whatever you're having" he jumped out of his head and finally replied.

"he'll have the special too, please" the girl told.

i could already feel myself hating her for obvious reasons but i was also struggling to from how nicely she smiled at me.

i cleared my throat and gathered up the menus, "okay, your order should be with you all soon"

i hurried through the room, almost bumping into people and left through the doors. i hastily moved down the small hallway before hearing my name being called out.

briefly glancing behind me, jack was trying his best to catch up yet i continued walking.

"is there something wrong with your order?" i inquired.

"no, i-...you work for the catering company?" he followed close behind.

i paused as i finally reached the kitchen doors. i took a deep breath, feeling my heart going crazy again then faced him.

i scared myself a little when i saw how close his tall body was to mine.

"do you want more drinks...or a side?" i said, trying my best to not let the lump in my throat crack my voice.

"no, i don't" he replied and lightly touched my arm. "you look great, dakota".

i looked at his hand graze down my arm and reach my palm, reminding me of how i used to love intertwining our fingers together.

i gently took my arm back and met his eyes again, "anything else?".

his pupils dilated at me as if he was taking in every facial feature that he hasn't seen in all these months.

"...i've missed y—".

"your food will be ready soon" i lightly cut him off. "someone will bring it out to you, so you can go ahead and take a seat".

jack dropped his shoulders at my response just before one of my colleagues came past us.

"um, jenny. c-can you hand this order in, i just need to go to the bathroom?" i asked.

"sure" she took the orders from me and without hesitation, i left jack to hurry back down the hallway and into the nearby bathroom.

i didn't want to cry in front of him. he hasn't seen me cry in so long and doesn't deserve to know that i'm crying because of him.

i held onto the sink and looked at my red, heated cheeks and messy mascara.

"inhale through the nose, hold for three seconds, out through the mouth" i quietly recited my breathing exercises that i used to do in high school.

once i cleaned my face up and tried to make it seem as though i wasn't just crying, i left the bathroom whilst dusting off my uniform.

"dakota".

i can't believe i didn't see how predictable it would be for jack to be waiting here for me.

i faced him and he held his hands in his trouser pockets, "how have you been?".

"fine" i quietly responded, still flustered by his presence. "you?".

"okay".

a billion flashbacks of us raced through my head. they played with every second that i continued to look at him, knowing that there was still something there and wondering how he could stare back at me like this yet cut me off five months ago.

"i didn't know that you worked at a restaurant" he pointed out.

"it's...it's a new job. isaac got it for me".

jack quickly scratched his nose with the back of his hand, clearly bothered by my words, "isaac. is he your...?".

"is that girl in there yours?" i nervously wondered.

"yeah, but it's nothing serious" he assured me.

i shrugged lightly and tucked my hair behind my ear, "well, isaac and i are just taking things slow".

from afar, i saw jack's "non-serious" girlfriend coming this way in her gold heels and satin red dress.

"jack, what are you doing?" she reached us and questioned. "the food is here".

"i'm just..." he glanced at me for a second, then to her. "i'll be there in a few minutes, okay".

"but you're going to miss the next half of the ceremony" she informed, then took in my presence. "oh, are you just ordering something else?".

jack and i exchanged small looks at her assumption. i wasn't about to explain what was going on to her, because to be honest nothing was going on.

jack still has a bunch of explaining to do and i haven't even received it yet.

"your side salad will be right out" i smiled the best i could. "no worries".

"but—" jack tried to say but i went on to the kitchen to get back to work and beg for this nightmare evening to be over already.

-

love my jakota babies

🌹

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