My Three Girlfriends

Chapter 1

I got to know these three women on a summer day. Youling, Tan Fang, and Zeng Yi—three very pleasant names.

At that time, I, who was always troubled by finding a job, was finally hired by a newly opened restaurant. I didn’t dare to apply in person beforehand because I had never successfully found a job on my own. I called to inquire. On the other end of the phone, they asked if I had ever worked as a waiter. I answered confidently that I had. They then told me to bring my ID card and health certificate for an interview.

There were indeed many applicants. I interviewed with the assistant manager, who approved my hiring. I stuck out my tongue; in fact, I had never worked in this line before. I only made up impressions of the waiters’ service based on when the boss often took us employees to the restaurant for late-night snacks during my previous job in a mall. Actually doing the job was something I feared I couldn’t manage, which always made me anxious.

That afternoon, we held a meeting at the hotel entrance. Standing in the new employees’ line, a unique scene appeared. Among the whole group, except for me, the only male—standing out alone. It seemed I was an exception in the recruitment. I shrugged and looked around. Wow, the third woman to my right was incredibly charming—not because of heavy makeup or flashy lipstick, but she had an indescribable fresh and pleasing look. Wearing a white uniform under the sunlight, she looked clear, light, white, tender, especially with the natural smile on her face—extremely enchanting. If it weren’t in public, I would have shouted, “Wow!”

She was like a magnetic field, and my eyes were like iron, naturally drawn to her. Oh heavens, afraid she would notice, I quickly turned my head back and took a deep breath to calm my wildly beating heart. The feeling was so pleasant. After a while, I looked back again; she was smiling at me. I calmly turned my head away and pretended to focus on the general manager who was speaking enthusiastically. For someone like me, new to society, it was indeed a nervous and furtive glance.

The sun was hot, and the general manager’s words added fuel to the fire. I gradually began to smell the sweat—women’s, mine, mixed together, a kind of sour flesh smell. When the meeting ended, I stood there for a while, wanting to sneak a look at that woman in front. She was a feast for the eyes, and not looking would be a waste. She was also drenched in sweat; you could see the bra straps and clasps inside her vest, along with the flesh color—truly provoking imagination. My sneaking glances were often caught by her, and she would smile sweetly. As for me, I often blushed fiercely trying to avoid her gaze.

The hotel was divided into two parts: the first floor for congee, noodles, and fast food, and the second floor was the formal restaurant. Originally, I was told in the morning that I would be assigned to the second floor, but the assistant manager was quite confused and assigned me to the fast food section in the afternoon. That woman was assigned to the second floor, so it seemed I had no chance to sneak peeks at the beauty during work. Later, the general manager noticed me—probably because I was the only male and thus easily spotted. He asked why I was on the first floor. I said the assistant manager sent me there. The general manager smiled and said, “Go to the second floor, go to the second floor.” What luck! I could face that elegant woman all day long. What a wonderful thing. I eagerly wanted to fly up to the second floor immediately.

Upstairs, the second floor was a refined and spacious place, not as crowded as the first floor. The assistant manager was assigning work and, seeing me come up, asked, “Weren’t you on the first floor?” I awkwardly scratched the back of my head and said, “The general manager told me to come up here.” The assistant manager thought for a moment and said, “Oh, you were originally assigned to the second floor.” I glanced at that woman; she was smiling at me, and my face burned even more. The assistant manager told me to join the line, then assigned duties. My youthful heart was focused on that woman.

That woman must have had more worldly experience; you could see a special temperament—slightly mature yet seemingly untouched by worldly dust. This kind of charm was something I had never seen before. How could it not captivate my soul?

After assigning duties, the assistant manager asked us to demonstrate how to lay the tablecloth, arrange the lazy Susan, place cups and utensils, and collect ashtrays. There were many examples, and I was dumbfounded. I didn’t even know how to lay such a large tablecloth properly—I was a fake after all. The assistant manager said, “Who wants to try first?” She pointed to a girl, then to me. Oh my, I was called up first. If I didn’t mess up badly, I’d be laughed at. My body twitched nervously; it was so embarrassing. I picked up the tablecloth beside me, not knowing how to lay it because there was a large glass lazy Susan on the table. I looked awkwardly at everyone, finally resting my gaze on that woman. She seemed to understand I didn’t know how and came over with a bright smile, saying, “Let me go first; I see you’re embarrassed in front of our girls.” Everyone stopped laughing lightly. It was really a difficult task—to pass a big tablecloth through the glass lazy Susan and the rotating base underneath. It was my first time. I watched her skilled moves as she quickly and lightly laid the tablecloth perfectly. Then she folded it back in a similar way. I memorized the steps; once you knew them, it wasn’t hard. Her movements were so beautiful, like a dance. After finishing, she looked at me and smiled, as if asking, “Did you remember?” I looked at her gratefully. She flicked her elegant hair and went back to the front of the line.