My Three Girlfriends - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The assistant manager asked again, “Who’s next?” I mustered courage and said, “Me.” Then I pretended to be very skilled and surprisingly laid the tablecloth easily, then calmly folded it back. Success! I sent her a victorious glance. She seemed to nod slightly, with a gentle smile that was stunningly beautiful. I felt like I was bathed in spring breeze.

The rest of the procedures were taught to me under her guidance; she deliberately taught me everything. Even the tray carrying was a relatively difficult task, with two types: low carry and high carry. Low carry was at waist level; high carry was shoulder level, and the tray must be held with fingertips, not the palm, or it would easily drop. This made me sweat nervously. She deliberately showed me her hand posture so I could see clearly. Her beautiful posture was deeply imprinted in my mind. Plus, I was fairly quick to learn and did everything correctly on the first try.

After completing all this, I felt my vest was soaked through, and I secretly wiped the big beads of sweat off my forehead, not knowing if the assistant manager noticed. After finishing, we were issued work uniforms. Unexpectedly, there was no uniform for boys, so I was given a white shirt identical to the female employees’. Obviously, the women’s shirts were designed larger at the chest due to their busts, then tapered below. Wearing it felt strange, and the girls laughed at me for a long time. She was laughing too. Seeing her laugh, I laughed as well, feeling very pleased.

The hotel officially opened, and she and I stood at the entrance on the second floor to greet guests. We looked at each other. I felt a bit embarrassed meeting her gaze directly, but how could I miss such a good chance to really look at her? She asked me, "Why is your face so red?" I stammered, "Nothing, nothing at all." She covered her mouth with her delicate hand and bent over laughing. When the first table of guests arrived, we saluted. We both greeted them with a "Welcome," then bowed. I gave a 90-degree bow in the Japanese style. She almost burst out laughing. Seeing her bright and charming smile, I felt both excited and awkward. After the guests left, she smiled and said, "Are you trying to make me die laughing?" Seeing her so happy, I gave several more 90-degree bows in a row. She laughed so hard she squatted down and held her knees. Watching her laugh so joyfully, my heart felt as sweet as honey. After a while, I actually hoped this place was a wedding hall, so I could perform the traditional three bows: to heaven and earth, to the elders, and to each other as a couple. Thinking of this made me smile happily. She called out, "What are you laughing at? Daydreaming while standing?" I just responded with a hum. She laughed again. Making her laugh was my honor. A beautiful woman's smile is always so enchanting. To make a beauty smile, only a man with charm can do that—I secretly delighted in this.

We quickly became familiar with each other. Her name was also lovely: Youling, which sounded delicate and spirited. Gradually, we got used to the place. Because it was quite busy and short-staffed, the greeting procedure was eventually dropped. That was my loss, because I couldn’t bow to her every day anymore. But we still crossed paths frequently, weaving around each other in a way that was quite charming. Her movements were always so beautiful. I enjoyed weaving around her like in a dance floor. She was a great dance partner, even though I had never danced or knew how. This intoxication was the happiest feeling for me.

When there were no guests, we could stand together chatting. As the only male waiter here, I naturally became the subject of their tea-time chatter, often being teased right to my face. Youling would also playfully make things difficult for me, but in a harmless way. She was a woman who knew boundaries. However, she once said something astonishing to me. She directly asked, "Hai, you like me, don’t you?" Her expression was even more natural than in normal conversation. This left me at a loss for words. All the women looked at me with grins. As a proud man, I couldn’t just be laughed down by them, so I smiled simply, avoided answering, and felt no shame. Of course, this was an implicit admission. Even if I didn’t admit it, my behavior made it obvious.

Troubles with vacations and leave came up. With staff already insufficient, the busyness increased even more during holidays. The first floor naturally paid less attention to service than the second floor, so the manager would send a girl from the first floor to help upstairs. This girl was named Tan Fang, from Zhuzhou. You could tell she was just out of her rural hometown, with sun-tanned skin. She looked young and had a fresh, natural charm, showing the delicate beauty of a budding flower. Especially among all the female employees at the hotel, she had the longest hair—not only was her hair quality excellent, but it also complemented her personality well. I didn’t pay much attention to her since my heart belonged to someone else. No matter how pretty other girls were, I wasn’t interested. But Tan Fang just loved to talk to me and stay close to me. It seemed this lone male flower really had some charm.

Our team leader was an even paler girl named Zeng Yi from Changde. Compared to Youling and Tan Fang, she was a bit less attractive but still decent-looking. Despite this, Zeng Yi had her own charm: calm and steady, a typical mature woman. All three girls were from my province, so we felt relatively close. Zeng Yi had a boyfriend who would come to pick her up after work. He was an apprentice at another hotel’s kitchen, responsible for prepping ingredients before the chef cooked. This role alone was called a “prep cook.” Cooking also depended on the prep cook’s skill, balancing ingredient amounts for the best flavor. Later, Zeng Yi told me she wanted to break up with him. I asked why. She said he lacked a sense of security, and the match was arranged by her family without much affection. I said he seemed nice and handsome, and he was thoughtful to come pick you up—why think like that? She said that after he saw me, he considered me the biggest threat to their relationship. He had no confidence in himself and was insecure. I couldn’t help but chuckle. Love is really an incredible thing. Gradually, Zeng Yi talked to me more, and a different kind of closeness developed.