Bad Idea

For a second, you really should shut it down.

You know that.

You know exactly what Jane would think if she walked back to the table right now and saw the way the waitress is looking at you.

But unfortunately?

Your self-control slips a little.

You smile back.

Not much.

Just enough.

And immediately the waitress notices.

The expression on her face shifts almost instantly afterward, confidence settling deeper into her smile while she steps even closer beside the booth.

“There he is,” she says softly. “Knew you were trouble.”

You laugh quietly under your breath while she tilts her head slightly.

“What?” she asks innocently. “You’ve been checking me out since I walked you guys to the table.”

Unfortunately?

She’s completely right.

The waitress smiles when you don’t deny it.

“Told you,” she murmurs smugly.

Then she pulls her phone from the pocket of her skirt before unlocking it and handing it to you.

“Put your number in,” she says casually.

You hesitate for maybe half a second.

Then you do it anyway.

The waitress watches the entire time with an expression that feels way too pleased afterward.

The second you hand her phone back, she types something quickly before your own phone buzzes against the table.

You glance down automatically:

text me later if you wanna get drinks

Your stomach twists slightly seeing it sitting there on your screen.

And somehow that makes the situation feel way more real than it did thirty seconds ago.

The waitress stays standing close beside you afterward, one hand resting casually against the edge of the booth while the tight black t-shirt stretches snugly across her chest from the angle she’s leaning at. The fabric hugs tightly enough to make the visible cleavage above the collar impossible not to notice, especially when she shifts closer and presses her arms together slightly while talking to you.

And unfortunately?

She knows exactly where your eyes keep drifting.

“You should come out tonight,” she says softly.

“Yeah?” you ask before thinking better of it.

“Mhm,” she replies with a grin. “There’s this place down near the pier where everybody drinks too much and dances.”

Something about the way she says dances feels intentional.

The waitress laughs quietly afterward before leaning a little farther over the table, intentionally pressing her boobs together subtly against the shirt while she watches your reaction carefully.

“I get really touchy when I drink,” she continues casually. “And apparently I dance a little irresponsibly.”

Your brain betrays you instantly.

You picture loud bass vibrating through a crowded dance floor while colored lights flash across her body in that tiny skirt. Her back pressed against your chest. Her hips grinding slowly against you while she laughs over her shoulder. The tight black shirt riding slightly higher every time she moves. Her ass pushing back into you while she sways against your body like she already knows exactly what she’s doing to you.

And somehow your imagination keeps going.

Her grabbing your hands and pulling them onto her hips while dancing against you harder after another drink. The heat of her body in a crowded room. Her moving against your lap while music pounds around both of you, grinding slow and teasing while she smiles like she knows you’re completely distracted by her.

Unfortunately the waitress notices the exact second your imagination gets away from you.

“Oh my god,” she laughs quietly. “You just pictured it.”

You shake your head while laughing under your breath. “You’re trouble.”

“I’ve been told that before,” she replies proudly.

Then finally she straightens back up again.

And honestly?

That somehow makes things worse.

The short black skirt hugs tightly against the curve of her ass while she steps away from the booth, the fitted fabric shifting against her hips with every movement. Your eyes follow automatically before you can stop yourself, watching the sway of her body while your brain unfortunately keeps replaying the things she just implied about dancing with her later.

The waitress glances back over her shoulder halfway toward the counter.

She immediately catches you staring.

The smug little smile she gives you afterward says she expected it completely.

Then she disappears back toward the kitchen.

A few seconds later, Jane returns from the bathroom completely unaware of anything that just happened.

She slides back into the booth beside you with an easy smile while reaching for your hand automatically beneath the table.

“Ready?” Jane asks softly.

You look at her for a second.

The trust in her expression.

The comfort.

The way she naturally reaches for you without hesitation.

And suddenly the guilt settles in harder than before.

Still, you smile anyway.

“Yeah,” you reply quietly. “Ready.”

A little while later, the two of you leave the café together hand-in-hand before disappearing back into the warm crowded streets near the beach.

And the entire time?

You can still feel your phone buzzing heavy in your pocket.

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You chose to entertain the waitress’s flirtation instead of shutting it down:

Relationship Status: -6%

While Jane remains completely unaware of the interaction, allowing the flirtation to escalate damages the emotional loyalty and trust underlying the relationship in a significant way.

BF Points: -4 BF

Choosing temptation and outside attention over emotional loyalty creates noticeable emotional distance internally, even without anything physical happening.

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