Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
While Allie and Josh headed off to have dinner with his family, Phoenix Inn was occupied with customers. Sunny was busy working on the books when he looked up in time to see a whole crew enter the restaurant. With equipment to shoot a movie or maybe a scene. He saw Nick within the crowd talking to the director maybe.
He waited paitently until his parter could pull away from the director. Nick gave his friend a broad smile "I need a huge favor." he said without greeting Sunny.
"Sure, it's half yours." Sunny shrugged casually.
Nick laughed "Great I thought you would disapprove."
"What are you filming?" Sunny asked while the crew set up the cameras and lightings.
"The restaurant we were going to use bailed out at the last minute. Some wedding or something of that sort, I couldn't think of any other place, plus the director said we needed to shoot this scene tonight." Nick quickly explained. He tried to ignore the waving hand coming from the producer.
"Sure, use whatever you need. Including the employees, any role for a handsome manager?" Sunny gave his friend a wink indicating that he was teasing.
Nick smiled slyly "Sure, if you are willing to play a gay waiter...there is a role for a waitress and I actually hit on her to make my girlfriend jealous."
Sunny wrinkled his eyebrows "Girlfriend?" he glanced around and did not spot any other actresses.
"Yeah. Athena Chu will be coming by in a minute, she was notified late of our changed shoot." Nick smiled at his friend who looked interested "Are you star struck? Forgetting Allie so soon huh?"
"I can dream can't I?" Sunny and Nick laughed together.
The producer could no longer wait as he interrupted their conversation "Nick, the director wants to go over the scene with you." he said hastily.
Sunny smiled understanding "Just let me know if you need anything." He returned to his place behind the counter and continued with his books for the restaurant. He was struggling over a problem that didn't seem to match up when he calculated the earnings for last month. He began to feel frustratated as he combed his fingers through his hair.
"Need help?" Amy's sweet voice asked as she leaned over the counter to see what he was doing.
"Tell me about it. I've been at this calculation for hours and I can't find the nitch." Sunny welcomed the interruption. "Are you good with math?" Amy shrugged with a smile "Take a look at this." he handed her the paper work.
"I'll try." she looked down at the paper and began punching in numbers from the calculator. Within minutes she figured it out "You forgot to add the produce charge for these three days." she pointed at the paper.
Sunny stared at her in awe "You did it?" she nodded with a grin "I can't believe it. Gosh, I know why I failed every math class I ever took. Would you like a job, Amy?" he teased.
"Sure." she smiled brightly "Anything to help you, since you were so kind to help me."
"Really?" he asked, he knew her job as Nick's assistant was very time consuming but if she did the restaurant's accounting it wouldn't take too long to finish it each month. "I don't want to steal you away from Nick, but I just need someone to help me out with the books once a month."
Amy smiled "Is that all? I think he'll understand since I barely have much work while I'm with him." they both laughed at the inside joke.
The producer must have heard her comment since he was within earshot. He spoke loud and clear for everyone to hear "Nick, sounds like you're paying someone to bullshit all day." he snickered towards Amy.
Amy's smile disappeared as she looked up at Sunny apologetically "Back to work." the sarcasm in her voice proved that her days at work with Nick wasn't exactly great.
Nick was quick to defend his assistant "Hey Lung, why don't you worry about your work before you worry about others." his stern voice proved to voice over the producer's.
She threw Nick a grateful glance as she set up his chair and drink. The director was ready to film as soon as Athena Chu showed up. She was obviously trying to disguise herself, wearing a black trench coat and huge black sunglasses. A cap that covered her long mane that she's been growing out. Everyone seemed to pause as the petite actress entered the room. She gave everyone a quick smile as she got straight to work.
Nick was ready to start while the director breezed over the scene with Athena. He walked over to Sunny "Can I borrow my favorite waitress?" he didn't notice that Allie wasn't around.
Sunny frowned "Not your day, my friend. She just left to have dinner with Josh's family. Why don't you use Josie?" he pointed to his friend who stood nearby.
Nick was contemplating whether or not she was right "Hmm, I can't see myself flirting with her." he said honestly.
"Me neither." Sunny quipped. He saw Josie throwing daggers in his direction as he stopped smiling. "How about Rain?" Nick shook his head "That's all my waitresses." he patted his friend on the shoulder "Sorry, I couldn't help." he looked around and his eyes caught on Amy, who was watching intently at the director, she was always interested in that stuff. "How about Amy?"
A slow smiled crept on Nick's face, "I don't know why I didn't think of her!" he rushed over to ask Amy. "Amy." she quickly looked up to see what he needed "I need a favor."
"As long as it's in my job description, I will help you with anything." she said brightly.
He laughed "I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it in our contract....but...well, I need you to play a waitress. Just a short two sentence role. You ask me what I want to order and I say, you if it's possible. You look at me and say Excuse me. I give you a wink and slide you my number. It's part of my role to get Jackie, Athena's role who is my girlfriend to be jealous."
Amy wrinkled her forehead "I'm not sure if I can do it, Nick. I've never acted before."
He frowned "You have to help me, I have no one else, the girl that was suppose to play the role just bailed out at the last minute and I would chose any of the other waitresses, but they're not as good looking as you." he gave her his shinest of smiles.
She laughed with her head shaking "Alright, you talked me into it. But I'm warning you, I'm horrible at reading lines."
Nick raised an eyebrow "Sweetie, it's just two short sentences. I'm sure you can do it." he patted her on the shoulder "Come on, let's get you a uniform.
****************
At Josh's house, the atmosphere was so thick that you can cut it with a knife. The only good outcome of the dinner was the fact that Mrs. Lai was very much interested in Allie, since she had a good impression on the first time they met. Mr. Lai continued to be as rude as can be, but he was more tolerable this time.
Josh's brother came in about an hour late for dinner. He was flushed in the face, maybe from his earlier drinking rendevous with some call girls. He was a player and the newspaper constantly proved it with pictures. Allie threw Josh a glance when Joey (Ma Tak Chung) stumbled through the door.
Mrs. Lai was the first to rush to her youngest boy "Joey, you're home. Come and have dinner." she linked her arm through his and supported him to the dinner table, where he was seated next to her. "This is Allison, your brother's girlfriend." the lady of the house was quick with the introductions.
Joey looked up and turned away without acknowledging Allie's smile and nod. He quickly barked to the maid "Where's my bowl of rice?!"
Mr. Lai was calm as he waved to the maid to fetch it for his obvious spoiled younger son "Why don't you kids talk after dinner? Josh, you have not spent much time at home after you started with your new relationship."
"He changes girls more than his clothes." Joey said rudely. Never did Allie imagined that her first encounter with Josh's brother would be so negative.
She smiled gently "That's soothing to know." she turned to Josh who was scowling. She quickly reached under the table and gave his hand a little squeeze. He quickly caught her eyese as they smiled, knowing that the dinner would not happen again. He would not make her survive another one of the torture sessions.
After dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Lai turned into bed early leaving their kids to talk and try to bond. Josh knew of the attempts too much, they constantly tried to get them to talk but it was like pulling teeth for Josh. He had absolutely nothing in common with Joey.
The room was quiet until the phone rang, the maid returned and told Josh "It's for you, Sir."
Josh smiled as he patted Allie on the hand "I'll be back." he whispered and left the room.
Joey finally smiled at her "So Allison, what do you do?" he spoke her name with a surupy tone.
She smiled "I'm a waitress." she spoke it with much confidence now.
"Really?" he raised his eyebrows with interest. He got up and moved his seat next to Allie. Maybe a little too close. "I didn't know my brother liked low class, low payed girls. I would have introduced him to a bunch of them at the night club I just came from."
She felt uneasy as he leaned in close enough to smell the alcohol he had "I may have low pay, but at least I enjoy what I do." she didn't mean to snap at him but it came out that way.
Joey belted out a fake and sarcastic laugh "You look awfully familiar, are you sure you don't work at the Pussycat Club?" his lips were centimeters away from her own.
Allie quickly stood up "Look, I came here out of respect for my boyfriend, if you will not respect me as a person, why should I stay here and listen to this?" her face was steaming red.
He laughed comfortably with his head nodding "I like you. Too bad my brother got you first." he spoke like she was a piece of meat. "Maybe when he's done with you, I'll take the leftover?"
She was disgusted by the rude remarks, she thought Mr. Lai was bad but his son was 10 times worse. "Excuse me." she walked briskly away towards the den, where Josh was finishing his business call.
He was looking frustrated when he hung up the phone but the minute he saw Allie, a bright smile came over his face. She was relieved to see the friendly face "Miss me already?" he teased.
She laughed and hugged him "Your brother is a charmer." her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I see you had a quick liking to him." he responded with the same sarcasm. He let out a sigh as he embraced her "How about we get out of here?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Allie said with obvious relief as they left the house, only nodding at Joey.
He ignored his brother completely as he threw Allie a dashing smile "I'll see you soon, Allison."
She only nodded, trying to ooze out the last inch of respect for Josh's brother. During the drive back to Allie's home, Josh asked her "I know I shouldn't bother to ask since I know the answer. But how was dinner?"
Allie smiled "All I can say is thank God for your mom. And you too." she quickly added.
He laughed "I'll drink to that!" he suddenly remembered his brother's comment to Allie before they left "Was Joey rude to you?" he asked cautiously.
She pushed out a smile "No. He was fine." she assured him, although it didn't even sound convincing.