“You’re doing great Aisha, just get those last two plates out to the table and then there’s just clean up to do.
Wyatt, if you and Alex can roll out the dessert carts, and leave them for the guests to help themselves, that would be excellent.
Brennan and Fern I’ll leave you two to organize the coffee table – just make sure there is plenty of everything any of the guests might need. Thank you all.”
Two hours into the event, Senan was quietly confident things had been going as well as they could be considering he was flinching with every strange noise or the moment anyone came close to the door of the prep area.
His magic was acutely tuned to the fact he was less than a hundred yards from predators – predators who didn’t like or appreciate people like him.
It made for a nervous time, even though the other servers were doing a great job at the tables, so it wasn’t as though any of the guests were looking for someone to complain to.
The chef, Maisie, and her team were amazing, as always.
The event had a preplanned menu, so there were no issues with people getting the wrong foods.
All of the food prep had been done quickly, and without any fuss.
None of the waiters had dropped a plate, or spilled any food when serving, and Senan simply reminded them before every course to be unobtrusive and not to engage in conversation.
The event guests seemed to be having a great time, if the noise coming from the dining room was any indication.
There were very few raised voices. That was one advantage of a paranormal event where everyone had excellent hearing, although Senan’s skin still shivered every time he thought he heard a deep voice getting closer to the prep area where he was now taking care of clean up.
“Did you need a hand with those glasses?” Aisha came back into the prep area, her face flushed. “The last of the plates have gone out.”
Senan checked the list of instructions that came with every event.
“Apparently the guests will be leaving the dining area once they’ve all finished eating and will be conducting their actual meeting in another room, so you can collect dirty plates then.
” He caught the redness of Aisha’s face and waved at the table.
“Sit down. Did anyone give you any trouble? You’re looking a little stressed.
Don’t worry about these glasses, I can finish them myself, but thank you. ”
“Thanks, and it’s okay, no one gave me any trouble.
” Aisha plopped down in a seat with a whoosh.
“It’s a bit strange having no one pay any attention to you at all when you’re leaning past them putting plates on the table, but now I’m thinking about it, that really wasn’t a bad thing.
At least no one was pinching my butt or asking for my number.
No” - she sighed – “it’s just that I’m not getting a lot of sleep.
I’ve got exams coming up soon, and so I’ve been studying every spare minute I can keep my eyes open. ”
Senan was grateful for Aisha’s chatter as she kept up a steady stream of words about her studies, her deadbeat boyfriend that she absolutely was going to dump as soon as she had a spare five minutes, and some random story about a friend of hers who thought she might be pregnant.
Wyatt and Alex came in, taking other spare seats, and by the time Brennan and Fern came in to let him know that the first of the guests were starting to leave, Senan had finished the glasses and most of the plates.
“That’s great to hear. If you want to just go out there and clean off the tables… You know the drill. I’ll take care of the last of the dishes, and we should be done in thirty minutes or so.”
“Sounds good to me,” Brennan said, standing up and stretching. “I have a date tonight. Totally thrilled you took my stint at the sink, by the way, Senan. I didn’t want to turn up and be touching my lady with dishwasher hands.” He waved them in the air as the others laughed.
“That’s why I wear gloves.” Senan smiled as he turned back to the sink mentioned. There were still the dessert course plates to be washed and stacked, not to mention glasses, cutlery… Eighty people eating made for a lot of dishes so the next thirty minutes would be busy.
Senan thought longingly of his small house. Once he walked through his front door, he had the whole weekend to himself. Two whole days where I can smell like me, look like me, and just be me, wings and all. I’ve just got to get through the next hour until I get home.
As far as Senan was concerned that couldn’t come quickly enough.
Suppressing his scent was magically draining for him, and he’d already been tired before his second event of the day started.
But the scent suppressor was working, and at a paranormal event, that was the most important thing of all. Not long to go now.