Page 3 of Stardusted

“Order up! Hawaiian burger and a coconut shrimp!”

Jackie’s voice jolted me out of my daydreams about the future, and I startled, nearly dropping the Hula fries. Nobody said anything else, but I swept a warning scowl around the room anyway and gathered up my order, hoisting the tray to my shoulder. Without a word, I turned my back on the peanut gallery.

Kelly snickered. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out like the dignified adult I was, lifting my chin and pushing through the kitchen doors instead.

Aliens.Please. How ridiculous.

There would always be people who obsessed over conspiracy theories.

The solar storm had shown up on my feed earlier that week, and everything they’d described—the flickering power, the signal issues—lined up perfectly with what NASA had explained. I’d even watched the educational video.Twice.

Recalling it chased away the last of that creeping doubt. It was embarrassing I’d had any at all. Kelly could be persuasive when she wanted to be. One of her dubious superpowers.

Some people just weren’t content with the simplest explanation. Me? I liked things that could be weighed and measured, tested and proven. I liked science.

Kelly could go chase ET into traffic for all I cared.

I dismissed the whole ridiculous conversation and left the employee area, glancing toward the bar before catching myself.

Becausehewas working tonight.

The sweeping counter stretched to my left and curved around the corner, packed with stools and patrons leaning in toward the flickering fake tiki lights and bottles stacked along the mirrored wall. Tonight’s bartender moved with smooth, practiced ease behind the glassy black surface.

Tall. Dark. Handsome?—

I wrenched my attention away, but the urge to sneak a second glance almost overpowered me. My face went hot.

Speaking of embarrassing. I couldn’t even look his way without blushing. I needed to pull it together.

Clearing my throat, I directed my eyes forward and marched into the dining area.

Like the bar, the floor was busy tonight. The crowded four- and six-top tables and the booths lining the far wall were mostly full. Conversation and laughter mingled with the tinny island music floating from speakers hidden among the plastic palm trees, twinkle lights, and fake vines. Every so often, a prerecorded bird squawk or monkey call echoed across the dining room.

The track repeated every fifteen minutes. I would know. I heard it in my sleep. My nightmares, even. Especially the ones where I showed up at work without pants on.

I pasted on my server smile and wound my way through the sea of patrons to my section. A middle-aged couple sat waiting. Impatiently. The woman’s pinched face confirmed my fear about their tip.

Inwardly wincing, I slid the tray off my shoulder and adopted my most apologetic tone. It came out a bit more stilted than I’d intended. “I’m so sorry for the delay.” I set their food down and glanced at their drinks. Still good. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

“No,” the woman huffed, patting her bright red curls as she reached for her fork. “I’mstarving.”

The man dove into his burger without comment.

Somehow, despite my souring mood, I managed a real smile. “Well, I’ll be back by to check on you?—”

The lights chose that exact moment to flicker and go out.

Darkness fell, sudden and deep. My heart skipped a beat. The music cut off mid-strum. Gasps rippled through the dining room, followed by the murmur of startled voices.

I turned in place, blinking rapidly to get my eyes to adjust.

What the hell?

It took a second to register. But then…

Great. A power outage. Justgreat.I could practicallyhearKelly’s I-told-you-so.

Before I could decide on an action, the emergency lights kicked on at the exits, splashing white into the shadows as a jumble of complaints and questions echoed across the dining room and bar. In the dimness, I scanned for the familiar lime-green of my fellow waitresses and spotted Kelly’s svelte shape darting through the chaos alongside a few others, doing their best to placate guests. The frustrated clatter from the kitchen swelled, along with crashes and shouted curses. I winced.