Completely Obsessed

CHAPTER ONE

Nairobi POV

I woke up to the sound of someone banging on my door. Still half-asleep, I reached for my phone and checked the time.8:00 a.m.My eyes widened.“Oh my God!”

I heard my best friend’s voice from outside my room.

“Nairobi! Wake up! You’re going to be late for work! It’s your first day, and you’re already late!”

That was Zara Mitchell, my one and only best friend. We had been best friends since high school. She was the only person who had never judged me because of my size. She accepted me exactly as I was, and that was something I would always be grateful for.

“I’m awake!” I yelled before rushing out of bed.

I quickly took a shower, got dressed, and hurried out of my room.When I entered the kitchen, I found Zara standing by the counter with her arms crossed, clearly waiting for me.

“Good morning, Zara,” I said breathlessly.

“Oh, there you are,” she said, shaking her head. “Come on, eat this before you leave.”She placed a tuna sandwich in front of me.I smiled. “You’re seriously the best.”i said “I know,” she replied proudly. “Now eat. You have a job to keep.”I laughed and quickly ate the sandwich.“Okay, I have to go!” I said, grabbing my bag.

“Good luck on your first day!” Zara called after me.

“Thanks! See you later!”

I hurried outside and raised my hand to hail a taxi. Luckily, one stopped a few seconds later.“The Crimson Table, please,” I told the driver as I climbed inside.

After what felt like forever, the taxi finally stopped in front of the restaurant.I looked up at the elegant building and took a deep breath.

The Crimson Table.

My new workplace.I stepped inside and immediately felt nervous. Everything looked so luxurious and expensive that I suddenly became very aware of my simple clothes .A man wearing a neat suit approached me.“You must be Nairobi Bellamy.”he said

“Yes, sir.”i replied “I’m Mr. Anderson, the restaurant manager. Welcome to The Crimson Table."

“Thank you, sir.”He smiled before gesturing for me to follow him.“Come. Let me introduce you to everyone.”

We walked through the dining area, where several employees were busy preparing the restaurant for opening.

“Everyone, this is Nairobi Tokyo Bellamy. She’s our newest employee. Today is her first day, so I expect everyone to help her get familiar with the restaurant.”A few employees smiled and greeted me.

“Welcome, Nairobi.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Welcome to the team.”

I smiled shyly. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet all of you.”

Mr. Anderson then pointed toward three young women standing together near one of the tables.“And these are some of our servers.”The first girl stepped forward with a polite smile.“This is Madison.”

“Nice to meet you,” Madison said.“Nice to meet you too,” I replied.Mr. Anderson pointed to the second girl.“This is Chloe.”Chloe gave me a quick smile. “Welcome.”

“Thank you.”Finally, he introduced the last girl.

“And this is Brianna.”Brianna looked me up and down for a second before giving me a small smile.

“Welcome to The Crimson Table.” “Thank you,” I said.

I didn't think much of their behavior at the time. I simply assumed they were being a little distant because I was new.Mr. Anderson continued introducing me to the kitchen staff and the other employees before showing me where I could leave my belongings.“You can put your things in the locker room. Once you're ready, meet me in the dining room. I'll teach you everything you need to know.”

“Yes, sir.”I walked into the locker room and placed my bag inside my locker.I was about to leave when I heard voices behind me.“Did you see the new girl?” one of the girls asked.“Yeah,” another replied. “Nairobi, right?”

I immediately recognized their voices.

Madison,Chloe and Brianna, I stopped with my hand on the door.“I don't understand how she got hired here,” Madison said.“This is one of the most elegant restaurants in the city,” Chloe added. “Do you really think she fits in?”Brianna laughed softly.

“She’s pretty big. I wonder if she can even keep up when the restaurant gets busy.”The three of them laughed.

I stood there silently, feeling my heart sink.

These were the same girls Mr. Anderson had just introduced me to.The same girls who had smiled at me and welcomed me.I swallowed hard.Their words hurt, but I refused to let them see me break.I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror.“No,” I whispered. “I'm not going to let them ruin this for me.”

I straightened my shoulders.“I deserve to be here.”

With one last deep breath, I opened the door and walked out of the locker room.I kept my head held high, even though their words were still echoing in my mind.

When I entered the dining room, I saw Mr. Anderson waiting for me.“There you are,” he said. “Ready to learn?”

I nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.” “Good. Today, I'll teach you everything you need to know. How to greet customers, take orders, carry plates properly, use the register, and handle difficult customers.”I swallowed nervously. “Difficult customers?”He chuckled. “Every restaurant has them. Just remember to stay calm and professional.”I nodded.

For the next few hours, Mr. Anderson showed me around the dining room. He explained the table numbers, introduced me to the kitchen staff, taught me how to take orders, and showed me where everything was kept.At first, I was nervous and kept making small mistakes.“Sorry,” I said after nearly dropping a spoon.

Mr. Anderson smiled. “It's your first day. Don't worry. You'll get used to it.”

I smiled back.After a while, the clock finally reached opening time.The restaurant doors opened.My first day had officially begun.I stood near the entrance, trying to calm my nerves as customers started coming in.The first table assigned to me had three customers.

I approached them with a smile.“Good afternoon. Welcome to The Crimson Table. My name is Nairobi, and I'll be taking care of you today.”One of the men looked me up and down.

Then he smirked.“You're our server?”I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

He exchanged a look with the woman sitting beside him before quietly laughing.I pretended not to notice.

“May I take your order?”The woman picked up the menu.

“Are you sure you can carry all our food?” she asked.

The others laughed.My smile immediately faded, but I quickly forced it back.“Yes, ma'am.”The man leaned back in his chair.

“Maybe you should start with something small. You look like you've already eaten enough.”My heart sank.

For a second, I couldn't breathe.I wanted to say something.I wanted to walk away.But I remembered what I had told myself in the locker room.You're here because you deserve to be here.So I took a quiet breath and continued.“Are you ready to order?”

They continued making little comments throughout the meal.Every time I brought something to their table, they found another way to make fun of me.I wanted to cry.But I didn't.I kept my head up.I kept smiling.And I kept doing my job.Even when my feet started hurting.

Even when my back ached.

Even when their words stayed in the back of my mind.

I didn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Hours passed, and the restaurant slowly became quieter.By the time the last customers left, I was exhausted.I leaned against the counter and let out a long breath.“I survived,” I whispered.

I was ready to clock out when Mr. Anderson suddenly called everyone over.

“Everyone, before you leave, I need to tell you something.”All the employees gathered around him.

Mr. Anderson looked serious.“As most of you already know, The Crimson Table will be hosting a very important gala.”Everyone started whispering excitedly.

“This event is extremely important for the restaurant,” he continued. “We are expecting many important guests, so everything needs to be perfect.”He paused and looked around at all of us.“And we only have two weeks to prepare.”My eyes widened.“Two weeks?” someone asked.

“Yes. Two weeks to make sure everything—from the food and service to the decorations and dining room—is perfect.”He looked at each of us.“I expect everyone to work together. There will be extra training, longer hours, and a lot of preparation. We cannot afford mistakes.”

I exchanged nervous glances with some of the other employees.My first day had already been difficult.

And now we had a huge gala to prepare for in only two weeks.Mr. Anderson clapped his hands.

“That's all for tonight. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we begin preparing.”Everyone slowly started leaving.

I grabbed my bag and headed toward the locker room.

As I walked, I couldn't help but think about everything

that had happened.

The girls' comments.

The rude customers.

The exhaustion.

And now the gala.

It was going to be a difficult two weeks.But I smiled to myself.I had survived my first day.Maybe I could survive anything The Crimson Table had waiting for me.

Before heading home, I stopped by a nearby store.

My phone had buzzed while I was leaving the restaurant. It was a message from Zara.

Zara: Don’t forget to buy roasted chicken for dinner!

I smiled at her message.Of course, she had to remind me.I went inside the store, bought a roasted chicken, and then stepped outside to hail a taxi.After a short wait, a taxi stopped in front of me.I climbed inside and gave the driver our address.When I finally arrived at our apartment, I paid the driver and carried the roasted chicken inside.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Zara coming out of her bedroom. Her hair was still wet, and she was wearing comfortable clothes. She looked like she had just finished taking a shower.The moment she saw me, she smiled.“You’re here! Did you buy it?” she asked.

I held up the bag.“Yes. Did you just get home?”

“Yeah,” she replied. Then she pointed toward my room. “Take a shower first before we eat.”I nodded.“Okay.”

I placed the roasted chicken on the dining table before heading to my room.After a long day at work, all I wanted was a hot shower.When I finished, I wrapped a towel around myself and stepped out of the bathroom. As I walked toward my wardrobe, I passed the full-length mirror beside it.I stopped.My eyes slowly traveled over my reflection.I sighed.“Why is it that whenever I try to slim down even a little, I somehow gain more weight?”I frowned at myself.“Ugh! I hate this body.”I immediately looked away from the mirror.I didn't want to think about it anymore.I opened my wardrobe and changed into my most comfortable clothes.