Chapter 29: Chapter 29
Colter
Vida’s Apartment, New York City
He had watched them mutter to themselves without a second thought, thinking that this was part of the Earth's culture.
They whispered to themselves and stared at him from time to time but Colter paid it no mind as he stood there while they spoke about him.
At once, Tessa straightened herself up and looked at him directly with a small smile on her face, Colter returned the gaze with his nerves slightly going up but he was not going to show them.
“So, Colter.” Tessa announced, “Vida and I were talking…”
‘Well obviously…” Colter’s brain thought, “You were whispering like two children right now.”
“If you want to stay here” Tessa continued, “You’ll have to earn your keep.”
“Earn my keep?” Colter repeated dumbly and Tessa grinned.
“You will have to help Vida pay for this apartment, so you’ll need to take a job and earn money”
The concept of working was not alien to the young prince, he had seen people toil and sweat just to get paid at the end of day, and if this is what he needed to do to continue living in this world, then he would.
While all those thoughts circled around him, Colter simply nodded wordlessly at Tessa, who laughed.
“We work for a kind man named Peter, now we’re going there to ask them if he has something for you. Is that okay with you?”
Colter, a prince who had never worked for anything all his life, he had never paid for anything, simply nodded at their proposal.
“Huh” Tessa said dumbfoundedly, “Here I thought you were some rich snob who didn’t have to work”
Tessa was right in a way, but Colter had been mingling with the common folk during his time at Howard and he knew all about their toils and hardships.
“What’s a rich snob?” Colter asked, but Tessa cut him off with a roll of her eyes.
“Alright, that’s settled.” The woman said disregarding his previous question, “Basically you’ll need to work to earn and help Vida pay, that’s what I said earlier didn’t I?”
“So I have to work like a human being?”
“Yes, your royal assness” Tessa retorted with a groan, “You will be required to work like Vida, if Peter has an opening, you will do what she does, you will follow the rules and just be a waiter of some sort.”
Colter contemplated this and nodded, but one question lingered in his thoughts: “Do I have to wear a dress like hers?”
At this question, Tessa and Vida began giggling, Colter felt slightly hurt, feeling that he was being made fun of, but Tessa shook her head, still fighting off fits of laughter
“Well duh, no. Those are for women. What timeline are you from, anyway?” At this comment, he saw Vida frown and hit her in the shoulder, “No. You’ll wear clothes that are fit for your gender, but you will be doing what Vida has been doing.”
All the weeks he had observed Vida, Colter agreed.
“Yes, that is of no consequence for me. A waitress like Vida…”
“Waiter” Tessa corrected him tensely, “You are a man, aren’t you?”
“Right. A waiter. That is all right with me. It would be my honor to do so, and to live near Vida…”
At these words Vida had blushed and Tessa just grunted in slight annoyance at these two’s antics.
“Look man, I don’t know who the hell you are and where the fuck you came from. It was as if you just fell from the sky and found yourself in Vida’s life.” Tessa told him seriously now, “Vida is a kind soul and she’s doing this out of the kindness of her heart.”
Colter nodded wordlessly at Tessa so she continued:
“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t want anything to do with your middle ages cosplaying ass-“
Vida frowned and chastised Tessa that same moment, but she was ignored.
“You’re a weirdo and I have my suspicions over you, but since it’s Vida’s call, we will help you out until you figure out what the actual hell is your purpose and endgame okay?”
Colter nodded and agreed at Tessa’s terms and Vida was blushing furiously at Tessa’s words.
“You seem kind of harmless, but I’m telling you right now, Colter. One strand of hair. Harm even one strand of hair on Vida and there will be hell to pay, do we have an understanding?!” her warnings sounded legitimate and serious.
Realizing that Tessa had cared for Vida this much, Colter simply nodded.
“On my honor as a person, I will not allow any harm to come to Vida, she will be safe while I am around her.”
Tessa rolled her eyes and saw that he actually meant what he said.
A day passed and the duo had found a place for Colter to stay. It was next door to Vida’s apartment.
“Make sure you keep your door locked and not give Shakespeare over here a reason to…”
But before Tessa could finish Vida sighed and told Colter not to listen to her.
“I brought some of my brother’s clothes, they seem to fit you perfectly” Tessa told Colter this time, handing Colter a bag of clothing, “That dickhead wouldn’t do anything with them at the moment, so I think you’ll do more with them.”
Colter gave his thanks at the purity of Tessa’s words and intentions towards Vida.
“Make sure to wash them after using, alright?” Tessa told him.
As a prince, he never thought of these things much. There were servants that did these things for him. It was only now that he had to do things by himself and in his heart, he knew that he would enjoy it.
“I give you my gratitude, Tessa. I will repay this debt sooner than you will know.” Colter told her cryptically.
“Yeah, well just take care of yourself okay?” Tessa replied uncomfortably at his demeanor.
These two women had done more than his father and brother all his life, there was a twinge of regret and longing as he thought of this. He was the one in a position of power and these two were just making ends meet. Yet, even in their situation they were the ones doing good things for him.
“I will have to repay this favor” Colter told himself fiercely.
---
Vida
Burn’s, New York City
“So, this is him isn’t it?” Peter told Vida kindly, another day had passed and it was time for them to report back to work.
Vida glanced at Peter then at Colter who was standing wordlessly, unable to get a read on his emotions.
Tessa was trying her best to ignore them while Vida told Peter about Colter needing a job.
“Yes, that’s him, Pete” Vida said quietly, “We could use more help, it’s just me and Tessa during the afternoon flurry.”
Peter laughed in a booming voice and nodded his understanding of the situation while not taking his eyes off Colter who still stood emotionless and wordless as Vida introduced him.
Vida noticed that Peter was checking him out, from head to toe the bar manager eyed him.
“He kinda needs it, because he doesn’t have anyone or anything else to run to” Vida told Peter apologetically, who only nodded his understanding.
Noticing Peter’s reactions, Vida gave a wordless thanks to the gods that maybe at the kindness of their boss. He had always been understanding of situations and did not say a malicious word when things did not go the bar’s way.
“It would be my honor to work for this tavern” Colter suddenly announced to Peter, who laughed while Vida blanched and Tessa rolled her eyes muttering:
“Going way too deep with the cosplay right there, princeling.”
But Peter nodded and fought away his fluster before pulling Vida to one side and muttering in her ear:
“You sure this one’s looking for a job? He has a kingly air about him. It’s like he’s richer than even that Harry Fletcher who keeps coming to this place.”
Vida grinned at these words and nodded, “Yes, he really needs it, Pete. Is it okay for you to hire him?”
Tessa rolled her eyes at the mere mention of Harry Fletcher but even she could not deny him. In terms of aesthetic looks, Colter passed Harry by a long shot.
The portly and kindly man nodded his understanding and turned to Colter.
“Alright, you have the looks that will take the customer’s attentions, Mr. Colter, so I bid you welcome to Burn’s, you may start today. Vida and Tessa can teach you the ropes.”
With that, the hope in Vida had stirred and she felt a warm sensation fill her existence as he stared at Colter politely nodding and shaking hands with the portly Peter. The thoughts of him in her dreams filled her again but she managed to keep them toned down as she walked over to him, now ready to teach him about how to serve tables at Burns.