(CARMEN SANCHEZ) who looks an awful lot like (DIANE GUERRERO) has just been seen around Port Whitley! Â Apparently (SHE/HER) is a (35) year old (CIS FEMALE) born on (APRIL 20th) and has been in the city for (35 YEARS) living in (OAKBROOK) and is a (WAITRESS AT PITSTOP DINNER). If there is a quote to describe them it would be âIT IS FIRE THAT CONSUMES ME, BUT I AM THE FIREâ - But we have yet to make up our mind if that is accurate.
ABOUT â TW: abandonment, cheating
Born and raised by a single mother, Carmen never knew her father or had much of a male figure in her life. Sure, men came and went but they often left more damage than they did anything positive. The longest time a man was in her life was the father of her younger half-sister.
Much like her own story, he came into their lives and when he was caught cheating, her mother tossed him to the curb and continued to raise them on her own.Â
As hard as she worked, she wasnât the best mother in terms of being very present in their lives because she constantly yearned the affection of a partner so her focus was on meeting someone.Â
While Carmen was in high school, her mother met a man that she would fall head over heels in love with and end up marrying.
A couple of months later she moved out, and her presence was less and less, sending money whenever she remembered until nothing altogether.Â
They moved from town to travel once her husband retired and despite the odd phone calls that Carmen now sends to her voicemail, she doesnât have any contact with her mother.Â
Mainly due to the fact that she felt robbed of her childhood since she had to care for her younger sibling and become her guardian.Â
Carmen works at a waitressing job to pay for hairdressing school and her sisterâs college education right now. So sheâs a little burnt out.Â
PERSONALITY âÂ
Sheâs a super sweet and bubbly girl but she is fiercely protective and loyal to those that she cares about so she can put someone in their place without issue.Â
Sheâs hard-working and determinate but also pretty run down in life so she grows frustrated pretty quickly.Â
Since she didnât have much of those teenage years, she is kinda reliving them now that her younger sister is actually out of the house.Â
âYeah, thatâs what my dentist keeps reminding meâŠâ Jacob trailed off with a knowing smile. Though heâd argue it had been his two sisterâs influence that he ate so many sweets and now had somewhat of an addition for anything sugary. âHey, itâs alright, seriously, youâre all good. Sometimes I just really gotta shut my pie hole and give people their peace,â Now he was blushing slightly with embarrassment. Jacob was a people person so he liked chatting peopleâs ears off but he really didnât want to cause any trouble for this woman at work, he was just simply making some friendly banter. âBut itâs nice to meet ya, Carmen. Donât change a thing, I like talking, sometimes a little too much but if you donât mind then I donât mind.â
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Carmen shrugged her shoulder. âI think that if you brush and floss, youâll be fine.â She didnât have much issues with the dentist. It had worked for her but she knew a lot of it was genetic and despite the shit her mother had given her, she had to be happy that at least this wasnât that bad. The brunette waved her hand and shook her head. âI love chatter boxes, itâs what makes my job go by a lot quicker.â Most of the time she could sit and speak to them all the time. âI donât mind at all. Like I said. itâs the upside of my day.â Talking a lot was a lot better than bitching.Â
âYeah, unfortunately I think my liver has reached the point where it doesnât want me to drink like I did in college.â And maybe that was partially her fault, for drinking as much as she did in college, but there was no putting that genie back in the bottle now. âOkay, well then I think Iâll order us a bottle of riesling.â That was her tried and true variety of wine, the one she fell back on when she wasnât sure what else she wanted.
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Carmen could understand that. She had drank a lot in high school and drinking a bottle of wine every other night wasnât exactly odd behaviour because she felt like it was the best way to calm down after a long day but the hangovers were only getting worse and worse. âI think itâs the lack of sleep that Iâm not able to do anymore, on top of the excessive drinking and mixing.â Nodding, she smiled at the choice. âI had that once before and it was great.â
âMaybe heâs lonelyâ said Meadow. Which sucked for the waitstaff, but made sense if he came in all the time. Sheâd seen her fair share of those kinds of people during her days as a server. Then, as the brunetteâs question, she said âButter on the side please.â Meadow believed that pancakes werenât really pancakes unless they were smothered in butter. Nodding, she said âFeel free. I probably canât offer any real solutions to this problem, but I can always lend an ear, at least.â
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âHe might be.â Perhaps it was why he came in here because he wanted to get out of the house and be around people and only had enough money to pay for his meal. Guilt began to eat away at her as she looked over at the older man. âDo you think thatâs why he comes in here? He doesnât really talk when you go to serve him, you know.â Writing down the mention of butter on the side, she looked back up. âI appreciate that but I think itâs just working with the public and being in the service industry. These things should be expected, I guess.â
âGirl, I know exactly how you feel. I used to work at my dadâs restaurant and I canât tell you how many times I got someoneâs number as a tip,â Rikki agreed. If there was one thing she hated, it was seeing fellow waitresses suffer. It was a core memory by now. âSometimes old people are just stingy and it doesnât matter how good of a job you do.âÂ
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âThatâs the grossest thing Iâve ever had to deal with.â Carmen would rather someone yell at her than not be given tip and for someone to think that the equivalent was their number. As if she would be winning out with that in the end. âSome people need to be brought back down to earth because itâs ridiculous. This is why my next job will be at a desk where I donât have to deal with anyone. You do have a point, my friendâs grandmother used to be that way.âÂ
Truth be told, Jacob really didnât mind the outburst from the waitress. If anything, it provided some amusement while he was on his little break, however, he wasnât going to argue about free pie, not when his sweet tooth was always craving something. When she returned with his coffee and the promised pie, Jacob gave her a warm smile and a nod, âYou know, sugar really is the best apology,â He said with a growing grin, âThanks again for the pieâŠâ The words drifted past his lips as he wasted no time reaching for his cup of coffee to take a much needed sip before moving onto the pie to scrape off a piece and eat it. âIâm Jacob by the way, I might be a new regular for the pie alone, weâll see about the service soon enough though,â He teased with faint chuckle.Â
~
Carmen didnât want word to get back to her boss and have them dock her pay or maybe not let her have as many shifts as she currently had. It was why she would lay her apology on thick and be the best waitress that she could be for the client whoâd been unfortunate enough to hear her little outburst in regards to another customer of hers. âI know, sugar solves everything apart from tooth decay.â She said with a grimace and then shook her head because she really needed to start thinking before she opened her mouth. âThe pie wonât do that, though and itâs worth... You know what, let me stop.â She said with a laugh. At this point, she wouldnât expect a tip from him either. It would shocking if he didnât get her written up. âIâm Carmen.â She said with a soft smile. âI promise to be a lot better and maybe keep the conversation to just your orders.â
âOh yeah definitely. The up-charge on wine is ridiculousâ she agreed. Then she nodded. âI know what you mean about the hangovers. I remember having no problem drinking the night before class when I was an undergrad.â Now the idea of drinking when she had work the next day was enough to make her head hurt. Grinning, she said âWhite it is! Do you have a preference to what variety?â While she was currently drinking a sweet white, she wouldnât say no to a dry one if thatâs what the other woman preferred. She was just happy to have someone to split the bottle with.
~
âIt only seems to be getting worse with age and I donât know what to do about it. Normally thereâs a remedy for everything when age comes into play but nothing with hangovers.â She had bought way too many serums to stop the aging process until she decided that sheâd slap some SPF and moisturizer and hope for the best. âNo, Iâm fine with anything. Itâs kind of shameful what I drink so Iâve gotten accustomed to all types.â If it was in front of her, she would normally drink it without issue. A girl on a budget meant that she couldnât be picky about taste and preference.
During her time in town, Meadow had come to love the Pit Stop diner and considered herself something of a regular. Today she was craving pancakes and bacon in the worst way, so she decided a visit to the diner was a must. But when her server groaned, the brunetteâs eyebrows shot up so far they were practically in her hairline. Then she relaxed a little as Carmen explained the cause of her groan. âThatâs a shame. As someone who has done my fair share of waiting tables, I get how annoying that is.â Tipping was essential to help waitstaff pay their bills, after all. She made a mental note to tip Carmen extra after her meal was over, to make up for it. Not that she was ever a bad tipper, of course. Sheâd been raised better than that. âIâll take strawberry chocolate chip pancakes and a side of baconâ she said. Then she added âAlthough if you need to vent anymore I totally understand.â She knew firsthand how frustrating bad tippers could be.
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Carmen looked over at the male and was secretly thankful that he had sat in another section than her own. âI know. I feel bad because I donât know if maybe he doesnât have the money which is fair but I wish he would just... say that or I donât know.â Carmen was just stressed due to her own debt and needing the money. But if he couldnât tip, she didnât know why he continued to come out for food because she took the time to serve him and still was nice whenever he came in despite not giving her anything in return. âIâm going to have to warn the other waitress.â It was only something nice to do and she would have appreciated it in return. âOkay, do you want some butter on the side for your pancakes or just some syrup?â She asked as she wrote everything down. âI might circle back when I bring your food because I do have a break coming up.â
With a slight smirk at the commotion coming from the other, Koa laughed, taking a bite of the meal in front of him. He was usually the kind of person that preferred to make food at home. To cook in his own house and enjoy the food heâd prepared, but being in Port Whitley permanently had made him enjoy the local diner more and more, especially the meal that was in front of him. He could never remember what it was called, but heâd grown to love it and was pretty sure the staff would begin to make it upon seeing him enter in just a few months. âWell, lucky for you I usually tip double.â he spoke, smiling in the otherâs direction as he did so. âI donât like to brag about what I tip, but, I thought you should know that I can cover myself and his tip, so you donât have to worry about being short.â Koa didnât know much about rent prices as heâd been fortunate enough to live on a houseboat for most of his life. But he did know what it felt like to be stretching every dime of money you have. âAnd if you ever need money, please donât be afraid to speak up. I want to help out however I can.â
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âYou donât have to do that.â Carmen said almost instantly, feeling guilty that maybe she had said or something something to make him feel like he needed to make up for the fact that she had been stiffed from a tip. Her heart melted and her eyes widened as she looked him over. âI appreciate that but itâs not fair for you to tip me twice because someone canât.â Now her guilt only grew because the truth was that she didnât know whether the old man could afford a tip. It was unfair to her even if he couldnât but it also wasnât his fault. Her mouth hung open for a second as he offered her money and her brows furrowed. âI couldnât ask you for money.â She was always tight when it came to money and often had to struggle with paying rent and buying food but she hadnât ever asked for help because she didnât want to be a burden. Plus, there were always catches. âI.... No one has been this sweet to me before. I really appreciate it.â
Cierra laughed at that. âOkay, Iâm glad its not just me wondering that. But I get what you mean about the up-charge.â While Cierra certainly wasnât hurting for money, she hated the idea of spending a good chunk of money on a bottle of wine that wasnât actually worth it. There were so many things in life she thought were better to splurge on than alcohol. Then she smiled. âOh, we can totally split one if you want! My liver will probably thank you for saving its lifeâ she joked. âWhat type of wine do you prefer?â she asked. Cierra, for one, wasnât too picky when it came to wine.
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âThe up-charge can be a little ridiculous. Especially if youâve seen that same bottle less than twenty-four hours ago being sold for literally half the price.â It was in their right to charge the price that they wanted for it but she also had to be smart with her money and not waste it. Thankfully, the woman was inclined to share the bottle so that made her feel a little better about the price. âSame for me. My heart will likely thank me because Iâm prone to head-splitting hangovers now that Iâve grown out of my twenties.â Which was sad since she could no longer drink like she used to. âI prefer Red but I think we might be smarter to stick with white.â
After doing some work at one of the businesses downtown, Jacob headed into the nearest restaurant in hopes to get some much needed caffeine into his system. He sat at the front table and had only glanced at the menu for a second when the waitressâs unmistakeable groan caused him to raise his brow, âWow, I struck out already, huh?â He said with a playful grin as he noted the older man who walked through the door that she was referring to. âItâs alright, I get it,â And he did. After all, Jacob had gone through various rough patches where money had been tight so wasting time on someone who wasnât gonna fatten his wallet was a daily grief. âCan I just get a coffee. Promise Iâll tip,â He said, a faint smile brightening his features as he said the last part.Â
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The brunette peered towards the male and then flashed him an apologetic look when he commented on having struck out. She only stopped when he had a playful grin which sent a wave of relief through her because the last thing she needed was for a customer to tell her boss that she had been unprofessional in some sort of way. âA coffee and Iâll bring you a piece of pie on the house because Iâm really sorry for that little outburst.â This job was important to her and she lived off of the tips so despite not being happy that she hadnât gotten some from the older client, it wasnât something she should be whining about to others. Walking away, she made sure to come back as quickly as possible because now she was determined to give him great service.
Her head fell back mid sentence when the bell above the door rang and she caught a glimpse of an old man enter. The groan that followed wasnât due to anything that had been done by the people at the table but her own inner turmoil. When she realized where she was and what sheâd been doing, her cheeks flushed red. âExcuse me. I havenât realized I did that publicly. Thereâs just a regular who comes in, the old man, and he never tips. He stays for hours and then he pays and leaves.â She huffed. âI felt bad for him but now itâs just... I have rent to pay too, you know.â Her cheeks deepened more, hand dancing in the air. âNot that itâs something you want to hear so what can I get you?â
Who: @pwstartersâ / Open!
Where: Social Oak
When: A Saturday Night
If there was one place in town Cierra knew she absolutely had to check out, it was the wine bar. After all, she wasnât much of a beer girl, so wine and cocktails were her go-to options when she wanted to drink. Of course the bar was busy tonight, and as she was standing around waiting for a refill on her glass of riesling, she made eye contact with someone nearby who also seemed to be waiting. Giving them a smile, she said âIâm starting to wonder if I should have just ordered a whole bottle for myself.â It wasnât like she couldnât finish a whole bottle by herself if she really wanted to. âWhat are you drinking?â she asked, figuring it couldnât hurt to make conversation while they waited.
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Carmen looked over at the woman when she mentioned drinking a whole bottle herself. Frankly, that was exactly what she was wondering about when she eyed the third glass of wine in front of her. Had she had money saved up or enough to waste on an overpriced bottle of wine, she would have done it without thinking. âI was thinking the same but then I wondered how much up-charge is on that bottle. I could buy one thatâs ten dollars.â It wasnât good by any means but it did its job and she figured that if she continued to drink it, it would become an acquired taste. âUnless we split one?â