Matt and Ellie were coworkers.
Which was already bad.
But coworker enemies?
Worse.
Because in a restaurant, there was no avoiding each other. Not when she was a host and he was a busser, constantly crossing paths, constantly getting in each other’s way.
“Stop double seating,” he snapped one night.
“Then tell your servers to move faster,” she shot back.
“You’re messing up rotation.”
“You don’t even know what rotation is.”
Same argument. Different shift.
They clashed.
Constantly.
And still—
There were moments. Quick looks. Pauses that lasted too long. Something neither of them ever acknowledged.
Until—
“Hostess,” a man at the front snapped, waving her over.
Ellie forced a smile. “Hi, how many?”
“Five. And don’t stick us somewhere bad.”
She nodded, leading them to the bar. They were loud, rude, already crossing lines.
“Smile more,” one said.
Ellie ignored it. “Your server will be right—”
“Why don’t you stay?” another added, leaning closer.
“I have other tables,” she said evenly.
A hand brushed her arm.
Not accidental.
Ellie stepped back.
And then—
“Hey.”
Matt.
Close. Sharp.
He stepped in beside her, eyes locked on the man. “Problem?”
“We’re just talking,” the guy smirked.
“Then talk without touching her.”
“Or what?”
Everything went still.
Ellie barely had time to react—
Because Matt moved.
Fast.
He grabbed the guy, slamming him back hard before landing a punch. Then another. It was quick, messy, all anger before people rushed in to pull him off.
“Matt, stop—!”
Managers flooded in. The men shouted, one of them clutching his now-bloody face.
Chaos.
And Matt—
Still looked like he wasn’t done.
Ellie stepped in front of him. “Matt.”
His eyes flicked to hers.
Something shifted.
Barely.
“Come on,” she muttered, grabbing his wrist.
He didn’t argue.
She pulled him into the employee bathroom, shutting the door.
“Sit.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
A pause.
Then he sat.
Ellie grabbed a damp towel, stepping closer. “Hold still.”
He didn’t fight her this time.
She pressed it gently to his lip, wiping the blood away. Careful. Focused.
Matt watched her.
Too close.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said quietly.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “I did.”
She glanced up. “You could’ve gotten fired.”
“Didn’t care.”
A pause.
Then, lower—
“I’m not letting anyone touch you like that.”
Ellie’s hand stilled for a second before she kept going.
“You hate me,” she said softly.
“I don’t.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
“Yeah,” he admitted.
Silence settled.
Different now.
Ellie pulled the towel away, her fingers brushing his jaw. “You’re gonna bruise.”
“Probably.”
Another pause.
Too close. Too quiet.
“Next time,” she murmured, “let me handle it.”
Matt didn’t look away.
“No.”
Ellie huffed softly, but there was no bite to it.
Just something softer.
And somehow—
That felt way more dangerous than being enemies ever did.