[center][color=lightgreen][i]”I think you’ve wiped that table enough. Anymore and it will start to erode away.”[/i][/color]

The sudden voice jolted Autumn out of the thoughts that had been stealing her attention. The girl glanced up from the booth table to see Jack standing in front of her. Her uncle stood at a good six feet with broad shoulders and a tapered waist. His legs were long and lean which allowed him to move and move fast. The man had a strong jaw with prominent cheekbones and full lips. His eyebrows, set over bright blue orbs, were bushy. Jack had one eyebrow raised, staring at his adopted niece with an inquisitive look, wondering what it was that had distracted Autumn so. Normally the girl was very focused but over the past few days Jack noticed that Autumn’s concentration seemed to be elsewhere. 

[color=lightgreen]”Are you feeling alright Autumn? You've been in a daze all morning.[/color]

Autumn straightened, rag still clenched in her hand. [color=violet]”I apologize Uncle. I assure you I am fine.”[/color] Jack’s eyebrow raised even higher at that statement. [color=lightgreen]”Fine? Now don’t give me that lass, you are most certainly not fine. Or are those bags under your eyes simply a new fashion statement?”[/color] Autumn’s hand subconsciously reached up to touch the bruise-colored mark under her right eye. Yes, she would admit that they looked bad when she had seen her reflection in the mirror this morning but it was just lack of sleep. She told her uncle as much. [color=violet]”It’s fine. I just haven’t been sleeping as well as I normally do.”[/color]

She did not know why she did not want to tell her uncle the reason she had been getting so little sleep but she wanted to figure it out on her own. The dream was her problem and she didn’t need to burden her uncle with anymore worry, especially since things were hectic at the bar with them losing a few workers and having to up the work load. 

Jack frowned, sensing that there was something that Autumn wasn’t telling him. [color=lightgreen]”Are you sure? Because you know that you can talk to me about anything that is bothering you.”[/color] Autumn gave her uncle a forced smile. [color=violet]”If anything does come up I’ll be sure to some to you.”[/color] Jack stared at the girl for a few moments before sighing, realizing that this was all that he was going to be able to get out of Autumn. He nodded and told the girl that he would be in the office if she needed him before heading off. 

With her uncle no longer hovering over her shoulder Autumn returned to wiping down the tables, mind returning to her problem at hand. That dream. That strange dream. She just couldn’t make heads or tails of it. For the past few days she had been having a dream where she is under water. In the dream the water had been so clear that she could see for miles on all side. She had seen the surface simmering above her but no matter how hard she had tried she just couldn’t reach it. The really odd thing was that she could breathe and that her clothes remained strangely dry though she could feel the currants dancing around her. Eventually, she would be able to see a dark mass slowly swimming towards her but she always wakes up before she could catch a glimpse at what it might be. It made her curious and she could just not stop thinking about it. But she hadn’t realized she had been that lost in thought until Jack had said something. She really should stop it, it wasn’t good to be absent-minded when there was work to be done.

With that thought strongly in her mind she forced herself away from the mystery and back into the present. She cast a look around. The bar part of the establishment didn’t open until after five but the restaurant portion opened at around seven. It was generally slow in the mornings and didn’t pick up until lunch time. Which was why Autumn and Sal were the only two waiters until Ryan and Sarah clocked in at eleven. Speaking of Sal, where was he? Autumn scanned the area and finally spotted the boy taking an order from a man in a suit. Realizing that she had spent way too long wiping tables, Autumn put away the rag and took out her notepad as she made her way over to one of the regulars. [color=violet]”Good morning James. What will you be having this morning?”[/color] She said as she approached the old gentleman. James grinned at her, the gap where his two front teeth used to be showing prominently. [color=lightblue]”How many times have I told you Autumn, call me Jim. And I will have my usual, like always.”[/color] 

Autumn nodded as she scribbled down the order of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast with a cup of coffee. [color=lightblue]”Anyway Autumn, are you alright? You’re looking a little worse for wear there.”[/color] Autumn smiled cordially and repeated the same answer she had given her uncle. Jim looked skeptically at her for a moment. Before he could interrogate her even further, Autumn bowed her head and hurried over to give the cook the order.[/center]