I
"Please please please please please please Adri I'm begging you." Sally pleaded on her knees while she gripped Adriana's ankle. Adriana had already agreed to help her with her shift but she was still begging for some weird reason.
"Sally I already said I'd do it why are you being so dramatic." Adriana questioned confused.
"Because I know you're going to forget."
"That's why I said to remind me an hour before the time."
"Adriana. I'm not going to be able to call you. The time zones are going to differ."
"Then get your boss to do it. Wasn't he the one to approve this stand-in situation?" Adriana reasoned and Sally paused sitting on her haunches.
"Wait, you're right my boss can make that call." Sally chuckled in relief standing up to fall, face flat on her bed.
"Why didn't I even think of that?" She mumbled to herself.
"Thank you so much Adri I owe you." Sally sighed in relief and Adriana shrugged.
"It's no problem." She replied, staring at the the fake fireplace. Despite her busy schedule, the first time Sally had asked her for a similar favor, she had begrudgingly agreed to do it. Coincidentally, she had landed her current job from one of the customers. Safe to say she revered the little cafe. It was her personal good luck charm. Though its a bit superficial and quick to label it a charm, she liked to think of it that way. Working at the cafe should unlock a new opportunity, she was curious to find out, though it was no shock that she was not good at the job per se.
"Does your boss know it's me that will be replacing you for the mean time." Adriana suddenly asked and Sally avoided her gaze rushing to her closet under the pretence of packing.
"It doesn't matter to him now come help me pick some clothes. Men at my Granny's country are delicious to look at. I want to reciprocate that energy!" She squealed and Adriana rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long two weeks.
°°°
Adriana was in her office, leaning backwards on her chair with her tablet in hand and a bored expression on her face. She was playing solitaire, a card game that no matter how hard she tried to dismiss the app after the end of a gameplay, somehow found herself halfway through another level. She was addicted, but it was easier to deny it so she seemed superior to the influence of the game. She squinted at the glowing rectangle, her thought process sometimes made her worry for her mental health. The door to her office opened and she looked up from her tab to see a smirking Johnny.
"You must be working so hard Ms Stone. I admire your diligence." He teased. Johnny was a tall brunette man with, blue eyes and a flirty smile, though he liked to cosplay as a blonde. She wasn't a fan of men with light colored hair but she made an exception of him, for the time being. They had sexual relations outside work and she appreciated that he never ventured for more. He was also the only one who knew of her 'off-work activities', having caught her during one of her sessions. Because of that she picked her current position, her previous was having the tab on the table while she hovered over the device with a look of concentration most mistook for hard work. She rolled her eyes, finally exiting the game she sat up.
"What do you want Johnny I'm not in the mood." She sighed and he chuckled sitting opposite her.
"You're never in the mood for anything that doesn't involve diabetes." He criticized. She ignored him, deciding to continue her game. He shook his head, grabbing the tablet from her, she glared at him.
"Are you free for a drink tonight?" He asked when he got her attention.
"Tonight? I don't think I have anything pla-" The sound of her ringing phone interrupted her sentence. It was a strange number, probably a client, she answered the call and a gruff elderly voice grumbled from the other line.
"I'm calling from Charlie's Cafe. You're supposed to be filling in for Sally." He informed and she raised her brows in realization.
"Oh yes sir I am the one she asked. What time do I start?" She answered.
"Your shift starts in an hour." He replied.
"Okay I'll be there soon."
"Come in through the back." Was the last thing he said before he ended the call. She dropped her phone in her purse and stood up, Johnny gave her weird look.
"I won't be free for a while Johnny, we can meet up in two weeks. I have to leave now, my shift starts soon. Drop my tablet in my drawer. I'll see you tomorrow." She strode out the door before he could get a word in.
"Bye!" Was all he could call behind her as he watched her walk into the elevator through the glass walls. She waved at him before the elevator doors closed.
°°°
It was when she had parked by the cafe did she remember that she needed to be in a pair of black jeans or leggings for the shift. Too late to turn back she decided to just hope the boss wouldn't be madder than he was going to be. She stepped down from her Honda CR-V, adjusting her dress she walked to the back and entered after knocking. Charlie, the third in his generation to run this cafe was picking up a box when she walked in. Charlie was a short, old man around his sixties and was way too strong and agile for his old age. He raised a brow at her, remembering her from the last time she was here. Before she could re-introduce herself he groaned and dropped the box in annoyance.
"Please don't tell me she sent you." He asked rhetorically. It was obvious since she was here during Sally's shift.
"I told her anyone but you yet she still... hah! That woman!" He exclaimed before looking at her blue pencil dress.
"What are you wearing?! Did you already forget our dress code and our stores yellow will clash with...uugghhhhh." he groaned in frustration already feeling a headache settle in. She stood at the door way letting him get his frustration out so he could give her a solution to their predicament.
"Go to the back, there should be an extra pair of black sweatpants you can borrow for today. The uniform pollo and cap will be there too. Hurry up before I change my mind and send you away." He grumbled and she smiled walking to the dressing room.
"Thank you Charlie." She thanked and he shook his head. Charlie didn't necessarily hate her, he just had a problem with her not smiling at the customers. When he scolded her about it her answer made him age three years more. 'But none of your customers are funny sir.' He tried explaining that them being funny wasn't the point but she just gave him a confused stare the more he explained so he gave up. She had a pretty face so it made up for the lack of her smile. Knowing from her last time here after changing she entered the main cafe and stood at the edge of the counter.
"Hello there. I'd like an ice cream sundae." A customer ordered and she nodded going to make his order. Another thing that made her agree to this favor the first time was the sweets. If this job could sponsor her dream lifestyle like her current one did, she would have opted to work full time. Though she doubted Charlie would ever higher her while sober.
°°°
Derek tired from work parked his car at his favorite cafe. He threw his suit jacket on his passenger seat and checked the time on his watch. 7:30. They were still open, he sometimes came too late after closing, work didn't let him realize. Stepping out of his car with his wallet he entered the dinner, the smell of warm flour and sugar filled his lungs along with the quiet bustling of the few customers around. There was only one waiter attending to a couple a few seats away.
"Adriana go back to the counter, put on your cap and for the love of God just smile." Charlie grumbled despite knowing it fell on deaf ears. Derek overheard the last part of the banter and cracked a smile, Charlie had always been particular of putting his customers at ease, hearing him scold a worker like that was amusing. He sat on one of the black high stools waiting for the waitress to come and attend to him. He pulled out his phone to check his emails so the wait wouldn't seem too long.
"Good evening, welcome to Charlie's Cafe. What would you like to order?" A monotone voice asked and he looked up. His breath got stuck in his throat. His cheeks immediately warmed and he coughed to clear his airway, despite this his eyes never left her. Her eyes were the first thing he noticed, they were black, not a deep brown but clear black as they stared at him in concern, her black hair was in a high bun while her lips invited him with each movement. Her nose was pointed but not so large they looked like a carrot. The yellow and blue uniform Polo hugged her curvy figure down to her waist, it was the perfect fit. She raised a concerned brow.
"Should I bring you some water sir, you don't look too good." She offered and he frantically waved his hands.
"N-no no please I'm okay." He rushed to stop her when she wanted to get him a bottle of water. She slowly nodded and waited for him to calm down. She must have been the one Charlie was scolding, the cafe's hat sat beside her on the counter and the only positive emotion she showed was concern.
"I-ill take a banana smoothie." He finally said and he watched her disappear inside, probably back to the staff room and come out with another employee. They made his drink and she served him.
"I hope you enjoy." She said and wandered to another customer. Drinking his smoothie extremely slow he watched her serve other customers, and go inside to get someone to help her make a drink she didn't know how to or place an order with the cook. She must be new here. It was when another person sat beside him did she finally come his way.
"Good evening, welcome to Charlie's Cafe. What would you like to order?" She greeted in that same tone. He glanced at her name tag 'Sally'.
"Uh S-sally?" He called and her onyx eyes darted to him and he dared himself not to choke this time.
"Would you like something else sir?" She asked after taking his neighbor's order. He stood up and she took a small step back, even the man beside him softly gasped in surprise. His ears tinted pink, he had seen another emotion cross that pretty face of hers. He was a tall man, Adriana had never felt so short in her lifespan but this man reminded her of that fact. She had guessed he was relatively tall when she came to serve him but not this tall. He wasn't so big that it was scary, just in the middle with a moderate muscular build. How did she even miss his entrance, why was he standing and staring, did that man mess up his order? Surely he wasn't going to hold her accountable, he clearly saw who made the dr-
"Please where do I pay?" He softly asked. Adriana almost voiced her confusion but decided to answer before Charlie scolded her again.
"Over there sir, the lady with pink hair." She replied pointing to the cashier at the other end of the cafe.
"O-okay, thank you." He smiled down at her, seeing Charlie at the corner of her eyes she plastered a smile and waved for extra measure. Surprisingly the tall stranger waved back. After the work day Adriana finally changed to go home but Charlie stopped her at the door.
"You were heavily tipped today by one of my regulars. Would you like to be the face of the dinner?" Charlie asked and the displeased look on her face made the old man laugh.
"No, thank you sir. But thanks for the offer. I'm sure Sally would be pleased though. I'll see you soon. Take care." She rejected pulling the door open.
"Would you like to ke-"
"No send it to Sally." She cut him off already knowing the question he was going to ask.
A/N
First chapter and I'm kinda shy or is it hesitance. Meh. I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Please don't forget to vote, comment your thoughts and share this story with your friends. i can finally post 😁
