Music is a part of life, a part of who we are. You can go anywhere in the world and music will follow you. You can't escape it. Whenever you hear a song, it makes you wonder, is this song meant for me? Is this the song that represents who I am, shar...
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The next day at work, Rosa wouldn't stop thanking me for the surprise the day before. I don't think I've ever seen her as happy as she was when Elaine walked through the door yesterday. She even took the rest of the day off to spend time with my Grandma. It's clear to say she had a great day.
"Jessica!" Rosa says as I come round the counter with a pile of dirty plates. "I need you to do me a favour."
I pause before the door to the back kitchen, giving Rosa my full attention. "What do you need?"
"I need you to stay on for a couple of hours after your shift. I know it will be pretty late when you finish so I wouldn't ask unless it was necessary."
"Of course I'll cover. Is everything OK?" I don't hesitate to agree. She's done so much for me, so doing anything I can to help only feels right.
"Everything is fine! My daughter-in-law's due date is nearing and my son has to go away on a business trip for a couple of days, so I want to stay with her and the kids to make sure everything is OK."
I had completely forgotten Annalise would be giving birth soon! "It's that time already? Last time I saw her she had the smallest bump. I hope everything goes OK," I say with a wide smile, happy for her family.
"Thank you, dear."
"Let them know they should come visit soon. I want to meet the new baby once it's here!"
Rosa laughs at my request. "I'll make sure to mention it."
There were still a couple of hours left of my normal shift, so I went over to the locker area (after depositing the dishes by the sink) to grab my phone and text Ethan.
Only... my phone wasn't there!
I take everything out of my locker (Jacket, spare clothes, extra apron, water bottle, snacks, mini towel) but it wasn't there. Then it hit me. Both of us had been in a rush to get to work (Yes, Ethan has a job. I was surprised too.) and I must have left it on charge in my room. Why did I have to be the forgetful one?
"Hey Jess- Woah, is everything alright?" Naomi asks in concern, looking at the pile of stuff strewn on the bench.
"No," I sigh, picking my stuff up and dumping it in my locker. I'll sort it later. "Rosa asked me to cover a couple of hours after my shift and I left my phone at home, so I can't call Ethan," I explain with a huff.
At the mention of my brother, Naomi's cheeks light up. Then I get an idea. The most amazing, absolutely genius, smartest ever idea anyone has ever come up with. "Naomi, could I please borrow your phone?" I ask sweetly, fluttering my lashes for added effect.
"Sure," she draws out almost nervously from the look on my face.
I take the phone from her outstretched hand, scrolling through the home screen until I reach the phone icon, clicking on it. I type in the only number I cared to remember: my brother's. it rings for a couple of seconds, then stops.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Hi Ethan, it's Jessica."
"Oh. Hi Jess. What's up?"
"I left my phone at home accidentally. Rosa asked me to cover for a couple of hours after my shift, so can you please come here after? I'll buy you dinner!"
There was a pause. "Ok."
"Thank you. I'll see you after your shift."
"Wait!" he calls quickly, causing me to pause.
"Yeah?"
"Whose phone are you using?"
"I borrowed Naomi's."
"Naomi, as in... your Girlfriend?"
This question causes me to pause. I'd almost forgotten the prank we had pulled on him the day before. "My Girlfriend, yeah."
I heard him release a sigh, before saying "OK. I'll see you in a couple of hours." Then he hung up, the line going silent.
I hand the phone back over to Naomi, who takes it with a small smile. "Still my Girlfriend then?" she teases.
"You know it," I say with a wink. "Thanks for letting me borrow your phone."
"No problem."
***
The bell rings as someone walks through the door. I look around after serving a table and find Ethan walking to the counter and taking a seat on one of the stools.
"Hey, Ethan," I say as I walk over, making my way behind the counter.
He gives me a small smile as he places his bag gently by his feet so as not to break any of the electronics inside. "Hey."
"What would you like today?" I ask, taking out my notepad.
"Just the cheese and ham panini with salad and a coke please."
"Sure. I'll get that to you as soon as I can."
He just nods his head in response, pulling out his phone and completely ignoring my presence. Usually, we would talk whilst I worked, but not this time. He must be really mad at me. Understandable. I did have to work extra, which normally wouldn't be a problem. Then there's the whole Girlfriend prank. That's probably it.
Five minutes later, I place his order in front of him, getting no more than a quiet "thanks" in return.
For the next few hours, I'm kept busy with customers and cleaning, my brother never speaking to me unless it was to get another drink. He also kept busy, working away on his laptop. Probably doing some sort of coding thing. I was always amazed at the things he could do on any device. He was basically a tech wizard.
I was cleaning the counters, preparing for closing time. I look at Ethan and find him lying with his head on his arms, staring at a blank phone.
"Friends not answering?"
He picks his head off his arm, looking at me in confusion. "What?"
"You're staring at your phone as if it's about to burst into life any second. What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking."
"About what?" I press, leaning over the counter.
"You'd think I was jealous," He answers quietly with a shake of his head.
"Ah. This is about Naomi," I say, understanding dawning on me.
He averts his eyes, cheeks reddening.
"You know..." I start.
"Know what?" he asks cautiously.
"We're not actually dating," I conclude with a grin.
He stares at me blankly, and then- "What?!"
"It was a prank."
He stares at me in shock, lost for words. "She's not your Girlfriend." It wasn't a question. I could see everything start to sink in. "Why?"
"We thought, since it works during work, why not try it on you, too?" I say with a shrug.
"I... You... Huh?" he stutters with his mouth gaping open.
"At least one good thing came out of it," I say with a smirk.
He looks at me again, confusion clouding his face. "What?"
"You have her number now."
I laugh at his once again shocked face. With a parting wink, I leave the keys on the counter in front of him. "I'll meet you in the car."
