The Bar

21 - Cathy

 

“You what?!” Mina spit out her coffee early in the morning. “You kissed him and he still employed you?” She stared at Cathy.

“Yup, he did” Cathy pulled her hair back in a bun and looked at Mina naughtily.

“He must have gone crazy, he’s completely lost it. I think I can’t work for him anymore” Mina looked spaced out.

“Relax, once I earned the owed money to Steve I’ll quit.” Cathy told her.

“Good, okay I think I can work till then” she smiled. “We got to leave now its 7:45” Mina picked up her purse and walked out of the apartment. Cathy followed her to work and then stopped all of a sudden when Mina turned around to give her further instructions.

"Grab your work clothes from the closet and put on an apron. I'll hand you dishes over initially and point at the tables and tell you’re their numbers. Once you get used to the kitchen orders and table numbers I'll let you take the customers’ orders." Mina smiled.

"Cool, thank you so much" Cathy grinned.

The day passed by very quickly. Cathy got used to the quick orders and the pulling and pushing by the chefs inside the kitchen. She appreciated the fact that Mina was extremely patient with her and let her take her own time and space to finish the job. Cathy least expected Carter to be around especially after he had hired her. She had a huge smile on her face and a spring in her step when all of a sudden she faced Carter.

"Oh, it’s you" Cathy sighed. "Is that the way you talk to your boss?" Carter raised his eyebrow. "No, but I was just generally remarking my expectations" Cathy shrugged.

"Alright, work’s been going smoothly and that’s wonderful. Mina never fails to surprise me." He quoted and looked at Mina.

"Cathy is a quick learner, it isn’t all me" Mina smiled back. I nodded happily to the small little space of appreciation she had left for me in Carters mind. Dismissing the obvious Carter ignored the facts and walked back into his office.

Mina turned around getting back to whatever she was doing and I was once again left alone fending my emotions that wanted to burst out of my chest.

That night Cathy once again lay in her bed wondering, thinking and dreaming that things would get better. She was awaiting the Christmas vacations and hoping to meet her parents and her brother so that she could feel safe once again.

Cathy tossed and turned in her bed struggling to sleep.

--

As far as days went Carter began to get more involved with the other branch of the restaurant he was working on. He visited his original restaurant so less that it would be Cathy’s lucky day if she saw him at all. All kinds of contacts were cut off and it had been over two months since Carter and Cathy had spoken to each other. It had become easier over time forgetting everything. Max after all had not left school and she did catch a glimpse of him during class but that was all. With work going smoothly and Mina helping her out, Cathy was able to pay back Steve all the money she owned. The Christmas holidays she so eagerly waited for was coming in two days. Mina was invited by her aunt to New York for the vacations and so Cathy would be moving home for a week or so for the vacations. The restaurant would be handled over by temporary volunteers that Mina had arranged with the permission of Carter’s and so both the girls were prepared for a wonderful break.

“I think I’m heading home early today, you can stop with the cleaning and join me. We could go for a drink” Mina smiled at Cathy while she watched Cathy mindlessly clean the tables.

“It’s okay, I like staying her a little bit longer by myself.” Cathy smiled and continued with her work.

Mina shrugged deciding to leave Cathy alone and left for home. It wasn’t long until Cathy realised it was turning 1am in the night. She took a stool forward from the bar and sat over it, peering outside the window and watching the fresh new snow fall. She imagined her soft lips grazing against Carters just a few months ago and it was all just the past. She lay her head on the table and tried pushing the tempting thoughts aside and lay there for a while like a broken hearted doll.

While her mind was wondering in and out of sleep, Cathy barely realised what the time was that’s when the door of the restaurant suddenly banged opened and Cathy jumped to see who it was.