"DAWES! If you could pull you head out of your arse and do some work... that would be fantastic"
I roll my eyes because it's the third time my twat of a boss Steve has shouted and I've only been at work for an hour but we are busy selling over priced poncy coffees and over priced ice creams to all the tourist that flock to our patch of paradise to soak up what they can of the British summer before it goes tits up again and the rain mac is back out.
If you squint when it's sunny like today you can actually pretend you're somewhere really exotic rather than in Seabrook which, let's face it, ain't the Costa del Sol. Costa del shithole he once called it.
I smile more when I think of him these days. Well at least I do when I'm in public. When I think of how much I miss him whilst I'm in the confines of my dingy bedroom I can't help but have some kind of a nervous breakdown which results in my house mates threatening to have me committed before pouring me a bucket of wine and pretending they care and hoping I've forgotten why I was even crying. They could never really know exactly what I've lost though.
Seabrook is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone. And everyone knew him. He who cannot not be named like he's Voldemort because the very mention would have me curled into a ball on the floor, crying into next week. A tall, dark and handsome soldier with the coffee shop barrister girlfriend. All the lads wanted to be his mate and all the girls wanted and quite often tried to shag him. He only ever had eyes for me though which was a first in my life. Someone to call my own. Someone who loved me for me despite my short comings and crappy up bringing. I'd never even had my own bedroom until now.
People have always looked down on me, even more so when I was with him. If I had a pound for every time someone told me I was punching, well I'd be bleedin' rich now I can tell you that. The working class, uneducated loud mouth who spoke first, thought later who was engaged to a middle class army captain who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Obviously people thought I was a gold digger but I never took anything from him. Never wanted anything more than his love and coincidentally ended up with nothing when he died because he was so cock sure of himself he never thought he'd die the way he did. I bet the bastard is rubbing his chin or raising his eyebrows the way he always did when something pissed him off up there completely soddin' miffed that they got him first.
"MOLLY" Steve shouts again and if I'm honest I feel like whipping him with this bloody tea towel and telling him to piss off even if I have been drying the same cup for 10 minutes and contributed exactly nothing since I arrived.
"You're strongest coffee please. Nothing instant though" I barely even acknowledge the customer in front of me which gets me yet more dirty looks from Evil Steve and I flash him the most sarcastic of smiles (Steve, not the customer). He had always told me I was too good for this place, I'm starting to think he was right.
"I'll bring it over" I offer even though we don't do table service, it's the least I can do considering I've kept him waiting so long and he's our new regular. Seems to be new in town but I don't think he's a tourist. He's been coming in for too long now and this isn't the type of place you'd stay for more than a night or 2 if your a tourist and under a certain age.
He thanks me as I noisily plonk his coffee down, a little more aggressively than intended (Cue Evil Steve again) spilling a bit. He's a looker... I can see that now that I'm looking properly and probably look like a weirdo, stalker pervert because I've gone way beyond the point of a polite look and I'm into awkward gawping territory now.
He must be the guy they're all talking about. And by them I mean the mum club who come in every. single. morning. after dropping their kids to school for the low fat, sugar free syrup, poncy, zero calorie, personality free coffee dates which seem to accidentally on purpose coincide with his post run coffee. Running man we shall call him.
