"Are you excited to be starting at Wilson's tomorrow?" Cora asked, breaking the silence that had built up between us. We were currently making our way up the beach front, shoes in our hand and sand between our toes. We had been in silence since we left, not an awkward silence, but a comfortable one. We had left Martha and Marie to hold the fort whilst we went for lunch. Apparently, Fred's Diner has the best shakes, burgers and curly fries in all of Swansea, well that is what Cora had insisted.
I felt that feeling in the pit of my stomach again, the one I had when I was being interviewed by Marcus, that nervous feeling. "Yes and no," I replied. My gaze falling upon an aged couple who were walking down the beach, hand in hand, towards us, "I am excited, but I'm really nervous too and my stomach won't let me forget it. I'm worried that I am going to mess up or break something. Like, I know how to work in a café, I have worked in one before, but it's different this time. I don't want to stuff up and let Marcus down and I especially don't want to let Mrs. Webber down, not after everything she has done for me... Oh god, now I'm rambling. See, I do this when I'm nervous."
"Ally!" Cora interrupted, stopping me from my ramble, "I for one know that you are going to do amazing." She objected with a reassuring smile. "Marcus is a fair and reasonable man, plus if you have any problems, which I doubt you will, just let me know and I'll help you deal with him."
I turned my head and met her reassuring gaze, "What do you mean you'll help deal with him?" I asked confused.
She lifted an eyebrow, "Have I not told you yet?" She asked, uncertain.
"Told me what?"
"Oh," She let out a loud, bubbly laugh, "I can't believe I didn't tell you, I honestly thought I did." She mumbled to herself. "Marcus is my uncle. He's my dad's older brother." She explained.
"Oh, wow. Swansea really is a small place then."
"You have no idea," She concluded with a small laugh. "You'll actually, probably work with my cousin, Oliver. He's a few years older than us, he goes to college out of Swansea. But he's back on summer break at the moment and he tends to help out around the shop when my uncle needs it. He's quite brainy, he was granted a full four-year scholarship, but from what I've overheard from my father and uncle, he's in the wrong crowd. He apparently spends most of his time drinking and partying and doing god only knows what else."
I nodded, not completely sure of what to say. I guess it does help knowing of someone else that I could possibly be working with, it makes me feel a little better as I won't be going in completely blind.
"Ally," Cora said gently, grabbing my attention, "Please don't just brush this off, I know you probably don't know why I'm telling you this, but look, my cousin, he can be a lovely and decent human being when it suits him, but he can be a total and utter asshole too. I don't want to label him as a manwhore but he has the tendency to act like one. So please just be careful around him." She softly added.
I smiled and nodded. "So, how far away are we to Fred's Diner?" I asked, hoping to change the topic. I had no interest in getting involved or even close to him. Why bother putting myself out there just to get hurt in the long run. Cora has nothing to worry about.
***
As soon as we pushed open the glass door which held an open sign in the window, we were greeted by a loud, "Cora!"
Both Cora and I shifted our heads towards the direction of the voice. A tall but good looking, dark-haired guy started walking towards us. A huge grin was plastered across his face. He was older than us, maybe a few years older. He was dressed in the Fred's Diner uniform, a dark blue polo that had the Fred's Diner logo on the left side of his chest and a name badge on the opposite side, the name Noah was written in large, black letters. He had black jeans on and a white apron that was around his waist. As he got nearer to us, he placed the notebook in the front pocket of his apron.
"I thought you said you were working today?" Noah asked, confused as he pulled Cora in for a hug.
"I am, Noah, I have to go back in a couple of hours, I'm on break, you dork." She answered and rolled her eyes.
I stayed quiet through their exchange of pleasantries and let my eyes dance around the diner. It looked like it had rolled out of one of those eighties movies. Waitresses' who were in pale yellow dresses and white aprons were moving from table to table, refilling coffees and taking orders. The floors were checkered red and white, the tables a cream colour, and the chairs a shiny, velvety red. Booths were connected against the far north and west wall and below the Elvis framed picture was a bright mixed coloured jukebox that was playing music in the background of all the chatter and noise which filled the room.
"Come on you two, go sit in that empty booth up the back, so I can take your order and get you fed," Noah said as he pointed over to the corner booth. "So, what do you girls want?" He asked as we settled into the booth, "Wait. Let me guess, for Cora, it will be a large chocolate shake, cheeseburger, and curly fries, you know, your usual."
Cora just laughed and flipped him off, "Yes the usual, thank you, Noah."
"What would you like Ally?" Noah asked as he shifted his body to face me.
I looked up at him, surprised that he knew my name. "Ho..."
"Yes, I know your name." Noah interrupted me with a laugh, "Cora," He pointed over to her with his thumb, "doesn't shut up about you, you are all she talks about, but it's finally nice to put a face to the name."
"Um, I wish I could say the same, but this is the first I've heard of you. Sorry?" I replied and turned to give Cora an 'I'm so confused' look.
"I'm hurt, sis," Noah said to Cora as he threw his hand against his chest, feigning a heart wound.
"Wait a minute, you guys are related?" I asked the pair. They didn't exactly look the same. Cora had blonde hair, whereas Noah was dark. Cora had a roundish face and was petite whereas Noah was the complete opposite, he was more muscular and had a defined jawline. The only feature that they both had that looked slightly similar was their bright blue eyes.
"Yup," He replied, popping the p. "I am this loser's oldest, but awesome brother. It's nice to finally meet you, Ally." He added and extended his hand,
"It's nice to meet you too," I replied, meeting his blue eyes, and reached for his hand and shook it. I could feel my cheeks blushing ever so slightly at his touch. "Could I have the same as Cora, please?"
"You sure can," Noah said as he wrote down the two orders, "Next time you are in, you will have to try the banana and blueberry pancakes. They are to die for, they will honestly change your life, forever." He added with a wink and turned to head towards the kitchen.
My eyes followed him the whole way.
"So that was my older brother," Cora admitted as soon as Noah entered the kitchen. I quickly averted my gaze, hoping not to be caught staring at her brother. I could feel a blush rising in my cheeks at the thought of being caught.
"I thought you had an older sister?" I asked, thinking back to the day when we went clothes shopping and we had talked about her family.
"He's my half-brother. He's actually the same age as Oliver, my cousin. Before my dad and mum got married, dad got with another woman and she ended up pregnant. Noah lived with his mum for a while, but after I turned seven he lived with us. It's a long story, but long story short his mum left him with our dad."
"That's good he has you guys then, how did your mum take it?"
"She wasn't overly happy about it when he was born. She's never been angry at Noah, but at the fact that my dad cheated. It was when they had just begun dating, though, not that is any excuse. She's never treated him horribly. She's always cared for him as one of her own"
"That's pretty amazing of your mum. Does he get along with your sister?" I asked,
She nodded, "When he first moved in I would have been seven I think, Bianca would have been nine, and Noah would have been about eleven. Bianca and Noah would fight like cats and dogs. I don't remember fully, but from what I can and what I have been told Bianca didn't like that she was the oldest and that he got her room. She ended up having to share with me. But as they grew up they got over it. They used to be very close up until she met Jose and left."
"Do you ever hear from her?"
"We get the occasional text or email and we Skype every month. But she always comes home for Thanksgiving and Christmas." She shrugged, "I know she's doing the right thing for her, she's never belonged in a small town like Swansea. She's more of a city chick. But I miss her." Cora added sadly.
"Have you ever thought about visiting her?"
"Yes and no. As much as I would love to, Jose, her partner, creeps me out and I wouldn't want to go by myself. I would ask Noah, but he and Jose fight. Noah doesn't like him either."
"Who don't I like?" Noah asked as he approached the table, placed the tray which held the food on it, and started to dish out the plates.
"Jose," Cora answered whilst leaning forward to grab a curly fry.
I took a sip of the chocolate shake that Noah had placed in front of me and silently thanked the lord for this chocolatey goodness.
Noah pulled a face at the name and picked up the tray, sliding it under his arm. "He's a dick. You are right, I don't like him. Bianca will come to her senses eventually." He said. He turned his head to look at the group who had just walked in. "I have to go serve those people that have just come in. I'll see you at home Cor and I'll probably see you around Ally. It was nice meeting you." He added with a smile and left.
And once again, my eyes followed his retreat.
Authors note:
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Until next time.