dedicated to @TheMorph
CHAPTER 16| EVELYN
I'M DAMN NEAR CONVINCED THAT all I've been doing today is testing gravity, I let out a collection of bitter slurs before pushing before pushing myself off of the cold brown stone floor for the umpteenth time today. "Little one, baristas are supposed to be behind the counter not on the floor next to the shot table," Kyle laughed heartily helping me up. I grunted in response brushing off my uniform and tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.
"Remind me why I hired her?" Andy sneered rolling her mocha caramel eyes taking the wash cloth and basin from my hands and pointed behind the main counter.
"Because, doll face you need staff and Evelyn is a really hard worker." Evan cut in surprisingly defending me. I cast my gaze down and continued to tend to the line of customers in front of me carefully noting down their orders. It was nearly time for them to start singing, the place was already pretty packed and Jace, my co-worker was already to starting to set up the alcohol bar across from me.
"What time does the witch get here?" Kyle asked with a cheeky grin, his small simple showing as he smiled wider at Andy'a face palming.
"In 20, and stop calling her that. I need all the help I can get tonight with your rabid fans, I don't need anyone quitting on me tonight, you hear me, Henderson?" She said in a low tone slowly enough for everyone to hear.
"Uh, loud and clear 'boss'." Kyle retorted giving a mock salute, then turning towards Jace for his second black coffee of the hour. The 33 year old woman glared at him before walking back behind the store cupboard muttering something alone the lines of 'cigarette break' and how 'these damn kids don't know respect' although she wasn't much older than a decade older than us. Perhaps she could be a good match for Victor...on second thought he's too sweet for that for that she-dragon.
"One day you two will get along," Matt pondered aloud, a frown grazing his lips as he took a seat opposite me on one of the stools murmuring to one of the baristas for a 'vanilla latte' and how he won't tell if she added the 'good stuff' in the coffee, whatever that means.
"She and I do get along, we have the best relationship." Kyle chuckled sarcastically sending a wink my way making my cheeks flame slightly obviously noticing that I still hadn't looked away from his face.
"Chatting up another girl are we, Kyle? Haven't changed much have you, Casanova?" A rather nasally voice pipped from behind Kyle, her long dark hair cascaded down her back and over her slim shoulders, her eyes like crystals cut through my dark ones, she was intimidatingly pretty to say the least. Kyle rolled his eyes placing his paper to-go cup down rather loudly and pushed away the muffin he was picking at earlier.
"I knew I smelled something stale, and it apparently isn't the coffee." Kyle sighed turning around, his eyes looking at the figure in front of him, his eyes seemed to be covered in a thick mist. I couldn't read his face for once. His eyebrow twitched as he took her in, visibly shuddering. "Hi to you too, Christa."
"The only thing that's stale is your attitude, Kyle. I missed you, Hun." Her eyes crinkled as she smiled, her fingers brushed his face caressing his 5 o'clock shadow.
His hand grasped hers and stepped back from her as if her touch was like an open flame on his bare skin. He leaned close to her ear, although she was pretty tall he still towered over her but she couldn't be more than 5"10. "That's fucking bullshit, Christa. Don't come near me or any of the guys, do you hear me? Just do your job and go back to fucking him since that's what you do best." He grinned unceremoniously grabbing his cup of lukewarm coffee and went to towards the practice room behind the stage. Christa' face paled as her cheeks flamed red before heading towards the store room where Andy was before.
"Talk about tension, am I right?" Griffin grinned exaggerating a nudge towards Matt who still seemed rather shocked with the current situation before his eyes snapped towards me.
"Evelyn, your shift ended a couple minutes ago, you can go change out of your uniform." He chucked lightly as if this whole situation never happened.
My brows furrowed. "What about Kyle? And Andy is my boss, she has to dismiss me." I felt myself frown collecting the dirty cups from the counter.
"Kyle is a boy, he's fine. And I'm her brother so it's okay to listen to me." His tone partially aggressive, I nodded in response although deciding it probably wasn't the smartest thing to not check with my new boss if I was allowed to leave yet I excused myself from the tills and headed to Andy's office.
Knocking softly on the door I stepped into Andy's office giving a brief nod to Victor who was blushing furiously into his biscuit coloured tea, dunking a soggy Rich Tea biscuit into it before placing the remaining cookie into his mouth, how nothing broke off and sank to the bottom of his mug was not only interesting but fairly confusing. "Yes, kid?" She uttered pushing her slightly too large glasses to her nose before locking eyes with me, her brows furrowed and her lips parted. "Wait, why are you still here? Your shift ended almost 15 minutes ago." Her eyes darted to her watch then back up at me. "You don't need me to dismiss you, this isn't primary school, there isn't no bell that you have to wait for before you can go."
"Now, Andrea-" Victor cut the brunette off placing his tea on her table, completely missing the coster causing her eyes to turn into two slits, her face fell slightly, her eyes softened.
"It's fine, just go hang your apron in the cloakroom and go enjoy the band, I'll see you on Wednesday for your next shift." I obediently nodded scurrying to the cloakroom only to bump into a rather annoyed looking Kyle.
His cheeks flushed pink, his jet back hair messier than normal and his pale lips slightly swollen. A bright Barbie pink lipstick kiss pressed against his neck almost hidden by his collar. "Kyle." I uttered still scanning his face, somehow even a mess he managed to look beautiful.
Wait, what? I did not just say that.
"Eve, hey." He chuckled carelessly scratching the back of his neck before straightening out his shirt. "Shift over?" I nodded giving him a knowing look before slipping into the cloakroom behind him feeling stupid for worrying about whether he was okay or not since he clearly was, especially since Miss Lipstick Mark assured he would be.
Rolling my eyes I shrugged off my brown apron and white shirt. "Eve, I'm sorry." Kyle's voice rang from behind the door.
"For what?"
"I don't know, I feel like I'm supposed to apologise since you looked at me like I killed your puppy." Mulling over what he said I decided not to bother with replying and went to my locker to take out my spare clothes, replacing them with my uniform.
"Evelyn." Kyle repeated, his voice louder somehow. "Eve, please look at me." His voice sounded like a whisper, my skin filled with goosebumps as two cold hands touched my naked torso making me shudder, their chin on my shoulders, their beard feeling rough against my skin, cologne filled my senses. Kyle? I jumped away from him.
"Kyle, what the heck dude?" I exclaimed pressing my top to my chest. "This is the girl's room meaning you aren't allowed."
Kyle rolled his icy blue eyes, scoffing. "It's not like I haven't seen anything before Eve, I just want to talk. You're refusing to look at me, I don't like it."
"And you thought now was the appropriate time to talk? Good job, your timing is impeccable." I sarcastically grinned glancing up at his face. "There, you happy? I looked at you now leave." I said about to turn back to my locker.
In two long strides Kyle was in front of me again, a hand placed against my hip and his fingers caressing my cheek before finding my chin making me look up into his eyes. "Evelyn," he mumbled throatily, his voice thick and gruff. I visibly shuddered particularly annoyed with how attractive his voice sounded in that moment. His forehead pressed against mine and he leaned closer somehow touching his nose against mine. I felt frozen, completely aware that if I tripped or leaned a fraction closer his lips would be against mine and that not only excited me but scared the hell out of me.
Pull away Evelyn, come on.
He's just your friend...although most friends don't act like this.
Maybe it's just how you guys are?
Ha, as if. Come on Evelyn, you're a strong independent woman who-
-wouldn't mind kissing him?
Best. Friend. That's as far as it goes.
My internal monologue began to fight so loudly I hadn't realised that the guys and Victor was huddled by the door whispering rather loudly. "I FOUND THEM!" Griffin exclaimed making Kyle and I break away from each other, my back pressing against the cool locker doors feeling nothing but shock, shame and embarrassment.
"Sorry to interrupt but our show is starting in 10 and Kyle has to be get ready." Victor said calmly towards us.
"I'll be there in a minute-"
"No Kyle, now." Matt spat back looking at me disappointedly making me want to slam my head into the locker until the memory of what just happened faded away.
"I said in a fucking minute, Matthew." Kyle sneered making Matt back down and them all disappear closing the door behind them.
After a moment he spoke. "Evelyn, about what-"
"Forget about it, it never happened." I filled in putting on my top deciding not to face him.
"But it did happen, Evelyn. You can't just close things off and pretend they never happened this isn't a story book." He said catching my hand as I tried to walk past.
"I'm not pretending, just go get ready and whilst your at it you may want to remove the lipstick from your neck." I smiled before moving around him to grab my bag
"Evelyn this isn't over, we will continue this." He said broadly not quite explaining whether he meant the almost kiss or the question of why I don't want to look at him. We sauntered out of the cloakroom, he joining the guys behind the stage, me not following behind for once, sitting besides Jace who was semi crowded with the already drunk girls offering themselves up to him, him giving declining politely before sending a smile my way.
I smiled back softly looking down into my glass, trying to suppress whatever happened before, silently praying he wouldn't bring it up, knowing that how uncomfortable it'd be if he kissed me and tossed me to the side like he probably did to Miss Lipstick.
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EARLY/LONGER UPLOAD. Ha. I've been writing this chapter for like three days trying to figure out how to end it. I'm not entirely happy but I'm a little too lazy and I wanted to upload for you guys 😅❤️ thanks for all the votes.
#111 in general fiction. 😱😱