I placed the money I just took from the little girl into the cashier machine as I sagged in relief upon seeing that I finished taking orders of the long line that seemed endless.
Just as I was about to sit down for a mini break, Niall's voice brought my attention to him.
"Help," he said, carrying two trays that were packed with empty glasses and plates.
I nodded and hurried towards him, taking one of the trays and placing it inside successfully.
Niall huffed, placing the tray down too, as he looked around at the place.
It was the weekend, so the place was buzzing with people ever since I came in.
"I'm quitting."
I rolled my eyes. I have learned over the past few days that the phrase 'I'm quitting' is repeated by Niall twenty thousand times a day.
I held his arm and pushed him towards the tables, eying the empty cashier, "C'mon, I will help you."
After serving a few orders, I was behind the cashier taking more orders and was met again with a frustrated Niall.
"Where in the world is Ruby?"
I attempted to surpass my smile as I looked at the back door, causing Niall to throw his head back and pull me along with him to the door.
I dug my heels to the ground, "Niall, why are you dragging me along with you? I want to rest for at least five seconds!"
He opened the door, and we were instantly greeted with Ruby's giggle.
The first time Niall dragged me here to find Ruby, I blushed at the sight we were greeted with; now, it felt normal, and that was creeping me out.
Ruby and her boyfriend, Liam, were pressed against the wall, kissing.
Niall moved his leg up and down as he cleared his throat loudly, snapping their attention to us.
They both smiled, not bothering to change their position.
"Oh no," Niall said, shaking his hands, "take your time! It's not like we have got anything to do." He scoffed, sitting on the ground cross-legged as he watched them.
I crossed my arms over my chest, eying them.
Liam, unlike most of the boys I have met, didn't own intense features; he had the softest features. His brown puppy eyes stared down at Niall; his pink lips pulled apart as he smiled.
He was also one of the few guys I've met who their love for their partner was displayed all over their face.
Ruby smiled cheekily, "Five more minutes."
Niall suddenly got off the ground, making me jump, and threw his arms in the air as he entered back again, "I'm quitting!"
They both laughed as Ruby kissed Liam again and pulled away, "I will go back to work then, see you tonight."
He nodded and let go of her, waving at me.
I smiled and waved back awkwardly as Ruby pulled me back in.
I swear I feel like a doll in this place.
"You guys are really cute together," I muttered.
She halted, making me stop as well, as she stared at me.
I opened my mouth and closed it, starting to feel uncomfortable.
Did I say something wrong?
"You are British?"
Taken back by her question, I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Ye-"
She left before I could complete, and walked to Niall who was now standing behind the cashier, as I followed her reluctantly.
"Black is British?!"
He turned his attention to her, raising his eyebrows, "What?"
"She is British?!"
"Yeah?"
I looked back and forth between them, trying to understand what was happening.
"Did Bob form a technique of hiring foreign people after he hired me?! First Irish and Mexican; now British?! I need to have a serious talk with Bob."
And she stormed to Bob's office.
Niall gaped at the place Ruby once stood at, as I was shocked with her outburst.
I didn't expect that from her, she seemed to be so quiet.
Shaking his head, Niall took the order of the next guy who entered.
I felt my phone vibrate against my thigh and smiled as I read who it was.
Before I could take a step away, Niall stopped me.
"Where you goin'?"
I raised my phone to his face, "My sister is calling; I will be back in a minute," I said and hurried to the back door before he could stop me again, hearing him groaning 'I'm quitting!'
~
Thankfully, as the moon started entirely inhabiting the sky, the busy-ness of the coffee shop began being manageable.
Ruby's shift had ended a while ago, and now it was just me, Niall and the Mexican guy Niall told me about before.
We had only two shifts together, and he didn't show up on the first one, so that was the first time I see him.
As I was less occupied than before, I found myself thinking what was Zoe doing without me.
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't affected severely by how I barely get to spend time with her these days, which bothered me. If I was feeling that way, then how was she feeling?
I snapped my attention to the guy who came to stand beside me.
I waited for him to say anything, but he just stood there staring at me.
Smiling uneasily, "H-"
"Your eyes are blue and green," he said with an accent, cutting me off, and for the second time today, I didn't know how to react, "a dirty ocean, and I'm one of the trashbags swimming in it."
Saying that my eyebrows reached my hairline was just not sufficient.
He smiled and left.
"I see you met Pedro," Niall said as he stood on the other side of the counter.
I turned my attention to him, "He called himself.....a trash bag, and described my eyes as a dirty ocean."
He threw his head back as his loud laughter broke the peacefulness that settled in the coffee shop; his face turning red.
I followed suit, shaking my head.
The guy needed serious help if that was the way he flirted.
"Oh god, I'm going to enjoy myself in these shifts so much," Niall said before falling in another fit of laughter as we caught Pedro staring at me.
I don't think I can relate.
~
It was my turn to close the coffee shop today, so here I was humming and cleaning the place all alone at 10 PM.
I heard the bell by the door go off, signaling the entrance of someone.
"I'm sorry, we are close..." I turned around to get a better look of the person and bit my lip as I saw him, "sir."
He placed his hands in his pockets, jumping on the balls of his feet, "But, ain't I special?" he asked, walking towards me.
I shook my head, trying so hard to keep a straight face, "I'm sorry, sir, we treat everyone equally here."
"But I didn't come to order."
I cocked my head to the side.
"There's a pretty girl I'm picking up from here," he said cheesily.
"I'm sorry, there isn't anyone here except for me." I shrugged.
He smiled, sitting on the counter, and sighed, "I was hoping for the pretty girl, but I guess you will do."
I stared at him blankly before throwing the towel I was holding at him, as he bursted laughing.
Silence fell upon us as his laughter quieted down and I proceeded to wipe the counters.
"Zoella says she loves you and she can't wait to see you tomorrow," he said suddenly.
I turned around to look at him, catching him looking at the ground as if he was lost in thought before he shook his head and looked at me as well.
I smiled softly, "She did?"
He nodded, "I left once she fell asleep and promised to deliver her message."
Sighing, I went back to work, wanting to finish so I would see her, "I know I say that a lot, but thank you."
When he didn't say anything back, I shifted my eyes back to him.
He cleared his throat, "Anything for both of you."
Blushing, I wiped the counter faster.
"So, remember when I told you how I would show you around the city one day?"
I hummed.
"How about tomorrow?"
"There is school tomorrow."
"After school."
"I have a shift."
"I asked Bob if you could take tomorrow off and he agreed."
I stopped, "Why would you do that?! What if I had said no?"
"So, it's a yes?"
I rolled my eyes, moving the machines around so I could clean around them, "That's what caught your attention from the entire sentence...? Besides, will Gemma even be free tomorrow?"
"Who said anything about Gemma?"
"Who are we going with then?"
He took a while to reply this time, "No one," he said, "just you and me," he paused, as all I heard was my heart beating rapidly in my ears, "on a date," he said quieter than before.
I felt heat spread all over my body—not just my face—as the words got stuck in my throat.
"Y-you know, I met Pedro today," I paused to take a breath, "he referred to himself as a trash bag swimming in a dirty ocean, which is my eyes," I said, laughing uneasily.
"I pity the girls who had to listen to his attempt in flirting." He snorted.
"It was so weird." I laughed, relieved I succeeded in brushing the topic.
"So, what do you think?" he asked, as I felt his presence right behind me.
Looks like I spoke way too soon.
I turned around reluctantly, taking a step back instantly as I realized how close he was to me.
The way he was looking at me made me feel like he knew everything that was going through my mind, making me feel vulnerable.
I looked away from him, my eyes falling on the glass door of the coffee shop, and my blood went cold.
Black was all I saw of him, even his face looked like it didn't exist beneath the hood of his jacket.
Harry turned his face to the door before looking back at me, "What's wrong?"
My eyes left his figure and landed on Harry, who looked back at the door with a confused expression.
He couldn't see him.
Blinking back the tears, I forced a smile and tried to not look at the door, "Nothing, and tomorrow sounds good," I said in the most causal tone I could muster.
He looked back at me with anger in his eyes as he attempted to walk towards the door, but I held his arm, "Who did you see?" he demanded.
"No one," I said as I could still see the figure by the door from the corner of my eyes, "I saw no one."
~
AN// I was supposed to study today a lot of things, but I felt like writing and updating as a thank you for almost being at 29K reads, thank you so much for everyone who gave the book a chance, you guys have no idea how much this means to me!
This chapter is shorter than my usual chapters nowadays, I'm sorry if it's boring, but the next chapter is going to be better I promise!
Anyway, what are your thoughts so far of the book? I'm trying to make it less slow-pace as much as I could.
I hope you guys have a great day x