Ever since I was really small, I had this horrible habit of not listening when I was excited. I'd pick the words that mattered to me, filtering them out from the context clues that were, in fact, very important.
For a moment in my life, I'd thought I'd grown out of it. But when I awoke the next morning and sorted through the clothes that hung in my bare bedroom, I realized one thing...
I didn't know what time to go to the coffee shop.
At first, I laughed about it. I circled my room and racked my brain, trying to remember every word Brian had said to me the day before. Yet, I could only recall the words I'd selected to hear:
Interview. Tomorrow. Can you make it?
I groaned and dropped onto my knees. Great, just great, Kay. I slid my fingers through my hair. I couldn't just call the shop and ask him. Who does that? Jobs wouldn't give you the chance if you couldn't pay attention the first time. That only meant after they hired you, you'd be the same—unable to pay attention. And, I mean, I could pay attention, it was just I was so excited and happy and...
A knock came on my door and my head snapped up. "Hello?" I called out to the visitor.
"Kay?" The kind, sweet voice of Mr. Paul sounded at the other side of my door. "Sorry to come by so early. Hopefully, I'm not imposing."
Imposing? Never!
I fixed the front of my shirt and readjusted my socks on my feet as I skipped my way over to the front door to open it. With a smile, I looked at Mr. Paul as he held a small plate covered in aluminum foil in his hands. The smell of chocolate and vanilla frosting crept from underneath. My mouth watered.
"Good Morning, Kay," he said.
Mr. Paul was a tall, older man, with greys covering every bit of his head. Glasses sat on the end of his nose, pulling attention away from the stubble on his upper lip and cheeks. While I was too busy looking at the locket that hung around his neck, he pushed the plate slightly in my direction. "I'm going to be out most of today, Tony—you remember him, my nephew—will run the shop while I'm gone. So these—" He pushed the cupcakes once more, and I took them with the biggest smile. "—are here a little earlier than normal. I woke up at five this morning to make them."
"Aw, Mr. Paul—" I lifted the corner of the foil and sighed at the three large cupcakes that smiled back at me. "—you didn't have to."
"Of course, I do," he chuckled and pressed his hands into the pockets of his burgundy jacket. "Mrs. Paul would never let me not do this for our tenants. It's our habit of kindness."
"It really is kindness," I said, the corners of my eyes wrinkling as I smiled big at him. "Will she be home today? I'd love to thank her."
Mr. Paul only smiled at me but didn't answer. He looked behind me, into my apartment, then over at his door to the right. Not once did he drop that smile.
Biting my lip, I tried to think of what to say. Anything to break the silence. As he'd done seconds before, I looked back inside my humble abode, then over at his apartment door. And I gasped. "The envelope!" I said to him. "Did you see my envelope the other day? I knocked and knocked and, you know, doing that is kinda rude so... well, I completely forgot to ask if you'd scooped it up or if it got lost under the doorway—"
"Lost under the doorway?" Mr. Paul chuckled, shaking his head.
"—But I wanted to make sure you got my rent for this month!" Sometimes, I talked fast. Too fast. The look in Mr. Paul's eyes meant I'd done just that. Such a blabbermouth...
Nodding once, Mr. Paul fixed his glasses, so they sat evenly on his nose. "I got it, Kay. Thank you."
There was another moment when we didn't talk, but it wasn't as long as the one before. It was only seconds. But for me... seconds were like hours. For real.
"Will you be able to do that again next month?" There was a bit of worry in Mr. Paul's voice. I wasn't sure if it was for me or his property. I'm sure my monthly payments helped with the mortgage or taxes. And Mr. Paul was well aware of my situation when I first came to him.
As long as Brian doesn't think I'm a complete idiot... "I will!" Pushing away my thoughts, I smiled at the older man. "I've, um, actually got an interview right now."
"Now?" Mr. Paul's eyebrows shot up high. Surprised. "May I ask where?"
"Yeah." I nodded quickly. "It's at a coffee shop. Nice place. The boss seems nice, too."
"Ah, well, that's great, Kay." Mr. Paul glanced behind him, down at the steps leading towards the side entrance of his shop. "I had thought of offering you a side job, too, if you wanted." He looked back at me. "Sometimes, like today, I need to step away and need help."
My heart softened as I nodded, listening to him. There was a sparkle in his eyes. Honesty I hadn't seen it there before. Which... was a lot, because sincerity is all I knew from the man. "I can help, Mr. Paul."
"Now that you may have this other job, I suppose you wouldn't need it—"
Who can say no to more money?
"—But if you wanted to, it wouldn't be much. An hour or so a week, if that. And if you did, you can either take a day's payment or simply apply it towards your rent. The choice would be yours."
I can't say no to that! Thinking about it, a side hustle would be great. Especially if it knocked payment off my rent. Who knows how much the shop would pay? If I get it at all. "I can definitely help, Mr. Paul. You've been so nice to me since I first got here, so anything I can do to return the offer would be great. I can show up in the mornings, bright and early, or I can—"
"It won't be that much. I'll let you know when, Kay," he said with a nod. "I do appreciate the help."
"Of course." I smiled.
"Lovely." Mr. Paul gave me a small wave. "Have a good day." Before I could tell him to have the same, he turned to descend the steps and out the doors below.
Lovely...
"Thank you," I whispered. I turned to go back into my apartment, but I gave one glance over at Mr. Paul's apartment door and thought of knocking. We had spent all that time talking in the hallway, I forgot to ask about Mrs. Paul once more. The cupcakes were always lovely. Thanking her was just as important as helping him down in his shop. I didn't think she ever left the apartment, so she had to be inside, right? I'd hear them talking sometimes. It wasn't much, and as much as I wanted to be nosey, I thought pressing my ears against the wall to listen was a bit... creepy.
Maybe I never saw her because there was something wrong? He was old so that only meant she was, too, right? Perhaps she was stuck at home, not able to move much. Yet, to think, the old woman still got up to help her husband make cupcakes. Gosh, that had to be the sweetest love story.
Could I get married to a guy like that? One that would make cupcakes with me until we're old and grey? Just like... forever?
I sighed at the thought and closed my door behind me. I wouldn't find a man by staying inside, and I couldn't venture out into different places without gathering enough experience to actually be able to go. Placing the cupcakes on my kitchen counter, I grabbed one and nearly swallowed it whole. After, I went back into my room and stared at my closet.
Just because I didn't know what time to go to the café didn't mean I shouldn't go at all. What was the saying—better to be early than late, right?
No... that isn't it.
|||
I dressed in a long tunic with grey leggings and calf boots because those were the dressiest clothes I had in my closet. When I left home, half of my wardrobe stayed behind. I didn't have enough bags to bring all of my clothes with me. And my parents wouldn't give me one of their suitcases to let me leave.
So, when Jun came back to town to pick me up, I left with just my phone, my laptop, and the clothes that fit in my old backpack. My brother didn't ask questions when I'd hopped in his car because when he left home... the situation had more or less been the same.
As for the furniture in my apartment? Well, those belonged to the tenants who'd lived in there prior. I was thankful for people who half-ass cleaned when they moved out. One man's trash is another's treasure, right?
Once outside, the morning air slapped against my face as I turned right down the street. The sun was up but covered by grey clouds. Thankfully, I'd grabbed a cardigan on the way out the door. It was chilly, more than it'd been days before. Still, with a smile on my face, I walked on.
I'd passed the office buildings before reaching the bookstore. Inside, the girl who'd been there before sorted through boxes placed beside the door. I hadn't realized that my nose was nearly pressed against the glass again, but when she looked up and waved, I waved back, not as awkward as before.
The dark waves of hair fell over her face as she stood straight and pointed at the store's entrance. And again, like before, I made a walking man on my hands, as I had somewhere to go. Only this time I wasn't lying.
She shrugged, laughed, and I did, too. Giving her one more wave, I turned to keep walking.
By the time I'd reached the coffee shop, I could see its dark windows. Dark... windows. A heavy feeling settled in my gut as I approached the door and peered inside. Every light was off. The cabinets and doors behind the counter were locked and shut.
My hands pulled down into the pockets of my cardigan, "Great, you're way too early, Kay," I said to myself, turning in a slow circle to look up the street. A car drove by, music coming through the open window on the driver's side. The woman and I locked eyes before I sat on the curb, grumbling to myself.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I stared at the time and sighed. "I mean... it's almost eight," I mumbled, shaking my head. "Aren't cafés open at like... seven?" Glancing back at the shop's door behind me, I read the hours posted on the side and sighed once more. "Nope... this one opens at nine. Wow..."
Who was I to judge Brian's idea of the coffee shop working hours? I knew the business was new. Maybe he'd change the hours once he got the hang of it. Or maybe when he hires more people...
I squeezed my eyes shut. My arms found a home on my knees as I took in long, deep breaths. I had no one to be upset with other than myself. If I'd paid attention to the entire conversation, I wouldn't have been sitting on the sidewalk outside my potential job... like a creep.
Why am I such a freakin' creep?
In my hands, my phone buzzed twice. Both of my eyes popped open as I thought it was Brian calling. I even glanced back at the café, just in case he was inside. Yet... nope. Still darkness. And when I looked back at my phone, it wasn't Brian at all. Or a call.
It was a text message. One that made me smile. "Jun...?" With my thumb, I pushed open the notification. "Haven't heard from you in a while..."
Yo, silence is scary, bubbles, the text read. Just checking in, want to make sure you're okay. You haven't called or anything. If you need help, shoot me a buzz, a'ight.
"A'ight." I reread the text four times before I frowned. When Jun had picked me up and dropped me off, he made me promise to call him, text him, and give him proof of life. Every day. But I hadn't sent him a text in over a week. I also hadn't called him in... what was it, a month?
I'm an awful sister...
My phone buzzed again. Another message. You know phones show when texts are opened, right? Hey, sis, it read.
I smiled. My older brother was a smartass, a jerk, but he had a heart of gold. When we were kids, I wanted to be like him so badly. I still want to. He was cool beans. And could always make me smile, even when times got pretty bad.
My thumb hovered over his name icon before I held down on it to open his contact. After, I tapped the little camcorder. If I was stuck sitting on the curb, who said I had to be alone? The pigeons a few feet away couldn't have been friendly. Even though... they eyed me. Like breadcrumbs.
The phone didn't even give me two full rings before the video-call request was confirmed. On my tiny screen, you could see my face, light brown in the sunlight. My curls fought against the never-ending wind.
But my brother brightened the screen more than daylight or smiles could even do. He was lighter than me, with blue eyes, a shade lighter than my green. His straight hair was combed back on his head and as he looked into his phone's camera, I couldn't help but remember how I teased him for looking like a greaser.
A greaser who cared about his kid sister.
"If this proof of life?" Jun chuckled as he held his phone against the steering wheel of his car. I could tell because I saw around him. The leather seats needed changing. I'd told him he last time and they were still a dingy brown.
"Sorry?" I cringed, shrugging my shoulders as the wind blew again. "I've been busy?" Each of my sentences ended with a question. Because I'm a horrible liar.
"Oh?" Jun smiled, wrinkles crinkling the corners of his eyes. "Did you find a job yet?"
"Um..." How truthful did I have to be to my brother? I hated lying. But if I didn't, he'd send me money without me asking. And I knew his girlfriend was pregnant and I couldn't do that to him. So, I focused on his smile, which hadn't dropped, and said, "I've got two!"
"Two?" He cocked a brow. "That shit doesn't happen? How you pull that off?"
"Um, well, I got lucky." I gave him my biggest, fakest smile.
And he saw through it. "Kay..." Jun leaned close to his phone. "When did you get these jobs?"
"Uh..." Oh, God, here we go, Kay. "Today?"
There was a look of mixed disappointment and confusion on my brother's face. He fell back into his seat, hands flying up above his head for a second before he laughed. The crinkle around his eye was nice and cool and all... but it wasn't a ha-ha kind of thing. "Did you really start two jobs today, Kay? You know you don't have to lie to me. Leaving them was a big step—I'd know—but you ain't got to struggle, okay? So—"
"No, no, no." Still gripping my phone in one hand, I looked away. A car zoomed by, pulling wind with it down the street. That wind pressed my hair against my face and it took a few fingers to free strands of hair from my mouth and away from my eyes, but when I did, I looked right towards the corner the car had sped through.
That's when I saw him—Brian—walking with his head pointed down, headphones on his ears. There was a hop in his step as he bobbed with the music that played, but I couldn't hear. I watched him, catching the small smile on his face as his lips mouthed lyrics. It was cute, and I smiled, too.
"Hello? Kay?" My brother's voice broke my attention. "Earth to bubbles, you there?"
I didn't look back at the phone. I kept my eyes on Brian. The goofy smile was still on my face. I thought I could sit right there forever, watching him and the way the sunlight bounced off the sides of his headphones, but when he got closer, he looked up. And my smile dropped... drastically.
Brian stood straight up and pulled his brows together. "Kay?"
My mouth went dry.
"Kay?" My brother tried to grab my attention. "Who's that? What's going on?"
With quick thinking, I looked back at my cell phone just to give my brother the cring-iest smile. "Got to go," I said, winking. "Call you later."