A generous tip
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The café was a lot busier than usual. It was expected, I suppose, seeing as finals were incoming and a lot of college students were charging in to receive the liquid energy that was coffee. But that didn’t explain why most of the tables were taken. I felt slightly crowded, even though I was separated from the customers by the counter. My barrier may be a slim slab of wood but the cash register, coffee machine and other accessories made me feel slightly hidden. Although, not hidden enough.
“Lissette, darling.”
I gave a polite smile to Meredith, a regular. It annoyed me when she said such things as ‘darling’ or ‘sweetie’. She was only two years older than me, twenty, and hardly matronly.
“I haven’t seen you around school lately. You haven’t been skipping, have you? You really shouldn’t worry your father.” She smiled widely at the tall guy next to her, very likely her date for the day. He was smiling back but I noticed that his eyesight was below her chin, where her curled blonde hair ended at her cleavage.
“I went to school today, and yesterday,” I said softly. She worked part-time in the school library but spent most of her time chatting with the seniors in the hallways. I had seen her plenty of times today; I was just easily passed over. Because I wanted to hurry the conversation along, I added, “Was it a cinnamon mocha again today?”
“Oh, yes, thanks, sweets.”
I stole a glance up at her as she turned her head away from my direction so she wouldn’t have noticed my frown. Her demeanor was sickly, all I wanted was to get her out of the line.
“And would you like anything else?” I asked, inwardly hoping she’d need nothing else.
“And a cappuccino,” she said firmly, “Right, Harry?”
The handsome guy nodded, and turned to me with a grin. “Merry has been telling me that this place makes the best coffees. Reckon you’re up to fulfilling that promise… Lissette?”
I was surprised that he’d remembered my name, seeing as it was unusual. I nearly gritted my teeth, irritated by the fact that I was forced to banter with this stranger. Even worse, a male stranger. I didn’t talk to guys that often, mostly at work, and I still couldn’t control my blushes, even when all they did was pay me the slightest attention.
“I’ll let you be the judge,” I murmured quietly as I took the money from Meredith’s hand with care. I rang up the costs and gave her the change before swiftly heading behind the coffee machine. This was another reason why the shop was crowded. Yasmin, my workmate, had been on break for way over the required time, and she’d chosen to take the break during the busiest time of day.
I set two cups beneath the flowing coffee and started the milk. I had to do two, plain milk and low fat chocolate, which also irritated me. I could get to the next customers quicker if it weren’t for the low fat chocolate.
“So, have you been working here long, Lissette?”
The way he kept repeating my name put me on edge. Not only did he have to talk to me but he had to remind me that we were now acquaintances because he knew my first name. On the positive side, he didn’t try to shorten it. Lissy was the worst.
“Two years, Harry.” It was rude of me, to push out his name like that. But maybe he’d get a hint.
I poured the milk in to his cappuccino and then did the mocha, adding the flavor of cinnamon and swirling the milk in. I finished it off with chocolate syrup on the mocha and powder on the cappuccino and handed them over the counter with a smile.
“Thanks, darling.” Meredith smiled, showing her nicely shaped teeth, procured after two years of bulky braces.
To my frustration, her date did not move, taking a sip of his coffee then and there. He stared at the liquid for a moment and then looked up at me. I was forced to look him in the eye, to remain the courteous server.
“Superb,” he said in a low voice, turning the corner of his mouth up for a smirk.
I didn’t like the glint in his blue eyes. He was in no way alluring to me. And yet, I blushed.
One eyebrow raised before he put his arm around Meredith and walked away. I clenched my hands, which were trembling slightly.
“Hi, what were you after today?” I asked the next customer, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you. What was that?” It was Beverly, old B as some of the kids called her. Another regular although I didn’t mind B. She was small and wrinkled and loved to talk but there was something about her that made it so easy to open up to, which was unfortunate seeing as she was the town’s largest source of gossip. But she really did care about what you had to say.
“No, it’s my fault. What would you like today?” I smiled sincerely.
“Oh, Liz, what have you done with your hair?” she gasped as if I’d committed a terrible crime.
“I dyed it.” I lifted my hand to my hair, which was now shoulder length and black, falling in slight waves.
“And chopped it all off. I liked the long brown hair. It made you look like a mermaid.”
Well then, that gave me another reason for why I should prefer my new cut. “Well, thank you, but I thought it was time for a change.”
Something had to change, I was happy going through the motions in life but I had been sick of looking at the same thing in the mirror every day. The same long hair. The same pale skin. The same emotionless grey eyes. I’d needed something different, a bit of life to me. I’d been a husk of a human for a year, since the deaths of my mother and brother, and I might as well make that husk look a little more interesting.
“Yes, well, I understand the need for change. Just today I heard that returning from…” she trailed off, staring at the banana bread that sat by the register. I saw a frown flicker over her face.
“Returning from? From where? Who?” I didn’t really care but it was awkward standing here in silence when she cut off her sentence halfway.
“Oh, I actually don’t remember. It’s funny how that happens, isn’t it? Something just distracts you from what you were saying and you can’t regain the thought. I can’t even remember who told me.” She was rushing through her words. “Ah, just a small latte today and… well, I might as well treat myself. One of these banana slices, too.”
She smiled, but without the usual twinkling eyes. What had really disrupted her? I frowned but began the process of making her drink.
“So, the school holidays are nearly here. Do you have any plans?” she asked as I poured fresh milk into the metal jug.
“The holidays are still a month away,” I said lightly, “I haven’t thought of anything yet.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Yasmin stumble out from the back room, her dark makeup slightly smudged. She’d probably been sleeping. But I was entirely thankful to have her back out here. And in ten minutes our third server would arrive and I could start cleaning up around the shop rather than serving the coffee and chatting without purpose.
“Well, make sure you get some big plans hatching, it is your last Christmas break, after all.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t really see me. I didn’t care. There wasn’t anything to do in the holidays, even if I’d had a bunch of friends to spend time with. And I didn’t. What was the point of making and keeping friends if I was going to jet the hell out of here to study in England for college? And friends were worthless anyway, they only cared until you had nothing to give them and they turned on you with such ease it was a wonder you were friends in the first place.
I finished the coffee and handed it to her, just as Phil walked in. He was my robust workmate and he caught my eye and flicked his head toward the backroom with a smile. He’d have known I hadn’t gone on break yet. I was doubly grateful for his arrival. I slipped into the back and pulled my dinner out of the fridge. I’d been looking forward to it all night, dad had made it earlier today.
“You look beat, kid.”
I looked up to see Phil leaning against the door, pulling his shaggy blonde hair back into an elastic. I smiled weakly. Phil was one of the only males I felt comfortable around, him and my father. He had been my brother’s friend and he’d been the one to coerce me into working here, saying it would ‘open me up a little’.
“I feel like I’ve been working here since midnight,” I complained.
“Two more hours and the last two always go fast.” He grabbed an apron and tied it around his waist. “And, of course, now that I’m here you won’t feel like you’re doing all the work.” He winked.
I laughed. “That’s suggesting that you’ll actually work rather than talk to every pretty person that steps into the store tonight.”
He smiled rakishly and wandered out. I heated my chicken and dug in.
Phil was right, the rest of my shift went super quick. I cleaned up tables, did the dishes and swept the floor. By the time the shop looked mildly clean, it was seven o’clock. I could go home.
“Think of me!” Phil called out as I rushed around the back, gathering my gear to leave. He gave a pointed glance at Yasmin and I laughed as I signed off.
“I have better things to do,” I teased daringly and charged out the door, straight into a strong wind. It whipped my hair into my face and flattened my clothes against my skin. I shivered and tugged my coat on quickly, wishing I’d driven to work rather than walked.
The door to the café opened behind me and I saw a customer rush out, squinting in the darkness. The figure looked vaguely familiar but surely wouldn’t be looking for me so I began making my way home.
“Liz!”
Of course, I could be wrong.
I turned back to the person, identifying the voice as Laura’s mother, Laura being the girl I had once been close friends with before… Well, before everything happened.
“Yes?” I spoke over the wind.
She tugged her hood over her head, pulling the strings in an attempt to fend off the wind. “Are you alright? Do you need a ride home?”
I hesitated. As much as I would love to get out of this weather, I couldn’t handle such an awkward drive home.
“I’ll be fine, it’s only a few blocks away.”
She squinted again. “Are you sure, it’s no hassle, I’m heading in that direction anyway and, well, I thought you might like someone to talk to…”
I sighed, I might as well. “Okay,” I shrugged.
I was instantly relieved that I’d made the decision when I closed the car door and the wind disappeared. When she turned on the engine and the heat blasted out of the air vents, I was in heaven.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Liz? I know that you and Laura aren’t as close as you used to be but you can still talk to me, about anything.”
I stared out the front window, trying to decide if I should be confused or not. “There’s really no worry on my mind, at the moment.”
She glanced at me before looking back to the road. The trees on the side walk were whipping back and forth in a way that made me shrink in my seat, frightened that one would keel over in front of the car, or on top of the car, more particularly; crushing me.
“Well, that’s good. I was worried, myself, when I first heard that Chase was coming back into town.”
It felt like one of the trees had collapsed onto me. I pinched myself hard. It hurt.
“I remember you two being close. Ah, more than close. Laura always used to say that the two of you would marry,” she carried on, unaware of my stunned state. “And, well, it was obvious he hurt you before he left. You were like a ghost for weeks.”
She finally caught on to the fact that I was having difficulty breathing.
“Oh, Liz! You hadn’t heard?! It’s been floating around town for weeks!” She went to pull over, to be better able to comfort me or something but I shook my head forcefully.
“Please just get me home,” I said, my voice unfamiliarly flat.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sincerely sorry. Of course, I’ll get you home.”
When she pulled up to my house it was raining. I opened the door while the car was still moving, making her hit the brakes harder.
“Liz, do you need me to come in…?”
“No,” I answered, my voice hoarse. I slammed the car door shut without bothering to thank her for the ride and trudged up to my front door. I fumbled around in my pocket for the keys and pulled them out. I stared at the keyhole for a moment and then tilted my head back. Rain poured down my face, weaving through my soaking hair, cooling my face.
Because I was burning. For the first time since the death of my mother and brother, I was feeling something strongly. I felt like I could rip metal in two. I felt like the storm was a result of my emotion. Swirling, thundering, lashing. I was furious. He couldn’t return, this was not allowed in my book. To be forced to see his gloating face… I could feel myself shake with rage. My breathing was ragged, like I’d just run a mile. It was as if he was just looking for trouble. He better hope that he didn’t run into me, or I would go on the warpath.