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"Are you sure about this, you'll be broke once you go there. Quitting this job isn't going to make you anything!"
"Why bother doing a job that wouldn't make me happy genuinely. I'm done. I want to start a new life there."
___________________
It was idiotic.
Rachel shook her head at that flashback.
🍁
Starting a new life here, what was she thinking?! She really thought that she had it all under control but she realized she didn't. Rachel thought that she had finally gotten a grip of herself to stand on her own feet and progress from now on but, she was wrong.
The weather was cold, her nose gets runny pretty easily because of the weather. KL was way easier to get around. At least she could make a living since the city was packed with restaurants and other places to work part time.
Cameron? Total opposite, the nearest Starbucks has already gotten way more part-timers than they need. So that thought was immediately buried in soil and stayed there. She felt bipolar with her thoughts at the moment.
She realized the stupidity came along with the stress she went through. The more and more dumber she started becoming with her decisions.
Rachel!!
Anyways, I need to get my butt out of this hotel and get a place to stay and possibly job!!
This is going to be a FRESH start I guess.
Was the thought she had walking here today.
Rachel thought, that she was going find something that she could start with, but she was wrong. She really was. Rachel couldn't believe the amount of confidence she had just now. I mean look at her, she is now half wet from the rain. Her shoes are warn out, messy hair and she has been shaking from this cold.
Who'd hire me?
She laughed again at herself only this time a tear drizzled down from the side of her eye.
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The weather was getting colder by night. The sun was down and in a blink of an eye the crisp of dusk was the scenery in Cameron. The nightlife here was pretty subtle since Cameron was known for it's day farms and other facilities that were only open during the day.
This meant that the activities at night were not so popular amongst that particular state in Malaysia. Besides hotpot restaurants and night markets, Cameron would be quiet by night. And trails like the ones Rachel was subconsciously walking through were quieter than others.
She stopped in front of the warmly lit cottage house looking like building and looked up at the wooden sign.
"Daybreak Cafe?" She said as she looked at the sign above.
"Yes, that's the name of our cafe. Cool isn't it?" Said a voice from behind.
"Huh?" Rachel turned behind to see a guy standing by the window smiling at her with a black apron hanging from his broad shoulders.
A tall handsome figure caught her completely off guard. His gentle voice and incredible features almost made Rachel feel happy all over again. He was beautiful. He almost looked like he was an actor. Bright eyes, and a pleasant smile on his face. He was so picture perfect that she gasped for a minute just by looking at him.
"Oh... Yeah... It's a great name." Rachel said as she laughed as she finally managed to get a grip of herself.
"You should try our coffee, it's the best in town." He said as he brushed his hair and looked at his feet and back at her.
"Huh? Oh, okay then..."
🍁
The man with the adorable smile placed down a cup in front of Rachel who payed no attention to him. She was busily looking at her cellphone, her mind felt so divided. She was now blank, drowning in her thoughts from earlier.
Her whole body was already giving up, that the only thing that was holding her up was the scent of the coffee that lingered in this little cafe.
"One hot Americano with whipped cream and chocolate mocha powder." Said the guy as he sat down in front of her.
Rachel looked up at him complete caught off guard by his gesture.
"Thanks..." Rachel said as she sipped from the cup.
"Are you from around here?" Asked the guy as he looked at her.
"Nope, I'm actually from KL. I'm here for sometime..." She said as she took another sip from a drink.
"Oh... I see." He said softly looking up at her.
Rachel looked at the beautiful breathtaking view from her window. She was amazed how this little cafe owned a big land like that, the amount of space the owned was amazing and she thought to herself how amazing it would be if she could write with a view in front like that.
"That's beautiful." Rachel said said as she looked at the tea valley.
" Isn't it." He said as he looked at her and then at the view. He smiled at how she looked at the view.
Something about her was pretty intriguing. He didn't quite know if it was because of her beautiful pale face or her dark long hair, it was just a type of face that couldn't really look away from and he didn't quite mind that.
"By the way what's your-"
" Zeke! Come here!" Said a elderly woman to the guy in front of her, not allowing him to continue any further.
"Give me a minute." He said softly before leaving her all by herself.
Rachel nodded and sipped from her cup once again.
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"Zeke, what are we going do. I'm going to be in the hospital for weeks maybe even a month. How are you going to handle the cafe on it's on? Plus it's already strawberry season, there's going to be so many tourist!" Said Mrs. Joo as she looked at her son.
"Don't worry Mom, I think I can manage it on my own." Zeke replied as he sighed knowing he was going to have a difficult time working on his own .
He wanted to try his best to juggle everything on his own but it was impossible and he knew it. But finding a part timer, right now? During tourist season was going to be harder than his mom thinks it would be.
Nobody was willing to work in cafe these days, especially in a quiet town like this. He was indeed feeling slightly frustrated but he didn't seem to have a choice. He was going to have to close up the cafe slightly earlier and was probably going to receive complaints here and there because of the late service.
"No you can't, you better look for a part timer!" The elderly woman insisted.
"Where am I going to find for a -"
"If you don't mind, you could hire me." Said a voice from behind.
"Huh?"
"But I have conditions."
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"I would like to check out today." Rachel said as she handed her booking slip to the counter. She was firm with her voice even the clerk looked up at her in shock.
She sounded so much more confident than she did previously. That same grin on her face appeared once again. Rachel felt so good about herself today and she was so sure about it. She felt almost on top of the world with her confidence.
"So early, but miss-" The clerk uttered.
"Please, thank you." Rachel stated confidently as she glanced at her wrist watch before smiling at the clerk.
"If you insist." Said the front desk clerk as she typed on the desktop.
"Here you go miss, have a good day."
"Thank you." Rachel said as she smiled.
She stepped out of the cafe smiling as she stretched her arms up into the air feeling great about herself in that moment.
🍁
Today felt the most beautiful amongst the few days here. Her mind felt at ease after yesterday. The sun felt worthy of shining and her skin felt good from the vitamin D. Rachel's excitement felt so surreal, it really felt as if she was in a daze. Finally, she had gotten a sense of new hope for a better life after this. Hopefully.
She clutched the handle of her luggage as she strolled down a slope to see if she could grab a taxi. And eventually did after waving like a fanatic at every single taxi looking car on the road that passed by.
She got in while the kind gentleman helped her with her luggage.
"Where to?" He asked looking at her from the review mirror.
"Daybreak Cafe." She replied with her smile on her face.
____________________
*Last night* 🍁
"But I have conditions." Rachel said as she smiled brightly at both of them
"What are they?" Replied Mrs. Joo
" I need a place to stay, at least temporary. I don't mind if I don't get paid much but I need to place to stay." Rachel said without hesitating in hopes of getting something out of it. She was confident at least by looking at their desperation.
"Where am I going to-" Zeke couldn't even finish his sentences.
"You can stay on the second floor, there's a room and a shower and all. Zeke will prepare it for you." Said the woman that stood by Zeke shutting him up.
Zeke frowned at how his mother concluded his sentences for him. He wasn't upset but he was a little flustered from what his mother and Rachel decided to agree on.
"But mom, where will I-" Again he got cut mid sentence.
"You can stay in the other rooms or even at our house if you want to. I mean it's not that small of a space." She continued to convince him before smiling at Rcahel.
"So... Am I hired then?" Rachel asked as she looked at them.
The woman nodded followed by nervous smiles from Zeke.
Rachel smiled brightly as she tried not to freak out of excitement. Maybe, just maybe he had a chance at a happy ending here, in Cameron Highlands?
_________
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After removing her luggage she stood by the foot of the cafe.
Looking at the dimly lit cafe that made her heart melt she smiled as she continued to look at it. She was in awe. She was happy but still in utter shock that her life has finally come down to this. From a famous book author to a barista at a remote located cafe? Who would have ever guessed right.
She a little confused at her life decisions at this point, she was worried of what the outcome of her life choices up until this point is going to lead her to after this but she had only another shot at a new life her, so she was going to make every move made.
She smiled again, forcing her head to stop overthinking all over again. Maybe if she remained calm and steady, everything will go well from then on? And so she made up her mind, she came to a conclusion that she was not going to give up , at least not again, not now.
Rachel then gripped her luggage's handle and walked in.
I'm going to make this right, whatever it takes.
🍁
The same man in suit walked up to his boss with a piece of paper in his hands. Joey Kang, the well known secretary for HK Holdings walked with so much of confidence. His tall figure was seemingly seen everywhere with his CEO who also shared with his aura.
He stood in front of The CEO as handed the piece of paper to him.
"Sir this is list you wanted. All the finest Cafe's in town." Said a guy to another.
"Finest? I asked you to look for Cafe's. Not all 'finest' Cafe's in town are great. Class just for the name." Replied the guy seated facing a window.
He was very cold to everyone, but his nasty temper was already something his employees were used to. He stared at the list before letting out a small laugh at how silly the names that were printed on them looked like.
"I'm sorry, sir." Replied his secretary without feeling any shame in him since he was used to The CEO'S remarks here and there
" Never mind that, what was the Cafe that we passed by on the way here?" Asked The CEO as he looked at Joey before adjusting his watch.
"If I'm not mistaken Sir Henry, I think it's called-"
"Daybreak Cafe isn't it?" The CEO interrupted before Joey could even finish his sentences.
"Yes sir." Joey replied as he nodded.
"Okay then, after this let's take a stop by there. After all their coffee is what I call 'class.' " He said as he smirked.
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Zeke led Rachel upstairs to the rooms in the cafe. Rachel was completely in shock since she had never seen anything like this before. The warm cottage cafe was also a warm home, and it felt like a dream to live in a place like this even if this was going to be temporary.
He then opened a door leading her into a small room that had a cozy little bed and a fireplace. She smiled brightly at how it looked in front of her eyes.
"So this is your room, the bathroom is over there and if it gets too chilly... Here, take this. It'll keep you warm." Zeke said as he handed Rachel an extra blanket.
"I hope you like the room, feel free to decorate if you like." Zeke said as he scratched his head and then looked at the floor.
"Thank you, it's beautiful on its own." Rachel said as she looked at the room, making Zeke slightly blush at her compliment.
It was simple, with a little chimney and a window that would lead her to a garden. So beautiful yet simple. She felt like she was living in a dreamland that only her wildest dreams could offer, it felt like a bad dream with a happy ending since the miracle happened overnight.
Nobody had ever shown her such a kind gesture. They had just met but Zeke was so warm just like the beautiful room they stood in. She felt a sense of happiness just by looking at his face.
Aesthetically pleasing.
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After helping her with her stuff, Zeke and Rcahel proceeded to walk down to the cafe so that he could instruct her with the work she must do as a part timer.
"Now to the real stuff." Zeke said as he fixed his apron on while taking a quick glance at her before he proceeded to look at the front desk of the cafe.
"The Cafe opens at 8.30 a.m, so you got to be up by 7a.m. Start with cleaning up the counter, front desk, and the cafe and porch. I will do the interior, restocking of the coffee, tea and fresh produce but we can switch alternatively."
Rachel quickly wrote down everything on her notepad as Zeke continued to speak.
Zeke took a quick glance at her trying hard not to laugh at how she was so focus for such a casual job she was working for. And yes, he absolutely thought she was adorable for it.
"Most importantly, no door to door delivery's. We don't do that here." Zeke said as he looked at her.
"Why not?" Rachel asked as she stopped writing for a moment.
"Well, I only have my bike... Soo-" He said before the both decided to laugh.
________________
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*Back to last night*
After finishing up her coffee, Rachel decided to head back to the hotel. It was awfully late so she decided to do so. She was so relieved that she finally had a chance at something here, for once she didn't want to feel like a complete loser anymore so this move felt great for her.
As she headed out of the Cafe she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
"Do you need a ride back?" Asked Zeke standing at the back of her.
Rachel nodded.
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"Woah. I've never been on a motorcycle before." Rachel said as she laughed out of excitement with her adrenaline now rushing to her head faster.
"Really? Then this is your first time." Zeke said as he laughed at her reaction at something like this
"Yeah, this is really fun." Rachel said as she smiled.
The wind blew in her hair and it made her light grip on his shoulders.
Zeke smiled as he focused on the road ahead.
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Zeke stopped his bike in front of her hotel as he helped her get off the bike. She smiled at him before adjusting her sweater.
"Are you sure about this job, the cafe will be hard work you know." Zeke said as he stood by the hotel with Rachel unbuckling her helmet.
"Well, this is my only shot at a new life here." Rachel said as she handed him the helmet.
"I'll try my very best okay, you'll be proud to have a part-timer like me." Rachel continued as she smiled.
Zeke nodded as he smiled at her.
"Goodnight see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, you too."
Zeke got on his bike and rode back as he watched her get in.
__________________
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"Ahh..." Rachel said as she looked at her shoes trying not to laugh again.
"Okay now to the coffee." Zeke said as he looked at her and then at the coffee machine.
"So first you got to...."
After explaining the recipes for over an hour Zeke finally stopped. He was smiling at how focused she was at writing down every single thing he had mentioned to her, by this he knew that she was going to make a good part timer, although this would be the first time she would work in a cafe.
"Wow, I don't know if I can even catch on to all that." Rachel said as she nervously laughed.
"Don't worry buy the coffee counter there is a recipe chart that you can follow to make the food and beverages." Zeke said as he smiled. "It'll make your life easier." He said as he patted her shoulder and walked away.
Rachel nodded.
"I'm going to town to grab some produce. You can practice some recipes using the left overs from yesterday that are in the fridge." Zeke added before heading out.
"Hey, but what if there's-"
Zeke continued walking without stopping.
"Guess I gotta handle this on my own." She said as she folded up her wool sleeves, whilst reviewing back her notes.
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After practicing for an hour, Rachel decided to go head and start cleaning up the front porch and the interior of the cafe. She swept, counted the balance in the cashier and wiped down the tables and chairs.
Once she was finally done, she was left to turn over the 'closed sign' to 'open' on the front door.
When she did, she then proceeded to walk back to the front desk to see if there was anything else left to do. But just as she could, she heard the bell on the front door slightly 'ring' as if someone was walking in.
Without immediately looking up she said , "Welcome to Daybreak Cafe, may I take your order?"
Silence.
"May I take your ord-"
Rude jerk.
As she looked up to see who was standing in front of her. She recognized the person that stood in front of her.
It was the same guy that she had a awful encounter with at the restaurant on her first day here.
The tall figure with the same jet black hair and a very charming yet egoistic persona latched onto him. His scent didn't make anything better since the whole cafe now smelt like him now.
She recognized him immediately. The familiar features gave it away.
I can't believe I'm meeting this jerk again. Look at him all rude, not even looking at me.
"I'll take one iced Americano." He said as he refused to make eye contact.
"Okay, just a minute." Rachel said as she tried to proceed with the order.
"Bring it to my table." He coldly said without allowing her to continue.
Rude.
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Zeke continued his morning routine per usual by heading to the morning market located 15 minutes away from the cafe. He smiled looking at the familiar faces of the street vendors and waved them 'hello' as he walked passed them.
He was a local here, which meant he roughly knew everyone here. He was happy to see that the town was finally coming together, and business was slowly getting better. He walked closer to a little shop that sold some vegetables.
"I'll take that and that." Zeke said as he pointed out at the fresh produce that laid in front of him.
"Oh my, Zeke how are you! I heard your mum is little bit busy these days?" Said the woman who packed up the fresh fruits and vegetables he wanted.
"Yeah she is..." Zeke said as he smiled. "How much would that be? I've got a special discount right?" He continued as he smiled at her trying to nudge her a little with his charming looks.
"Alright, alright... I better be getting free coffee the next time." Answered the woman playfully.
"Of course, haha." He replied as she handed him the produce.
"Oh right, what about the cafe who is managing it right now while your mother is away?" She asked just before he left.
"Well, fortunately we got a part-timer." He said looking at her.
"A part-timer? Where did you fine one?" She questioned.
" Well, she just appeared." Zeke said as he smiled.
🍁
"Yuck!" Said the guy after taking a sip of the coffee.
His voice filled the cafe since he was the only one there.
"Yuck? What do you mean yuck?" Rachel said as she approached him. She was confused but also annoyed at him.
How embarrassing of him to show up here and how embarrassing is it for her to deal with a trash ass jerk like him. He was cold both in his talk and in his act. She felt infuriated when she got a glimpse of him.
"It's not like I remember it." He uttered as she stood in front of him.
"Excuse me?" Rachel said feeling a little taken back.
"Is this your first time working here or something? Because this doesn't taste good." He said as he took a quick glance at her with his sunglasses still on.
"WOAH, you can't just say that. I've been trying to keep my cool from the day you called me an old lady till now but this- this does it all. Who do you think you are?" Rachel said as she put her hands against her hips.
He smirked.
He then removed his sunglasses.
"So it's really you huh?" He asked as he stared her down.
"Excuse me?" Rachel said as she felt her heart sink.
"Do you not remember me? I'm Henry, Henry Josiah." He said as he looked at her.
"You're-"
Silence again.
"Rachel, is everything okay?" Zeke said as he stood by the cafe door looking at them.
Henry then turned his back towards him and then to her and smirked again.
"Who is he, your boyfriend?"
Rachel looked at him confusedly knowing exactly who this familiar stranger was. She was feeling a sea of emotions gushing towards her all at once without allowing her to process it all.
No way. There's no way it's him.
[SKINNY LOVE BY BON IVER ( plays) ]
Thank you for reading part 2 of Daybreak Cafe see you in part 3.☕🍂
A/n :
hey, so I know the style of me writing is a little bit different from the other book, it's because it's kind of like a drama writing style.
So that means that there will be flashbacks here and there and then the current scene if that makes any sense.
Well I hope it comes out black and white as possible but yeah bare with me I just really hope you enjoy this book.
P.s, enjoy your coffee coffee. :)