If there is one thing that Faye hated and loved at the same time, it is her alarm clock that is presently ringing loudly, forcing her to pull away from her dreams and comfy warm bed.
“Oh please, tell me it’s not morning yet.” She groaned as she blindly searched for the said abomination, her face deeply buried in her pillow. Finding the device, she rolled on her back with a huff. Squinting, she reads the blinking red neon lights. “4:00 a.m.”
Another unpleased groan is released. “I hate waking up so early!” She hissed placing the alarm back to its place on top of the side cabinet on her right. She stayed lying on her bed staring at her ceiling with unfocused blank mind for a minute or two before she lazily dragged herself up, out and away from her bed and to the bathroom to prepare for the day. After thirty minutes, Faye is ready and is locking the door of her apartment. “Okay, I didn’t forget anything, right?” She asked herself as she rummaged her bag, checking for her house key, car key, I.D., wallet and, of course, the key to the café. When everything is there, Faye smiled tapping her bag close before making her way to the elevator then down to the ground floor.
“Good morning, Ms. Faye.” The guard, Mr. Wyatt, greeted jovially with a warm smile when Faye exited from the lift. Faye returned the smile and replied. “Hello, Mr. Wyatt.” She stopped in-front of the man. “I’m so jealous of you. It’s so early and yet you’re so energetic. I wish when I am on my forties like you, I’ll be as energetic.”
The guard laughed heartily ruffling Faye’s long brown hair fondly. “Dear child, you’re young. Twenty-four, yes?” Faye nodded and Mr. Wyatt continued. “—don’t think too much of the future and live for today.”
Faye nodded with a smile. “See you later then, Mr. Wyatt. I’ll bring some treat for you later.”
“Oh, thank you. I love the sweets you make very much.” Mr. Wyatt stated with a wave. “Hurry now or you’ll be late.”
Faye waved back before brisk walking out of the building and to the parking lot where her car, a black 911 GT3 porsche, is parked. Unlocking the door, she situated herself in-front of the wheels and started the engine. The café is just a twenty-minute drive away from her place, she can walk to the café, yes, but it is always still dark and almost no one is out on the streets so she just drives to work.
At exactly 4:55 a.m., Faye reached the café. She easily parked on her reserved spot at the most left of the pretty wide parking space in-front of the café before making her way to the two-door glass entrance. She unlocked the doors with her key and immediately made her way to the supplies room where she put her bag and grabbed her work uniform – a terracotta colored apron with the café’s logo and name printed in-front. She looked up to the wall clock hanged on the top of the door way and smiled. 5:00 a.m.. “Right on time like always.”
Stretching her hands up, she chirped. “Okay, let’s start baking!” And she puts her apron on and made her way to the kitchen. It is around 6:30 a.m. when another person arrived at the café.
“Hello.” A familiar voice echoed as the source walked its way to the kitchen where Faye was busy taking out the freshly baked pastries for today’s breakfast menu. “Oh, that smells good.” The voice exhaled as she leaned her side on the door’s frame.
Faye chuckled taking off her oven mitts. “Good morning, Rei. Where is Amber?”
“Good morning, boss. Amber is starting up the coffee machine.” Rei, the café’s cook, greeted back pushing her body away from the door and making her way to stand beside Faye. “So, what’s the menu for today?” She asked eyeing the tray of fluffy white covered deliciousness.
Faye turned to face Rei with a grin then she gestured to the pastries in-front of them. “Our themed for today is fruits and jam. So, here, is something called the Berliner. It is a traditional North German pastry similar to a doughnut but with no central hole. It has jam filling and topped with powdered sugar.”
“Wow.” Rei breathed in awe then Faye nodded to the two working ovens on their side. “I’m also making Cream Horn and Cuban pastry. Of course, we are still serving the usual ones.”
Rei gulped, her sea green orbs swirling with hunger. “Now, I’m hungry again and I just ate breakfast like twenty minutes ago.” She playfully glared at Faye. “Take responsibility, boss.”
Faye stuck her tongue out. “Eat and I’ll deduct it from your salary.”
Rei whined clutching on Faye’s arm. “C’mon, just one.”
“No.” Faye chuckled and Rei tugged on Faye’s arm again, she lifted her index finger. “—just one.”
“Okay but you’ll close the café later.”
Rei let go with a nod. “Three pastries for me then.”
“Wha—hey!” But Rei dashed out her chuckle echoing through the café. Faye is about to chase the older girl, who went to the supplies room to get her apron, when June, the café’s waitress, and Risa arrived.
“Oh, good morning, Faye.”
“Good morning, Risa. June.”
“--what’s happening?” Risa asked.
“Rei, that cunning fox, she--”
“Oh, I think those are burning.” Amber cut in pointing to the oven.
“OH MY GOODNESS!” Faye gasped jumping to turn off the oven and save her pastries. “Oh, thank goodness!” Faye breathed in relief when she saw that no harm is done to her pastries.
It was 6:55 a.m. Five minutes before opening time.
“Okay, I think we are ready.” Faye breathed looking at the other four figures inside the kitchen with her who nodded with smiles on their lips. “Okay, to our positions then.”
And the five figures scattered to their places. June, a tall woman with silkily raven tresses, walked to the door to flip the signage. A decent number of people are already lined up outside of the café. When the signage is flipped to ‘Open’ and the first customer stepped in, a cheerful welcome echoed through the café. “Welcome to ‘Hi! Hello! Café where goodbyes never happens!”
A/N: Oh, and there's the character profile in the 'Media' box...just to help your imagination more....yeah, psh! Spoiler me! hahahaha...
