Forced to move, Ember Evergreen has to say goodbye to her best friend. She never thought she would see him again and it broke her heart.
10 years later, winning a raffle in New York she finds herself in a peculiar situation. She had won concert tic...
I barely got any sleep last night, closing my eyes only when the sun came back up. Tired or not, work still awaits for me, I throw on my uniform, a white blouse tucked into a black skirt, tied together with a dark green apron.
I arrived at the cafe, and I could feel my heart break when I saw how full it was. Clocking in, I switched places with the new girl at the register who was royally screwing up. I don't blame her though, when people continuously yell at you about how their coffee isn't perfect, you get a bit flustered. I smiled when she thanked me, and started working on the orders she had put in.
Everything eventually settled down, and it was time for my break. Now usually, a break is something I love, in fact I used to look forward to it. But with this job, you learn to dread it. Break means sitting in the break room, which is right next to the managers office, who also runs the place. Owen, his name is. And the thing about Owen is, how do I put this delicately...
He has no respect for women and is a complete asshole.
Shitty job, with a terrible boss. Could the American Dream get any better than this?
I sighed and undid my apron, sitting down in the break room and trying my best to stay quiet when my phone rang. I groaned internally and picked it up, it was my mum.
"Hey mum, what's up? I'm at work."
"Oh hey love, Chelsea called. Said you were going to see Harry Saturday?" I sensed the nervous energy from her through the phone, she knew Harry was a kind of sensitive topic for me. "Yup, she convinced me. I don't think it'll be too bad, he doesn't remember me anyways."
"You think so?"
"Yeah, I doubt it."
She hummed a hit, "Okay, I was just checking in. We still on for dinner tonight?" I desperately wanted to say no, this dinner was supposed to be all about me meeting this boyfriend she so fell in love with. But I wasn't too excited, all the men I've met in the past that she was with were all shit.
"Yup, I'll see you then." I heard rustling in Owen's office, signaling he was about to come out. "I got to go, bye mum"
"Bye sweetie!"
I hung up and tied my apron around my self once more, about to head back out when I saw the familiar figure step out of the office. I turned around and smiled, "Morning Owen, how are you?" He looked at me, and took a sip of his coffee. "Eh"
"Alright." I smiled tightly and went to walk out the door when he cleared his throat, "Yes?"
He pointed to my blouse, "Unbutton a couple of those, yeah? Need the customers happy and satisfied." He walked back into his office before I could respond.
Fuck him.
The rest of the day I tried my best not to snap at the customers, Owen having ruined my mood for the day.
When I clocked out, I ignored his comments about staying longer to help with something in his office and went back home to get ready for the dinner I was in no way looking forward too.
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As I rummage through my closet I find a decent outfit, throw it on and get ready to head back down when I receive a notification on my phone.
Text from: Chelsea Just found the perfect outfit for tomorrow!!! Get ready for the concert of a lifetime bitch <3
I smile and put on my shoes, putting my phone back into my pocket after texting my mom I was on my way. It was only a 20 minute drive, I never wanted to be too far from her.
I picked up a few flowers from a market on my way there and knocked on the door as I arrived. She opened it almost right away. "Ember! Hello Love, how was your day?" She said, embracing me right away. "It was nice" I lie "Starving though, here these are for you" I hand the flowers to her as I walk in, hearing her comment about how nice this was.
I look around the familiar home I had grown to get used to, it was a small apartment with two bedrooms, but a pretty big living room. I smelt my moms classic lasagna and heard my stomach growl, "When's the new boyfriend showing up, mum?"
She inhaled a breath as I took a seat by the table. "He's in the bathroom, came a bit early." She said, putting the flowers in a vase and setting it in the middle of the table. The sound of a door echoed from the hallway and she turned around, a smile prominent on her face. "Carter! There you are, meet my daughter."
Carter, weird name, not his fault though.
A 6'3 man entered the living room, dark black hair with a beard scruff on his face. Seemed tone. I stood up and reached my hand out to him, which he quickly took, shaking it. "So nice to meet you, Ember. Your mother talks about you all the time" he smiled, which pleasantly surprised me since all her ex's never bothered to say hi. I shot a glance towards her and she smiled raising her eyebrows and she mouthed 'I know!'
We took our seats as mum brought the lasagna from the oven. "So, Carter is it?" He hummed a yes, offering me some water which I took. "What do you do for a living?"
"Oh, I work as a customer service rep, how about you? Your mother mentioned you work at a restaurant?" Hmm, seems like he listens to her. "Yes, a cafe. Just the register though." He nodded, "Which one, if you don't mind me asking."
"The one off 5th street" I answer, taking a sip of my water watching as my mum sits down next to him. "Oh! Never been, I'll have to check it out sometime." He answers, giving my mum a kiss in the cheek he cheeks immediately growing red.
They seem happy.
Dinner went well, my interrogation didn't freak him out too much. In fact, he answered every question with as much enthusiasm as the last. At the end of dinner I got up and cleaned the dishes, the least I could do for her.
"She seems to like you, Carter" I overhear my mom say. "That's good, it's important she thinks I'm good for you."
Okay, maybe not all the guys my mom dates are complete assholes.
