Katie's Cafe

23

It was honestly the strangest feeling for me to leave some of my personal things at a man's house, like a normal girlfriend would. This was unfamiliar territory for me.

Maybe that's what I am to him now, his girlfriend? We haven't exactly put a label on our relationship yet because it's so new. Calling a man his age my boyfriend might sound weird though.

Unfortunately, I had to go into work this morning before he did, so he kindly gave me a lift there, not wanting me to walk alone that early in the morning.

The very second I walk through the door of the cafe, I find the shocking sight of Hannah, all dolled up and clearly flirting her arse off with the new barista.

"Ahem!" I announce my arrival.

"Sara, I was just telling Kian..."

"I need a word in the back please, Hannah," I ask her firmly to show her that I'm being serious.

I had to do the big sister thing. As much as she talks like she is, she isn't actually as experienced with boys as most girls her age are.

I think she can already tell what I'm about to say to her.

"I know you obviously like this lad, but will you please do me a favour and cool off on this whole thing," I gesture to her makeup and outfit.

"Why? He seems to like it".

Lord give me strength.

"Liking the way you look and liking you as a person are two completely different things though. Please just listen to someone you know for a fact has experience with this sort of thing. A quality man will want to win your heart first and not just your body, alright?"

"God Sara, you're not my damn mother," she rolls her eyes at me before she heads back to the front to open up.

In my heart I know she's always been a sensible girl, but she's only ever had a couple of semi-serious boyfriends over the years.

It may even seem hypocritical of me to do, but I've always tried to encourage her to save herself for someone really special like I wish I had.

As nice as Kian seems on the surface, that doesn't necessarily mean that he's a good person underneath it all, and we barely even know him yet.

Even Tom himself, as good a man as he is now, has already admitted that he once used a girl he knew liked him purely for sex, and look how that turned out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later in the day, after we get back to the apartment, she storms off into her bedroom, clearly still moody with me because of our little conversation earlier.

All day I'd noticed a certain look in Kian's eyes that I didn't like. He was ogling Hannah while she was working, and part of me wanted to sew his fucking eyes shut.

I'm almost happy that she isn't working tomorrow, just so she'll be away from him and have some time to cool off and really think about what I said today.

I don't like or even want to be the bad guy in this situation, but I guess sometimes I have to be because it's the right thing to do, even if she doesn't understand yet.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I get excited thinking it's a text from Tom, but it isn't.

It's me. Do you have it?

Great, it's Damien. Because my day wasn't stressful enough already.

What are you planning on doing with it?

The less you know the better. Don't worry I'll take the video off it so nobody will ever see it.

I don't trust you.