Plot Twist

4. have you ever been in love?

Another Monday, another day at work.

Just like every other weekday, after managing to get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off, I wake up my daughter and fix us breakfast rather quickly. We get dressed and ready for another day.

With all our early morning tasks out of the day, we got in the car, and, after dropping Lexi off at school with an extra kiss on her cheek and our typical final wave when she was at the door of the building, I drove to work.

The foggy weather hardly allowed this morning to be an easy one. Beautiful? Yes, definitely. I've always been a fan of fog, there was something really mystical about it, that made me feel like I was in a movie set. But, when you were on the road - and especially during rush hour -, the fog was definitely something you'd want to avoid, unless you liked being stuck in traffic.

Thankfully, after crossing the Kew Bridge the vehicle congestion eased a little and I reached my destination on time.

"Hi Mel!" With her usual cheerful tone, Olivia almost scared me. "How are you?"

"God, I didn't know you were in there." I said, followed by a sigh of relief I let out. "I'm good. How are you?"

Having already put my belongings away, I fumbled inside the cabinet, searching for the apron to wrap around my waist.

"Tired." With an eye roll, she turned in her heels and went to the storage room to get some supplies for us to prepare the tables. "Tomorrow can't come soon enough."

I shot Olivia a questioning look while I tied my blonde hair into a low bun, and she explained her train of thought. "I'm gonna have three days off!"

"Oh, have you been working all weekend again?" I asked, with a hint of disapproval in my voice.

"Yeah, I did. University isn't going to pay itself off, you know?" I mustered a sympathetic smile, but couldn't help but feel bad that she had to put herself through this just to get a higher education degree.

Olivia started working this job so she could afford to go to University, to major in Photography and follow her dream. At twenty-six years old, it was a real challenge, for multiple reasons but that's what she wanted.

Unlike me, Olivia didn't have kids nor did she have any plans to have them anytime soon. She was uninterested in committing to anyone else, besides herself and her goals. She was driven and very focused on focusing on only herself. Which, in a way, seems pretty amazing to me.

After completing all my tasks on the to-do list of the morning shift, and after catching up with my friend in the meantime, it was time to open the restaurant.

Not too long after we did, and while I was preparing a set of plates, I heard the sound of footsteps hitting the wooden floors and I glanced in the direction of the restaurant's entrance.

A customer.

I fixed my apron before making my way towards him and welcomed him to the restaurant.

When I looked up and my eyes met his piercing blue ones, I immediately recognized who it was. It was him. The same customer that came here a week ago. Tall, blonde, french. Way too early for lunch.

"Good morning, sir." I offered him a smile. "Welcome to The Royal Rose."

"It's my pleasure to come back." He responded, with a hint of the French accent that gave him away the last time I saw him. The man smiled back at me.

"Well, it's good to know you enjoyed your last meal enough to come back." I politely said with a grin. "Do you have a preference for the table?"

"The same as last time. In the corner, by the window." He paused before adding, "If that's okay, of course."