The Echoes of Solitude

Chapter Seven

"Are you excited to be starting at Wilson's tomorrow?" Cora asked, breaking the silence that had built up between us. We were currently making our way up the beach front, shoes in our hand and sand between our toes. We had been in silence since we left, not an awkward silence, but a comfortable one. We had left Martha and Marie to hold the fort whilst we went for lunch. Apparently, Fred's Diner has the best shakes, burgers and curly fries in all of Swansea, well that is what Cora had insisted.

I felt that feeling in the pit of my stomach again, the one I had when I was being interviewed by Marcus, that nervous feeling. "Yes and no," I replied. My gaze falling upon an aged couple who were walking down the beach, hand in hand, towards us, "I am excited, but I'm really nervous too and my stomach won't let me forget it. I'm worried that I am going to mess up or break something. Like, I know how to work in a café, I have worked in one before, but it's different this time. I don't want to stuff up and let Marcus down and I especially don't want to let Mrs. Webber down, not after everything she has done for me... Oh god, now I'm rambling. See, I do this when I'm nervous."

"Ally!" Cora interrupted, stopping me from my ramble, "I for one know that you are going to do amazing." She objected with a reassuring smile. "Marcus is a fair and reasonable man, plus if you have any problems, which I doubt you will, just let me know and I'll help you deal with him."

I turned my head and met her reassuring gaze, "What do you mean you'll help deal with him?" I asked confused.

She lifted an eyebrow, "Have I not told you yet?" She asked, uncertain.

"Told me what?"

"Oh," She let out a loud, bubbly laugh, "I can't believe I didn't tell you, I honestly thought I did." She mumbled to herself. "Marcus is my uncle. He's my dad's older brother." She explained.

"Oh, wow. Swansea really is a small place then."

"You have no idea," She concluded with a small laugh. "You'll actually, probably work with my cousin, Oliver. He's a few years older than us, he goes to college out of Swansea. But he's back on summer break at the moment and he tends to help out around the shop when my uncle needs it. He's quite brainy, he was granted a full four-year scholarship, but from what I've overheard from my father and uncle, he's in the wrong crowd. He apparently spends most of his time drinking and partying and doing god only knows what else."

I nodded, not completely sure of what to say. I guess it does help knowing of someone else that I could possibly be working with, it makes me feel a little better as I won't be going in completely blind.

"Ally," Cora said gently, grabbing my attention, "Please don't just brush this off, I know you probably don't know why I'm telling you this, but look, my cousin, he can be a lovely and decent human being when it suits him, but he can be a total and utter asshole too. I don't want to label him as a manwhore but he has the tendency to act like one. So please just be careful around him." She softly added.

I smiled and nodded. "So, how far away are we to Fred's Diner?" I asked, hoping to change the topic. I had no interest in getting involved or even close to him. Why bother putting myself out there just to get hurt in the long run. Cora has nothing to worry about.

***

As soon as we pushed open the glass door which held an open sign in the window, we were greeted by a loud, "Cora!"

Both Cora and I shifted our heads towards the direction of the voice. A tall but good looking, dark-haired guy started walking towards us. A huge grin was plastered across his face. He was older than us, maybe a few years older. He was dressed in the Fred's Diner uniform, a dark blue polo that had the Fred's Diner logo on the left side of his chest and a name badge on the opposite side, the name Noah was written in large, black letters. He had black jeans on and a white apron that was around his waist. As he got nearer to us, he placed the notebook in the front pocket of his apron.