Worth the Risk

Chapter thirty-two

"I'm here!" I pant as I rush through the front door of Sorrisetto. The bell rings through the restaurant, announcing my 45 minutes late arrival. "I'm here, I'm here, I'm here."

I sprint toward the basement and jump into my work clothes. I'm still buttoning up my dress shirt when I take two steps at a time on the way back upstairs. "I'm sorry." I stumble into the kitchen and repeat my words to my boss, Theo. "I'm sorry. I really am but-," I inhale deeply. "Oh my god," I wheeze. "And here I thought my athletic condition was okay."

I lean on the kitchen island, taking a few seconds to steady my breathing. "I was studying late last night and I fell asleep on my desk. I had set an alarm clock but my phone died somewhere in the middle of the night. That's why I didn't call, I couldn't because I didn't have time to plug it in. I'm terribly sorry, Theo." I stammer all the words out, from time to time pausing to take a deep breath.

"Make me one of your coffees and I'll let it slip." On my second day here, I accidentally swapped my coffee, black with lots of milk and flavored with caramel, with his, black with one drop of milk and a sprinkle of sugar. It was the worst coffee I'd ever tasted, my face was torched with disgust and I'd expected the same from Theo, however, when I looked up he was taking another sip, delighted by the taste. Since that day, his first question of the day would always be if I'd make him 'my' coffee.

"Coming right up," I say as I walk into the restaurant to fulfill Theo's request. I greet Marcia, Alani, and Colin on my way over to the coffee machine and ignore the flutter in my belly when Colin flashes me one of his warm smiles.

It's been two weeks since I tried to kiss him. Since I told him I loved him and shocked him to the extent that he lost almost all of his vocabulary. I can't blame him. My reaction would be more or less the same if someone threw their heart into my hands like that, but I wanted him to know. It pained me that he thought I didn't care for him as much as he did for me. Even if he didn't say it in words, I could see it in his eyes when he asked me why I didn't tell him then. It's as if it was a coded message telling me things would've ended differently if I did. I wish I did tell him, however, I don't know if I would've acted differently. I was scared and telling him I loved him would've only added to that emotion because fully opening your heart to someone means they can step in and destroy everything even when it's not intended. Telling him now was scary, yet it was easier because I could talk in the past tense instead of in the present.

After I'm done making Theo's 'special' coffee, I bring it to him with my brightest apologetic smile on display. "I really am sorry."

"I know just don't let it happen again."

"I will buy myself an analog alarm clock just for you," I promise as I push open the kitchen swing door connected to the restaurant. Right before it shuts I hear him yell back 'I count on it'. I spin around and flash him a smile through the round window in the door before I turn back. I come to an abrupt halt when I almost crash into Colin and apologize as I move out of his way.