Desirable Heat

2 | Two

Millie

I didn't need a mirror to tell me that I probably looked like a mess. Dark bags under my eyes, scruffy and oily hair and to top it all off, a chocolate slash coffee covered uniform that I was wearing. I didn't get time to wash it after my last shift.

"What're you doing here? It's almost 1 in the morning."

"I could ask you the same thing, Millie." Her face still rested on her fist, speaking to me with slightly droopy eyes. She hasn't slept. "I'm working. You know that already." I give her a tight lipped smile before turning around to start up the coffee machine.

A make a double shot espresso, loading some ice into a plastic cup before pouring the double shot in and then topping it up with cold filtered water. Turning back around to my best-friend, she had made herself welcome and stole herself a chocolate muffin. "Here. Just the way you like it."

Handing her the iced drink, she takes long and continuous sips; all while still looking at me. "Why are you working so late?" She leaned to the side, digging into her pocket for something.

"They desperately needed someone to cover a shift." I lie. Fun fact, I actually threatened Matthew to give me this shift. Funny right? Patently, that didn't work on him, but he agreed when I said I'll clean the bathrooms for a month.

Shes hums a inaudible response, giving me a stare that said 'I don't believe you.' A fifty dollar bill slides onto the counter and I frown. "It's fine, I'll take it out of my paycheck." I slide it back towards her but her hand slides it back to me.

"It was only a muffin, it's f—

"Don't argue with me. Take it." She ignores my kind gesture, not taking no as an answer. I sigh and open the cash register, tallying up the total change for a $4.50 muffin.

"45.50 change." I wait for Athena to raise out her hand as I held her change in my palm, but her hand doesn't budge from her side. "Thena, your change."

She shrugs. "Your tip."

"No." I snap, not wanting to steal any of my best-friends money. She always does this with everything, both when I'm at work or simply when we're out buying things. She's good like that. Buying things for me, pushing my wallet away when I offer to pay for our meals. And whenever I try to pay her back, she acts like she never spent money on me; therefore not letting me pay her back.

Honestly, I don't think she needed my chump change as much as I did knowing her family were crazy rich already. I'm lucky enough I won in the our argument about me wanting to work part time to pay for my third of the rent; even when she said that she'll pay for it.

Not happening.

"We're not doing this, Athena."

"Doing what? I'm just generously paying my server." She winks and I roll my eyes before lightly shoving my hand in her face. "I'm not taking your money."

"Mhm."

"I'm serious. I won't." I cross my arms, wanting to appear stern and to be taken seriously.
"Right." She nods, taking another sip of her drink.

I pile up the change in my hands, cupping it all together before dropping it into the tip jar we had in front of the register. Athena gives a unsatisfied look, glaring at the money jar before looking up at me. "You said it was a tip." I say proudly, feeling better if I give her money to the store rather for myself.

"Yeah, for you."

I shrug. "Don't need it." That was the biggest lie ever, that money would actually help me buy a new battery for my laptop, but my pride is way too big to admit that.