Bad Liar | JamFilm

5.

Jam watched the door all day, flinching every time it opened. He impatiently paced from one corner to another, trying to occupy his thoughts with new orders. Today, he decided to give the staff a break and took on the work in the cafe himself. He hoped it would help him cope with his anxiety, but his thoughts kept returning to yesterday.

Because Jam understood perfectly well that he had crossed all boundaries.

All night, he couldn't close his eyes, reflecting on the words that had been spoken. And he was right. He knew he was right. A human's eyes couldn't hide pain. But that didn't mean he had the right to throw words around like that. They were almost strangers.

Almost.

With a heavy sigh, Jam pushed the towel aside on the bar counter and covered his eyes with his hand.

"Yes, Jam, and you call yourself a professional," he muttered.

"Do not dare to show weakness, Film! Don't you dare! Tears are for the weak. Kill these feelings within yourself."

Film thought he had succeeded. He thought he could hide behind this crooked mask. A mask full of lies.

It seemed to be falling apart at the seams. He had become a clown in his own game.

Film drowned himself in work, drinking a glass of whiskey before sleep, but the nightmares never left him.

"You're just a wretch."

He knew it. 

Four days had passed since their conversation. Jam continued to work at the café, afraid to step away even for a moment, earning disapproving glances from his staff.

"Boss, if you keep staring at the door like that, you'll eventually scare away all the customers. Right now, you look like a big, scary Doberman."

"Silvy, I messed up," Jam's face was unreadable, but there was a tremor in his voice. The young woman simply sighed heavily, taking a glass from his hand and saying, "I don't know what happened between you and that customer, but I know you, and I'm sure you're taking it too hard. No one can stay mad at you for long!"

"If only it were that simple," Jam muttered. A new couple entered the café, and Silvy put on her brightest smile as she took their order.

"Boss, I think you should go get some fresh air. Your thoughts are making the atmosphere heavy, and it's already been raining all day!" The girl whispered through clenched teeth as she dealt with a new order, gently ushering the man away from his workplace. Jam blinked in confusion at her actions and then furrowed his brow.

"What should I do then?"

"I don't know. What do normal people do? Go to a bookstore! Or a cat café! See how normal people live, because you're practically spending the night at work," SilvY exclaimed with a hint of irritation. Jam lowered his head in thought, surveying the half-empty café.

"Are you sure you can handle it alone?" he asked, hoping that his assistance wouldn't be rejected, but the girl just rolled her eyes and waved her hand toward the exit.

"I've been doing just fine without you. Get out of my sight, or I'll kick you out myself!" Silvy retorted.

"I'm your boss," Jam pointed out.

"And I'm your employee, the one you pay, so let me earn my paycheck," she replied.

Jam knew it was pointless to argue with her. Silvy had started working at his café two years ago when he had just opened it. He trusted her, knowing that she could handle things. Their relationship was more like family; they were like brother and sister. They could yell at each other and then go out to dinner together. Silvy enjoyed working at the café, and Jam had a dream of opening a second 'Mint Vinetu,' so he knew he could rely on her to handle the manager's responsibilities in that case.

"You're sending me out into this rain? You have no compassion at all," Jam grumbled but still grabbed his leather jacket and headed towards the exit, hearing Silvy say:

"I mentioned it during our interview. Not my fault you forgot."

Jam chuckled, recalling their meeting. From the very first moment they met, the girl didn't hide her character, and that had appealed to Jam. He always liked real people.

Even if their personality wasn't all sugar.

For days, the rain had been pouring relentlessly. And Jam couldn't help but smile, remembering the moment he met Film for the first time.

Under the shelter of his café, a thoroughly soaked Film looked so lost that Jam simply couldn't leave him there. Jam had a weakness for cute things, and no matter how much he wanted to deny it, he considered Film cute.

With a heavy sigh, Jam retrieved the keys from his jacket pocket and, approaching his motorcycle, grabbed a helmet. Perhaps Silvy was right, and he needed to unwind.

Jam loved books. Since childhood, he had spent evenings in the school library. But lately, he had been reading less, devoting his free time to the café or spending time with close friends.

Stepping into the bookstore in the heart of Bangkok, he was greeted by the pleasant scent of coffee and new books. Many people were simply sitting at tables, seeking refuge from the gloomy weather. Jam also thought about finding a new book and sitting down at a table. Perhaps it would help distract him even just a little.

He lazily looked around until, in an instant, his gaze caught a familiar tuft of hair, and his body froze. His heart pounded faster in his chest, but he, ignoring his own excitement, quickly walked over to the table, trying to maintain composure, but he couldn't suppress his enthusiasm.

The other man was completely absorbed in his reading and didn't notice Jam approaching his table until he sat down opposite him, intruding into his personal space.

"I was hoping to see you at the café, but you never showed up again," Jam said in an even tone, placing his hands on the table and staring intently at the bewildered man, whose gaze flickered with various emotions, from embarrassment to fear.

Silence hung between them. Film didn't understand what was happening, and Jam was trying to find the right words but...

"Why does it matter to you?" Film barely whispered, trying to put on his usual mask of composure. But Jam didn't have an answer because...

Why did this man matter to him?

P.S. I already have no clue what is going on here. Film is lost. I am lost. Jam is the only one who seems to be fine. :'))