Someone Like Elliott

Chapter 10: A little bit about me

I was sitting in one of the cafe booths, just observing how things were faring. The cafe was full of customers and everyone was quite busy.
Hailey was refilling a cup, Lilian was attending to the cash register and Henry was taken a customer's order.
Business was good, but I had to figure out a way to make it better.
I took out a little notebook and started brainstorming ideas for the restaurant.
"Hey." A voice said.
I raised my head up and I was met with a pair of icy blue ones. My mind immediately drifted to our last conversation.
"Hello Stranger. " I responded to which he flashed a guilty smile.
"Is this seat taken." He asked. He was wearing an orange shirt and deep blue denim jeans, paired with a blue denim jacket. His hair was in its signature look.
"No." I responded and went back to what I was writing.
There was an awkward silence around us and I'll be lying if I said I was able to come up with new ideas. I was just drawing a bunch of doodles in my book to avoid looking at him.
"I'm sorry sweetheart." Elliott said. My head snapped up to look at him, wandering what he was apologising for.
"For going MIA on you." He continued.
"You don't have to apologise for that. You're your own man." I said.
"But I want to be your man." He said and I couldn't help it. I burst into laughter.
"That was so cringe and cheesy." I said and broke into another fit.
He had a little smile on his face and amusement was shining in his eyes as he watched me laugh.
"Do you usually use that line when trying to win a girl over?" I asked with a smile.
"Sweetheart, I'm Elliott Grey. I've never tried to win a girl over, it's usually the other way round." He commented. The smile on my face fell and I thought about what he just said.
If only I didn't have such a horrible experience with love, then maybe, I could have been like other girls.
"I'm not like other girls." I said sadly.
"Yes, you aren't." He said. I thought he would be disappointed by that.
After all, he was surrounded by dozen girls a day, yet the only one he wanted, or claimed he wanted, was too afraid to let herself go.
When I looked into his eyes tho, it was full of admiration and dare I say, love.
"Are you free?" He asked.
I looked down at my little book in thought.
What's there to loose.
"Yes. I am."
"Great. " He flashed me a heartwarming grin and gestured for a waiter. Henry came over with his own charming smile and wiggled his eyebrows at me when Elliot wasn't looking.
I flipped him the bird to which he just chuckled.
"Hello and welcome to Jay's Homey Cafe. Are you ready to order?" Henry asked looking at Elliott.
"Yes. Can I get a black coffee with a piece of cheesecake." Henry nodded his head at Elliott and turned to me.
"I'll have a caramel latte with extra creamer and a large sized bagel." I replied.
"Sure thing Miss. Anderson." Henry said knowing how I felt about him addressing me with my surname.
I rolled my eyes at him, to which he just chuckled.
"So Miss. Anderson, tell me about yourself. The last time we went out on a date, you barely gave me any information about yourself." Elliott said once Henry left for our meals.
I couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped my lips when I recalled that night.
"What do you want to know?" I asked.
"Just the basics." He replied.
"My name is Jayna Valentina Anderson, not sweetheart." I started off with to which he let out a chuckle.
"You're called Valentina, cute." He commented to which I blushed.
"Why do you call me sweetheart." I asked.
"The first time I saw you, you had on a sweatshirt that said and I quote, call me sweetheart." He said and I couldn't help but gape at him.
"You mean when you saw me at McDonald's." I asked.
"Yep." He responded as if it was the most normal thing.
"I still don't get it Elliott. I mean, you're Elliott Grey." I said amazed, the reality of the whole situation ship sinking in.
"Yes, I am." He responded unfazed.
"Are you sure you're okay. Did you hit your head. Do you want me to call someone for you." I asked freaking out.
Elliott looked confused.
"What is going on." He asked a bit amused and confused.
Henry showed up then with our food.
"Here's the meal you ordered for." He slowly set our meal before us. He passed me a crumpled sheet and a wink which did not go unnoticed by Elliott and left.
I opened up the paper under the table, glad Elliott was sitting across from me and not by me.
You deserve this Jay.
It was in Henry's handwriting. I searched for him with my eyes and saw him leaning against the bar. He gave me a thumbs up and an encouraging smile. Somehow, it managed to calm the turmoil in me.
"So, what did you mean when you asked whether I was okay or not." Elliott asked.
I let out a little embarrassed chuckle.
"You're Elliot Grey. The most popular and successful, not to mention hot and youngest business tycoon Newyork has ever seen."
I let out a little laugh.
"And you want me. Like me. Plain ole me. Are you sure you don't have the wrong girl." I asked leaning forward.
"Yes Jana Valentina Anderson. What's so wrong with me wanting you. Haven't you ever been wanted before." He asked with a clenched fist.
Haven't you ever been wanted before.
I thought about my parents. The number of times my mother made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with me. My father who called me an error. He always used to go on and on about how I was nothing but a silly mistake.
And then there was Leon. I thought he wanted me, for who I am, but no. He just wanted my body.
"No. I've never been fully wanted before." I said with clenched jaw and hardened eyes.
My plate was empty and so was his. I hated the look of sympathy that filled his eyes.
"Thanks for the company." I said and quickly escused myself.

****************************
"Why is there so much confetti." Hailey groaned as she swept.
"You think that's something. Have you seen the amount of dishes to be washed." Henry replied walking towards the kitchen.
"Can you please stop fucking complaining." Lillian said agitated, scrubbing icing off the walls.
"So fucking rude." Hailey groaned rolling her eyes.
A small smile rested on my face as I scrubbed cake off the wall opposite Lillian.
"I'm just so hungry." Lillian said.
"Too bad cause we're no where near done." Hailey said as she aggressively swung the broom.
"You know Jay, the next time someone reserves the place, tell them food fights are off limits unless they're gonna clean up afterwards." Henry commented coming out off the kitchen.
"I can't believe they ordered that much food and had more than half of it on the walls. I spent the whole afternoon cooking." A frustrated Garry followed Henry out of the kitchen.
His dark skin was glistening with sweat and he had a frown on his face.
"I'm so sorry guys. I had no idea this was gonna happen, but if it helps they left a huge tip so y'all should be expecting a raise this month." I announced making them cheer.
I stepped out for a bit to order pizza and went back in.
"Leaving in a month." I heard the end of Hailey's conversation and my ears itched with curiosity.
"Whose Leaving in a month?" I asked and resumed my scrubbing.
There was an awkward silence as no one spoke. I paused and looked at them confused.
Henry avoided my gaze and pretended to be so interested in the confetti on the ground.
Garry was whistling away a tune and Lillian was scrubbing the wall so hard, I doubt she even heard me.
Hailey looked like a kid caught doing something wrong. I raise a brow at her.
"I'm quiting." She responded quietly, shifting nervously from one foot to another.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I was going to but the time was never right, although that was never a valid reason. You've been nothing but kind to me since my arrival here and I really appreciate it...." She continued talking but I zoned out.
"Please don't be mad." She ended her long rant with a sigh.
"Damn girl, you talk." Garry said with an amused smile.
"I thought you were never going to end." Lillian giggled.
Hailey just turned red and ignored their taunts, her attention solely on me.
"Why would I be mad Hailey. I'm not mad." I dropped my sponge and walked towards her.
"You're not?" She asked looking unsure.
I let out a little chuckle.
"Of course not. But I'm curious. Why did you come to such a conclusion." I asked.
"Cause I'm the best employee you have." She responded as if it was the most obvious fact in the world.
"Hey."
"It's obviously me."
"That is so not true." Came the responses of Lillian, Henry and Gary.
"Why the sudden decision to quit, I asked curiosly.
"My mom." She said.
"Your mom!" I exclaimed shocked.
"Yes Jay my mom." She said with a little laugh.
"She exists?" I asked puzzled.
"Apparently she does. She showed up two weeks ago and suggested we move with her to Rhode Island." Hailey continued.
"Rhode Island." I repeated to which she just nodded.
"Are you sure about this Hailey. I know she's your mother but she's still a stranger." I asked.
"I know Jay. But she seems really honest. Something about her makes me feel safe and secure. I want to go with her. She said she'll enroll me into college and take care of my brother." Hailey said with a smile. She looked so happy and it made me so happy.
I laughed and engulfed her into a hug.
"I'm really going to miss you." I murmed into her hair.
"Yeah me too."She whispered back hugging me tighter.
"Group hug." Garry shouted and rushed in with Henry.
"Come on Lillian, you know you want in." Garry said gesturing to Lillian.
She rolled her eyes but came into the hug with a little smile.
"You guys are the best." Hailey said into the hug.
"We are family Hailey. We are supposed to be the best." Henry said. A few tears gathered in my eyes.
It was true I have the girls but the cafe, Henry, Hailey, Garry and Lillian were all family. Although we all met on the terms of making money, we became closer and found comfort in each other, bonding through our painful life experiences and our will to make it no matter how tough the situation was.
The cafe dinged open and we all pulled out of the hug.
"Pizza for Miss.Anderson." the delivery man said.
"That will be me. Thanks." I paid for the delivery and placed the pizza back on the table.
The cafe looked better than it did a few hours ago.
Lillian and I were able to scrub off all the food from the walls, thank God.
The floor still had confetti on them and the booths were all messed up when it came to arrangement.
"Pizza's here. We'll continue tomorrow." I announced. They all dropped their cleaning equipments and surrounded around me.
The rest of the nights were filled with laughter and sharing of old memories we experienced together.