Deep Inside

Chapter 3 ( Something New )

After a trip to the mall, the girl purchased new clothes, shoes, and accessories. She also acquired school supplies and other items that caught her eye, such as a cute bean bag, chairs, a large and comfortable couch that can be transformed into a bed, as well as a new duvet, blanket, and various pillows. She made the purchases and arranged for everything to be delivered directly to her apartment to avoid having to carry it all back herself.

At Sunday noon, the clock struck 12 as Ani sat quietly in a fancy restaurant, enjoying a solitary lunch. She ordered the "Amour solitaire et calme," a three-course meal featuring a tobiko biscuit for the appetizer, roasted beef with savory buttered sauce for the main course, and a delightful mix of ice cream flavors for dessert, accompanied by a velvet cake with coffee marshmallow frosting and black tea.

After relishing her meal and settling the bill, Ani headed to the park, finding a peaceful spot on a bench. She watched as dogs played with their owners, enjoying the cool shade of the tree and the calming breeze.

By 1 PM, Ani was already at the grocery store, selecting premium meats, fresh produce, and a variety of beverages for a dinner meeting later that night. After purchasing the ingredients, she delivered them to a chef at a restaurant, providing instructions on what to prepare and where to send the cooked food.

At 5:30 PM, an hour before the meeting, Ani was already at the cafe, having cleaned and set everything up before returning home to change into her evening attire.

The table is being organized by the chefs, neatly placing the food, plates, utensils, and drinks, including the desserts that were ordered. After organizing everything, they left as they had already been paid.

Ani waited at the table, chatting with Mr. Rick who arrived after the chefs had left. A few minutes later, everyone else arrived and began eating, although the food was starting to get a bit cold.

They enjoyed their meal and conversed with each other, praising the delicious and tender meat and the high quality of the food and desserts. Laughter and conversation filled the room until precisely 7 o'clock when Mr. Rick stood up, quieted everyone, and called for their attention to indicate the start of the meeting.

The man coughed to get everyone's attention. "First, let's all introduce ourselves so we can get to know each other. You can call me Mr. Rick, the chef of this cafe. I've been a member since the cafe first opened."

One by one, everyone introduced themselves. Some were college students and worked part-time, while only a few were full-time employees like Mr. Rick. It was Ani's turn to introduce herself. As she stood up, the room grew quieter because many people hadn't seen her working, although she was close to Mr. Rick.

"I'm Ani, the owner of this cafe," she announced. Some people started whispering and chuckling at her apparent joke, but she sat back down, and Mr. Rick stood up to speak again, restoring silence to the room.

"Ani is our boss and the cafe owner. She is quite young, but I'm not joking, so please respect and treat her kindly," he scanned the room, and everyone nodded.

"This meeting is hosted by her, and she has arranged everything for us today. Let's hear from her about the purpose of this meeting," the man sat down, and she stood up.

 She cleared her throat and addressed everyone sitting down, "I've called this meeting today to get to know everyone and to discuss some new additions I'd like to make. If you have any questions, please save them for later and listen quietly as I speak for now."

Everyone nodded, and she began discussing adding new furniture, decorations, and items to the menu. After everyone agreed, she calmly said, "You may ask your questions now."

The atmosphere was calm until a smug-looking guy raised his hand and questioned, "Since you're young, where do you get the money to pay us and treat us to this meal?" She nodded, and the guy got to his feet.

 "In simple terms, I earned it through work, and yes, I'm still 16," she explained before taking her seat, followed by the guy and hushed conversations for the rest of the evening. 

 The night concluded after everyone pitched in to tidy up. She paid them their weekly wages, as did Mr. Rick, and they all departed after he locked the cafe doors, each going their separate ways.Ani arrived home a few minutes later, having taken a taxi.

 She then sorted through her various packages, new bag, and school supplies. After bathing, she settled onto her bed in an over sized hoodie and sweatpants. 

 She lay there contemplating what she would have for breakfast the next day before heading to school, with a video of someone playing a horror game playing in the background.

After buying a moose cake on the way home, she ate it and then went back to bed. She brushed her teeth and observed the guy who was still playing.

She fell asleep while the video was still playing on her tablet, as she mentioned that tomorrow is the first day of school.