My Matteo

A day in the life

Chapter 2: A Day in the Life

The bell above the café door chimed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Ellasandra wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand, feeling the familiar ache in her arms from hours of pulling espresso shots and juggling customer orders. It was one of those crazy busy days where the hours blurred together, and she barely had time to breathe between customers.
"Thanks for coming! See you next time!" she called out with a smile as the last group of customers exited the café. The door swung shut behind them, leaving the shop quiet and still for the first time all day.
Ellasandra let out a long sigh of relief, resting her elbows on the counter and looking around. The once bustling space was now a mess of empty cups, crumpled napkins, and crumbs everywhere. She loved owning the café—her café—but days like this made her question whether she'd bitten off more than she could chew. Still, it was hers, and she wouldn’t trade it for the world.
As the clock ticked closer to closing time, she began cleaning up, stacking chairs on tables, wiping down the counters, and sweeping the floors. The rhythmic motion was almost meditative after the chaos of the day. By the time she locked up and stepped outside, the sky had turned a soft shade of pink, the evening air cool and refreshing against her skin.
Her apartment wasn’t far from the café—just a short walk through the cozy streets of their small town. She lived with her best friend, Ruth, in a little flat that was more cluttered than stylish, but it was home. They’d known each other since they were kids, bonded over mutual hatred for the same high school bullies, and had been inseparable ever since.
Ellasandra pushed open the door to the flat and was immediately greeted by the smell of essential oils and the sound of upbeat pop music blasting from Ruth’s room. She dropped her bag by the door and kicked off her shoes, the cool floor a welcome relief after standing all day.
"Ruth! You home?" Ellasandra called out, plopping herself down on the couch with a dramatic sigh.
Ruth appeared a moment later, already dressed in her gym clothes—a tight tank top and leggings that showed off her toned arms and legs. Her long dark hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and there was a sheen of sweat on her forehead. Ruth always looked like she’d just stepped off a fitness magazine cover, something that Ellasandra simultaneously admired and rolled her eyes at.
"Of course I’m home, where else would I be?" Ruth laughed, grabbing her water bottle from the kitchen counter. “You look like you got hit by a coffee truck.”
Ellasandra groaned, covering her face with a throw pillow. “Don’t remind me. The café was packed today! I swear, I made, like, a million cappuccinos.”
Ruth smirked. “Well, you’re not done yet, babe. It’s gym time!”
Ellasandra peeked over the pillow, giving her a tired look. “Do I have to? Can’t we just skip the gym tonight? I’m so dead.”
"Ellasandra," Ruth said in her most serious voice, crossing her arms, “you promised me we’d go three times a week. Three. Don’t make me drag you out there.”
Ellasandra sat up with a sigh, knowing there was no point in arguing. Ruth was relentless when it came to health and fitness, and once she set her mind on something, there was no getting out of it. "Fine, fine," she muttered, pushing herself off the couch. "But I’m not running ten miles like you. I’ll do six and call it a day."
"Deal," Ruth grinned, tossing Ellasandra a pair of leggings. “Let’s go, lazybones.”
A quick change later, and they were both headed to the gym. Ruth was, as always, full of energy, running a ridiculous pace on the treadmill while Ellasandra did her best to keep up. After the first mile, Ellasandra found her rhythm and the burn in her legs felt oddly satisfying. By the time they finished, they were both drenched in sweat and panting for air.
"Six miles. Done," Ellasandra puffed, wiping her face with a towel as they walked back to the apartment.
Ruth, of course, looked like she could go for another run, but she was kind enough not to rub it in. “Proud of you,” she said, elbowing Ellasandra playfully. “But I could’ve gone a few more miles.”
Ellasandra shot her a mock glare. "You're not human. No one should be that energetic after a workday.”
They both laughed as they climbed the stairs to their flat, exhaustion catching up with them. Ruth grabbed a couple of leftover sandwiches from the café that Ellasandra had brought home, plopping down on the couch.
"Ah, yes, the famous 'Girl Dinner'," Ruth said, referencing the viral TikTok trend as she unwrapped a sandwich. “Basically just scraps we didn’t want to throw out. The pinnacle of health.”
"At least it's not a salad," Ellasandra laughed, sinking into the couch next to her.
Once they’d eaten and showered, both girls were sprawled out in the living room, their legs propped up on the coffee table, scrolling through their phones and chatting aimlessly.
"So," Ruth said, glancing at Ellasandra with a sly smile, “are you going to tell me what’s going on with Matteo, or do I have to drag it out of you?”
Ellasandra blinked, caught off guard by the mention of his name. “What do you mean, what’s going on with Matteo? He’s just a regular customer, that’s all.”
Ruth raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Sure. You mean the cute guy who comes into your café every morning, who you’ve been low-key obsessed with for, like, months?”
Ellasandra rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her lips. “I am not obsessed with him. He’s just... I don’t know. He’s interesting. But also annoying. Every time I try to ask him what he does for a living, he just... mocks me or gives me some vague answer.”
“Maybe he’s a spy. Or a secret millionaire,” Ruth teased, nudging her. “Come on, Ella. You’ve been crushing on him forever. Why haven’t you asked him out yet?”
Ellasandra felt her cheeks heat up at the thought. Ask Matteo out? That would be... insane. “Because he’s not my type,” she said, shaking her head firmly. “He’s—he’s too... I don’t know, too together. He’s always so calm and collected. And I’m... me.”
Ruth burst out laughing. “What does that even mean? He’s too calm? Girl, that’s not a deal breaker. If anything, that’s a green flag!”
Ellasandra groaned, throwing her head back against the couch. “I don’t know. It’s just... he’s always so cryptic. And I’m not sure he even likes me like that.”
Ruth gave her a knowing look. “Are you kidding? Have you seen the way he looks at you when he comes into the café? And don’t even get me started on how he always insists on paying for everything. You’re telling me that’s just... casual?”
“Well, he is nice,” Ellasandra admitted, chewing on her lip. “But I’m not sure he sees me like that. I mean, I’m just the barista. Maybe he just likes the coffee.”
“Girl, he doesn’t come in every morning just for the coffee. Trust me,” Ruth said, rolling her eyes. “But seriously, Ella. You’ve gotta stop overthinking it. If you like him, just go for it.”
Ellasandra shook her head, laughing softly. “Ruth, he’s Matteo. He’s not—he’s not my type.”
“Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that,” Ruth smirked. “But one day, you’re gonna realize you’re totally into him. And when you do, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Ellasandra just smiled, though deep down, she couldn’t help but wonder if Ruth was right.
Matteo was... intriguing. He was funny, sarcastic, smart—and he always had this way of making her feel like he was paying attention, like he noticed things about her. But was he really interested, or was it just her overactive imagination?
Either way, Ellasandra wasn’t ready to find out.
Not yet, anyway.