desertion

94

LYDIA

The scent of fresh dough and melted cheese greeted me the moment I stepped into the pizzeria. It was comforting, familiar, and oddly enough, it felt like home. I tied my apron against my waist, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. The morning light streamed through the window, making the glossy red booths and shiny countertops look even brighter.

"Lydia! Took you long enough." Delilah's voice cut through the quiet buzz of the early shift. She was already behind the counter, expertly folding pizza boxes.

I rolled my eyes as I clocked in. "I'm literally on time. You're just extra."

Delilah smirked. "Extra is what makes me great."

Miles was leaning against the register, his apron slung lazily around his neck, but not tied yet. His dark eyes lit up as he saw me. "Good morning, slowpoke."

"You're one to talk," I shot back, grabbing a notepad and pen for taking orders. "Didn't I beat you here last week?"

Miles raised an eyebrow, his mouth twitching into a grin. "Barely. And I let you win."

"Sure you did," I said, walking past him.

As I passed, he reached out and gently flicked the edge of my notepad, causing the pen to fall.

"Seriously?" I bent down to grab it, glaring up at him.

"Just keeping you on your toes," he said with a playful shrug.

"Childish," I muttered, but the smile tugging at my lips betrayed me.

Tyler walked in from the back, carrying a tray of fresh ingredients. "Are you two going to flirt all day or are we actually working today?"

Miles smirked but said nothing, and I shot Tyler a mock glare. "We're professionals, thank you very much."

"Professionals who can't go five minutes without teasing each other," Delilah quipped.

The banter set the tone for the day, and the hours passed in a steady rhythm of taking orders, making pizzas, and joking around.

********

By noon, the lunch rush was in full swing. Delilah worked the register, her sharp voice cutting through the chatter as she called out orders. Tyler and I manned the kitchen, moving in sync as we prepared pizzas. Miles floated between the two stations, sometimes helping Delilah, sometimes grabbing trays to run out to customers.

"Order up!" I called, sliding a hot pepperoni pizza onto the counter.

Miles appeared beside me, grabbing the tray. "Got it!"

He paused, glancing at me with a smirk. "You missed a spot of flour."

I frowned, brushing off my apron. "Where?"

He reached out and rubbed flour from his hands onto my apron.

I blinked, momentarily stunned, before realizing what he'd done. "You're so annoying."

"Adorable, though," he said, already walking away.

I rolled my eyes, biting back a laugh.

********

As the rush slowed, the four of us finally had a chance to breathe. Delilah leaned against the counter, sipping a soda, while Tyler sat on a stool, scrolling through his phone. Miles and I cleaned the counters, working side by side in comfortable silence.

"So, what's the plan for after work?" Delilah asked, breaking the quiet.

"Probably collapsing," Tyler said without looking up.

"I'm with Tyler," I added. "This shift is taking it out of me."

Miles glanced at me. "You're not that tired. You've still got enough energy to tease me." He said with a confident smirk.

I raised an eyebrow. "That's because it's easy."

Delilah snorted, nearly choking on her drink. "She's got you there, Miles."

"Traitor," Miles muttered, but he was smiling.

********

The last hour of the shift was always the best. The restaurant was quiet, with only a few customers lingering at the tables. The four of us worked on closing tasks, chatting as we cleaned.

Tyler was folding the last of the pizza boxes when Delilah started humming a familiar tune.

"Oh no," Miles groaned.

I looked up, confused. "What?"

"She's about to start singing," Tyler said, not looking up from his task.

Sure enough, Delilah burst into song, belting off a slightly off-key version of some pop hit.

"Delilah, stop," Miles pleaded, covering his ears dramatically.

"You're just jealous of my talent," she said, spinning around with her broom like it was a microphone.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I think you're scaring the customers."

"There are like two people here," she shot back. "And they look like they're enjoying it."

Miles shook his head. "I can't take this."

He turned to me, his expression serious. "Lydia, as my girlfriend, it's your duty to make her stop."

I raised an eyebrow, a confused expression on my face. What is it with him making our relationship known today? "Pretty sure that's not in the relationship handbook."

Tyler snickered. "She's got you again, man."

Miles sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat.

********

By the time we finished cleaning and locked up for the night, I felt a sense of satisfaction. It had been a long day, but a good one.

As we stepped outside, the cool evening air hit me, and I pulled my jacket tighter around me.

"Same time tomorrow?" Tyler asked, tossing his keys in the air and catching them.

"Yep," Delilah said. "Can't wait to do it all over again."

Miles fell in step beside me as we walked toward the parking lot. "You know, you were pretty great today."

I glanced at him, smiling. "Just today?"

He grinned. "Okay fine. You're kind of good every day."

I nudged him lightly. "You're not so bad yourself."

Delilah's voice rang out behind us. "Are you two going to be gross all the way to your cars?"

Miles looked over his shoulder. "Jealous much?"

"Absolutely not," she said, but her laugh echoed through the night.

As we went our seperate ways, I couldn't help but be grateful. Work might be exhausting, but with my friends-and Miles-it never felt like a chore.

********

I wanted to show a bit more into Lydia and Miles' relationship. I know I've shown some of their trope, but I just wanted a small, quick happy chapter!!

anyway, hope you enjoyed, and hope you enjoy the rest of the story :p