Chocolate love

chapter 9

I thought I'm gonna master this thing, I thought wrong.

It was a total disaster. I got almost every order wrong and when I tried to flirt with some of the  customers to make up for it, I spilled the fixed coffee on their shoes or gave too many free straws away from nervousness. I knew Austen was watching from the side and I knew I couldn't be more fired. I mean, if I was her I would have  totally kicked me out by now.

"young boy " she said to me on the finally coming break.

"yes o'l lady " I repeated mockingly and she rolled her eyes at me "You do realize that I can never have these wasted 20 min of explaining back, its gone and all for nothing. I mean, how hard could it possibly be to pour a bloody cup of coffee? I didn't as to dance the tango while doing it" she claimed and I laughed as I tried to shoo the image off my head. She cleared her throat loudly and I lower my gaze to the floor trying to be as serious as I can. She was soo cute when she was pretending to be mad. Her cheeks were flushed red like cherry and her lips were the color of blood on snow, I was going crazy here and she didn't have a clue.

"Say you're sorry" she sighed at me and I picked my head to give her the questioning look.

"Sorry"? I asked more then actually said and she really began to look impatient now.

"Do you mean that?" She said with her hands on her hips and I see the sorrow in her eyes as she trying to hold it together.

"I do I really do " I say seriously now.

"Good cause I believe we lost some customers today to the coffee house across the street " She says and exams my respond too harshly and I can see now that its not just me that she's mad about. She's absolutely exhausted and worn out and I'm just the cherry on top of it all. I want to tell her how sorry I truly am but I don't think it will matter anymore.

"I can totally understand if you want to kick me out the door right now and let me  slide home on the freezing snow" It's better to end it all now then to make it hard on her. She lifts an eyebrow like I spoke French just now.

"I'm not gonna fire you, I'm gonna give you a warning. It's only fair. I believe in second chances, sometimes even third chances. And besides, if I was to be fired after every time I made a mistake at work, I would've probably be home right now. I once even kept talking to a woman for thirty minutes trying to apologize for mistaking her for a man."

"..."

"yes, yes it was embarrassing like hell but look where I am now, i'm still here and one day im sure i'm gonna open a coffee house of my own and you know why? cause I want to give people hope. I know its sounds stupid but do you know the power of a hot cup of coco in a depressing winter day? It's like a warm hug that follows you the entire day and.. I want to be the one who's responsible for that. For making people feel good about themselves cause the worst thing that can happen to someone any minute of his life..that he's gonna lose fate in himself..and believe me that I know the feeling .."

She was staring at the floor now and I had to hold myself from not crying. How will it look like if a big strong athletic guy like me gonna cry in front of the girl he has a crush on? Not very manly like that's for sure. Instead I rubbed my shoulder uncomfortably and whispered "I don't think that's stupid at all. To be honest I think it's actually very kind of you and very very unselfish of you which is something you don't find a lot among people these days.. you have no idea how the cup of coffee from yesterday..how it.." I couldn't continue the sentence and she didn't push me to.

"So, you see my point. I want you to.." her voice was so low now that I had to convinced myself it wasn't my imagination that she actually spoke to me in this sweet kind voice that damn reminded me too much of my mother..

mother..

I felt this urge feeling of throwing up suddenly when the fact that I- wont ever hear her soft voice again, never kick her out of my room when she catches me with trashy magazines  and never see her typing her unpublished book while whining about the fact that the keyboard was invented to make people miserable -hit me so hard .  I missed her so much and there was nothing I could do about that.

"Hey, are you ok? You look a bit pale. Can I get you some water? i'm gonna get you some water". She looked really worried. Mother worried. My heart pounded so fast. Stop worrying about me so much , if you do..i might do something I'm not supposed to do ..

"Here's your water". She gives me a tall ceramic cup filled with refreshing cold water, I drink it quickly and wipe my mouth with my sleeve.

"Thanks, I needed that".. I mumble and she shrugs like its not big deal. But it was.

"So..are you ready for your second chance? This time I know you can do it. I'm gonna be there the whole time to make sure you wont spill any more coffee on the customers " She laughs and I join her for a second.

"Promise'? I ask with huge puppy eyes and she laughs even louder

"Yes puss in boots, I promise. God.. don't ever use this look with me again or I might just sell you my soul." She giggled and my smile just got wider if that's possible.

$$$

It was almost eleven at night  when I took off the stupid apron and took a long deep breath stretching like I just came back from a war. (In my mind I actually did..)

"You did good " I hear a tired voice behind me and I'm already smiling.

"You ready to leave ? You must be exhausted " She says and rubs her eyes herself. I feel my body tensing as she helps untied the apron I was seriously getting tired of messing with. Her fingers were a bit cold though it was warm 'n cozy inside. She lingered on my hips for a slight second and then took the apron off and my breath with it just like that.

"Austen.." I start when suddenly someone open the French doors- though the sign that said " close " was facing the crowed -and steps straight forward to face Austen.

"Get out of here" she says and I understand she must know the fella.

"Not until you hear what I have to say". She looks scared to death.
As he hands her a thick closed letter, He says with a manly creepy voice "Here it is". The random person was tall and dark haired. He was lanky and his cheeks were flushed red from the cold.

"Please leave" she says more firm now. Then she takes the letter looks at it for a brief moment and says "please don't do this". I didn't think she was capable of using this kind of expression. It was cold and  kind of blank all together. Like she preferred to believe he was actually invisible and not right in front of her, holding her pale hand like he was drowning. He held her rights and then grabbed her arm.

"Let me go!" she yelled now and before he was able to respond I found myself hitting him with all of my strength, taping him to the -still wet from washing -floor.

"What the hell "? He weeps his bleeding lips and looks at me like only just now he noticed my existence. "And who are you"? he asks but i'm too warmed up to be polite enough and introduce myself and instead picks him up and pin him to the wall

"i think Austen's the one who deserves the answers don't you think " ? I roar and the mysterious guy looks at Austen like asking what is my damn problem and that him being here is totally normal and i'm being the crazy one.

"Austen..she..she knows me.." he manages and I blink for a second and cheeks Austen's facial respond. she looks like a silent beautiful statue and I take  that as a yes. She has her hands around her stomach and looks so scared all I want to do it kill him.

"Who the hell are you"? I ask after a long silence and he laughs yeah, I know, what a freak freak.

"Did I just said something funny here you little shi*-' im about to hit him again when this time Austen's hand is on mine and she nods me to stop.

"Don't.." she whispers and a single tear drop from her eye to the floor. In that moment my heart is fire and until Ill kill this dude, I know its not gonna stop.