The Sceptic

2.Café Granules

^^Café Granules^^

•Tevan•

It's 5:30am, time to get up. It's 5:30am, time to get up.

I wake up to the loud voice from my phone's alarm. I get up and put on my clothing from last night and go to the storage to retrieve running shoes before heading out to the park- behind the apartment building- that Jack told me about.

When I get to the park I scroll through my phone for my jogging playlist before plugging in the headsets and putting my phone in a pouch that goes around my arm before starting with the jog. After 30 minutes of jogging around the park I head back to the apartment building.  When I open the door, I find Jack standing in a suit looking ready for work.

"Hay.", I greet as I head to the kitchen. I grab a bottle of water before taking a huge gulp and sigh in satisfaction as the slight burn in my throat disappears.

"Hay, I'm heading out to work. I'll see you at 7.", Jack says as he grabs his car keys and exits the apartment. But then he comes back and gives me a key, "That's the spare, incase you come back before me.", he says and leaves.

I make my way to the bathroom and take a quick shower. After the shiwer I get dressed in loose blue jeans and a large military green long sleeved shirt with black sneakers. I comb my hair in a neat hairstyle and look at the time, 6:40. Just so I can be early, I grab my phone and keys before locking the apartment, and head out to work, exciting.

When I arrive at the café, it's still not open, but I can see Takkie inside busy with something at the counter. I knock my knuckles onto the glass door and she smiles at me while walking to the door.

"Hay, good morning.", she says as she walks back towards the counter to carry on with whatever she was busy with. After walking in I close the door and relock it.

"Morning,", I say while getting behind the counter to grab a cloth. I start wiping the tables after I pull down the chairs from on top of them. Takkie had briefed me yesterday that I would be working as a waiter and will help with cleaning up the place. Only when I am permanent will she let me work the counter. "So what time does the café actually open?", I ask as she brings out steamy delights and places them in the glass display.

"We open at 7:30am, we should actually be opening the doors now." She says after looking at her wristwatch for the time. "Do you mind?", She gestures to the door with her head. Shaking my head, I walk to the door and flip the sign that says open/closed so it alerts customers that we're now open. I go to get a little black apron- with a pocket for my notepad to write orders in- to tie around my waist. Time to get busy, I think as the bell on the door chimes, notifying us of the first customer for the day.

•••

I sigh a breath of relief as I flip the open sign to closed. It's been a long day and this place gets full, especially during lunchtime. I wonder how Takkie handled it before, when she was alone. I grab a broom by the storage and start sweeping up the floors after placing the chairs on the tables. I also place all the dirty dishes into the dishwasher after rinsing them.

"You know you don't have to do that right?", I hear Takkie ask as she makes her way into the kitchen. Turning on the machine I sit in one of the chairs in the kitchen and look at her.

"Oh no. I know, but it's not a problem.", I say. "So your like 25, how is it that you own your own café? A successful one at that.", I ask, trying to get to know my new employer.

"Well I'm flattered that you assume I'm 25, I'm actually 30-" she says and my jaw drops, literally, "-and I have had my café for more than 7 years. I opened it with my trust fund when I was 21.", she continues after my mini freakout.