Beep.Beep.Beep.
I slightly opened my eyes to see my neighbor,and landlord,Mr.Carter,out my window shoveling his walkway.I stretched and kicked the covers off of me then got out of bed,hitting the button on my alarm clock in the process.I opened my window and leaned out of it,a cover wrapped around me like a cape."Morning Mr.Carter!" I called.He turned to me and waved his hand."Morning Jessica!How ya' doing?"He yelled."No problems.Why up so early?"I questioned."Diana wants me to shovel the walkway today so she can get to the car in her heels.Speaking of her,shouldn't you be getting ready for work?"He asked."Oh! I almost forgot.Thank for the reminder Mr.Carter!"I ducked back into the house and shut the window.I ran to the bathroom with some clothes in my hand and took a shower then got dressed. I checked the time on my clock in the living room 6:00am.Perfect timing,as always.My job at the Cafe started at 6:30am.I checked my straight blond hair and fixed the makeup on my green eyes in the mirror near the door.I looked perfect.Too bad it isn't me.
~~♥~~
I stepped into the Cafe,letting the warm air hit my face.It's January now,almost February,so Mrs.Carter keeps the heat on all the time.
"Jessica,is that you?"
"Yeah,Mrs.Carter,it's me."
"You're early.I wasn't expecting you 'til six-thirty."She appeared out of the kitchen wearing a flowered apron.That happened every time she baked the sweets for the customers.She'd always end up looking like a ghost."I thought it was six-thirty."I took off my earmuffs and checked the time on my watch.5:45am."I really need to get that clock fixed."I grumbled."It's fine.Just get to making the bread.You remember the recipe,right?"She asked leading me into the kitchen."Yeah,I've been working here for three years."I replied."I know hun."She went back to mixing a bowl while I got out the ingredients I needed.Once I finished mixing the ingredients,I put it in the oven and shut the door."The bread's in the oven.Five huge loaves."I stretched out my hands to the size of the bread."That's great.Now,can you hand me the white chocolate chips?"She pointed to a bag and I handed to her."Where's Lydia?"I looked out of the kitchen at the door.No sign of her."I don't know.She's always like this.Late.I swear,the only reason I keep her is because she's your friend.Plus,she makes the best chocolate chip cookies and muffins I've ever tasted."I laughed and heard the bell above the door ring.I peeped my head out of the kitchen to see Lydia bundled up.
"You're late."I said with a blank expression."What,no hello?"She replied sarcastically."I see I'm not the only one who's cold."She pointed to my jacket,which I realized I still hadn't taken off.I removed my jacket while Lydia took off her gloves,jacket,and beanie."So,how late am I?"Lydia glanced up at the cat clock on the wall."Thirty minutes?"She folded an apron and tied it around her hips,as did I."Yeah,where were you?"I started wiping off the counters as Lydia went into the kitchen."My car broke down."She yelled."And you had to walk all the way here?"I walked into the kitchen and checked the bread."Yeah,sorry about being late Mrs.Carter."
"It's okay hunny,but I expect you to be here on time."
"Yes ma'am."
"You did get it towed,right?"I walked to the counters and started the coffee makers then walked back into the kitchen."Yeah.They're gonna call me later today and tell me how much it's gonna cost."She put a sheet of cookies in one of the ovens."We ready to open?"Mrs.Carter asked."As soon as my bread's done."I said."And my cookies."Lydia stated."I think the bread's done actually."
I put on oven mitts and took the bread out."Yeah,it's done."I took off the oven mitts after I put the bread on the cooling rack.Rolling up my sleeve,I took a look at my watch.7:45am."Store opens at eight,right?"Mrs.Carter nodded her head.We sat in silence for a few minutes before the bell dinged on the oven.Lydia slowly moved the tray out of the oven,careful to not burn herself,then slid the mitts off.The cat clock chimed,signaling another work day.We all piled out of the kitchen,me with my bread,Lydia with her cookies,and Mrs.Carter with a tray of some type of bars I had saw on the cooling rack earlier."And...We're...Open."Lydia smiled and flipped the open/closed sign.
~~♥~~
"Need a ride?"I asked Lydia as I locked up the store.Normally Mrs.Carter would do this,but today she had gotten a call and left the store in an panicky mood.She had asked me to run the store,seeing as how I am more responsible than Lydia,and I told her that it was fine and we would do okay. But the rest of the day I had been wondering what it was that made her leave so soon.I was so spaced out I dropped two cups of coffee,messed up one woman's change,and put salt in one batch of cookies instead of sugar.
"Jess? Jessica?"Lydia waved her hand in front of my face and I shook my head.
"I'm sorry,what?"
"I said yes.What's wrong? You worried about something?"She looked at me in the eyes."No,I'm fine.Just,thinking."I waved it off."Mrs.Carter?"She crossed her arms as we got to my car."Why'd she leave so soon?"I fished my keys off my belt loop and unlocked the doors.We climbed into the car and Lydia cranked the heat."Mr.C probably just needed help with something.Or maybe he got a cold.You know how much Mrs.Carter worries about him."She put in a CD and started singing along to the song."You're right.I'm just being paranoid.It's probably nothing."I stopped at a red light."Good,now that that's fixed,I have a question for you."She poked my nose."Do you wanna spend the night at my house?"
"I thought your parents hated me."
"They do.But they're both out of town.Taking a 'Second honeymoon'."She motioned air quotes."Sure.Just let me get some clothes from my house."I drove to my house and picked up some pajamas and an outfit for tomorrow then drove to Lydia's.
