released ± [ luke hemmings ]

± t h r e e

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I had been working with Luke for about an hour, but Jesus Christ did it feel like so much longer. I still had 4 more hours to go until the shop closes, and I already felt as though I had had enough of Luke to last me a lifetime.

I don't understand how anyone could possibly be that annoying, but everything he did just seemed to tick me off.

And boy, did he know it.

"Can I take your order?" I said politely, looking towards a middle-aged man who was in a suit, probably on his work break from an office or something.

I did that a lot, when a customer came in that I didn't recognise, I would quietly wonder where they came from and what they were doing. I even tried to guess what they would order as they walked through the door, but I've only ever managed to have a few lucky guesses.

"Yes, a latté please." He said, before placing a few pounds into my palm and smiling as I ordered Luke to make the order.

Every hour we decided to switch jobs, so instead of Luke being on the till and me making the orders, we changed so I was now on the till and Luke was making the customers orders.

He was doing a good job of actually making them, as in they seemed to turn out okay, but he got terribly confused over which machine made what.

"Latte... he said to himself, turning in a 360 degrees rotation as his eyes glances over all the machines we have stacked up in the cafe.

"Newbie?" The customer asked me as we both laughed, watching Luke struggle.

"Started this morning. I guess you could say he hasn't got used to things yet." I said, laughing again as Luke sent a scowl in my direction. He seems to like doing that.

I guess unattractive scowling is his thing.

I pointed towards a machine in the middle, as Luke nodded towards me and placed a cup underneath, making the mans order.

"Well don't quit your day job kid." The man said, chuckling as Luke eventually handed him the hot tea.

Luke didn't particularly look very impressed by the man, but he couldn't be rude to him. He was a customer, after all.

"Jheez." Luke muttered after the man had walked away. He looked pretty flustered, and overwhelmed at how much he had to remember. Hopefully it will all get too much for him, and he'll quit.

"Can't deal with people who might just be as rude as you?" I guest questioned him, I'd had enough of his moaning and groaning and I needed him gone.

Maybe, if I annoy him as much as he's annoying me, he'll be the one that quits, rather than me.

He frowned at me, and lifted his hand to his head, rubbing it tiredly.

"Please teach me what's what." He pleaded desperately, looking straight into me with those deep blue eyes of his.

"Why should I Luke? All you've done is be rude and ignorant to me since you crashed into me yesterday." I said, ranting at him full on as a haze of guilt ran though him.

"That was your fault not mine." He argued, stepping towards me.

"Are you fucking serious?" I replied, wondering how on earth he expected me to help him when he was still being arrogant.

"Just help me okay? Then I'll try and be less 'annoying' or 'rude' or whatever you think I am." He offered as I rolled my eyes.

"It's not what I think you are, it's what you're making damn well sure you are." I replied, before stepping towards him and pushing him out of the way.

"That's the hot chocolate machine, used a lot at the moment so yeah." I said, pointing to a small, metal machine that was placed in the corner.

"Got it." He said, concentrating.

"That ones the one that does latté and fancy shit." I said, "if you hear any type of tea or coffee that sounds complicated then it's probably from that one." I said, pointing at the larger rectangular device.

"Right. Helpful." Luke smirked, but I could tell that he was trying to remember them.

"That's for regular tea and coffee, if they want milk then there's that machine that does that." I said, showing him them both as he nodded.

"In the summer we use those ones for smoothies and stuff but that's about it." I said, pointing towards the rest of the machines as he nodded.

"Chocolate, fancy shit, tea and coffee and other machines I don't have to worry about for another few months. Got it." Luke said, mocking my choice of wording as I sighed and sat back up on the counter.

"You're not doing a very good job at being nicer." I shot back at him as he turned to face me.

"I never said I'd be nicer. I said I'd try to be less rude." He argued, propping himself up on the counter, "this is me trying."

"Well it's not working." I frowned, looking at him as he looked back, taking his lip ring in between his teeth, fiddling with it.

"I know..." He trailed away as he stared forward, daydreaming. He obviously had something on his mind, and I wanted to know what it was if it was causing him to be as rude to me as he is.

The door bell rang, as I immediately slid off the counter, standing up and turning towards the customer, who was an attractive guy around my age.

"What can I get you?" I asked, taken aback by the fact that he was a teenage boy.

Normally, the café only has customers that are elder ladies, or middle-aged people on their work break.

I looked towards him, subtly nudging Luke, who was immediately brought out of his daydream, and he turned around and blinked several times at the customer.

"Luke?" The customer asked, immediately smiling. I think he was trying not to laugh, "you work here?"

"Michael?" Luke said, taken aback by this person, who he obviously knew, "why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." The boy, who was obviously called Michael, said as he flicked his eyes from Luke to me and back again.

"I work here." Luke said, pointing out the obvious. He was behind the counter and wearing the shop's uniform.

"Yeah I gathered that one." Michael chuckled before looking towards me skeptically, "when did he start?" He asked me, obviously trying not to be rude and bring me into conversation.

Why can't Luke pick up a few tips on manners from this guy?

"This morning, he didn't even know which machines do what." I pointed out, smiling as Michael burst out laughing, as Luke frowned towards us.

"Yeah yeah whatever."

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sorry I know it's quite boring at the moment but hopefully it will get more and more exciting as the chapters go on☺️