Say you'll stay - Channing Tatum

P.14

''It was..'' I breathe, trying to find the right word to explain it, ''absolutely perfect.''

She brings a lipstick to her mouth, slowly applying it over her already red lips. ''Really?'' She raises an eyebrow and I smile.

The small bell over the door makes a sound and the door opens, revealing an old couple. They both smile warmly once they see me.

''Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Williams. What can I get you today?'' I ask them smiling.

My favorite costumers must be the elders, especially mr. and mrs. Williams. They come in a few times a week, always hand in hand and smiling. The way they look at each other, like they are each others whole worlds. It makes me believe that true love really does exist.

It does , the people who said different just never found their better half.

"The usual." She says slowly but politely. "Thank you, dear." She smiles warmly.

I nod before I turn around to take two of the donuts with white frosting to put in a brown paperbag.

Still facing the wall, I listen to their conversation.

"Oh, and how beautiful she looked. I will never forget that day." He says. "We should really visit them soon, it's been far to long."

With a smile on my lips I turn around to give them the small bag and the two coffee's. I assume they talked about their daughter, Jessica. They've mentioned her before so I'm familiar with the name.

The man holds out his nearly shaky hand with cash to pay.

"Thank you." I take the money.

He smiles at me and shakes his head lightly. "No, thank you."

I keep the smile on my face because I don't know what else to say. This couple is seemingly old, but I have never seen two people care so much for each other.

He holds out his arm for her to take and she does. Turning around they slowly make their way towards the door.

"Have a nice day!" I watch them as they disappear behind the corner and the door closes with the sound of the bell.

The thought of them coming here, this being their daily trip makes me happy. Through these four years I have worked here, they have stuck to the same place to come and the same things to order. Even though newer and fresher places has opened closer to their home, they still choose to come here.

I look at Amber who's scrolling through her phone before I turn towards the cash register again.

"I'll take you there once I've bought it." I smile.

Her feet hits the cupboard under her repeatedly, creating a rhythm.

"About that, how's it going?" She asks, looking at me. I can feel her gaze on my neck as I count the cash in my hands.

How's it going. I've asked that question to myself more than once, starting off with bad as answer but convinced myself that it's the other way around.

I push a button so the cash register opens. "It's going forward." I say and place the money among the rest. "I still have quite a bit left so I need to take every shift possible."

I close the metallic compartment and turn towards her.

"It must really be a special place then." Her feet stop moving and the sound of the costumers voices are heard again.

"It is." I wish I could tell her in detail how it was so she'd understand, but it was more a feeling than the look of it. Like it was gods plan for me to step in and fall in love. I don't even believe, but I like the thought of that this maybe is supposed to go one way.

The way I want hopefully.

"You'll understand once you see it." I smile.

She jumps down from the counter and walks behind me towards the breakroom. "I'll remember your promise." She says, loud enough for me to hear.

I laugh at her. "You have my word." I shout back.

A wide smile is left on my lips from the laughing as I reach down to pull up my phone. The time on the screen shows 03:55 pm. Besides the numbers that shows that I end this shift in five minutes, I've also gotten a new message from Madison.

The door opens and the familiar sound of the bell is heard once again.

I smile down at the text that Madison has sent me. She's explaining a moment she just had on her dad's work where she's currently working.

"What can I give you?" I ask, reading the last line of her text.

I lock the screen, putting it back in my pocket as I look up at the person in front of me.

"Two black coffee's, please."

A few seconds of silence passes as I'm trying to figure out what to do. I end up breathing out deeply, air I didn't know I held as I search his eyes.

His jaw is clenched together but he looks at me shyly.

I have to tear my gaze from him to look at something else. I don't know why he came here, there's this newer one down the street that serves better coffee for cheaper prices. If he would have gone there, he would have saved himself the energy of meeting me as well.

"It'll be right up." I bite down on my lip and turn around, starting to pour the pitch black coffee in to the first of the two paper cups.

I pour slowly and try to listen to the sound of the liquid filling the cup to drain out what I'm really thinking. Once I'm done, I put the lids on and turn around to place them on the counter in between us.

I can't find one single reason to why he would come here. No matter how much I try, I end up with a blank line, empty from words. It's enough that he walks the few meters from his house to the mailbox to get paparazzi interested. Now he's here, in the middle of everything with me as company, someone he doesn't even want to talk to.

I can feel his gaze on me as he gives me the money to pay with. It's not a quick glance that's fast to move, it lingers.

"Brooke," He breathes. "Can we take a walk?"

I look up to see his face again. He almost looks.. nervous, or worried maybe there he stands, his hands in the pockets of his dark blue hoodie as he's patiently waiting for an answer.

"I'm sorry, I-" He shakes his head lightly at himself, picking up the two coffee mugs. They seem so much smaller in his larger hands than they did standing on the counter.

I let my gaze fall on the clock on the wall. I ended my day here two minutes ago.

"No," My fingers start to untie the green straps on my apron and I can see him stop in the corner of my eye. I let my hair out, running my hand through the mess before I look back at him. "We can take a walk." I smile.