The Test of Time

54 ~ February

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." I smile up at the customer as I finish wiping the table before standing back with the cloth and turning away.

"Savannah?" I'm stopped by the sound of my name and whirl back around, coming face to face with Brett's Mom, her hair pinned up into a bun, a navy shirt and pencil skirt covering her slim figure, her Louis Vuitton bag hanging off her arm.

"Mrs Winters!" I exclaim, eyes wide as I try to comprehend why she would ever step foot into this relatively cheap café. "How lovely to see you."

"Are you... working?" She enquires, glancing down to the cloth in my hand.

"Yes." I reply, forcing a smile onto my face, "Are you visiting Brett?"

"I was just going to take a quick coffee to him. I was supposed to meet him for lunch but George needs help with something at the office so I'm going to have to bail on him." She explains, glancing over towards the counter. I take the hint and nod, slowly making my way over to make her a coffee.

I can't help but feel sorry for Brett and struggle to keep my facial expression neutral as I walk towards to coffee machine. Once again the business comes first, before him. It wouldn't be so bad if I knew that they made the effort to see Brett frequently, but the truth of the matter is that they barely make the effort to bond with him, it's only ever about the business.

Mrs Winters has never done anything to personally attack me, hell if I met her in other circumstances I could see myself really liking her, but knowing Brett puts a dampener on things, the 'neglectful Mother' still playing on my mind.

"I see." I smile at her over my shoulder, "What would you like?"

"You're the barista, surprise me." She smirks, rubbing her hands together, "Two please."

"Umm okay." I reply, quickly trying to decide what this respectable, put together, wealthy woman would like in her coffee. Why did she have to place this on me? I might give her something that she doesn't like and then she'll hate me for the rest of time. Wait, why do I care whether she likes me?

Deciding instead to choose what I know Brett likes and hope for the best I grab hold of the takeaway cups and turn back to face her as I make them.

"Thank you so much for letting me spend Christmas with you." I shoot a genuine smile at her and she raises her eyebrows, clearly startled.

"It was no bother. It's always nice to have guests. If not it's just the family and Alice runs off to her room as soon as possible, George and Brett disappear to talk business." She replies, "It's lovely to see that Brett has such a lovely female friend in his life."

"Oh well I..."

"He's never mentioned that you work here." She mentions, glancing around the room once more. "It's very... quaint." She observes, as I set the coffees down in front of her.

"Here are your coffees."

"Thank you." She grins, before digging into her bag and pulling a Prada purse out of her bag, swiftly pulling a note out. "Keep the change." She exclaims, placing the bill in my hand. My eyes immediately widen at the figure on the paper.

"Are... are you sure?"

"Of course." She replies, waving her hand dismissively before picking up her coffees. "See you soon Savannah." She says before swanning back across the room and out of the door as I watch, eyes still wide as I try to process the encounter that has just unfolded.

The woman startles me, her blasé attitude clearly having rubbed off onto Brett. The difference is, thankfully, that Brett has never been flashy with the money, never used it in order to impress me or show off, only ever to pay for something that would make me happy. His Mom and Dad are the complete opposite, their wealth plastered over every action they make.