caller • mattia polibio

016.

Claudia was back in her computer chair, waiting.
Her head lay on the desk, tired, she hadn't left Mattia's until eleven, they had accidentally fallen asleep watching a random Netflix show and after she returned home she just couldn't fall back to sleep. One thing she felt glad for was at least Mattia would be calling later. Claudia pondered for a while, thinking about how much her life had changed over the past month, how she went from not knowing how to speak to a boy, to being attached to Mattia like glue.

The brunette had fallen to sleep. Not waking again until one of the waiters had shook her rather vigorously. She was one of the more younger and flirtier members of staff but she did her job, of course the customers she picked wouldn't necessarily complain.

"You've been requested to serve a table" The girl says, shoving her notepad to Claudia's hands.

"Me? But that's not my job?" She asks with confusion written on her face. Claudia stood up, following the blond out to the kitchen.

"Those boys over there seem to know you." Her hand points at three boys sat in a booth. They knew Claudia alright, instead of receiving her seven o'clock order, there sat the three best friends, waiting for her to tend to them.

Daringly, she looked up at her father, hoping he was unaware of what was happening, but Claudia's eyes met the stern but kind ones that held an undertone of anger. He was aware, he was thinking many possible scenarios, but most importantly he was wondering what three boys had to do with his daughter.

With a deep breath, she headed over to the table.

"Hello, can I take your order?"

"A pineapple, a pepperoni and a cheese pizza please beautiful" Mattia smiles up at her, only to be met with a cold glare in return. "All medium."

With a simple nod, Claudia returned back to the kitchen, not wanting to spend a minute longer whilst her father's stares in the back of her head. She placed the slip of paper on the counter heading back to the office, simply astounded that they would show up, especially without even texting her. She knew Mattia meant well, he wanted to show effort, however the time and place wasn't at her father's restaurant.

"Tesoro? Who are those boys?"

There he stood, Claudia couldn't avoid him, she couldn't excuse herself in dire need of the toilet, the phone just wasn't going to ring any time soon, she was stuck in this small room, with not a good enough story to tell him.

"No one Pa, they helped me out when my car broke down yesterday", it was a stupid lie, her car was in perfect condition, looking after it as it was her most prized possession.

"So they decided to show up at our restaurant?" (Her dad wasn't buying it.)

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you first but I said as a repayment that they could get free pizza, they saved me really, I didn't want to bother you at work. I will pay for it." To add extra realism, Claudia gave her father such innocent eyes you would believe she was a child.

"Don't worry, but next time just call me. You can head home now." He said and returned to the kitchen.

claudia😚
you're dead meat polibio

mattia<3
i was missing your face🥺
seen.