Boy Next Door ✔

chapter thirty-three

C A L E B 

I was awoken by someone violently shaking me by the shoulder. I woke with a start and when I spotted Mateo, who was a little too close for comfort, it's safe to say that I panicked - which was why I ended up kicking him in the stomach which led subsequently led to him falling off the bed with a pained groan. 

"Ouch! What was that for?" he complained, rubbing his hip. 

When the events that had taken place last night finally came back to me, I scurried off the bed and rushed to his side, "Shit! I'm so sorry, are you okay? Does it hurt?"

"No, it feels amazing," he let out sarcastically. 

I was about to apologize once again, when my phone ringing obnoxiously on top of my study-desk interrupted the both of us. Quickly, I hurried over to the table and grabbed my phone, placing it against my ear without bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Caleb! Good morning!" a familiar voice spoke.

"Olivia? Hey, what's up?"

"Guess what day it is today!"

Her excitement led me to the dumbest guess, "My birthday?"

"Huh? I mean, I wouldn't know, but if it is then happy birthday!"

"No, no. It isn't my birthday. I don't know why I said that."

"In that case, it's bring your partner to work day!"

"Huh? But I thought I had a week off of work?"

"Sadly, you don't anymore. Don't forget to bring your partner to your shift today! Bye!"

"But I don't have a-" I paused and stared down at my phone screen when the line went dead. She hung up on me. 

"What was that all about?" Mateo questioned, finally getting off the floor.

"It's bring your partner to work day today and I don't have anyone to go with," I huffed.

"I'll go with you," he suggested confidently.

"In your dreams," I scoffed before dialling Dustin's number and pressing the phone up against my ear once more - it went straight to voicemail.

Defeated, I placed my phone back on the table and looked over at Mateo, "Fine."

"Fine what?" he challenged, a victorious smirk on his face.

"I'll take you to work," I groaned, unable to look him in the eye. 

"That's the spirit!" he cheered. "I'll go with you on one condition."

"What is it?"

"We walk."

Fuck.

〤

After what seemed like forever, we made it to my workplace. Olivia had brought her partner, who actually turned out to be her fiancé. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. She had just finished explaining to us what we were meant to do for the day together. Apparently, I had to teach Mateo how my job was done. 

After a couple minutes of brief explanation, he finally seemed to get the hang of it. That was until someone with a peculiar name showed up. He gave me his name which I conveyed to my coworkers so they could write it down onto his cup - and Mateo was meant to call out the names, so when the cup arrived, he stared at it in confusion before saying:

"Uh.. fuck off?"

"What?" I hissed, rushing to his side and grabbing the cup from  him to read the name. "Oh my God, Mateo - this isn't.."

Just then, an angry woman stormed over to the counter, her knuckles turning white from how hard she was holding onto her purse, "It's pronounced fuh-koff. Learn how to do your job."

"Same thing. Just take your drink and leave," Mateo snapped, to which the lady simply snatched her drink from him, insisted that she would never come back and left.

"I guess that's enough for today," I sighed, attempting to take off my apron.

What's this? Why won't it budge?

For some reason, my fingers weren't cooperating with me. Was it because I was with him so I was inclined to feel more nervous? My thoughts were brought to a sudden halt when he simply walked behind me and undid my apron for me, standing closer than he needed to. I swallowed nervously - I didn't need to explain how I felt at that moment because you already know.

He leaned closer from behind me and whispered into my ear, "I had fun with you today."

And like that, he undid his apron, placed it on the counter and began making his way out the door, "Hurry up, let's go back home."

He was going to be the death of me.