"Please, please, PLEASE don't let me get fired," I clasped my hands in a quick prayer as I hurried through the crowd.
The streets downtown were filled with last-minute shoppers hurrying in and out of stores, an assortment of shopping bags dangling in their hands. The sidewalks were paved with sunken footprints like icing over a pastry dish. There were only a few days before Christmas, and the newly fallen snow added to the bubbly holiday cheer even more. I weaved through the throng with clumsy movements, bumping into a few bypassers as I moved past.
"I'm sorry!" I winced as several pairs of eyes flashed angrily at me. "Excuse me!" I blew a piece of hair from my face and turned around to check if he was still behind me. Sure enough, the brown-haired, violet-eyed boy was still hovering near me, his hands deep in his pockets.
"I'm going to go on ahead if it's okay. I'll meet you there, just grab the seat at the corner!" I shouted over the crowd to him. He bobbed his head once, and I ran off until I reached a small corner shop with a wooden sandwich board out front. I smoothed down my hair, which had messed up from all the running. Still breathing heavily, I pushed open the door.
I was instantly hit with shock. The shop was overflowing with customers! I turned to see where Winter was. Across the sea of people, he was nowhere to be found.
No way! I thought frantically. There's no way he got lost, right...?
Gulping, I whirled back anxiously, still deep in confusion. Suddenly, I saw an arm waving around from the back of the room.
Winter shot me a charming smile before lowering his arm. I was dizzy with disbelief as I tried to process his presence. Strangely, I had no recollection of his arrival before mine.
If I ran off sooner than he did, how did he get here so fast?
Between the noisy chatter, the whirring of the coffee machines, and my confusion, one voice rose above all: my manager.
"Caroline!" she barked at me. "What are you standing there for? Not only are you late, but you're letting all the cold air in by not closing the door! You better get your cute little butt to the espresso beans or YOU'RE getting roasted later!"
"Y-yes, Tatiana," I stumbled in.
From the side, Lindy shoved an apron into my hands and pulled me into the coffee station.
"Hey," she whispered to me. "I'm so glad you got here fast. There are too many customers today! Tatiana's going crazier than usual!"
"Thanks for texting me even in all this bustle, Lindy," I sighed and tied the apron behind my back. "I totally forgot about the earlier shift."
"No problem. I don't think Tatiana would fire you, though. You make the best caramel macchiatos, and you know she loves that stuff," Lindy grinned.
"Heh, maybe I could bribe her later," we shared a laugh.
By accident, I made eye contact with Tatiana and drew back from the intense rage broiling in her eyes. She was not a bulky, bodybuilding type of woman, but she was certainly built with a body of fire. If you enraged her, she would not hesitate to engulf you in flames instantly.
Lowering my head, I continued to accept cup after cup of freshly brewed espresso. The aroma of it somehow smelled sweet to me, and I cracked a little smile as I drew images of hearts, animals, and flowers through a cloud of milky foam.
YOU ARE READING
Into Your World
Nouvelles"Where are you from?" "It's a secret." Sometimes, you don't know what an impact someone will have on you until they walk into your world and change everything you know. One snowy day, I watched as he materialized in front of me. He was alluring, pur...
