LOVE THE WAY I AM

CHAPTER 36

★★BELLA★★

I have to go to work, for the last two days, I missed it and have to pay for it with my weekends. I make tea for Mr. Richards, with a small note,
then put a love and a smiley face on it. Tie a ribbon to it then dropped it on the dinning. Set the clock to, 6 minutes after, I will leave, I don't want him to see my face. For the whole night, I dreamt of only him, when I wake up then try going back to sleep, I see his sparkling white teeth.
Going to work, Bruno is trying to fix the fancy light on the board menu. "Good morning Bruno!" I greeted. He just took a look at me then turn back to work without returning my greetings. He seems weird or is it just my mind?
"Good morning Madam Serena" I say with a wide smile on my face. "Oh dear, are you OK now?" She cupped my cheek with her palms.
"Yes" I smile widely." Getting to the kitchen, the sweet smell of custard fill my nostrils. "Hmm... Work." I sigh big before picking a rag to Clean the counters. Today, I feel so much optimistic. After cleaning so much and washing the dishes, I went for the delivery. I still have to go back home, guess who ordered breakfast?
I take of my helmet at the entrance of the gate and walked him with his meal in my hand. "Open up!" I called. "The door is open!" He yelled back. His bad habits...
I'm about to come in when his voice sounded. "Bella, who makes tea for someone and let it get cold? Plus, so much sugar" he started scolding again. "I put an alarm on before leaving." He brought the clock from the side of his seat, opened it, there's no battery in it.

     "This alarm? Seriously? Plus you have a bad handwriting. He lifted my morning greeting note." I was so happy leaving him something and here hr is, condemning all. I can't take his nag anymore, I dropped the food on the table and turned. "Bye, I will be back in the evening." He put back the note in his pocket with a smile, and i realized, he likes it,  just pretending, and also, is drinking the tea i made him. I shock my head before leaving.
After dropping all seven deliveries, I ride back to the shop. "I'm back...!" I say and walk In someone seating close to the door having their food holds my hand, "what is-?" I turned, it's him. Not Mr. Richard, I just met him home before coming here.
"Hey." He said with a smile almost as same as Mr Richards. His touch give Me a shiver and his weird smile.

      "Good after noon" I say then turns to leave, i have a lot of work to do. He still held my wrist, not letting me move. This is getting complicated, I want to yell at him, I still see that smile on his face, the one feels like Mr Richards when he's in a happy mood. "Let go" I say to him calmly, and he released my hand calmly. "Can we talk?" He asked.
    "I'm busy." I tell him. "I have a lot of work today."
    "That's OK. I can wait." He looked at his watch "i can wait till you're done, when do you close?" He asked.
"Seven." I replied and turn away, not bothering to listen to what he have to say next. He's seriously sitting there, the time is still so early. After cleaning, Madam Serena told Me that table ordered food. It's him.  "You're so hard-working." He say as I drop the plate of soup in front of him. "Jayden is so lazy right?" He added. My face start to gr swollen, did I ask him to say nonsense?
He look at my face before saying, "it's just a joke, ha... You're annoyed? Sorry" he put his hand over his mouth to stop laughter from bursting out. I feel like pouring the soup on him, he's annoying.
The day was getting darker with the time over  six, he's still sitting there. "Bella, i would leave early, take care!" Madam Serena said and left, Bruno already left to see his kids at their aunt's. I'm left alone with only one customer, 'him'
"You're done with your work? Or do you want help?" He asked. I drew a seat beside him. "So tell me, why are you here?"
"Hi, my name is Braden, you can call me Brad." He stretched his hand for a hand shake.
"Why are you here?" I asked again.
"Let's talk normal. And Also, sorry for the other day, my character is so unforgivable." He said, with his face filled with remorse like he so much remembered what he did that day. "We're good? Then let's be friends" He asked.
  "Yeah, I think-" my phone starts to ring, Mr. Richard is calling.
  "I'm out here waiting for you, let's go back together" he said and hung up.
"I have to leave now, he's waiting for me, see you some other time. Thank you for waiting patiently." I say with both hands folded.
  "Don't tell Jayden I came here, he can be mad sometimes OK?" With this he went away, looked back more than once.
   While clearing the table he used, Mr. Richard walked in. "Hey, are you going to sleep here? I've been out there for a while. And who's that?" He was looking for out the door. "Your boyfriend?" He laughed.
"No, the last customer" I answered, I remembered Brad's word.
"Then let's go home, I brought you a spare jacket, it must be cold." He said.
He help me put it on and switched off the lights, "Let's go now." He said.Mr. Richard is been more than caring to me now.
"What are you thinking of?" He asked. "You're not listening to what I'm saying."
"I am now!" I rolled my eyes. "Ok, I was saying, Bella, What's your dream job?" He asked.