"Hey, Bernie, you've never been married, right?"
"Nope."
"Do you wish you had?"
Bernie paused to think for a moment before replying, "Nope."
A grin appeared on Jade's face as she teased, "Who were you just thinking about?"
"No one," replied Bernie as he turned away, not wanting to continue the conversation any longer.
It was 22:30, and the cafe was quiet again. The few customers within the store were chatting quietly or reading, creating a calm, pleasant atmosphere. However, Jade did not like it. When it was busy, yes, she was rushed off her feet, but at least she had something to do.
Alas, she could not complain; the fact that they had any customers was something to be grateful for. In this day and age, plenty of stores would be fighting over the customers that Jade already had.
'I should not want beyond my means; it's better to be thankful for what I have.'
Jade looked over the cafe to see what she could do. The books had been balanced, the till could not be counted until the end of the shift, and the empty tables had already been wiped down.
As she swept her gaze over the store, she noticed the daisies on the tables. Smiling because she had thought of something to do, Jade collected the vases with the daisies in and took them into the kitchen to water.
However, that only took up five minutes, so when she was done, she found herself in the same predicament.
'Hmm… what to do, what to do…'
With nothing to do but twiddle her thumbs or go on her phone, Jade began cleaning the coffee machines. She left one uncleaned, which she would use for any customers who came in and then clean it after closing up.
Ting ding!
Jade looked at her watch; it was 23:00. 'I wonder if that's him.'
"Welcome, what can I get you?"
She turned around to greet the customer and was slightly disappointed to find that it was not the young handsome man who would often come in during the evenings. 'Oh, right, I forgot, he came in earlier. I wonder what he's busy with tonight.'
…
On the other side of the city, in a sparser, more affluent district, that young man was getting out of his car and walking up to a grand house. In the city, real estate was extremely expensive, so the fortune of the house's owners was unimaginable, for us simple folk that is.
The large, oak door swung open, and light filtered through the gap, which was soon obstructed by a person.
"Welcome to our home, sir. Sir, Madam, and the others are all here. They are waiting in the drawing room."
"Thanks," the young man replied succinctly.
"I should warn you. The Young Madam spent quite some time getting ready, so please do compliment her."
"Naturally."
The butler harrumphed. "After what happened last time, I thought I ought to say something. After all, she is your fiancée."