Chapter 28: The Cafe
"Well well, the newbie is here just in time for the evening hour rush. Move fast, newbie."
Lena, the senior waitress winked at her as she passed by while rolling her eyes at the other waitress who was calling out to her. Dressed in a white t-shirt and blue jeans the dress code of the cafe, Nora quickly picked up the large tray with numerous glasses of coffee and rolled her eyes at the manager," Look here, I am able to balance this tray without spilling a drop, that qualifies me to be taken off the newbie block."
The older woman tsked and added another glass of coffee to the tray," Nope, you are a newbie until we have more new blood sign up. This is for table seven. Brace yourself they are caffeine addicts and regulars. Just pass the cups randomly and they will handle it themselves!"
From then on, it was a busy day for Nora who stayed on her feet the entire time, rushing around, getting orders and dodging runaway coffee cups. Lena and Maya, the two other women, continued to tease her and critique her technique throughout the shift, giving her no time to think about the assignment now hanging over her head like a sword.
Finally, as the evening rush quietened, Maya patted Nora on the back and sighed," You are doing well for a rookie. I thought you had no experience."
"I've never worked for money, but sometimes I used to help out at a cafe near my old place."
"Ha! So you lied in the interview! We told you we wanted newbies, and you downplayed your experience so that you could get the job?"
Nora smiled awkwardly at that, unsure now if she was being scolded or teased. This was a feeling that she had come to experience a lot lately. It was because these people had accepted her into this role so easily. All her life, Sara had overshadowed her and only now did Nora realize that she'd been more affected than she realized.
While Nora tried to think what she should say, Lena interceded," Come on, Maya. Don't tease the poor girl! We both know we needed someone experienced but couldn't afford them so naturally Nora is a God-sent."
"God-sent huh?" Maya repeated before shrugging her shoulders and patting Nora's shoulder," Alright then, go take a coffee break miss God-sent."
Lena smiled approvingly at Maya while adding, "Take a muffin as well. On us!"
Nora looked at the two women gratefully and then almost ran to the backroom almost kicking off the high heels into the air. The only problem with working at this place was that her uniform insisted on her wearing high heels. And for someone like her who wasn't used to it, this was a punishment.
As Nora bit into the soft muffin, she looked through the student communities online trying to find someone who could coach her in mathematics, but it was all in vain.
Soon after the break was over, she went out and almost sighed to see a customer in her section of the cafe. She looked at the man and felt as if he had a familiar profile.
"The man wants the house special sweetheart. Here, take this croissant for him and tell him it is on us." Lena pushed the tray towards Nora who quickly took it and carried it for the man.
"This is not the place to be matchmaking, Lena." Maya pointed out archly as she checked the bills from the rush hour.
"Every place is a place for matchmaking, Maya. She is a young and good girl, working here to pay her tuition. If she had someone to take care of her, it would be good for her, wouldn't it? And I think the man has come here before."
"How do you know he has been here before? You wouldn't recognize someone's face if they pushed it in front of you!"
"Well, so what if I have face blindness? I can still recognize people, can't I? But anyway, this time I know because the man specifically asked me about the newbie. It is why I guided him to her section. And see, they are already chatting!"
***
As Nora placed the cup of coffee in front of the man, he looked up and she felt a flash of recognition. She knew the man! Or rather, she had seen him. Hoping against hope that he would not recognize her, she gave him a strained smile and placed the order," The croissant is on the house, sir."
The man thanked her, and Nora thought she'd made a lucky escape when the man commented," I hope your ex is still not pestering you."
Nora smiled at the man, reminding herself that it was not this man's fault that he was too curious. But even so, she answered, "No. Thankfully, he has left me to my own devices."
"Good, that is a good thing. Messy exes are always a problem. So, do you study in a university here..." The man left the question open, expecting Nora to complete the sentence and tell him which university. she was studying in.
"Yes, yea. In a university here. Please let me know if you need anything."
"You." The man spoke a single word.
Wide-eyed, Nora looked at the man with astonishment," Pardon?"
The man smiled and clarified himself," Just wondering if you could sit here and chat with me while I finish this coffee. Chatting with a pretty girl while drinking coffee would be a pleasure."
"Umm. Sorry. I just took a break. Also, we are not allowed to sit with customers... So, I'm sorry, please enjoy your coffee."
Having said that, Nora made her quick escape. She did not understand why she felt the urge to stay away from this man. Maybe it was because of embarrassment that he'd heard the things that Antonio had told accused her of. Whatever it was, Nora felt that she should stay away and she was not about to ignore her instincts, no matter if the guy was handsome.
The man smiled as he watched Nora walk away from him. Hopefully, next time he would be able to chat with her for longer.
Chapter 29: [Bonus chapter]Bewildered
Demetri Frost opened the door to his house and paused on the threshold, momentarily doubting if this was indeed his own home. Firstly, loud music was blasting from the speakers. Secondly, his usually odorless home now carried the fragrance of a vanilla-scented bomb explosion. And thirdly, his normally empty and serene living room was a complete mess!
Sitting right in the heart of this chaos, her face buried in a book, was his wife. Unaware of his presence, she was cursing in a manner that would have made a sailor blush.
Casually, he walked over to her and peered over her shoulder, curiosity piqued about what had compelled the typically reserved woman to curse in such a manner. Usually, upon his return, he would find her curled up on the couch with a novel in hand.
If not for laying eyes on her, one would hardly know she was there; she was an expert at being invisible, and this suited him just fine. He cherished the quiet and did not have to regret marrying her.
She stiffened as she felt his closeness but did not move. Turning her head a bit, she looked up at him with wide eyes before quickly turning back to her work. He peered down at the jumble of formulas she had used to solve her assignment and raised his eyebrows.
Without a word, he extended his hand and held hers. Taking the pen from her, he quickly wrote down the correct formula, marking her mistakes.
As he moved closer to finish the entire solution, Nora stood there frozen. She could feel his heat surrounding her and she already had goosebumps all over her.
She felt his other hand move around her waist, and she was even more startled as it settled on her hip. Gently, he nudged her closer to the kitchen island and pointed with his other finger, "Here, this is not how this is calculated. For this function, you need to imagine that you are driving on a curvy road, and you want to know how fast your speed is changing at a specific moment—basically, to calculate change. But if you use this formula..."
Even though Nora remained hyperaware of him, his hand still on her hip, she was even more engrossed in what he was teaching her. This was the most basic problem, but the way he explained it... wow. She was actually understanding this! As he finished solving the entire problem and was about to step back, she quickly grabbed his wrist, peered through the scattered books, and pulled out a few sheets of paper stapled together, pointing at them. "Help me with this, please! I am totally hopeless with all these calculations! I just don't understand why we have to do all these calculations! I just want to start a small business in the future! It's not like I am going to need derivatives and integers for that!"
"Derivatives are essential in understanding rates of change, which is crucial in economics, finance, and decision-making within businesses. They are used in areas like calculating marginal costs, analyzing demand curves, and evaluating investment opportunities. If you want to have your own business, then you need to understand them."
Stepping away from her, he held the sheets in one hand and pulled her towards the couch. Sitting down, he pulled her onto his lap. Holding out the papers in front of the two of them, he then questioned, "When do you have to submit this paper?"
"Uhh... next week," Nora almost squeaked, her voice betraying her nervousness. The syllables hung in the air, pregnant with a mix of anxiety and something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She had never, ever in her life, found herself in a situation like this — sitting in someone's lap. The experience was surreal and she struggled to make sense of it.
Subtly, she shifted her weight, attempting to reposition herself, but her movements were hesitant and awkward. Her mind raced, inundated by an overwhelming whirlwind of thoughts. What if he misinterpreted her fidgeting, mistaking it for some sort of subtle advance? What if he assumed she was attempting to seduce him?
She watched his hands as they turned the sheet, her gaze fixed on them as if utterly fascinated. Finally, she sensed his nod of approval. "Learn all these formulae. Tomorrow morning, we will finish the first page, and in the evening, the second. We'll start with the basics, and if you have any doubts, don't hesitate to ask me."
"Okay." The words came out with a mix of relief and anticipation. She wished to request permission to move, to ease the discomfort that was slowly settling in from sitting in the same spot for so long. Yet, before she could voice her thoughts, she felt a faint vibration beneath her, a subtle tremor that sent her heart racing. Reacting instinctively, she leapt up as if startled, her actions mirroring that of a frightened rabbit. Demetri extended the phone to her, his tone authoritative. "Tell the person that I am busy now and not to call me. I'll come later."
Using the phone as an excuse to create some distance between herself and the man whose lap she had occupied just moments ago. It was as if the universe had conspired to offer her a timely exit strategy.
As she answered the call, a voice on the other end began to speak urgently, "Come on, Demon. Thank God you answered the call! You have to come here and save us from the..."
Swiftly, Nora interjected, her voice clear and concise, "Demetri is not here. He asked that you call him later. Goodbye." With the message swiftly delivered, she hung up, her fingers returning the phone to Demetri with a restrained smile.
Walking away, Nora couldn't help but feel a sense of relief mixed with the lingering traces of bewilderment. She had escaped.
Behind her, Demetri's mouth kicked up in a small smirk. He'd already accomplished what he needed. His brothers had heard her voice and he could already smell her scent clinging to him. Now was the perfect time to visit the old man when the rest of his family was there. And his 'fiancée as well
***
On the other end of the line, Demetri's clever ruse had plunged three individuals into shocked silence, their minds struggling to process the unexpected turn of events.
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