24: A Latte

I'm humming a song while unlocking the door to open the cafe, but I jump from my stand after seeing Peter outside on his phone.

"Are you open yet?"

I nod, recovering from the shock I received. I didn't sleep well last night, and I have to wake up before sunrise, and I'm exhausted. I can't believe I will be surprised to see a customer at this hour.

As the cashier, I walked back to the counter to ask for his order.

"Latte and two slices of Brownies," he said without even looking at me and still on his phone.

I haven't greeted him yet, not a single word coming from me. I mean, it is what I always do to my customers.

"1--"

I didn't have the chance to recite the numbers after he placed two hundred bills on the counter. He just picked it up from his pocket as if he knew his order would be less than two hundred.

"Pe--"

"Your name's Peter?" I nodded, writing his name on the cup.

"Just Pete,"

He corrected it in time. I almost wrote the letter 'r', so there was a trace, so I drew a star instead. Maybe I'm going to do this from now on perhaps he'll think something else about the star.

I nodded and gave him the change. Gosh, I feel like my heart is starting to go crazy. My hands are slightly trembling, and after I turn my back on him, I shake it off.

Bri attended to his coffee while I brewed a cappuccino for Mark. I thought he was coming first than others.

He was over the moon last night. He even punches the air, trying to keep it low since we're around the restaurant at that time. And Lyv said she'll help with the expansion and even Angelo. They won't stop competing with each other.

Right after I wrote Mark's name in the cup with stars on both sides, the bell rang on the door, and I saw him walking inside.

He waves his hand to me but immediately shifts his attention after seeing Peter. I've noticed he took that table since yesterday.

I left the cup on the counter and started serving the brownies he ordered. I can see how they talk behind this glass, and I can't stop watching them.

I shake my head, focusing on what I'm doing. But I jumped from my place after a bell rang, causing me to bang my head.

"Shit!"

Mark came fast than the speed of the lighting, and feel his touch on my arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked, getting the plate from my hand and placing it on the counter.

I glared at him since he sounded laughing. And his face says it all.

"What are you doing here?"

"Breakfast," he casually said, "Is this my coffee?"

I rolled my eyes at him and served the brownies to Pete's table. He was gone on the counter and saw the restroom door shut.

I was about to walk to the other table when I noticed how the light on my right kept flickering. I thought it was lax, so I haven't changed it, but I think it needs a change.

I could finish this before customers start flooding in. Mornings are where we have a lot of customers to serve.

Pulling the chair from its table, I stood up after switching the lights off on this part and tried to reach the bulb, but my height tells no, even though I have a chair.

"Do you need a hand?" I heard him offer.

I saw Peter sipping his coffee on his table.

"No," I answered, giving another shot to change the bulb, but it just won't.

"A little help?"

"Fine!" I give in, stepping down from the chair.

He stood up from the chair, and I felt insulted. His head was right beside the lights, and I couldn't get an inch below the light.

I exchanged the new bulb with him, and he gave the old one to me.

"Be careful--"

I didn't hear him, so I grabbed the bulb with my bare hands, not knowing how heat was boiling in there, and slipped it on the floor, causing it to break into pieces.

"Fuck..." he murmured.

He immediately went down from the chair, holding my hand that burnt from the bulb.

"I told you to be careful," he said, checking my palm while I hissed in pain.

"It's fine I'm just going to wash my hands,"

"Hey,"

He slightly pushed me aside from the pieces of glass on the floor.

I heard the restroom door open, and he went outside, looking at the scene.

"Sue," Mark came running to me in the sink, "What happened?"

"It's nothing," I said, washing my hands.

I walked back to Peter and saw how they work together. Mark cleaned the floor while Peter was fixing the bulb. I saw Mark wanted to check the floor, and before his palm reached the floor Peter stood before him.

They checked the floor together with their shoes. And Mark uses his shoe while holding it.

"Thanks," I smiled at Peter, going back to my table.

And Mark catches up with me on the table near the window.

"What happened earlier?"

"Nothing, the bulb slipped. That's all,"

"Are you mad that I talked to him?"

"He's your 'friend', remember?" I quoted.

"Yeah, but you look on fire. Fuming. Mad. Maybe you're not okay with it," he said, sipping his coffee.

"Mad? Huh? What kind of mentality is that?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

I tapped and stapled first the paper, before looking at him, "You're assigned in Makati, right? You shouldn't be here,"

"Yeah, right. I have to go," his foot got stuck in the chair after hurrying to left, "I'm going to take out a pie, okay? Thank you!"

I hadn't said yes to him, but he was already on the counter. He's not only picking one type of pie but every flavor of the pie we have.

"Pay for that!" I pointed out with a pen in my hand.

He handed a one thousand bill on the table and left. I watched him as his car drove away. We're not staying near Makati, yet he's wasting time going here he's late.

The bell on the door rang again, and this time Peter left. I stood up from my chair to clean up his table. He seems not busy at all, though.

What am I thinking?

"YOUR BESTSELLER, PLEASE,"

I was writing her order when I took time to realize who own that familiar voice.

"Mika?" I guess lifting my chin.

"Hi!"

She was waving at me with a sweet smile on her face.

"Mika!" I screamed her name, but immediately covered my mouth, "Do you want anything else? It's all on me,"

"No, just your bestseller drink. Med studies," she giggles, showing me her bag.

I nodded at her, and right after she left, I prepared her order and went straight to her table.

"How are you?" I asked, pulling the chair out of the table.

"I'm fine, thanks, Sue," she answered with her eyes on the book.

She could slap that book to Mark's face already.

"Med school?"

"Getting used to it," she answered.

I noticed how she's focused on her book. That she barely shift her attention. I can't stop remembering myself to her, on how much she spends her time on books rather than going out to pass a BAR exam.

"You're studying, right? I shouldn't interrupt you," I stood up to the chair, carrying the tray with me.

"No, no, it's fine. I'm sorry, but please, stay?" she wraps her hand on my wrist, "Please?" her eyes saying please also.

I sat back on the chair, in front of her.

"You're not busy, right? I could borrow you to your cafe,"

"Not at all, I have staffs to take care of it. Besides, we don't have that plenty of customers today,"

"Great,"

"How it's going between you and Mark?"

My question stopped her from highlighting in her book, and raised her face at me, "Anthony? What about him? I don't know about him he isn't texting or calling me, none of it, I swear. I needed him last Wednesday, but he's too busy. I'm thinking of cutting our contract as in a relationship already,"

Breaking up with Mika is hard, especially when you're trying to forget about her, and I saw it with Mark. He kept showing up at my place than at his girlfriend's. I thought they were having a good relationship, why does he keep on disappearing? I thought he was too afraid to lose her again.

"He's always here for breakfast,"

She scoffed. But she looks done.

I'm cut off to say anything to her when the bell on the counter keeps on ringing. Just by looking at his back, I know who is it already.

"I'll be right back,"

I took the tray back to the counter with me.

"Good afternoon, Sir, may I take your order?" I asked, waiting with a pen on my left.

He's spacing out. His eyes are on me, but I know it's not for me.

"A latte and brownies, Sir?"

"Yes," he answered, going back to his senses, and placed money on the counter.

He's spacing out because he looks not in the mood. I can read it in his eyes, his face tells it all. Maybe he's tired? I don't know. I don't know him anymore.

I wrote his name on the cup, but this time, it's not the same as earlier.

'A. Pete☆'