Chapter 5

Alarm beeps

"Can't I get enough sleep?" Beatrix said still sleepy, her eyes shut as she turns away and soon goes back to dreamland.

"Nooo" she yelled as she immediately opened her eyes and jerked out of her bed. She looked around like she had just been visited by a ghost but she could see no one in her room and hear no sound aside for her phone which kept buzzing.

"Goodness gracious!" she ran her hands through her hair, perhaps, she had been in a very terrible nightmare for her to jerk just to the sound of her ringtone. She looked around and her eyes widened at the sight of the wall clock, it was 7.30 am, she had just 30 minutes to get ready for work.

"Not now Miss Lorelei" she said looking at her phone screen. Miss Lorelei had buzzed her a couple of times; maybe it was because she didn't show up the previous day. Beatrix sighed inwardly, this was the worst moment of her time. She had to survive but it was getting tough on her, she still needed some time for herself and she wasn't getting that.

She hurriedly took a shower and rushed out, taking the closest work clothes from her closet. She didn't care about looking good to the coffee shop, she just couldn't wait for the day to end; that was all she cared about.

She took a glance at the clock before taking her phone from the table, she still had give more minutes, it would be enough to get something into her stomach, she placed her hand on her stomach and she could hear it rumbling.

"I should eat something" she took her bag and left for the kitchen where she took two slices of bread with jam spread over it and she headed out.

****

"Ding!!"

She heard the work bell sound immediately she walked into the coffee shop. At the far end was Mrs Lorena staring at her until she walked into the coffee shop, it seemed like she was expecting her to come late so that she could strike but... Beatrix was lucky she was quite on time but to miss Lorena, there was no such thing as quite on time; she was late.

As Beatrix walked into the changing room, Miss Lorena's eyes followed her.

"Phew" Beatrix sighed when she had gotten into the changing room without Miss Lorena complaining but she had a feeling that it was not over yet.

Just like every other day, she opened up her locker and took out her apron. Holding it up, she shook her head; this wasn't what she signed up for. That kept ringing in her head.

"And what's on your mind ma'am" Miss Lorena creeped up behind her making her to jerk and whirl around

"O... oh.. nothing, I'm about getting to work" she said tensed and a frown crept into miss Lorena's face but Beatrix faked a smile and she doubled her steps out of the dressing room and into the shop where a long line of customers awaited.

"Oh hi" she waved at Tyler who was on the other side and Tyler gave her a reassuring smile.

"One cup of iced Americano" a customer said

"Okay" she turns around to get a cup but then, she paused; the voice seemed familiar so she turned immediately to satisfy her curiosity.

Her heart skipped a beat as she stood there blank, without words. She opened her mouth but no word was forthcoming, she couldn't process what was happening at the moment. The cup in her hand shook vigorously and she hid her hands behind her.

"I'll serve him instead" Tyler said stepping in before her and he smiled at the customer.

"What's your order?" Tyler asked

"One cup of iced Americano" he repeated stealing glances at Beatrix.

Beatrix turned away trying to hide herself behind Tyler who was now serving the guy.

"Thanks!" he said taking Gus order from Tyler and he walked out of the coffee shop.

"Who's he?" Tyler placed his hands on her shoulders. He could tell that she was tensed from the way her body shook.

"He's no one" she said turning back, giving him a fake smile

"Thanks for serving him" she added, getting back to work. She didn't want him asking further questions.

Tyler being a curious person looked at her suspiciously; for some reasons, he felt she was hiding something and she didn't want him to know. He knew when to stop whenever she didn't want him prying in her business and this seemed like one of those times.

"okay then. I can see you don't want me getting involved-" he wanted to add more, he wanted to tell her that he was always available incase she changes her mind and needed someone to talk to but he felt that was unnecessary; after all, she clearly didn't want him to know so he turned away and got back to work.

Beatrix got back to work serving the customers who just walked in to get something while Tyler attended to the customers who were seated and had no plans of going out soon

Beatrix stole glances at Tyler as they went about their work and she noticed he seemed pissed; he didn't look at her and just went about his work like she wasn't there.

"Oh shit!" she said dropping her napkin on the counter and she went to the ladies' room. What had she done? she felt bad for making Tyler feel like he was nothing to her but he was her closest pal and she trusted him but she didn't want him to be disappointed in her.

Soon, she got back from the ladies' room and looked around but Tyler was not there and her gaze shifted to the clock which hung on the wall; his shift had ended

"Did he go without saying goodbye?" she asked herself in a sober voice. Tyler had never gone without saying goodbye to her, no matter where she was, as long as she was still around the coffee shop. He would wait for her to come back first before leaving but now, it was obvious that he was pissed with her and she felt guilty about it and just then, a bright smile brushed across her cheeks when she saw Tyler come out of the locker room all dressed up; e hadn't gone and she was glad.

Her happiness didn't last long as the smile on her face disappeared when Tyler walked past her without saying a word; not even a good bye.

She felt her heart break into pieces as she watched him walk through the door.

"Hmm" she took a deep breath "He won't be angry for too long" she said not so sure of what the outcome would be this time around. She had no choice but either to wait until he was calm or she'd call him after her shift, she'd definitely need a backup story that he'd believe.

She looked up at the clock and sighed; she still had a long way until the end of her shift; she needed to get back to work.

Time passed with Beatrix getting weaker as the hours went by and finally, her shift came to an end and as usual, miss Lorena sat at the edge of the coffee shop watching her every move; one mistake and she wouldn't hesitate to fire her. Beatrix had always wondered why miss Lorena hated her so much but she didn't have to worry about that anymore "Everybody can't like you, you're not a f******k page" she would always repeat Tyler's words.

After changing back into her clothes, she took her bag "I'm done for the day" she said in a haste to miss Lorena and she immediately walked out of the shop.

"Outside seem nice and not suffocating like-" she attempted to complete it when someone tapped her from behind and she turned, her eyes widened and her lips parted ways in shock.