A Latte of Love

【☕】14

Without another glance, I bend low and escape the main hall unscathed. As soon as I re-enter the kitchen, I take a deep sigh of relief. The smell of the butter chicken, biryani, and all sorts of delights hits my nose. I look down at the serving dish I'm holding, making my stomach do turns. When I spot my co-worker, Aliza, walking into the kitchen, I rush towards her.

"Do you mind taking this out for me?" I hand the dish to her, pleading with my eyes. She gave me a side eye look but didn't question my actions which I felt thankful for.

For the next fifteen minutes, I lock myself in the staff's bathroom, full of nerves. I was constantly waving my hand underneath the tap to give cue for the water to run through my fingers. The cold water soothed down my nerves as my mind raced in thoughts. What was he doing here? I haven't seen him since a week ago when I shouted at him for being rich. How could I face him after something like that?

I had done a lot of thinking after my outburst, and I concluded that it was-

"Where's Salwa? Has anyone seen Salwa?" I hear my manager asking as he passes by the bathroom.

Oh lord. I have to go out, don't I?

Taking a deep breath, I dry my hands and walk out. Instantly, someone shoves more drinks into my hands. Great...

I cautiously walk around the outskirts of the hall, every miniscule movement catching my eye. I slink against the wall, probably looking like a total weirdo, but at this point I'm desperate.

When the table comes into view, I realize Sufyan is no longer standing there. I breathe a sigh of relief, striding over to place the drinks down. I look down at my phone and smile. There's only fifteen more minutes until my shift ends.

"Excuse me." I was making my way back towards the kitchen, but stopped in my tracks, looking left and right.

The person coughs. "Uh, can you help me with this?" Sufyan.

Did he recognize me? I pull my headscarf closer to my face, trying my best to conceal my identity before turning slightly. "Help with what?" I ask, my voice suddenly high pitched.

He shows me the microphone in his hands and presses the buttons. "This isn't turning on. I have to give my speech soon."

"Speech?" I ask incredulously. Then, suddenly remembering I'm a stranger, I clear my throat. "Speech! Okay, please let me see the mic." I think my voice went up five octaves. I squinted my eyes together, hoping he didn't notice.

I kept my head lowered, taking the microphone from him. Bending down I silently played around with the wires to make sure it's connected properly. I could feel his stare burn a hole through the back of my head.

"You know, you stand out right? There is no point in hiding," Sufyan breaks the silence. I pretended not to hear a single word just so casually. "The mic should be working now," I say and stand up to set up the mic on the stand.

While fumbling with the stand, I hear his voice grumble behind me. "I knew it was you Salwa, the moment I saw you," he continued to pester me about my identity which I was unable to shield any longer. Before I knew it I instinctively shut my eyes and shouted, "I'm sorry!"

I don't know what I was so afraid of. Seeing his reaction or the reaction of people in the venue. My sorry echoed throughout the hall, causing every person to stop their conversations and turn around to look at the stage. The microphone was working for sure. I widened my eyes in panic, making eye contact with Sufyan.

"For the wait!" Sufyan completed my sentence, letting out a gentle laugh. "The microphone took a while to set up. Let's not wait any further and get back to the program."

He had already bent down to the level of the microphone which was inches away from my face. As he took possession of the microphone his fingers lightly brushed across mine. Everything happened in a split second that I didn't even notice how close he was to me. Feeling all flustered, I backed up before he could shoo me away. He mouths to me, "We will talk later". I stare at him as he pauses to smile brightly at the audience. Feeling something stir in my heart, I quickly looked away from him.

I turn around and head back to the storage, my ears burning.

"Let's welcome Javed and his bride-to-be, Hafsa!" I watched Sufyan from the corner of my eye introduce the in-laws one by one while I waited near the bar to serve drinks. Halal drinks, of course. Speaking of which, the mango lassi seemed to be the most popular drink in the wedding venue so far.

I couldn't help but sneak glances at Sufyan, the image of him standing on the stage looking so different compared to him at the cafe. His teasing smile looking down at his friends, actually suits his normal poker face. "You guys have probably heard enough of my voice. Don't worry, I won't be taking much of your spotlight, Javed." Sufyan lets out a chuckle.

As he continues with his speech, I finish handing out the rest of the drinks. His deep voice rumbles through the large speakers in every corner of the hall, filling my ears with his clear pronunciations. It was as if I was stuck in a trance, as if his voice had given me an order to stay put. I couldn't help but continue to steal glances of him walking back and forth on the stage, speaking loudly and... laughing. He kept laughing while recalling the memories of how he met Javed and how they had begun their friendship.

Having never seen him express these kinds of emotions, it captivated me. Had he ever smiled like this while working at the cafe?

Not that there was anything worth smiling at. It was just a job, a part-time job that could be written into his resume. And for me to make as much money as I could for Ahmed. I grimace, being reminded of my last few words towards him, that continue to haunt me even in my dreams. Just like every rich kid, you think you're better than everyone else.

I hastily grab the empty jugs and leave them inside the kitchen. Escape was the only thing on my mind, now that my shift was already over.