HURT FOR ME

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Coffee

"There's nothing a little bit of coffee and a lot of people watching can't fix."

Olivia Bennett

Across the next few days, I'd booked a cheap motel and used the last bit of the money in my savings account. The motel wasn't one of those creepy ones where there's a serial killer on the loose or anything, it was surprisingly homely.

There was a nice, older woman who stayed in the room to the left, and to the right, was an older man who took the older woman for a morning walk every single day. I'd wake up early just to witness his joyful dance-walk to her door. I longed for something like what they have.

My phone began to ring as I watched the blurry TV and munched on the cold pancakes I'd gotten from the free breakfast bar.

LOVE & LATTES INC.

"Hello?" I immediately answered the phone, trying to hide my hurried tone.

"Hi, is this Olivia Bennett?" A lady's voice said.

"Yes, hi, this is me." I rushed to find the notepad and pen left on the desk as the woman began explaining that I'd been hired. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I realized I might just be okay on my own.

She continued telling me more details and information about the position, which I wrote down on the small paper. A few more "thank you's" and "that sounds perfect!'s" and the call came to an end.

I jumped up and down, squealing with excitement. After a moment of celebrating, a weird feeling swept through me. I'd found myself wanting someone to share my celebration with. I let the feeling drown out, trying to forget about the part of me I'd left behind with Aaron.

❁

Several days later and I was headed to my first day as a barista at Love & Lattes Cafe. I was equally excited and overwhelmed. I hadn't worked since before my coma, and even then, I worked a small job which I was hardly paid for.

When I arrived, the familiar scent of coffee and bagels filled my nose, easing the anxiety I felt. A kind man who was leaving the cafe held the door open for me. A quick "thank you" and I was inside of the small space.

A row of wooden circular tables lined the right wall, and the counters took up the left. A few oddly shaped tables filled the space in the middle, and there was an arched doorway, leading to the back I'd assumed.

"Oh my God!" A recognizable voice screeched. As I turned my attention to the counter where the high-pitched voice came from, I immediately noticed Layla standing at the register.

The shock was clear on my face, "What the hell?" I scurried over to the counter, embracing Layla over top of it. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the manager!" She exclaimed. My mouth fell wide open as I realized I'd be working for Aaron's sister. That'd make it increasingly difficult to avoid him.

"You're..the one who hired me?" I questioned.

"Well, my employee, Yvette," She motioned her hand to the small woman banging on the coffee machine, "is the one who hired you." She giggled. "When she said the name Olivia, I didn't think anything of it!"

I glanced around the cafe, looking for any signs of Aaron. My luck, today would be the day he didn't want to make his own coffee. He would rant and rave about how coffee shops just sell overpriced coffee with great food presentation. I laughed to myself at the thought of his bickering.

"This isn't weird, is it?" I asked, eyeing her through my eyebrows anxiously.

"Weird?" She looked taken aback. "How could this be weird? This is wonderful!" She smiled brightly causing me to smile. "I'm so happy to have you here, honestly." She eyed the poor woman struggling with the silver machine and laughed out loud.

❁

Layla dedicated the next few hours to showing me how to use each machine, and where all of the supplies were located. She even gave me a set of keys to the cafe and told me I could come by anytime for a free coffee. I was overwhelmed by her kindness. I wasn't sure why I assumed things would be different between the both of us although things between her brother and I were over.

"Soooo, yeah!" She clapped her hands together, "I really hope this job is a great fit for you!" Her smile could turn anyone's bad day into a great one. "I'm going to enjoy having you here." Layla softly squeezed my shoulder before trailing off to the back room.

I turned and looked at the register, hitting random buttons until I figured out their purpose. To be honest, I had been thinking about Aaron the entire time Layla showed me how to use this thing. It wasn't intentional, but thoughts of Aaron have never been controllable.

The faint ding of a bell alerted me that a new customer had entered, "Hi! Welcome to Love & Lattes." I continued tapping random buttons. "How may I-" It didn't even take half a second for me to realize who's hands were resting on the marble countertop in front of me. I glanced up and met Aaron's dark, enchanting eyes.

"Help you?" He sarcastically finished my sentence.

"How may I help you?" I blinked away the frustration I felt seeing him, and tried to remember that at this moment, he's only a customer, nothing else.

He peered at the large menu above my head, biting down on his bottom lip as he searched the dark printed words. "I will have a black coffee," He smirked. "No sugar, no milk, no cream."

I pressed more buttons on the screen and confirmed the order, "Okay, swipe your card and follow the instructions on the tablet."

A few beeps and the light on the small monitor shifted to green. I spun around, preparing his plain coffee which was absolutely tasteless by the way. He might as well just put mud in a cup and drink that.

When I finished, I slid the hot cup across the counter, purposely spilling some of it. "Thank you, have a great day!" My smile was forced.

"Olivia," I immediately turned my back to him, pretending to work on something else until he'd get the hint. "Please just talk to me." I let out a frustrated sign, trying to find the strength not to give him anymore of my time. "One dinner is all I need to explain myself." I gripped the edge of the counter and spun back around.

"One dinner is all you get, Aaron. After that, I never want to hear from you again." He took a small sip of his coffee and raised his two fingers to his forehead, saluting before exiting the small cafe and in that moment, I regretted every bad thought I'd ever had about him.