Melody of death | English Version | Charles Leclerc FF

seven ఌ

I felt my heart beating on every possible part of my body. I forgot the people in this room as well as the order, even that I stared at him.
"Everything okay?", the brunette one asked, who leaned on the bar and looked at me with worry in his eyes. Oh god, why do I have to look at him that fucking obviously?
I turned away and mumbled an embarrassed "of course". I doubt the fact that he had understood what I said. Anyways, I tried to focus on my drinks again, which were written on the little paper, but the information didn't reach my brain. What was wrong with me? Nobody upsets me so strangely.
"There's much going on here, isn't it?", he added, whereupon I threw a dissatisfied look at him.
"Sorry. That was stupid." Apologising he hemmed. "So if you think that I am stalking you, I don't. I swear. Actually I just wanted to take something to eat. But as I see its pretty full in here."
I looked at Charles again. For a strange reason I ran completely out of words, so I just nodded.

"Are you alone here?", he asked further. In the meantime, I devoted myself to the orange juice I had to pour. After all, the guests shouldn't have to wait forever.

"Yes, obviously I am.", I answered harsh without looking at him. For a moment there was silence between us. Charles hesitated to say something, instead he seemed to think. Maybe I was too hard to him. I mean, it wasn't his fault that my day was just not it.
Before I could apologise, he found his voice again and sounded more motivated than anything else.
"What do you think about me helping you? Sometimes, as a kid, I also helped my aunt...", he suggested and pushed himself away from the bar. I hesitated. On one hand I wanted him to go, because apparently he has a really strange effect on me. But on the other hand there was a part in me that knew exactly that I could need any help I could get somehow.
"Well, okay. You are doing the drinks for me, I'll walk." He nodded understandingly and smiled when I pressed a paper with some drinks in his hand. Then he went behind the bar and started doing what I told him. And while I was outside cleaning a table, I couldn't resist to watch him through the window. He was just about to prepare a order, skilfully he jagged the bottles out of the refrigerator, opened them quickly and poured the liquid into the right glasses. I couldn't help but grin dreamily.
Damn, Célina! He is way too good for you. Forget him! My inner voice said, almost stricter than the voice of my former math teacher. I should obey.

I turned my eyes away and went to get the money from a couple. Plus a tip of ten euros. Thankful, I said goodbye to the two of them and went back to the inside of the restaurant, straight to the counter. Charles looked at me as I put the money in the register. Then I stayed with him behind the wooden bar, where people came by who asked for something or wanted to pay. In addition, some bottles had to be refilled – or glasses polished. Somehow the cooperation with Charles worked very well. I got along with him, sometimes I even had to laugh because he made a joke or a clumsy mistake. I explained a few things to him and helped him with some things. For example with poring a beer. Firstly he wanted to tap straight, but I took his arm and changed the angle.
"Now it's better. Because of the foam.", I said. We had a short, but very intense eye contact, which I better broke off pretty fast.
I felt comfortable with Charles. He was a good soul and besides a pretty good looking man. He made my work so much easier that I didn't even notice that already two hours had passed in which he helped me like a gentleman.
I had a guilty conscience when I watched him polish glasses. He had not come for work, but just wanted to pick up something to eat. Probably he was hungry as fuck and I stupid bitch let him work. What the fuck is wrong with me?
I had to make up for this. And maybe I also knew how...

I took a step to him. "You wanted something to eat. What do you want?" My right leg wobbled nervously and my voice no longer sounded cold as it did in the beginning.
Charles looked down at my leg and I could see in his eyes that he was thinking about something.
"Oh, yes. Theres nothing specific I want. You can just make something from the daily recommendation for me." He smiled warm-hearted and began to clean another glass. I nodded understandingly before I disappeared into the kitchen. I had the lunch menu in my head and gave Annette a popular meal to cook. After that, I returned to Charles and caught him talking with... CLODINE?!
I stopped, frozen into myself. Somehow a little feeling of jealousy spread within me, but why? I mean, this laughter, which was on Charles' lips, wasn't necessarily directly aligned in this form, was it? And even if, it has nothing to do with me, I shouldn't even think about it. There was no reason to be jealous.
Although, I didn't want to see what I saw at that moment. Wanted to close my eyes and leave this place as soon as possible.
"Ah, Sally! You should have introduced me to your friend..." Clodine waved me to her and gifted a radiant smile to Charles. What did she just say? My friend?
I detached myself and walked to Charles, of course with some distance. I wanted to clarify the situation, after all it was already enough embarrassing. Charles looked at me, not quite sure what to say and to be honest, I didn't know either. Did he tell her he was my friend or was it just Clodine's interpretation?
"Well ... actually he isn't my friend, or boyfriend or something.", I finally clarified the situation. Charles lowered his head as if he had expected something else.

I started to wipe the counter aimlessly with a rag and ignored the unpleasant silence that had arisen according to my statement. Clodine did probably still think about it a little longer before she could understand and Charles... maybe he overthought about the fact that we worked together...?
"I hope its okay that I am late. There was an important emergency. This nail", she showed her fake nails it to Charles and then to me. "... made an unsightly exit this morning and, of course, I needed to fix that immediately.", she explained to me in such a dramatic expression that I really started to doubt her intelligence. How can a nail be more important than the work?

"But it seems like you had some good company anyways." A dirty grin had crept on her lips and when she added that stupid wink I just wanted to disappear. I rolled my eyes annoyed, put the rag away and turned to Clodine.
"Clodine, please. That was a one-time thing. He's going anyway and then that's it!", I hissed angrily. At the same moment, I regretted my statement. Now Charles will think I am an ungrateful bitch. Fuck, Célina, what the fuck are you doing?

In the corner of my eye, I noticed how Charles lost his face to rays and he withdrew in his posture. Yep, I definitely talked too much shit.
"I'm just saying..." Clodine shrugged and walked around the counter.
I sighted and stayed silent for the next minutes. When Charles' food was ready, I gave it to him without looking into his eyes. This day already went more than just wrong, I should hold back myself before I keep making more mistakes.
"Of course it's for free. As a thank you for your help." Charles looked at me stunned. "What? No, no. Tell me the price, I'll pay for it. I enjoyed working with you."

"Nope. Its better if you go now. And I don't want to see money, do you understand that?", I said in a strict tone. You could clearly tell that Charles wasn't okay with that, but he did what I said and went... I watched him walking out of the door and a little bit longer. If Clodine hadn't come and had stood next to me knowingly grinning, I probably would have stayed there staring for another few minutes...