Never Again

Chapter 18: Work

Being back in Switzerland felt like being freed from a cage. A huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and everything seemed brighter than before. She even found herself greeting random people on the street, something that she hadn't done in a long time. A spring was back in her step and she could now see how much fear had numbed her feelings over time. Without her noticing it had taken over her life and now that she was free it made her sad to realise how much she had missed. The sharp pain while breathing and eating reminded her of the fact that still all was not well yet. She wasn't able to cover up her face like she used to and sometimes she caught people staring at her. It made her feel uncomfortable, but the guilt that had always been there was significantly less at least.

She stared out the window and could see people walking by, laughing and talking with their company. The familiar scent of coffee filled her nostrils and it funnily enough made her feel like she was back in London. She finished the order she was making and handed the coffee she was holding in her hands to the waiting customer. It had been a good choice to apply for a job here and it made sense to start somewhere familiar. Not knowing the regulars yet was a pity, because the small conversations were what she liked best about the job. However, it had been doing wonders for her German and she also was becoming more familiar with the characteristics of the Swiss. With a smile on her face she went around the counter to clean the empty tables.

A lot of people where relaxing in the big arm chairs, whether having a conversation or frantically typing on their laptops. The atmosphere was very different from her job at the cafe back home. There most of the customers were commuters and people were always in a hurry, here almost everyone took the time to sit down and just enjoy their coffees. The next table to clean was one of the tables at the window, it reminded her of that time she and Sebastian had met up and had set at that exact same table. She couldn't hold back a smile when the image of Seb sitting there popped up in her head. The sugar bowl was still there, although she was sure that the contents had been replaced after the mess he had made. She straightened her apron and started collecting empty mugs, she could not be thinking of Sebastian right now. Since she had been back in Switzerland she had not seen him, not even just a glimpse. Maybe he was on holiday, she thought, or maybe he was away for work. She sighed at that thought and put several empty mugs on her tray. It didn't matter how much she tried not to, her mind still kept wandering to Seb several times a day.

'Keira, we need you!'

She turned around to locate the source of the voice and saw Elsa waving at her from behind the counter. There was indeed a small queue forming so she quickly picked up the last empty mugs and went to help her colleague. The cafe also sold a lot of homemade cakes and pastries, so orders could get complicated.

'How may I help you?' she asked the blonde girl who was staring at the cakes.

'I can't decide on which one to choose,' the girl answered apologetically. 'I want to surprise my boyfriend, but he always complains about my choices.'

Keira smiled, she knew that feeling and also everything looked so good that you would just like to buy everything. 'What does he like?' she tried to help the girl.

'Chocolate, but he's always sulking that he isn't allowed to eat it,' she sighed. 'He has been away for a few days, so I just wanted to do something nice.'

'Well, one piece of chocolate cake wouldn't hurt, would it?' she smiled. In the mean time she started to top up the croissants, because they always sold very rapidly.

The girl grinned. 'I guess you're right. I just have to hide it for his trainer, otherwise he would kill me.'

'This one then?' Keira pointed at the cake with the largest amount of chocolate covering it. The girl nodded and grabbed her wallet from her bag. After packing up the cake and wishing her a nice day she continued with topping the other products.