Damned If I Do *Matt Murdock* (book one of Damned)

3) Just like the weather (can't hold her together)

They say that what you dream about the first night in a new place come true. Vera didn't remember anything but dark and the noise of the city and she couldn't decide whether it was a good sign or a bad one. When she woke up at 8 a.m. at the sound of her alarm, she didn't feel rested. The change of a time zone wasn't pleasant. She forced herself to get up and groaned as she realized that there was no tea she could make. It was going to be a lovely day. So flapjack and the terrible water was the only option when it came to her breakfast. It served her right.

Vera opened the huge wardrobe and tried to find something representative. She settled at three-quarter black leggings with a red skirt and her favourite orange blouse. She decided to go to the café first - with GPS on her phone (momentarily only source of the internet, she needed to ask Mrs. Larkin about the wifi in the building later), it wouldn't be so hard and there was a promise of an overpriced (probably) tea.

As it turned out, it would be an impossible task to find it without GPS – the café was tiny and hidden in a labyrinth of small alleyways, cute little shop with windows instead of walls. She liked its name too – MDDC for My Daily Dose of Caffeine. Bell ringed above her head as she entered the warm space tuned in orange and green. Few people were standing in the line in front of the counter, two girls serving them with a smile. Vera considered approaching them, but it seemed rude towards the waiting people - she joined the queue instead. Before she reached the counter, other two men appeared behind her. She eyed the panels on the wall and looked for her salvation – she found they served green tea with a vanilla flavour. Thank god.

"Welcome to MDDC, what can I get you?" girl with suntanned (almost bronze) skin and dark hair asked her with trained phrase and slightly fake smile. She eyed her suspiciously when she ordered tea. Problem? "Here or to go? Name?"

Vera wasn't caught off guard – she was watching the process several times with the customers in front of her. They said their name, gave the girl money and moved few steps left to the flat surface where their order would be placed (laugh all you want – she didn't go to any café, ok?)

"Vera, to go" she said simply, paid and moved.

In a minute, her tea was done. "Sorry to bother," she called after the girl, "but is the bartender position still open?"

The girl turned back to her with what could only be described like an annoyed look and examined her with suspicious eyes. "Hold on. Have customers to serve." Her voice sounded cold, almost hateful. Kráva.

Vera took her tea and stepped aside, determined not to let the girl ruin her day. She almost moaned when she tasted her tea. It tasted like heaven. Freaking overpriced heaven in the middle of Hell's Kitchen. She didn't even care whether the hostile girl (who was now smiling at people with smile as fake as Vera's hair colour) spit in her drink.

Vera was standing there for few minutes, sipping her piece of heaven, when the other girl noticed she wasn't about to leave. She gave her current customer his daily dose of caffeine and eyed her over the shelf.

"Can I help you?" she asked with a hint of a smile that looked more honest than Ms .Bitch's one over there. She had short orange hair with a braid on a side and distinctively green eyes. She looked less like a bitch. Frankly, she seemed even nice.

"Hi. Uhm... I was wondering about the position advertised on the internet? The barista? Is it... is it still open? I wrote an e-mail to the manager, but she never answered..."

The girl laughed. "Yeah... she never does. But the position is still open. You're interested? Let me call her for you." She obviously didn't give a shit about customers to serve and headed for the Staff only door. She was back in what seemed like seconds. "Come here." She gestured in direction of the gate.