✩ #17 in body positivity ✩
Holly needs a job. And some cash.
That's how she ends up at Cafe by the Sea, hired by the assistant manager, Oliver, who's cute, annoying, and totally unattainable. She's not really looking to fall in love though - it's...
Holly tried not think about the fact that Oliver didn't reply.
After all, it wasn't as if they texted that much or were that close or anything.
So why did she feel as if she was entitled to a reply?
Instead, she decided to swallow her, quite literal, bitter medicine. In an effort to get better quickly — Holly had the misfortune of having an immune system that was slower than a dying snail on a bad day — she had gone through her cabinets, searching for Tylenol or Advil. Finding neither, she'd settled with Vick's? Bick's? Some kind of store-brand medication.
She hoped she wouldn't die.
Serves your fat self right if you die, she thought bitterly. Kissing someone else's boyfriend and even enjoying it.
Goosebumps crawled up Holly's arms and she shook her head. What was wrong with her these days?
The next day, she'd felt considerably better, both physically and emotionally.
Maybe she should do the mature thing and talk everything over with Oliver. That would be way better unrequited avoidance.
So she decided to go to work.
When she walked into the Cafe By The Sea the next day, Oliver greeted her normally. "Morning," he said, then retreated to the back room.
Holly was fine with that. She wasn't quite ready to have that mature talk yet, she realized.
She manned (or womanned) the register until the noon, then flip the sign on the door over, indicating a lunch break, even though she wasn't going to be eating. Oliver would be though, and she could use the half-hour break.
But when 12:10 passed by, and he still hadn't come out of the back room, couldn't help but worry. He never ate back there, he always came out and gave her some company. Was he avoiding her as well?
For some reason, this thought caused a pang in Holly's heart, and she had to reprimand herself for a full minute. Why should I care? All the better for me that I'll never have to talk to him again.
But her curiosity and worry got the best of her, and she knocked on the door to the back room, waiting for a sign that he was in there. Perhaps he was taking a nap today, maybe that was it.
Instantly, she felt relief settle over her. Of course, as soon as she realized that, she started scolding herself again.
But she knew, in her heart, that she just couldn't stop caring, no matter what she wanted to do. And she didn't repress the relief she felt, once again, when Oliver said, "Holly?"
"Yea," she confirmed.
"Come in." She opened the door and was greeted by Oliver's back. He was pouring over papers - she was still standing a little to far back to see what exactly was on the papers.
"What are you looking at?"
"Just stuff," he muttered and gathered all the papers in a hurry, as if trying to get rid of them before she could come closer. Holly knew that she'd ponder that action for hours later, when she got home, and wonder he was hiding, and feel hurt that he thought it necessary to hide things from her.
What made it worse was that when he turned around, he was wearing a friendly smile. But it almost seemed forced — something that she'd never thought she could say about his smiles.
"Oh," she replied, then looked down at her feet. What was she supposed to say right now? It suddenly seemed petty for her to come in and ask why he wasn't outside and eating. Being the friendly person he was, he would obviously think she felt hurt and immediately come outside to eat with her. But that hadn't been her intention. Or was it? the devil inside of her wondered.
"Can I help you with something?" He pushed his glasses up on his face. Holly was once again hit with how absolutely adorkable he was. And she'd decided to give up on this. She bit her lip and sighed inwardly in resignation.
"No, nothing. But aren't you going to eat?" she blurted out.
His smile seemed even more strained, if that was even possible. "No, I'm not hungry right now. I'll go out and grab a bite later."
"Oh, alright then."
She backed out of the room slowly and was about to walk away when Oliver called out after her, "Holly!"
She turned around so fast that her ponytail gave her whiplash.
He looked at her for a second, then shook his head. "It's nothing." Then he sent her off with that oddly forced smile on his face.
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