Trouble In Paradise

24. Is my love that frail?

"So, I was nine, an incompetent cook and set the kitchen on fire as you do."

"No, I don't!" Jax looked at me with wide eyes. "I don't trust you in the kitchen anymore. Please leave. "

"Oh, relax. I was nine then. I don't set things on fire anymore," I smiled reassuringly at him. But remembering a particular incident two years ago, where I had accidentally set my father's new shirt on fire, I muttered under my breath, "at least I try not to."

"What was that?" Jax really looked like he wanted to grab a fire extinguisher or two.

"I asked if you wanted me to help you with anything," I quickly covered up, gesturing at the dough he was kneading.

Jax was quick to shake his head. "No. I'd really prefer it if you went and helped Katie and Kaden instead."

"Okay," giving him a bright smile, I bounced out of the kitchen to see if the two young servers needed any help.

It was Tuesday evening and I was at Mad Batter. I got a call from Mr Hatter on Sunday itself, confirming that I could start working from Tuesday if I wanted.

But when I arrived here around 5 in the evening, he told me that I would not be working today and just getting to know what my work would be and the other staff members.

Betty was the one who usually sat at the counter, the other one who did was a boy named Eric. He wasn't here today though. I would be working as a server along with Katie and Kaden. They were twins and we went to the same school even though they were a year younger than me. Jax and Stella were the cooks. Jax was around twenty and very moody. That much I had surmised in the time I had spent here today. Stella was a cute, middle-aged woman, who gave me a free muffin the moment we were introduced. I immediately named her the godmother of my third born (the position for the first one was promised to Mae and the second one I lost to Rhea in a bet).

After that, I sat with Mr Hatter in his office at the back of the cafe (it was a cozy little space), discussing my work schedule and salary. Even after I told him that I could work for him for free, he insisted on paying me. A short argument arose on that before he threatened me, saying that he would throw away all the extra muffins instead of giving them to me, and eventually won.

After that, we made quick work of my work schedule. It was decided that I would be working on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 8:30 PM, and on Saturdays from 10 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon. Once that was decided, I got up to leave after saying goodbye. And that was when I saw it.

At first, I had thought that the photo frame on the table between Mr Hatter and me was empty. It faced Mr Hatter, that was the reason I couldn't see it at first. I froze in my place once I saw it.

"Aria? You okay, kid?" Mr Hatter gave me a concerned look.

I shook my head, trying to get my tongue working. "Oh, of course, Mr Hatter. I'll see you on Thursday then," I gave him a smile and made my way out.

A relative, that was all he had said about her. Well, I thought as I waved Betty goodbye, Elektra Queen had to be a damn close relative for him to have a photo of the both of them right in front of his eyes.

                   -×-×-×-×-×-

The bus service of Paradise was good enough. Though I did have to walk a little from the cafe to the nearest bus stop. I had called Mae before I left for the cafe from our home phone (she had blocked my number after I spammed her inbox with around 150 pictures of Milo), and she had told me that she was busy writing an essay that was due tomorrow.