Take A Chance On Me ☆ [Mamma Mia - Bill Anderson X Reader]

☆32☆

You sigh as you sprinkle more chocolate flakes on some annoying man's croissant. Since you took up this job in Australia when you sailed here after losing your job in Indonesia - for not speaking Indonesian fluently enough, the first time that's ever been said to you - you've had the same guy hit on you every day.

You stare out the cafe window, clearly ignoring the sleazeball's messy advances. It's 1989, nearly Sophie's ninth birthday which you're too far away to attend on time, and the recent wave of popularity for boy band New Kids On The Block finds itself everywhere you look: customers in the cafe babble excitedly about the tour dates they have in the country; the music emanating softly from the overhead speakers are mostly from their album Hangin' Tough; many teens coming in chatting and ordering food to hang out with are dressed in funky leather outfits, despite the boiling Australian heat.

Once you begin to climb up the ladder here and earn enough money to buy your childhood house in London that as of yet hasn't been bought, you're never going to play this band's music in your presence again - it's been played so much you feel as if you're never going to get them out of your head.

"Excuse me, pretty lady?" the guy in front of you smiles so widely that you can see his lack of wisdom teeth, and you sigh in contempt before putting on your best customer face and finishing up the chocolate flakes.
"That's $2.50, sir," you say as falsely as you can, and he slides over the cash.
"Can I get the change with your phone number, baby? Or do ya like sweetcheeks more? Whichever's fine with me, honey."

Your hands fly up, finally done with him. This guy! This bloody guy has been trying to get up in your business ever since you got employed here eight months ago! Why can't he understand that you don't want a date, you don't want a boyfriend... you don't want him!

"Okay, that's it!" you shout in his face, and he doesn't move from his stance on the counter but changes his expression from laid-back to a little freaked. You take one more look at his unwavering sleazy confident pose and push him away.

"Hey, girl, chill out!"
"Chill out?" you almost explode, "Chill out?! You have been harassing me for eight months now!"
He puts his hands up in surrender; the entire cafe is now watching you, including your boss and coworkers who know about this guy and are nodding and smiling along supportively. You know they're not trying to stop you.

"Hey, lady, I'm just being friendly!"
"No, you're not - you're being irritating and arrogant and sexist!" you protest rightfully. "I made it crystal clear from the first time you creeped in here that I'm not interested in you. I have never lead you on, been rude, done anything to make you think I'm interested, yet still you're here every single day asking the same thing over and over when you know yourself that the answer is always the same. What, you think that if you ask enough, one magic day I'll give in just for an easy life? Well let me tell you, buster, I am not the type of person who's gonna give in just for an easy life! As soon as I'm off my shift, I'm going straight to the courthouse and filing a restraining order against you! You will not he allowed in this cafe, or around me, ever again!"

And, because the music has been turned off for the show and because you want the guy to know just how hard he's being called out, you start to sing broadly and loudly:

"I believe your new girl turned you down,
And they say you've been pushing her around,
How does it feel? I guess it hurts your pride,
Tell me, my friend, how many nights you cried,

Disaster and disgrace - the king has lost his crown,
Suddenly he's clumsy like a clown,
His world is upside down,
The king has lost his crown,

Was it hard to step down from your throne,
And to know tonight you're all alone?
Oh, what a shame, you really want that girl,
She doesn't care, still, you just dream of her,

Disaster and disgrace - the king has lost his crown,
Suddenly he's clumsy like a clown,
His world is upside down,
The king has lost his crown,

Disaster and disgrace - the king has lost his crown,
Suddenly he's clumsy like a clown,
His world is upside down,
The king has lost his crown!"

You finish with a fierce poke in the guy's chest, and his eyes are damn near bulging out of his head.
There's a brief moment of silence, before everybody in the cafe begins clapping thunderously for you. Even cheering!

The sleazeball looks at everyone, bewildered, and his eyes land on you as you walk from behind the counter and cross your arms in front of him, fixed with a smug satisfied smile.
"We've got your full name, your bank details, and your address on your receipts from your purchases. Everything I need to take you down, and make sure you learn your lesson to never think about harassing someone again."

Another round of whoops sound, and the guy manages to back out of the cafe, followed by shouts of, 'and stay out!'

You smile and bow gracefully, bounding gleefully to the counter. Multiple people including your coworkers come up to you to express their gratitude and admiration. You beam at each of them in turn until everyone's settled back in their places, and the only person who hasn't come up to you is spotted alone at the table, hood up and eating an ice cream sundae.

You lean on the countertop, pen tapping the glass of the nearest cake stand. You don't mean to be selfish, but why is that person the only person not congratulating you on calling out that sexist jerk?

Bill's POV

I sneak another look at Y/N then pull my hoodie lower. She looks at me with a confused expression, but doesn't push it further and just spins round to talk excitedly to a coworker.

So she doesn't recognise me. Right now, that's very good.

I didn't mean to find Y/N here in Australia - after about a year in India hanging out with Buddhist monks, I realised that Buddhism really isn't for me and decided to take a trip to Down Under for a laugh. I really didn't know she'd be here.

This was about a month ago; since then I've been in the cafe she works at every day, simply sitting at the back and admiring her from afar. She hasn't changed from the last time I saw her two years ago: confident, evolving, beautiful, happy.

Every time I accidentally bump into her, aside from the everpresent guilt hanging over my head, she's like a bright spot of sunshine in a cloudy day. Every time I've been coming here for the last month, it's felt like the beaming Aussie sun can't even match up to her shine.

But that'll have to stop now.

I've been here too much; sooner or later, she's gonna find out who I am, and I don't want her to remember me. I want her to forget me, no matter how much I don't want to. Plus, she just kicked the ass of a guy that's been following her for eight months - imagine if she learned that I had been admiring her from afar for a month.

After I finish my sundae, I pay in cash with tip on the table, collect my messenger bag, and walk out of the cafe with my head bowed. The hoodie makes me boil, but I know I can't let it down until I'm out of sight of the cafe completely. My blonde mullet might just be enough of an indicator to her.

I sneak a peek of her. She's at the table I just vacated, picking up the rubbish and peering at the tip I left. I see her slightly tangled wild brows knit in bewilderment, and she calls another coworker over. The other comes over, adds up the tip, and drops her jaw. I smile despite myself, glad I made her happy that one last time.

I've listened to Y/N's speeches to her coworkers about buying a house in London to let homeless people live in for a month now. Maybe $100, the last hundred I have before reaching the tens, will help her at least a little to achieve her new dream.