Discovering Lucy

Love's cafe

Now;

"Come on Matt, you don't know what you're talking about" Lucy exclaims, following closely behind Matt as he works his way around the bar, She knows she needs to take a step back and re-evaluate but she can't, she physically cannot bring herself to see the reasoning for this.  

Since the beginning of the conversation, Matt has not given Lucy a reason for her to believe that he is interested and wanting to talk about the matter at hand. Obviously he doesn't know Lucy or how persistent and stubborn she can be. Only a few got to witness that first hand. With tears behind her eyes and strain on her throat, her body is telling her that she needs to end this conversation soon, before anything can be said that shouldn't be said.

Matt comes to an abrupt stop, causing Lucy to almost run into his back. "I don't know what the big deal here is, Lucy. I got a call from your Dr. and she is just suggesting you to take a break from work. Most people are usually happy to take time off work. Now go home before I fire you." To show Lucy the conversation is over, Matt picks the stacks of bills out of the cash register from last night and starts counting out loud.

Lucy balls her fists by her side and clenches her teeth. One... two ... three... She mentally does her counting exercise as she feels the anger of the situation course through her blood. How dare he take the word from a stranger than the employee that has been with him through thick and thin. If she didn't feel like she was up for the task of working then she would be working, no 'Dr' can tell her this. Especially a doctor that only met Lucy a month ago, hardly enough time to know everything. Lucy hasn't made it easier as she hasn't told the full truth herself.  

"I demand an early paycheck then." Lucy seethed through her teeth. Anger dripping from her voice.

"Excuse me?" Matt straightened his back as he looked down on the woman in front of him, hand on hips and eyes full of determination.

"If you are going to dismiss me until further notice-" Lucy motioned with her fingers, making air quotations to further her point, "-then i demand money to keep me on my feet. This is unless you want to have your most experienced bartender on the streets."

Matt scoffs and thinks over this request.

"You know how to drive a deal. Your daddy taught you that?" Matt pointed out.

"We don't talk about my daddy." Lucy warned immediately. 

Matt looks taken back by Lucy's remark. He shouldn't be surprised at all, considering the fact Lucy never spoke a word about her father in the time that he's known her. Every time he asked her about him or her family in general, the only answers he got were grunts groans and plain silence. He thought that the eight-teen year old he hired was just having daddy issues over her allowance, not anything serious to get the same response now.

"Look, fine, Lucy. Here is your paycheck." He says as he writes some words and numbers into his checkbook.

Lucy says nothing back as she snatches the check from his grasp and walks out the door. The minute she closes that door behind her she feels free, feels as though she can breathe again. It took a lot of mental strain to be able to be like that in front of Matt. To seem strong when she isn't, to pretend that her hands weren't shaking the moment he told her he's making her go on stress leave. That the idea of being alone, in that house, In that bed with nothing but her thoughts terrifies her.

It creates this feeling at the bottom of her stomach, almost like her body is in a pit, an endless, emotionless pit. One that she has avoided since that day. Dr. Linger doesn't know, but Lucy has a feeling that she suspects there is something Lucy isn't telling her.