Evermore

Part 4

I already have a negative mood heading into work as I know it will be long and tedious. I was set to face to face with a 12-hour shift and I could already feel my feet crying for help, begging not to be cramped in my shoes all day.

I'm lucky Valentina loves babysitting Lilla when I work late. Even though she doesn't live with us anymore, she too developed a bond with Lilla and couldn't resist whenever I ask if she could babysit for me.

Val used to work with me at the pizza shop. We met in school when I was 16 and just entered the system. We had an English project together and she helped me get the job. She's the only person who truly loves me and actually cares about my well-being. Not to mention the fact that she helps me with Lilla voluntarily which is more I can say about anyone else. 

Work passes by surprisingly fast and before I know it the lunch rush is over and I find a couple of hours of downtime before the dinner rush. There are only a few people working today so I help one of my coworkers make some orders. I'm normally the cashier but I do enjoy the simplicity of making pizza. 

It's a routine, a dance. You do all the parts in order and then you set it aside for a couple of minutes and it's done. Easy. I pop in my headphones and bang out a couple of orders, finding a rhythm. 

I'm so into making these pizzas I almost didn't hear the bell ring signaling someone had entered the shop. 

It wants until I saw out of the corner of my eye shuffling coming from the front of the store. 

"I'll be right with you," I shout over the fans, pushing the last pizza into the oven. 

"No rush, darling." His voice sent a chill down my spine. I knew who it was. 

I wipe my hands on my jeans, swallowing my hesitation to see him again. 

"Hi." I greet cheerfully, logging into the computer. 

"Hello, Josephine." My name rolled off his tongue and I froze in my spot. 

"How do you know my name?" I can hear that my voice is shaky but I'm hoping he won't notice. 

He gestured to my chest. "Nametag." 

Relief flooded over me and I felt calmer. 

"How can I help you." I look at him but find myself slightly uncomfortable looking at him directly in his eyes. 

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday," He tilts his head almost forcing me to lock with his emerald orbs. "I should have responded better. I'm flattered that you think you've met me before, I should have just said you were thinking of someone else. I'm sorry."

I'm taken aback by his comment. Never had I expected him to come all this way to apologize. 

"Um, don't worry about it." I feel myself shifting on my feet as a source of comfort. 

"I hope you accept my apology." His voice soft, soothing almost. I feel strangely safe here. Still uncomfortable, but safe. Like I knew his intentions were purely clear. He was just apologizing, like a true gentleman. 

But him coming here does nothing to feed the hunger of curiosity on why I was so attracted to him. It wasn't his looks or his personality as I've only talked to him now twice. There was something about him, and it was pulling me like a magnet. 

"I do," I whisper, almost certain he couldn't hear me. I don't know why I felt the need to reassure him but I knew he needed to hear it. I needed to hear it. 

And besides, he came all this way to apologize to me. It's the least I could do. 

"What are you doing tomorrow?" He asks suddenly. I'm used to being hit on while working but the fact that he is the one hitting on me, I reacted differently. I didn't flinch and my insides didn't curl up. A typical response to comments like that.