***
Walking into the café, Naomi is still shaking.
But she turns to me with a hesitant request. “Do you mind if I just stay here for your shift?” she asks. “I’ll find somewhere to sit.”
“But I thought you —” I stop myself before I’m able to finish. I can see the fear in Naomi’s eyes, the lingering horror in her voice. It isn’t the time to argue. “Okay, that’s fine,” I reply, a slight smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “I’ll come over at my break.”
With that settled, I make my way to the counter, where Camille stands. She beams at me, her usual bubbly self. “Hey!” she chirps, but her smile falters when she spots Naomi. Her lips twist into a scowl. “You brought your sister? What, is she finally ready to
work?” she sneers.
I tense. Camille has never liked Naomi.
I hesitate for a moment, mostly because I don’t even know the answer to that question anymore. “I don’t think so,” I admit. “She offered, then… well, I don’t know.”
Camille rolls her eyes. “Figures,” she mutters under her breath. “That girl needs to grow up and get off her selfish butt.”
I reach into my bag and pull out Camille’s phone. “I’m really
sorry,” I begin, handing it to her.
She blinks at me, confused. “What for?”
“After you left for the event, I realized you forgot your phone,” I sigh, my words rushing out. “I knew how much you wanted to take pictures of everything, so I took a taxi to give it to you. But then at the gates, this stupid security guard, Steve, wouldn’t let me through.” I pause, gathering my thoughts before continuing. “Then, you won’t believe it. This weird woman came out and started saying that, apparently, I was the new waitress, which should have been you. I tried to escape, I really did, but she just dragged me along.” I pause hearing Camille gasp. “I know, right? Then she dressed me in this waitress dress, which was way too short. And, well… this rich-looking man comes along, saying apparently, I replaced you.”
I cringe, expecting her to explode, but instead, Camille bursts out laughing.
“You’re kidding!” she says between gasps for air.
“I wish I were,” I mutter, heat rising to my cheeks.
As her laughter subsides, I still can’t believe she isn’t furious at me right now. I cautiously ask, “So you’re not mad?”
“Mad? Are you joking? That’s hilarious!” She waves a hand dismissively. “You were trying to help, Addie. Honestly, it’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all week.”
A sigh of relief escapes my lips, the tension in my shoulders melting away. “That’s good. Really good. Actually, it’s…” I begin, but I don’t get very far because Rick’s voice cuts through the café. “Addie, we need to talk.”
I turn to see him standing near the counter, his arms crossed. A boy sits on the floor beside him. A boy I don’t recognize. It seems he finds the situation rather entertaining. Sonotrelatable.
Heart sinking, I reluctantly walk over. “What’s up?” I ask, forcing a smile.
Rick doesn’t bother with pleasantries. “Almost thirty minutes late today,” he says, his voice heavy with disappointment. “Addie, you can’t keep doing this. If it happens again, I’ll have no choice but to let you go.”
My stomach twists, and a cold sweat breaks out on my skin. Losing this job isn’t an option. Ineedit.
“I’m really sorry, Rick,” I blurt out. “I promise it won’t happen again. Please, just give me another chance.”
He sighs, some of the hardness in his expression softening. “I know you’ve got a lot going on, and I appreciate your effort. But this is your final warning. Understood?”
“Understood,” I say quickly, relief flooding through me.
Before Rick can say anything else, the boy pipes up, a smirk tugging at his lips. “So, you’re not even going to introduce me?” There’s a slight edge to his tone. “Do you want me to tell Dad that—”
Rick stiffens. “Oh, no, no need for that,” he says, cutting off the boy’s words with a forced smile. “Adeline, this is Cody. My nephew.”
I blink in surprise but manage to muster up a smile. “Nice to meet you, Cody. I’m Adeline.”
***
