A man you’ll meet soon enough. Don’t talk to the pig again, or there will be consequences, little hummingbird.
The veins in my neck are pulsating, and I can feel my ass leaving an imprint on this dingy chair. After what feels like forever, I muster up the courage and ask him who he is again. The small room suddenly feels like it’s closing in on me, and my breath is heavy.
Why does he call me little hummingbird?
“Jesus fucking Christ, how long are you going to sit here?” I stay calm while my boss is talking to me like I’m less worth than the bottom of his shoe. My eyes are glued to my phone even while my boss is giving me a verbal ass-whooping.
“It’s a bit quiet. Go and refill the coffee machine and clean the counter. I won’t ask twice.” Why is he still talking?
I stand up because I can’t take it anymore, and walk out to the counter. I start filling up the beans in our coffee machine. Whilst I’m filling up the machine, the bell above the main door dings.
I glance up and see a regular coming in—a quiet man with short black hair with a teenager by his side.
What’s odd to me about this customer is that he is always with a different teenager. I grab my pen and notepad and go up to the regular.
“Marco, how can I help you today?” He looks at the menu, even though I know what he is going to order. A black coffee for himself and a milkshake for the teenager. This one is currently drinking water from a bottle.
Weird.
She sets it down and doesn’t dare to look at me.
“Today I’m feeling a bit adventurous. We’ll both get milkshakes and a piece of your apple pie.” Calm down there.
“Amazing! I’ll get that for you right away.” I go to the kitchen, put down my pen and notepad, and ask for two milkshakes and two slices of apple pie. While I’m waiting, I hear Marco raising his voice.
“Look at what you just did!” When I look over, I see that the teenager has spilled her water over the floor. Before Marco can belittle her any more, I call out to him.
“Don’t worry, Marco. I’ll come and clean it up.” He shakes his head in disbelief at the teenager, and she immediately shrinks into herself. I grab my pen again and start walking to them, holding a cloth in the other hand.
“Here. Everything is—” Before I can finish my sentence, I slip on the water, grabbing onto the chair the teenager is sitting on. Because of my imbalance, I accidentally grasp her arm and I bump into her.
Before I can muster what I have done, I hear a shriek.
I quickly regain my composure and see the girl covering a small patch on her leg. My eyes widen, and I realize what I have done.
I look at my pen, and I see that there is a bit of blood.
“Lana!” someone yells at me. I exhale, knowing I’m probably getting fired. I just slipped over water, and I stabbed a teenage customer in the leg with my pen. I quickly stand and ask to see her leg. She nods and lets me examine her. Even though she is wearing jeans, I can see that it’s nothing serious. If I had stabbed her with a fork or a knife, or even harder with my pen, there would be a lot more blood.
“I think it’s going to be okay. But I think it’s good to go to a doctor to see if everything is in order,” I advise her.
“Maybe—”
My boss interrupts the teenager. “Lana, apologize immediately, or I will fire you!”
“I swear I didn’t do it on purpose. I walked up to them with a cloth in my left hand and my pen in my right hand. I guess I forgot to put it in my apron pocket. I just wanted to clean up the mess as soon as possible.” God, I sound like a pathetic human being.
“It’s not her fault. It’s this girl’s fault for spilling the water. Please don’t fire her, the customers love her,” Marco jumps to my defense, and my boss’s expression softens. And that’s only to please Marco.
“Of course, Mr. Jasarevic. Lana, I’ll have somebody else wait on them. Go and clean the kitchen with the staff.”
I look at the teenager, and while she is not giving me one second of her attention, I can feel her anxiety. Her shoulders are tense, and she is only looking at one spot. I go into the kitchen and finish my shift there.
My workday has been brutal, and my respect for hospitality workers is growing by the second. While I do not have a social life, I enjoy working out.
I make a mental note to finally check out the new building I wanted to work out in. Luckily, it’s open twenty-four seven.
I have to let some of the anger I have been building up inside me since this morning go.
