57. 58. 59.
Sixty. The blocky numbers on the wall
flash from 8:14 to 8:15. I jump up from the less than comfortable chair in the
staff room and burst through the swinging doors, the morning murmur enveloping
me as a welcome.
“Hey,”
I say to my coworker. She wears a brown apron, identical to mine, and her hair
is tucked into a bun that is neat and annoyingly perfect. “Care for a break?”
She
hands a customer their change and gives me a strange look. “My shift just
started.”
“Never
too early for a break, though, right?”
She
turns around, folding her arms across her chest and leaning back against the
counter. She stares at me for a minute, and I keep smiling, the forced casualty
making my cheeks ache. She looks like she’s about to say something, but must
decide against it, as she shrugs and walks away. “All yours.”
I
immediately take my place at the till, even though the customer she was attending
to is long gone and has yet to be replaced. I sneak a peek at my phone, hidden
in the pocket of my apron. 8:16. Any
second now.
A bell
chimes, signalling the entrance of a new customer. I shove the phone back in my
pocket and look up, my customer-is-always-right smile beaming.
It’s
him. He approaches my till slowly, gazing at the menu like he hasn’t been here
a million times. I already know what he wants, but I don’t start to type it in
until he voices it. Oh god, his voice.
He takes his coffee, smiles, nods, and leaves. It’s the same every morning—right down to my smile. Not forced for customers or nonchalance, but one that is all too real.
~~
Until later,
- Justyne
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