A/N: Thank you all so much for your alerts and favourites and reviews, seeing that made me all kinds of smiley :]
I was going to update yesterday but as it turns out my mother had her birthday so I was busy cleaning around and sorting out her party hehe so here is the new chapter which I hope you all enjoy! :D
Without further ado!
Chapter Two
Hot Tea
My day's are just like any other, I really don't do that much with my life. I'm not as busy as people expect me to be. Although I don't really know how I give off the impression that I'm like super busy. But I can tell by the way my friends just watch me quickly get dressed and give me a small wave as I slam the door shut that they get the impression that I'm off to have the busiest most exciting day ever! When really all I do is go to MiniMike's Dance Studio, rip off my simple hooded jacket, revealing my plain tank top and matching shorts and get ready to teach the small five to ten year-olds the awesomeness that is hip-hop dancing.
Yeah, my day isn't very busy, and I don't get many people constantly phoning me all day, everyday, like some of roommates do, but to me I have the best days ever.
I've always known that dancing is my passion, and growing up I practically raised my two little sisters so I've always been fond of children. So when a teaching job for children came up in one of the most well known dancing schools in New York I knew that I had to apply. I think out of everything in my life, if I didn't, that would have been my biggest regret. Well, besides leaving my sisters. But Amy's nearly sixteen now, she doesn't need my constant help anymore.
But sometimes I can't help but see my little Sweetie on the small smiling faces gazing up at me. On some days it hurts, but days like today that's what keeps me going. And all I can do is smile right back at them and tell them to take their positions before turning on the music up high and busting out a few moves, just to get them prepared for the lesson ahead. Besides they're always begging to see me dance and I can never say 'no' when they stare up at me with little pouts on their faces.
My job may not be much, but I love it all the same.
Even though my job is pretty awesome, and I do love that I get along with my boss Mike, he's really cool and is surprisingly only a few years older than me, work can get very tiring, very easily.
Whoever says working with children is an easy job, I'd like to have a few words with them, because easy is an understatement.
Some children can be so full of energy, and well, I'm not as young as I used to be. But even so, I still carry on with a big smile on my face, never once revealing that really out of all the fun of working with children, the biggest highlight of my day is my fifteen minute lunch-break, which only happens everyday at one.
Sometimes I do wish that my break could be longer, I mean fifteen minutes really isn't that long, and I've never been a fan of rushing around. I never know how those business people can do it; I see them everyday quickly calling out for a taxi, or constantly checking their watches to make sure that they are doing everything on time, and I just think to myself that must be a busy lifestyle.
I really couldn't do it.
But then again, in some ways I am doing it. I may not be wearing a well-tailored business suit, but as soon as that digital clock hits one I'm chucking on my hooded jacket and fleeing out of that building before my students can even blink.
It may sound rude, but I really do have a schedule that I like to maintain everyday. If I didn't I know for a fact that I would end up doing something wrong, or forgetting to do something that was important and then ending up coming back to work late. And well, after the first few times of doing that I know not to do that again. Mike really doesn't like his employers slacking. That's the one rule Mike is extremely strict about and that doesn't make my day any easier.
So once I head out I know that I can only go to one of two places to get something decent for lunch and that is either; the local coffee shop just two blocks down, or even closer, the small café, Le Rose, which is only just across the road.
I have to admit, I hadn't seen the café the first few months working at MiniMikes, seeing as the shop really is so small. It doesn't help that it's right in the middle of two large buildings which draw your attention a lot more than the café.
But once I saw that small red flashing sign, I've never been able to look anywhere else. It was like that small café was calling out to me, telling me how much easier and time-saving it is for me to simply go there instead. It may not be so well known, and the tea really isn't that great, but for some reason I just can't go anywhere else for lunch anymore.
I don't know what it is, but as soon as I step through those glass doors, and I hear that little bell chime I'm reminded of my hometown, Ohio, where small cafes like this one are a dime a dozen, and all you can hear is chatter and laughter as everyone knows everyone, and all you can smell is freshly cooked bacon and eggs. And immediately I'm drawn to the front till and soon enough I'm placing my simple order of tea and biscuits, I really don't like to eat too much for lunch (I made that mistake before and didn't think about all the twists and turns I have to do in my job, and so… it didn't end well) and heading straight out as soon as I can.
I'd love to be able to stop and stay there for a little while, just to get that feeling of home a bit more, but if I did then I would be extremely off schedule and well, I don't want that.
And soon after I'm back to the crazy streets of New York City again, rushing past people as quickly as I can to find my small little bench in Central park, which is only a five minute walk away. I like to just sit there and calmly finish off my lunch and watch the people walking past, going about their day, it fascinates me. But once I'm done I don't have long before I'm heading off back to finish the rest of my day at work.
My day really is like any other, well that was until today.
Today when I quickly rushed out for lunch again, starting off just like every other day. I headed straight for my favourite café; I walked across the road with a mission. I went straight inside; alerting the workers of another customer, even though I'm pretty sure I've become regular for them now. Sometimes I don't even need to order, they have it all done for me.
I really wish I could spare the time of day to say hello to the employers, they really do seem friendly, but my lunch is busy enough as it is. I don't need any small chit-chats to keep me distracted.
I walk in, like every other day, and head straight for the till. My phone dings again so I quickly reply to Sweetie's messages, I have to switch my phone off at work – another one of our rules because I'm working for children and all that regulation stuff I'm never really interested in – and my attention is immediately gone to my phone.
My sisters can be very distracting at times, but it's worth it to read their cute little, random messages.
I wait for all of two minutes before I take my tea and biscuits and quickly say a 'thanks' before turning to make my way out.
Everything goes the exact same way it always does, everyday.
Except today, today when I turn, my freshly made tea in hand and head for the exit. I take no more than three steps before something goes crashing into me.
My instincts immediately make me move my phone, held firmly in my hand, up high but what shocks me the most is my other hand holding the cup of tea. The person that accidentally crashed into me banged into that hand, thus making me knock my drink all down my front. The hot liquid pours down my chest, runs down my cleavage and down to my stomach. I instantly drop my drink in surprise but it was already too late. The hot tea had burnt most of me and the hotness was so excruciating I couldn't help but let out a loud gasp of surprise.
"HOT! HOT! HOT!" I shrieked, with my free hand I pulled back the front of my shirt and started fanning the heat away on instinct. But the heat was too hot, fanning it barely did anything.
I could hardly hear the small gasps in the background as everyone bore witness to the accident at hand. I was too busy standing, frozen in shock.
I could hear the person who crashed into me profusely apologize to me. But the pain was just too much; I could actually feel tears prickling in my eyes. I bit my lip in order to prevent me from saying anything, because I could really feel myself wanting to say so much to the person right then, but I held firm.
I'm not that kind of person. I've never been good at confrontation. So instead I just nodded my head, trying to wipe away her apologizes and slowly tried to make my way out of there. Besides I still had a schedule to stick too.
But then I felt a gentle hand touch my wrist, and immediately I flinched. Whether it was from surprise or something else, I didn't know but I didn't think much about it as I was still in too much pain. I really just wanted to go. I felt embarrassed enough as it was.
But the grip on my wrist stayed strong, and suddenly I heard a soft voice right next to me.
"I am so sorry. Please let me help get you cleaned up?" My first instinct was to finally open my mouth and say all the things I'd been holding back the past few minutes, but instead I turned to face that voice, and as soon as I did all of my words vanished.
It was like I literally just couldn't think of anything to say. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to say something.
Was I supposed to speak?
I really couldn't even think my eyes were too busy staring in awe at the heavenly face in front of me.
It was her. The waitress I'd seen working in here a few months ago.
I remember seeing her smile out of the corner of my eye, and for a split second I thought that smile was directed at me. But I knew it couldn't be, she was staring straight ahead and I was at the side.
I didn't even know if she had seen me.
But now, with her right by my side, her smooth, gentle hand on my wrist, I knew for a fact that she had to be talking to me. She wasn't looking at anyone else.
Knowing that sent a strange warm sensation to flutter in my stomach. I could feel my face blush, and I knew that I just had to look away.
So I did, I ripped my gaze away from those precious dark, brown eyes and found myself staring hard at the white, marble floor instead.
I tried to register what she had said earlier, but the woman quickly repeated herself. I could hear the slight sound of begging in her voice, it was almost like she genuinely felt bad for what she did.
But why should she? I knew it was an accident, besides I really should have known better than to walk whilst using my phone.
I decided to let her help me anyway; I didn't like hearing her sound so helpless.
"O-okay" I stuttered back, nodding my head quickly, trying to stop the tears from falling down my face. Now that I wasn't distracted by her beautiful eyes anymore, the pain of the hot tea on my chest came back, and I could still feel it burning.
I never knew tea could hurt this much.
I allowed the woman to lead me straight to the back of the café, she never once let go of my wrist. I kind-of didn't want her too, it felt nice.
She led me to the side where a plain white door was and took me quickly inside. It was a small, cramped room filled with piles of dishes by a sink and she took me to the corner where a chair was located. Instantly she set to work.
I grew fascinated watching her. She looked so serious, her lips formed into a small pout, I didn't know whether that was because she still felt bad for what happened earlier or because she was too busy concentrating, either way I couldn't help but find it cute.
It looked like she knew exactly what she was doing as her hands busily moved dishes out of the sink and grabbed the cloth hanging on the cupboard door. She chucked it under the tap, and waited for it to be wet enough for her to squeeze the remaining liquid out before she folded it as neatly as she could and made her way back over to me.
Her dark brown eyes no longer looked full of panic like it had when I first saw them, but had now grown a serious touch.
She avoided my eyes and looked directly where the spill was and gently reached up to my chest. She stopped suddenly and quickly looked up at me. I could see in her eyes she was asking for my permission, although I didn't know why, she didn't need to ask if it was okay for her to pull my top back. I nodded my head anyway and saw her give a small smile in reply.
She ever so gently pulled back the top of my shirt before placing the damp cloth onto my, now, red skin. She dabbed at my chest for a little while before slowly moving down, but when she got to my cleavage she stopped again and I could feel her hand hesitate.
Now I could see why she would stop and quickly thanked her as I took the cloth from her hands. I dabbed it down my cleavage and down further, I knew to anyone else seeing me with my hand down my front might have looked slightly odd but she didn't look at me awkwardly. Instead she leaned back and started to stare at the wall right behind me. I could hear her take in a little breath before she quickly removed her eyes away from me altogether and looked down.
"I- erm, should err… get some peas." She mumbled to herself.
From where I sat it looked like she might have been growing a little red in the face, but because of her smooth, caramel skin it was hard to tell. So I just put it down to her being embarrassed about the spill again.
"You don't have to do this; I know it wasn't your fault." I told her honestly, still dabbing at my chest, gently.
"No- no, I do, I have too, I am really sorry. I swear I don't know what happened, I should have looked." She said, almost scolding herself, I just shook my head, pouting a little. I didn't want her to feel bad.
"No seriously it's alright. I'm not too hurt."
"Are you joking? I could have burnt you! That tea was just made!" She said her voice rising higher as her frustration began to pick up.
I didn't know whether she was angry at me or at herself, either way I didn't like it.
"I know it was I'm not stupid." I said back in a small monotone voice. But my eyes slanted a bit, I really hated when people tried to put me down.
"I- I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that I could have got you seriously hurt and now I'm going to be in so much shit, I'm never going hear the end of it." I watched as she quickly began to pace up and down in front of me.
I didn't say anything because I felt like she needed to let out a little rant, but watching her move was starting to make me dizzy. It wasn't long before she stopped, though, and turned back to me again with her arms crossed. Suddenly noticing me again, I could see her eyes quickly burn out their rage of fire, and her face dropped.
"You need something cold to press against the cloth; the dampness won't be cold enough. I'll just get you some peas real quick. Stay there okay." She instructed before quickly rushing out the door, leaving me to watch her go in silent wonder.
How can someone go from being so full of rage one minute to suddenly looking at me with the uttermost care in her eyes? It was almost like she suddenly made herself my personal nurse, and there wasn't anything that I could do or say about it.
From past the door I could hear the sound of small heels quickly rushing around, trying to find something as quick as they could, but if I listened closely I could also hear the small murmurs of what sounded like two people arguing. I imagined her trying to explain to a co-worker what happened earlier, and by the sounds of it they don't sound too impressed.
For some reason that got me laughing to myself and I found that I couldn't help but smile. I suddenly got the feeling that my days were no longer going to be the same old everyday that they used to be.
Soo, what did you all think? Please let me know your thoughts, review, PM whatever you feel most comfortable with, haha :]
