Chapitre Un: L'Introduction
It was an ordinary Thursday afternoon. I had showered, dressed and driven to work on my motorbike just like any other day. The clock read 11:10pm and there was still no sign of Temari, which was worrying because Temari was always very prompt and if traffic was bad she always called so I wouldn't worry. 11:20pm rocked around and I was practically ripped out my hair with worry.
"Sakura-san please calm down," a quiet voice next to me had me glancing down at Hinata, the first person I had hired as a waitress at my café when she had practically begged me to let her work at such a 'cute shop' as she put it. Besides, she looks so adorable in the waitress dress.
"Yeah Sakura-chan cool it. She probably has a flat battery for her cell and the traffics bad," a glance to my other side had me looking at my second and last employee, Tenten. She has applied for a job when she had become addicted to my famous strawberry chocolate slice. Now she can eat as many as she wanted for half price. I mean, I couldn't just give them to her, she goes through about 13 a day. I would be out of business for those slices, so half price is pretty good. She is thankful for it anyway.
"She'd find a way! Oh god! What if she's in a ditch somewhere? What if –" yes I know I am extremely over reactive, but seriously 11:40am? Something would have had to happen. A tinkle of the bell at the café door had me spinning around in anticipation, but my face fell as I saw Naruto enter the café with his friends, Neji and Shikamaru. Shikamaru was my good friend, as was the other 4, but he seemed to really get me, you know? As for Naruto and Neji? Well, does Tenten and Hinata's face lighting up give it away? Yep, boyfriends are girlfriends are stalking me, man, seriously.
"Screw this, I need vodka!" Ahh, my good friend, Mr. Spirits; he's got me through a few hard times, he has. I can always count on him.
"No Sakura-chan, don't give in!" Naruto launched himself at me and rugby tackled me to the ground as I leapt for the sliding door that held my kitchen behind it where I cooked my fresh cakes and such. Also behind it was my life-saving hidden stash of 3 vodka bottles. The tall bottle kind.
While we wrestled on the ground I was too preoccupied to hear the door go again and didn't notice who had entered until a cry of 'Sakura!' brought me back to my senses. There stood the incredibly late woman in the flesh.
"You! You scared me half to death! I was ready to get out Mr. Spirits!" Yes, I probably looked like a crazy person, lying on the ground with my hair sticking up at god knows what angles and my own (longer and slightly different in every way to Hinata's and Tenten's) waitress dress crumpled to the ground, but most of the customers in the shop were regulars and knew what a weirdo I was so they barely even spared me a glance. Those that were new just looked around, saw no one was bothered by the scene, and went back to drinking their coffee.
As for Temari, she at least had the decency to look sheepish until she pointed behind her and said, "Sorry Kura, I had to pick up my baby brother from the airport. And my phone ran out of battery and he wouldn't let me use his!" Well, what an ass!
I got up off the ground and looked for myself to see the ass who had made me worry so and nearly hit the floor again. He was gorrr-geous! Messy red hair, smouldering aqua eyes, dark rings around his eyes (eyeliner? tattoo's? birthmarks?), tall muscular body and a delicious smirk that I just wanted to –. Ahem, all in all he was a hunk. He looked around 22? Temari was 26 so that still made him younger, but holy shit I was in trouble. Damn you Temari for having such a hot brother! Damn! Damn! Damnnn!!!!