I couldn't stop looking at her.
It was a bad idea to go here. When Zack suggested somewhere to go for lunch, my first suggestion was to go here.
Why? I don't know!
I shouldn't be here. I certainly didn't come here for the food. It's not that good.
And what should have been a sign that I should leave was that she wasn't even here.
She came only after we were sitting here for a while. And she was not alone.
She was with her boyfriend and his friends. They were so noisy when they entered that it was impossible not to notice them.
I tried not to look at her while she took their order. It was easier when I sat with my back to them.
But when she passed the counter, she was quite in my view. And when she came to take our order, I couldn't help but see her.
I read the menu, even though I probably already memorized everything on it. I couldn't look her in the eyes.
But you could look at her when she wasn't looking, huh?
When she finally left, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Why does she have this effect on me? She has a boyfriend! She shouldn't have any effect on me.
"So, Finn." Zack alerted me to its existence. "Where are you from?"
"New York." I leaned back more comfortably and played with the drink coaster with my right hand.
"Why did you decide to move here?"
"I wanted to be alone." I tilted my head to the side. "But that didn't work out very well for me."
"No, you failed. Absolutely." He laughed. "But don't get me wrong, I'm glad." He put his hands in a defensive gesture. "You're quiet and sassy but honest. That's all I've ever wanted."
"You're weird." I shook my head.
"I've been called worse." He laughed but was interrupted by the waitress who brought us our drinks.
But she wasn't my waitress.
"Here are your drinks." The black-haired woman smiled at us and placed two glasses and two glass bottles on the table in front of us. "And this." She took money from her apron and placed it in front of me. "Supposedly you paid too much last time." She gave us one last smile and left.
Confused, I looked at the money I had left here yesterday.
Why would she return them to me? And why is she no longer serving us?
It's better this way, Finn.
"So you like throwing money around?" Zack snorted with a smile before pouring a Coca-Cola into his glass.
"It's just a piece of paper." I shrugged.
"Oh so you're rich-rich, got it." He pointed his finger at me.
"I'm not..." I didn't finish as I was interrupted by a table somewhere behind me.
I turned around only to find the waitress at the table with her boyfriend and friends smiling from ear to ear.
And when I say that this day just got a little better, I'm not lying. She's a goddamn sunshine.
What is happening to me? I don't even know her. She doesn't even know my name.
And she even changed tables just so she wouldn't see me.
That's a pretty big sign that she's not interested.
Obviously, Finn, she has a whole-ass boyfriend!
"So, I already met your sister. Any other siblings?"
"Three brothers." I simply said.
I am the second youngest. Killian, Kai, Sebastian, me, and Val.
"Big family huh?"
"It's just us."
Zack nodded as if he knew what I meant.
I meant it was really just us. No parents and no permanent partners.
That is if I don't count Lyssa and Lucy, her adopted daughter. And also Val's boyfriend. And also Luna and Theo.
Okay, maybe there are more of us than "just us".
"So no girlfriend?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No." I drank straight from the bottle and didn't bother to pour it into my glass.
"Then maybe try it with the blonde cutie who can't stop looking at you." He nodded his head somewhere behind me and I turned to the table where she was still standing but looking at me. When she noticed that I was looking at her, she looked away back to her boyfriend.
"She has a boyfriend." I turned back to Zack.
"Boyfriend is not a disease." He laughed.
"Oh, God." I rolled my eyes, hoping I'd evaporate if I wished hard enough.
Zack continued to ask me questions that I didn't really want to answer even as they brought our food.
He doesn't seem like bad company, but he says too much for me. I have a feeling he could talk himself to death.
"You know, one of them has to be gay." He put his hand under his chin and looked behind me again. "There are five of them."
"Just don't..." I didn't even have time to finish and Zack was already getting up from the table. "Sure, that's what I was going to say," I said to myself.
I looked where he was going and surprisingly it wasn't to that table, but to the counter where my waitress was standing.
He said something to her that caught her attention and he continued talking. She even laughed at something and then pointed her finger at the table and said something.
Before long, Zack came back to the table with a smile on his face. "She's really nice". He nodded his head towards the counter before sitting down.
"Did you get a date? Can I leave now?"
"Yes and no. Yes, one of them has a better taste." He pointed to himself. "His name is Luca, and he's too uptight, so that'll have to change. He comes here a lot, so I'll catch him sometimes. And no, you're not going anywhere."
"I'm thrilled." I gave him a half-fake smile.
"I really think you are. You're starting to like me, you can't deny it." He popped the fries into his mouth with a triumphant smile. "Just a few more days and you'll love me."
"I wouldn't worry about that." I laughed.
"Oh my god, you just laughed." He sputtered. "You really, really laughed."
"Okay..." I shook my head, regretting doing it.
"I deserve a beer. You're buying." He pointed his finger at me. "I'll stop by sometime this week, make sure you always have one in the fridge for me."
"Sure." I snorted.
"I hope you enjoyed your food." A waitress stopped by us with a receipt and placed it on the table in front of me.
Zack started to pull out his wallet but I stopped him. "I got it." I don't know why I even did it.
I handed her the money and left her a small tip as well. "Well thank you." She smiled at me and what's even more strange, she looked back at the receipt, then at me, and winked.
After she left, I looked at it, and found out that a number, I guess is hers, was written on the top. Oh.
Not really caring, I got up and left the receipt on the table, Zack getting up with me.
"She was definitely flirting." He picked up his denim jacket from the chair and started to put it on.
"It doesn't matter." I turned on my heel intending to walk away but was stopped by a small body I bumped into.
I grabbed her hips before she could fall to the ground. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to grab the tray. Thank God it was empty.
I stood there for a moment, not knowing if I should let her go, but I probably should.
Although she didn't seem to mind that much. She didn't try to escape from me.
"I'm sorry." She finally said. "I wasn't looking ahead."
"Lexi, everything okay?" I looked up from her green eyes and a few meters behind her were two guys, who were sitting on the edges of the table a moment ago. Everyone else at that table was looking at us.
I slowly dropped my hands from her hips and took a step back. I wouldn't be against a fight, but I feel like it wouldn't be fair.
As if that ever stopped you before.
"Yes, Lincoln." She smiled at one of the guys, Lincoln, the other one being her boyfriend.
I bent down to pick up the round tray she had dropped and handed it to her.
I don't know what was going through my head, but for what I said afterward, I deserve a good slap. "Next time, watch where you're going," I said harshly and the surprise on her face couldn't have been bigger.
Without another word, I slipped past her and left the bistro.
Good job Finn. You really charmed her. And quite possibly pissed off her boyfriend and friends. All this within two minutes. That must be some kind of record.
I'm a fucking idiot.
"Next time, watch where you're going," he said without any emotion and slipped past me. He left me standing there with the tray pressed to my chest, looking at the place where he had been standing a moment ago.
"He meant he was sorry." His friend laughed nervously. "It was nice to meet you." He slipped past me, following his friend.
"You okay, Lexi?" Lincoln appeared next to me.
"Yeah, sorry." I shook my head. "I just..." I looked through the windows and saw my unknown guy crossing the road to the car. "Nothing. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"You know him?" He also looked through the window.
"No." I shook my head. "But don't worry, I don't think he'll show up here again." Especially after I embarrassed myself in front of him.
Oh, Lexi, are you even good at anything?
I went back to work as if nothing had happened, but I couldn't stop replaying the scene in my head.
I would really like to stop thinking about what I'm thinking about. All these situations that could have turned out differently if I had done something else will one day drive me crazy.
The guys left a while after eating. Mainly because most of them had to go to work.
Lincoln is studying medicine. He does it mainly for his parents. His mother is a lawyer and his father is a police officer. When they found out he wanted to take a few years off from school, they almost had a heart attack. However, he promised to return to his studies, and he did.
Jeremy is temporarily unemployed but worked as a mechanic until he was laid off. He says it's because they couldn't make it financially, but I think it's because he slept with the owner's daughter. But that's just my opinion.
Luca is a veterinary assistant. You wouldn't say that to him, would you? But it is true. And I can say with certainty that he likes it there. Especially when he doesn't have to talk to people.
Adrian is a barista for a reason. Women. But no, I'm kidding. Little bit. Cheaper alcohol for him and his friends is another plus.
And Stefan works in a bookstore. Yes, the biggest surprise, huh? He loves it there and I'm pretty sure all the women who go there to buy books love it too.
Stefan, Adrian, and Luca mostly work in the afternoon. Lincoln learns as much as he can and Jeremy does what he wants while he looks for a new job.
I cleaned the entire bistro until nine o'clock. Fred left half an hour before me, after much persuasion that I could manage to close without him.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I mopped the floor and put out the lights as I put everything back in its place.
I picked up my bag and walked out the door of the bistro. I locked it behind me and put the key away.
I turned towards the road and breathed in the fresh, cool air.
It smelled like fresh rain.
I looked at the ground and saw puddles of water. I don't even know it was raining.
I walked to the bus stop, which was only a few streets away.
Luckily I caught the last bus that goes today and got home just before ten.
As I was putting my bag on the shoe rack, I noticed that I had forgotten to take off my apron.
"Come on Lexi, where's your head at?" I said to myself and put it down. I threw it next to my bag and looked at the couch, which was empty. "Dad?" I almost whispered into the abandoned house.
If he's not sleeping in his room, God knows where he is.
I exhaled heavily and went to the kitchen. My empty stomach took it as a sign that we were going to eat, as it made a loud noise.
My gaze fell on the dishes that I said I would clean today, and unfortunately on no food, since my father definitely did not go shopping.
Tired, barely standing on my feet, I went to the sink and started cleaning.
I think I almost fell asleep doing the dishes. Not just anyone can do that, right?
When the counter was finally clear, I smiled contentedly.
"Good job Lexi," I whispered and threw the sponge into the sink. At that moment, I heard the front door open and I involuntarily held my breath.
I heard heavy footsteps approaching the kitchen, the only light in the whole house, and nervously grabbed my right hand with my left.
"Hey, Dad," I said quietly when I saw him.
His eyes were red, barely open, his walk clumsy, and he was wearing the same clothes as in the morning, carrying the stench of alcohol and cigarettes. I swallowed hard when I smelled it and pushed all thoughts away.
He walked towards me without a word and I could only close my eyes as he walked past me.
He started opening the refrigerator, cabinets, and just about anything that could have food. Unfortunately, there was nothing.
That is, except for oatmeal and a few cereals without milk. I doubt he would eat that.
"Where's the food?" His rough voice came from behind me.
"I'll go to the store tomorrow," I said timidly, unable to turn to look at him. "I promise."
"Have to do everything here." He snorted, his voice getting closer. "You have a roof over your head and this is how you repay me?" He grabbed my hand and forced me to look at him.
I tried to ignore the stench of alcohol coming from his mouth, but it was almost impossible. I wanted to puke.
"I don't know why I haven't kicked you out yet. You're no good." He said to my face, squeezing my hand hard enough to leave a bruise.
"I'm sorry. Please..." I tried to pull away from him, but he obviously didn't like that, as he grabbed my hair instead of my hand.
I hissed in pain as he pulled me lower, snapping my head back, my neck at an awkward angle.
"Your voice gives me a headache." His mouth was near my ear, but before I could do anything, he gripped my hair tightly before shoving me to the kitchen table.
I tripped but managed to turn so that my back hit the chairs and the table. The chair creaked on the floor when I hit it and eventually fell.
"Clean the mess up." That was the last thing he said before he left the kitchen and headed to his room.
I listened to his every step until he slammed the door behind him. At that moment, I couldn't stop the tears that were on the verge, so I let them roll down my cheeks while I sat on the floor, pain in my back and wrist.
"It's okay," I whispered and hugged myself, looking for some comfort. "It's going to be okay."