A bright new world part two

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

I groan, as my alarm wakes me from yet another dream that did not have a happy ending...if you know what I mean. I reach around looking for the offending item under my pillow, my fingers find the rectangle object that continues to screech until it is pulled out from hiding and my finger finds the stop button. I smile softly as I relax without the noise piercing my ears.

I roll onto my back and sigh softly as my eyes open for the day. I get up like every other day but today is a little different. I’m a little frustrated and I can’t seem to get this girl out of my head. Lilly, she’s tall, she’s fierce, that smirk, wow that smirk, but her eyes they captivated me. They felt so familiar but I have never met her before, I would remember her if I did. I’m living proof of that right now, she has been stuck in my head day and night. I see something and I think ‘oh I wonder if she would like that’ or ‘what does she look like when she wakes up’. She’s taken over my life and I don’t care. If you go through my small sketchpad you would think I were crazy, I start to draw and next thing I know it’s her, or part of her.

I get to work a little late as my morning run went a little longer than usual, well that’s what I told my boss. I wasn’t going to tell her I was doing extra activities in the shower and still not have a happy ending because my Aunt called. Even as frustrated as I am I still have a smile on my face as I smell the coffee in the air along with something sweet.

“Today is going to be a good day...please”.

I say to myself as I walk into the kitchen and start getting all the ingredients out. I’m making my Aunt’s lavender and honey cake. Between you and me, I don’t like it, lavender in a cake? Yeah, I know people use rose, okay, I just don’t like lavender. But I make it perfectly because my Aunt had me baking it as soon as I could sit up on my own. She had me sat on the bench as she told me, step by step on what to add and do. My first word was ‘egg’.

“Raven you know you don’t have to call and tell me you’ll be late to work, you come an hour early before it’s meant to be opened and you do all this. That’s why I chose you to be the manager. You go above and beyond like you

own the joint.”

My boss says as she walks in and washes her hands before she stands next to me and watches. I look at her and smile.

“I love this place and I love you, you gave me a chance at 15 and I made a hell of a lot of mistakes yet I’m still here. This place is like a home away from home.”

She pats my shoulder and goes to the office. A few hours later I’m out front, tidying up and I can’t help but listen in to these peoples conversation. I have tried blocking them out, but I all my brain does is focus on them and block everyone else out. It’s between a lady I would say in her mid 30’s and a lady perhaps in her early 20’s. I’m sure others are listening as well and if they’re not listening they can feel the tension.

“So how are you with children?”

“I’m very gentle and caring, but I don’t mind a little spanking myself.”

“And is that listed as one of your special talents?”

“If you do it right, then yes.”

“Tell me now, do you think obedience is an important thing when taking care of children?”

I can feel my face getting red as my frustrations get worse. You could practically hear them smirking and undressing each other with their eyes.

“At times yes, however, I have different tactics when dealing with, hard situations.”

“Is that so?”

I’m grateful my back is to them, my face is red enough. I couldn’t handle listening anymore so I turn to walk away but I freeze as my eyes land on hers, Lilly’s. I drop the plate by accident and it goes silent as everyone’s eyes are on me. but all I can focus on was her, how does she know I work here?

DID she know I worked here? How is it we are meeting again? All these questions are running through my head. She waves a small wave and I’m still frozen not moving, not breathing, but then she gives me a small smile and I smile back as then, I take a deep breath finally free from the frozen spell.

I blush brightly and start to clean up.

“Ray are you okay?”

I look up at my boss and nod my head yes.

“Yeah Mel, just a case of butterfingers is all.”

“Butterfingers my ass, who is that cutie that has you in a mess like this? In all the years I have known you, you have been like this once and that girl broke your heart just like you broke that plate.”

She laughs softly and I glare at her for even mentioning the last person. She puts her hand on my shoulder as she crouches down next to me.

“It’s different, I don’t know how but it just is. There is something about her. Gahh what am I saying, I don’t even know her. Well, I know her name and that’s it.”

She shakes her head and laughs at me.

“Go serve her.”

My eyes bug open “What?”

“Go serve her, that’s your punishment for breaking my plate.”

She smirks and I get up dusting off my apron. I take a deep breath and walk over to the til to grab my order notebook and pen. I take a few steps over to her table and smile.

“Hello and welcome to Wake and shake. And before you ask, yes I feel as ridiculous as it sounds to say that. What could I get you today?”

I smile sweetly at her as she leans back and lifts a single brow.

“Well, your rosy cheeks will do for starters, but that won’t suffice my hunger.”

My jaw drops and I can’t believe what I just heard. My mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. Its moments like this I wish I didn’t have my hair up in a braid so I could look down and hide my blushed cheeks. She smirks that damn smirk and I shake my thoughts out into words.

“I... I... I umm”.

I clear my throat and start again.

“I recommend the Lavender and honey cake, even though I don’t eat it, I just make it perfectly and it’s our best seller. But if you’re looking for something savory I suggest the chicken and avocado burger. Okay, you can tell me to shut up now.”

I rambled on and on like a nervous 15-year-old in front of her crush. Mel is so going to pay for this. I divert my eyes to my notepad and write at the top ‘on the house-Mel’. She taps on the table making me jump a little and

I bring my eyes back to her.

“Oh no, keep going. you’re doing just fine, what else do you recommend?”

I silently groan as she basks in my awkwardness.

“I umm, gahh this is embarrassing because you know my name...”

I close my eyes and sigh before I continue.

“There is a meal called ‘the flavor of Raven’”. But I only recommend that if you’re hungry, hungover or well if you just like food. It includes chicken nuggets, curly fries, a mini chicken and avocado burger, bacon, eggs and

any sauce you want and a side of pancakes with a drink of your choice.”

“How interesting...Well, as much as I would like to experience ‘the flavor of Raven’ first hand...”

She smiles at me before looking at the menu, and I’m glad she does because I blush again and I bite my lip.

“I would like to pick for myself, let’s see. I would like to have one of those chicken avocado things you mentioned, double fries....pancakes with honey, scrambled eggs with toast, and a piece... no, make that two pieces of the lavender honey cake. And to drink, I would like some orange juice and... hmmm, just water, I am watching my weight.”

With a dropped jaw and shocked mind my eyes follow her hand as she moves it down her body as if to make a point.

“Oh trust me your body is great”

My eyes pop out as I realized I said that out loud.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry. Your order will be out here soon.”

I turn and walk away before she can say anything else. I feel her eyes on me as I walk off and I think I hear a chuckle come from her as well but I don’t chance a look I just keep going until I’m in the kitchen. Mel walks in

laughing.

“Oh, Raven that was really something. I like her.”

I glare at her and then smirk.

“Good because her meal is on the house. She doesn’t even know that and she ordered enough food to feed an army.”

“Oh, says the girl who eats this place out of stock when drunk or hungover?”

She crosses her arms and stares at me with this weird look. I cook Lilly’s meal and start to bring it all out to her.

Once I bring the last plate out and her glass of water and juice just in case, I stand there and smile.

“If you need anything just ask.”

I say sweetly before I walk back to the counter.

To be continued..................