A slow, romantic song was playing as I wiped down the kitchen counters. I swiped off all the flour, dough bits and sugar grains into the trash bin I held with my other hand.
Samuel dried off the last dish and set it up in the cabinet above him. He turned to me as he took off apron. “I’m done here. You can lock up when you finish up with the counters, Zoe.” He tossed me the keys to the cafe. I nodded and continued my purging of any crumbs on the counters.
“What are you doing tonight?” I asked.
“Taking my girlfriend out to that buffet on the North side. Speaking of which, I don’t wanna be late to pick her up.” Samuel checked his phone and sped walked out to the front of the cafe. With a jingle of the doorbell, he was gone.
Now it was silent, save the white nose of the air conditioning and occasional car from the street.
When I was done with the counters, I yawned and checked my phone. 5:44. I was nearly free. Six o’clock would slide by and soon I would be cozied up on the couch while watching a thrilling fantasy movie over a tray of Mexican food.
“Hello-Hello?” I turned and saw an old woman in front of the glass display case.
Despite me being nearly drained, I walked over and smiled. “Hello Miss, what would you like?”
Her forehead grew about six rows of wrinkles. “Oh! You look very young! Isn’t it Valentines’ day?” She asked.
I nodded. “Yes it is.”
“Why aren’t you out with your boyfriend? A pretty young thing like you shouldn’t be working today.”
I laughed on the outside but cringed on the inside. This wasn’t the first time I had been painfully reminded that I was single. “It’s fine. I don’t have anywhere special to go or anyone special to go with.” Why did I tell her that!?
“Well you should still do something for you,” The lady did a firm nod at me before her gaze went to the pastries in the display case. Her eyes lit up at the cake at the end, and I knew before she said it what she’d get. “I know you’re about to close so I won’t be long. The little chocolate cake please.”
I nodded, glad she was aware of our closing. I rang her up as I looked at my phone. Ten minutes to closing. “Are you eating here or to go?”
“Oh, at home.” She waved my question away. “I’m way too old to eat a whole cake by myself. Even an itty bitty one like that. Me and my husband are going to share it tonight. He’s making us a fancy dinner at home. He was a chef back in our day, you see.” She had a smile that made her purple eyeshadow complement her peach lipstick.
“That sounds so romantic. I bet he can’t wait ‘till you get home.” I rang her up and handed her the to-go box.
She thanked me and walked towards the door, but stopped mid-way, turning back to me. “I bet you’ve worked so hard all week. It’s Friday and you're young. Treat yourself today, you deserve it!”
I packed up all the not eaten pastries of the day and closed up just as it became Six O’clock.
I hopped in my car and turned on my ‘drive home’ playlist. I had made it through another lonely Valentine's Day.
I passed by the movie theater, looking at each of their shiny posters and remembered what that lady had said. It was Friday. I was young. Why not change it up?
I pulled into the strip mall parking lot and headed straight into the movie theater, buying tickets for the first movie that looked nice.
“I’m going to see that one as well!” I looked by the snacks booth to see a kind-looking dude with soft eyes and a big smile.
I smiled back, walking over. “Oh, really? What have you heard about it?”
And we chatted all the way until the movie came on.
Hey there! I’m Shila! I’ve loved books since I could read, and decided I would write books I wanted to see written for others! Check my children’s book Imagination on Amazon!
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Image made with Microsoft Bing AI
