Melissa's POV
I never thought my life would be like it is now, I've always relied on myself. Now my daughter has had to depend on me.
Growing up, I always loved dinosaurs, digging up pretend bones, I loved science, history, and I knew that what I wanted to do. When I found out I was pregnant, it changed my life completely from wanting to be a paleontologist to being a mother at 17.
Now I have a life where I have support from friends and family that occasionally come to see me with my sisters. I work at a fantastic and well know cafe the manager can be a handful sometimes, that's when I have I need to bring Abby my three old daughters in if she is sick, it's rarely, only when my mum or dad can't come up and look after her.
For serving people, it will always be me, that's when the boss's son comes in, he is smoking hot.
If Manu weren't watching me when I served each, I would ask him out. Today I was late for the third time this week and in a row and it couldn't get any worse than it's already is with Abby been sick and my mum was helping yesterday and the day before that.
She promised Jessica prior Abby was getting sick, she would help her out with her two kids. So I had to make sure that Abby is dressed, fed and ready to catch the bus which we missed, being cold I didn't want to walk, so I risked our grocery money on a taxi Abby was warm
"Your late again, Melissa." Manu, the manager, spoke. As Abby and I walked into the bustling cafe. I huffed, taking Abby into a booth next to the counter.
"I'm sorry I couldn't find anyone to look after Abby, and I missed the bus and had to get a catch a taxi," I replied, puffed from getting out of the taxi and into the cafe. "I don't care, just put on your apron and get out there we're slammed," Manu spoke. Looking out, I saw three people — one of them the boss's son.
"He's here take his order, and we need to talk," Manu told me, I sighed, I knew I was in hot water with him. I washed my hands, grabbing a pad and pen. I went over to Abby first and told her I would get her a drink after I served the boss's son.
She looked up and saw him working hard on his computer when he looked at her, he smiled at her back, and she immediately went back to looking at his computer screen.
I walked over to our boss's son, tucking my hair behind my ear away from my face walking over to our boss's handsome son. "Mr. Wood, how are you today," I asked. He looked up from his computer smiling
"good, thank you; it's about time I got some service. I've been sitting here for an hour, and your manager wouldn't take my order," he asked like he was angry. He was supposed to be kind and caring, not an arrogant man. "I am so sorry," I replied I wanted to say that Manu was probably doing it to get me fired, but I knew better not to say it in front of him.
"Is that your daughter?" He questioned me, starring Abby.
"Yes, my mum had to go back home and help my oldest sister with her kids. She has the flu," I explained.
"But don't worry, I've washed my hands," I spoke, holding up my hands, showing they were invisibly clean. Chris chuckled, nodding his head.
"So what can I get you," I asked him "black coffee and a big boy breakfast," Mr wood said "no worries," I replied "why did he want to talk to you," he asked me out of nowhere. I gulped do I tell him, can he do something? "It's just about me being late; I don't have a car I need to catch the bus which I missed so I had to catch a taxi and I didn't want to walk in this cold weather," I spoke looking out at the snow-free but chilly air through the window.
"Thankfully she cooperated With me this morning," I explained he nodded. I walked back, pouring his coffee, taking it back to him. "Here you go, Mr. Wood, your food should be ready in 5 minutes," I said, placing his coffee down on his table. "Is someone coming to get your daughter," he asked me. I was wondering if I organized someone else to pick her up at my work.
"No, she will just be staying in that Corner, she normally sits there on the weekend," I explain. "Would she like to come and sit over here, I can keep here company. I will be here all day," Mr wood offered, "I don't want to get you sick, Mr wood," I told him.
"It's ok; my mum is a nurse even now. She makes sure I get all my shots," he tells me, chuckling, making me smile and giggled for the first time today. "Ok, I will bring her over," I say him going off to the counter, placing his order and going over to my daughter to tell her she can go sit with the big boss and put in kind words for me. She nods with a smile coughing a little. "Now what do we not do," I ask her, "cough on other people," she replies with a smile. "good girl," I say, playing with her hair. We walk back over to where Mr. Wood is sweating, and he turns his attention to Abby. "What's your name?" He asked her.
She looks up at me. I nod my head. "Abby," she whispered. "Hello, Abby, my name is Chris. How are you?" Mr Wood, whose first name is Chris, speaks, holding out his hand. Abby looked at me, smiling. I went into her bag and grabbed out her hand sanitizer so she could be her hands before shaking his hand.
Chris looked up at me, frowning. "Sorry, I am just very cautious," I told Chris he nodded his head, seeing that Abby had her hand sticking out for him to shake.
"You be good ok. I will bring you some food as well and a drink, and your food will be ready.." I started hearing "ORDER UP MEL!," One of the chefs spoke from behind the scenes.
"I'll be back with your food, " I say, walking towards the kitchen to grab Mr. Chris's food.
I walked to grab Chris's food when Manu gripped my hard. Flinching, I looked at him, terrified at what he would do. Gulping, I looked at him. "Y... Y.. yes" I whispered
"Sit back over in the corner, and why is your daughter with our boss's son?" He asked a little angrily "H .. H .. he asked if she could sit with him.. he offered to sit with her for the day" I spoke quietly and scared
"I hope for your sake that she doesn't say or do anything to him," Manu whispered in a harsh tone. I nodded, grabbing his food and Abby's croissant out of the glass cabinet. "Can you please make a small milkshake for Abby," I asked Laura as I walked passed her. She nodded, looking at me with a small smile.
"Here you go, Mr. Wood, enjoy your meal," I said and walked over to the booth where Manu is waiting for me.
Authors POV
Chris sat with Abby while they ate together. Chris noticed that Melissa was in Abby's previous booth with the manager.
Chris hated him; he knew that he wasn't the right person for the job. At first, he was, but he's gotten too cocky for his liking. Manu thinks Wes was going to become a franchise owner of the particular cafe, but nope Chris was here today to see how he was and to fire him if he wasn't the right fit for the job.
He looked at Melissa, seeing that her facial expressions were changing. As Chris was eating, Mr. Wood was fixating on her. He knew as her higher boss, he could ask her what was going on.
I saw her get up, wiping away what Chris thinks are tears.
———————
"Melissa, you have been working here for a long time, but recently your home life is effecting your work life, I am on your side. Do you need time off to figure it out?" Manu asked Melissa.
"No. I need to work," Melissa explained, Manu nodded "Well today is your day.," Manu started again "Melissa I am on your side if you need any help please ask me." Manu said as tears came to Melissa's eyes.
Melissa went over to Mr. Woods' table. "Have you finished Mr. Wood?" Melissa asked, "Thank you. It was lovely. Is everything ok?" Chris asked Melissa, "yes," she said more robotically than when she first served him.
"Ok, when your free, may you ask your boss or manager Manu if I can speak to you," he asked Melissa, "Um.. ye. yeah sure," she stuttered. You are walking back over to Manu.
"Mr. Wood asked me to talk to him. Is that ok?" Melissa and Manu. "Let me speak to him first," Manu spoke, walking around to Chris. Melissa went to clear tables.
As Melissa cleaned the tables, the bell rang, singing that a custom entered the cafe.
A table of four plates in her hands along with glasses, she looked at the customer. The plates and glasses dropped, staring at the customer. Chris and Manu looked at her, seeing the man who stood there staring at her.
"Can you keep her daughter safe" Manu asked Chris, looking at him. Chris nodded, not knowing why but he would protect her, and she huddled into him.
Manu walked over to the man, saying that he needed to leave, but he punched him to the floor.
The male who somehow knew Melissa walked up to her picking her up off the floor. Chris had to call the police, but he looked out the window and saw the cops, no lights, slowly walking into the cafe. The male in shock, the police arrived too fast. Chris seemed to the kitchen seeing that the chef held up his phone.
"Time to go" one cop spoke. The male resisted at first, making the police pull him away from Melissa.
