06.

                                    

                                          
I jolt awake to the sound of my phone.
Picking it up, I squint at the screen.
It was 6:30 which meant I had missed my shift but what was more appalling was that I had 2 messages and 3 missed calls from Omar.
I call him back immediately since getting fired was the last thing I wanted.
My hand shakes slightly but I move on, not wanting a little anxiety to hold me back.
"Assalamu alaikum," I hear him say. I can hear the chatter of the cafe behind him. It sounded like it was a busy night.
"Walaikum Assalam. I'm sorry I didn't come in. I was really tired and accidentally fell asleep," I explained as fast as I could.
"If you were that tired you could have told me. I would have given you the day off," he replies.
"Do you want me to come in now? It sounds like it's busy."
"If you're not too tired."
"I'll be there in 30 minutes," I say as I fail to stifle a yawn.
"So you are still tired," I can hear the hint of a smile in his voice.
"Oh shut it," I say before ending the call.
I mean that wasn't too bad? We talked like civilized people.
For the most part.
It took all of 20 minutes to change into a simple black dress and drive to the cafe.
Every single table was full and their was a line of customers waiting to order.
"What is all this?" I whisper to Omar as I slip into the back to get my apron on.
"Apparently someone posted this place on tiktok and the video went semi-viral," he said with a shrug.
How could one be impassive about their business going viral? I ignore my thoughts and open up the second register and start to take orders. Apparently logic didn't apply to this man.
"Can you pack the orders instead?" he asks me just as I'm about to take an order.
"Sure," I eye him as he takes out a stool and sits on it.
"I'll just tell you the orders and then cash them out. You can pack and give it to them over there," he explains.
"So you can sit and do nothing?" I retort before my mind can process what I'm saying. I clamp my hand over my mouth and turn around as fast I can. Did I want to get fired? I was already late to my shift and now this? "Joking. That was a joke."
"We definitely do have a feisty one on our hands don't we. And for the record that was a very funny joke," he says as he goes back to the customers. I remember that day at the Masjid where his friend had said the same exact thing.
I can feel the heat slowly rising in my cheeks. I thank Allah for my darker skin in my head, for without it you would have seen me blush and that was the last thing I wanted.
"I'll put the receipts here. Just throw them out when you're done," he says as he passes me 3 receipts.
"Gotcha," I murmur as I look at the orders.
Six red velvet macarons and one bento cake. I put them in their separate boxes and tie ribbons around them, adding their names to the corner. 
After handing the packages to the orderer, I turn back around to take more receipts. My face almost falls to the ground when I see 8 papers waiting for me. 
From the corner of my eye I can see Omar trying to hide a smile. I sigh as I grab the orders. It would be best if I didn't complain.
We work like this for around half an hour. I pack orders faster and faster as I get used to it. The crowd slowly dies down, leaving a handful of people littered throughout the cafe that were all studying for exams that were right around the corner.
"You work fast," Omar breaks the silence between us.
No thanks to you.
"You took the orders really fast, so it was natural for me to keep up. And it's sort of satisfying," I admit as I wipe down the counter. That sounded like I was a dependable person right?
"Well, you did a good job," he says after a light pause.
"Jazak Allah Khair," I thank him.
"Wa iya Kum," he responds.
I continued cleaning and wiping down different tables as it was almost closing time and I didn't want to stay here longer than I had to. After brooming the floor, I  head into the back and take off my apron.
9:56 my phone read.
I had to wait out 4 more minutes. 
Heading back out, I grab a stool and sit behind the counter. Their were no customers left by this point and Omar had grabbed a ladder and was doing something with the lights. I look back down to my phone. We can stay quiet. Their was simply no need for idle conversation.
"You seem like you're in a rush," he comments.
Well their goes that plan.
"I have a lot of revisions to do since exams are right around the corner," I explain. I wasn't lying.
"I hated exam time," he says as if he was reminiscing old memories.
"You don't go to university anymore?" I prod.
"Graduated 2 years ago," he states.
"So how old are you?"
"22, you?" He still looked like he was around 19.
"19 but my birthday is coming up next month."
"You're a December baby too?"
"December second to be exact."
"Mine is on the twelfth. Who would have known." He detaches the ceiling light which turns the cafe dim. "Can you grab that box over there?"
I grab the box that I find out is filled with lightbulbs as he sets down the light and grabs another one from the back. It was a huge chandelier. The accents were gold.
"That looks so Parisian," I comment.
"Exactly why I got it. Fits in with the vibe the building's architecture gives." 
"I think it'll make this place look even prettier than it already is. You did a great job setting up."
"Thank you. It took a while but I think I also like how it turned out," he runs his hand through his hair, getting it out of his face. "Can you take out the light bulbs and set them up on the countertop? You're free to leave after that."
"Of course," I say as I busy myself. This wasn't bad. He was acting like a nice human being and not making any indecent remarks. 
Maybe he just has a playful personality?
But that's a really big red flag, I remind myself.
"All done," I tell him, grabbing my bag. "I'll take my leave. Bye."
"Assalamu Alaikum," he says as his face is concentrated on some wires in the ceiling.
"Walaikum Assalam," I say quietly as I lock the door behind me.
I look up at the dark November sky. The trees and bushes blocked out most of the sound from the surrounding city and made this place seem like its own little island.
I smile as I start walking to my car. Maybe I had misjudged him. Maybe he was the guy that had helped me at the airport. 
Everyone deserves a second chance. So here I decided that I would try my best to get along with him. And I wondered where this road would lead to.
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 your reminder to PRESS THE STAR BUTTON thx bae <3 
life update: I'm taking my fish on a walk today I'll update you guys next chapter :)
 word count: 1180
Date Posted: 02/13/2022