41

Ashley
“So how was your date, yesterday?” I heard Emily ask while I yawned, reaching out to open the fridge.
“It was fine.” I promptly answered, retrieving a jug filled to the brim with cold clean water. I dropped it on the table while advancing towards a rack where I kept my cups.
“Fine? That’s too vague. Give me the details.” she pressured while chopping cucumbers into a white round bowl.
“There are no details, the diner was beautiful and romantic. Mason was amazing and nice. ” I responded with my hands pressed around the handle of the jug, slanting it so it could be poured directly into the cup.
“I expected you to tell me what you ate, drank, and how romantic it was. You aren’t keeping the juicy stuff all to yourself, are you?” Emily stated while crunching hard on a cucumber slice that she had popped into her mouth.
“We ate roasted chicken and drowned a bottle of wine. ” I answered.
“That’s all? He didn’t kiss you?” Emily arched a brow.
“No,” I batted my lashes at her, “Why would he kiss me on a first date?”
“But?”
“We have a job, Emily. Let’s go prepare for that.” I verbalized, the words coming out of my mouth very slowly.
“Okay?” Emily arched a brow in confusion before pushing her shoulders up, focusing on her breakfast.
I inhaled sharply, turning around and advancing toward my bedroom. I removed my clothes, reminiscing on the previous night.
My eyes darted towards my cell phone that lay lazily at my bedside. I sighed again. Mason didn’t call me at dawn or ask if I had gotten home.
Was this another bad sign?
My heart thumped heavily against my chest while I tried to calm myself down. Maybe he would call when I was at work or he might drop by with a surprise.
I remembered that I was supposed to be scrubbing my body clean in the bathroom. I raced towards it, ripping my clothes off my body.
The bath was short but filled with different thoughts. Today was the day I was finally going to see my mother in the flesh after almost two years.
I knew I would have to plead with Nadia to take over from the afternoon shift. I hurried out of the bathroom, wrapping my blue towel around my frame.
I opened my small wardrobe, reaching out for a pink blouse and blue jeans to match. My hands reached to pack my hair into a tight bun and afterward, I used a brush on my edges that refused to oblige.
I then looked for my bag and dropped my phone in it. My eyes suddenly landed on the black umbrella which I made no effort in moving.
And that was when I remembered Leo.
How was I going to give it back to him?
I set my hands across my forehead. Maybe I could drop it right below the counter and wait for him to look at it and get the hint or I could thrust it into his arms and smile at him?
“Why is this so hard? It’s just an umbrella. ” I grumbled, pulling myself out of my thoughts.
I reluctantly picked up the umbrella, holding it to myself before walking out of my room.
I sighted Emily looking at her cell phone on the sofa before she rose at the sound of my shoes, slowly lifting her gaze from her phone.
“Is that yours? Did Mason give it to you?” Emily pointed towards the umbrella.
“No,” I shook my head, “It’s Nadia’s. ” I lied through my teeth.
I didn’t want her to ask why Leo gave me his umbrella on a sunny afternoon nor was I prepared for her to ask me any questions.
“Okay, I had no idea that you and Nadia were so close,” Emily teased, “Shall we go?”
“Yes.” I promptly answered while Emily walked towards the door with me on her heels with the umbrella, perfectly placed in my grasp.
***
The roads were packed and often I and Emily made a ritual of walking to the bakery to save some cash since it was less than a thirty minutes walk.
We stepped into the bakery with batted breaths while my eyes frantically searched for Leo.
He was nowhere to be seen but I heard someone yelling in the kitchen. Emily and I exchanged glances that didn’t have to be explained in words.
We both dropped our bags at the counter and raced towards the kitchen to find Mrs. Ping, berating and asking Damien and Luke, how the sugar in the storage room was nearly exhausted.
I was about to suggest to Email that we walk back to the counter to avoid her wrath when she turned to look at us with fiery eyes.
“You are two minutes late. What happened?” she yelled.
“W-Well we…..” Emily stuttered, trying to bring out the words when Mrs. Ping raised a hand, making Emily shut her lips.
“Is this what you do when I’m away?” she turned to look at me, “You delay the people waiting to eat in my bakery?”
“No, ma’am. ” I answered with my hands placed behind my back.
“And then you waste the sugar and flour that I fund with my own money?” she yelled again.
“The truth is that….” Alfred was about to speak when I slanted my head over Mrs. Ping’s, telling him to cut it out.
“Cat cut your tongue?” Mrs. Ping asked, advancing towards Alfred with one hand on her hip.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, ma’am. ” Alfred murmured, his eyes struggling to look anywhere other than Mrs. Ping.
“Where is Nadia? I wanted to see her, this morning.” Mrs. Ping spoke, continually chewing her gum with her eyes wide open.
That thing about her irked me. She was obsessed with chewing gums but from what I heard as a rumor, Mrs. Ping used to be a chronic smoker which affected her marriage and a strained relationship with her children that I have never seen in my entire life.
“She hasn’t clocked in yet, ” Luke mentioned with his gaze facing the ground.
Mrs. Ping halted with one of her hands in her brown jacket.
“Why? Did she call or say anything?” Mrs. Ping asked.
“No, ma’am,” Luke responded.
Mrs. Ping stared at all of us in the kitchenette, her piercing gaze eating through every one of us.
“-And where the heck is Leo?” Mrs. Ping thundered.
“Family emergency.” Emily promptly answered while I turned to look at her.
What family emergency?
“What kind?” Mrs. Ping arched a brow with her lips spread in confusion.
“I have no idea. He just said that.” Emily answered quickly.
“So Nadia and Leo will a pay cut. I was lucky to be here to witness how the newest people I employed for my business are slacking off and for the rest of you-” Mrs. Ping was cut short by the sound of a phone ringing.
“And whose phone is ringing in the middle of something like this?” Mrs. Ping banged her fist against a wall, “I have warned you severally not to bring your devices into the kitchen. ”
I mashed my lips together and interlocked my fingers behind my back.
“It’s yours, ma’am. “I emphasized, my eyes staring at her pockets.
“Oh.” Came the words that came out of her lips before throwing an awkward smile at us while walking towards the door to receive it.
We dared not speak as we simply stared at a dough or a pan, waiting for further instructions.
After a few minutes, she stepped back in, cautiously and slowly.
“I have a meeting to attend and I will return next week for another surprise visit. You can feel free to slack off while I cut your paycheck. ” she tilted her head, a witty smile bestowed upon her face, and then she clapped, her hands making annoying noises.
She looked at everyone again before finally stepping out. There was a huge mountain of silence even after several seconds. We all waited for her to slam the door as she always did when she was annoyed. Mrs. Ping was a short-tempered person who spoke less and shouted more.
“Is she gone?” Luke raised his head.
“I guess so,” Emily responded.
“She’s really scary. I could barely open my mouth. ” Alfred chuckled while advancing towards the sink to wash his hands and resume kneading the dough.
“Did Nadia say anything?” I faced Luke with my hands in my jean’s back pocket.
“No, she didn’t.” Luke shook his head.
I nodded and then gestured towards Emily so we could clean up the bakery in readiness for the day.
“I wonder if Leo is okay. He should have at least called but no one knows his phone number. ” I heard Emily say while we walked towards the counter.
I mashed my lips together unable to mention the fact that I had his number so I simply walked on, hoping that all was well with him.
***
The morning flew fast and so did the time. I wondered if it was because there were no problematic customers who got on our nerves.
“Thank you.” I smiled while appreciating an older woman who dropped a dollar in the tip jar.
A few customers asked about Leo and we’re slightly dismayed about his absence. Emily helped out a lot and I was certain that she was exhausted.
“I guess that’s all. ” Emily announced, sitting on an empty chair and breathing heavily, “No more customers!”
I clicked my tongue, “You are lazy. ”
Emily was about to respond when a certain man pushed the door open with a large bouquet of red roses in his hands.
“Delivery for Ashley,” he announced, scanning our faces.
“That’s me but who sent that?” I answered back, a bit taken aback.
“I was only asked to deliver it, here. ” The man responded, adjusting his glasses.
“Alright then.” I promptly responded while he advanced closer, handing over the bouquet to me.
He then smiled before leaving.
“Did Mason send that?” Emily winked at me.
I haven’t completely understood what had happened as my mind was still unable to comprehend this.
Did Mason send me this?
“I think there’s a note for you.” Emily pointed towards the side of the bouquet where a small note was carefully tucked in between some set of roses.
I smiled while reaching out for it. My fingers opened the paper carefully and my eyes landed on some scribbled words.
“I am sorry if I hurt you, Ashley. ”
That melted my heart completely as my pink stained my cheeks and my lips parted to give a cheeky smile.
“You look whipped,” Emily observed, playfully.
I was still basking in the euphoria after my mood had been dampened in the morning because I heard nothing from him but this, happened to arose my spirit.
“And talk of the devil. ” Emily chuckled as she pointed towards the window.
My eyes followed hers and I noticed Mason standing under the heat of the sun adjusting his suit. I dropped the bouquet on the counter and still wearing my apron, I ran towards the door with a radiant smile on my face.
Pushing the door by its handle, I yelled, “Mason.”
He turned, wearing a smile on his face. I advanced towards him with quick strides.
Breathless and still memorized by his facial features, I muttered, “You didn’t have to send me a bouquet of roses. You didn’t hurt me at all and I understood that you had work to do, this morning.
I noticed one of his brows was raised in confusion as he watched me, carefully.
“What roses?” he asked his face contouring puzzlement.