[Amanda]
I hurried to the cafe as soon as I could. Well, I knew it should open by 8:30 but still I did not want to be the first one to enter and not as a customer. I had taken my resume which basically consisted of written documentation of two temporary jobs and two not-so temporary ones including my last job.
I came to a halt before the cafe. Would it seem bad for me to just go in and ask? I studied the outside, there wasn’t any ‘Hiring Now’ sign anywhere. Was the post already taken? Would I just be leaving with an embarrassed face?
You don’t have a lot of options, do you? Sneered my conscience. There wasn’t any room for dawdling and being bashful. I was well past that now. Taking a deep breath I entered the cafe. I sighed in relief when I saw a few people already sitting in the cafe.
“Hey! Welcome back!” the blondie from yesterday chirped. I plastered a smile and nodded before walking up to the counter.
“How may I help you?” another woman behind the counter asked.
“I…” the words wouldn’t just come out of my mouth. The woman waited patiently.
“I...uh...I was looking for vacancies online and I found that you were hiring”, I said hesitantly. She blinked before nodding, “Wait a moment, I’ll call our employer”. Embers of hope kindled in my heart. I nodded before she vanished through the door.
I glanced at the cashier who was diligently doing something. I was sure she heard me. I was glad she wasn’t looking at me right now. Which customer comes in the next day and asks for a job? No one! I guess.I glanced around to see that blondie, too had gone to attend a new customer. A sudden throat clearance made me look back at the counter. An elderly man stared back at me.
“Cassey told me that you were looking for a job?” he asked in a business-like manner. Well, that wasn’t exactly what I had said. But anyway, I nodded my head, “Yes. I saw that you people were hiring as in I was browsing the internet and saw-”
He held up his hand, “Yes, we are. We are looking for a waitress. Have you done this kind of job before?”
“Yes, I have. I even have a resume-” I was yet again, interrupted by the man and by Cassey’s rude snort. When I looked at her, she pointedly looked away. He silently asked for the resume, I handed it. It was a two-page, very mundane looking resume. He skimmed through it before handing it back.
“You start your job tomorrow. We will discuss the payment tomorrow as well. Be here by 7. We close at 5 and clean-up takes another hour. You will get your uniform by next week. Till then wear a white shirt and black pants to work”, he informed me before going back in.
“Thank you so much Sir”, I said, all the while grinning widely. The woman at the cash counter offered me a genuine smile. I couldn’t believe my luck. Well, I never did but from now I will. There was actually a thing called lucky stars as well. Maybe.
I was in a happy mood on my way back. Humming a soft tune as I weaved my way through the crowd. However, my mood did not stay that way. As I was waiting for the bus, I heard one girl squeal to her friend excitedly, “Dom is coming to New York to shoot a film!”
My mood instantly took a one-eighty degree turn.“Dom as in Dominic Giovanni? Why is he not getting enough films across the pond?” the girl, Jenn asked sardonically. Her friends smacked her arm lightly, “Hey! Don’t talk anything about my Dom. I am so excited!” she squealed again. My heart clenched at the phrase ‘my Dom’. I used to say that once, I used to have that right once. But now…
The bus’ arrival jolted me out of my morose thoughts. I blinked back the tears and boarded the bus. I can’t afford to think of him. I had a new job waiting for me tomorrow. I should be concentrating on that and not on my ex-husband.[Amanda]“Here’s the apron”, Cassey flung the piece of cloth at me as soon as I entered the changing room. Thanks to Tracy, the blondie who showed me the way. I gave her a sidelong glance as I wound the ribbons around my narrow waist. Then I proceeded to tie my hair int
[Amanda]
[Amanda]
[Amanda]Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself slapping him. Hard. The sound was not a pronounced one but my palm was stinging and his left cheek was red. My eyes widened as I realised what I had done. This was the first time I had raised my hand on anyone. Dominic looked shocked as well, his head still turned on the opposite side.He finally looked at me, his eyes were now blank slates. Not giving away a thing. I was about to apologise when I remembered why I had committed such an act. My anger surged back up. I glowered, “How dare you ask me t
[Amanda]My world came to a standstill and I was forcefully thrust five years back. The difference was that time I was not told about Dominic’s extramarital affair by the man himself and today he was outright telling me that he loved someone else. Without an ounce of regret or hesi
[Amanda]
[Amanda]I ended up staying at his place. Dominic had this smug look on his face when I had begrudgingly agreed and taken up his offer. I hadn’t taken into account that after leaving this place, I simply couldn’t walk into the cafe and resume my work. My co-workers and Cassey would grill me to no end and I doubt whether or not I will have the job. I mean, I doubt they will keep someone who created such chaos on the very second day of their duty. My mood takes a sour turn.Even though the bed was soft and the room was way better than my beat up one, sleep still evaded me. I stared blankly at the ceiling. The soft night lamp created a mesh of shadow and lig
[Amanda]In 27 years of my life, I had only once imagined my name in the newspapers but as Dominic’s wife, his lady love. When he had started out, we imagined ourselves in the shoes of big stars. He is passionate about what he does and that is what got him his big break. I remember being so elated that I had chugged down a whole bottle of red and getting a nasty hangover the next day.I was happy, so happy because the love of my life had achieved something that he had worked for. “It’s because you have been by my side, constantly”, he had said, kissing me passionately. We had spent a day or two tangled in the sheets before his work started, before it dragged down and destroyed our love, burnt it till there was nothing but charring memories.My imagination did come true but in a warped manner. This was the last thing I wanted in my life after our divorce. For so long, I