^The face thing is kinda creepy but that is exactly how I imagined her hair and earrings but I didn't want to give her a face, that's for you to imagine. 🥰^

9. Sunday Week Three (pt1.)

Working the Sunday morning shift at the diner was a bitch.

Pretty much everyone had the day off so the whole town decided that 'Kasey's' (I know, this town is ridiculous with names) was the perfect place to spend some quality family time. It didn't help that my Nan had 'forbid me', her words not mine, from going out on Friday because of coming home late on Tuesday so I think it was safe to say that I was still very much pissed at Eli.

There was a lovely family at one of my tables and I was fixing up their drinks behind the counter when someone cleared their throat from a barstool to get my attention.

"Just one sec," I flicked a few more buttons, put a timer on and then swivelled around on my heel to serve the next customer, "what can I do..." My voice trailed off as I stared into crystalline eyes which were sparkling with amusement. "What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded to know.

He placed his elbows on the counter and put his hands together in a fist under his chin, "just grabbing some breakfast."

My eyes narrowed at him, "I have worked here every Sunday for three years and not once have you ever come in here for breakfast."

"Been looking out for me, Reillyn?" The cocky asshole had the audacity to wink at me.

"Get out Ryker." I was not in the mood for his bullshit.

"Ryker now, is it?" he questioned with that damn eyebrow of his raised.

"You told me not to call you Eli, remember?"

"Yeah, but I distinctly remember you ignoring me"

The timer went off on one of the toastie machines and I turned my back to Eli, welcoming the distraction of work whilst I pretended to be fussing with an order. "What do you want Ryker?"

"Black coffee."

"No, I mean, why are you here?" I questioned with my back still to him.

"Come on tigru, you really still mad at me?" My anger rose up full force, he was really in for it now.

My shoes made a squeaky noise on the floor as I whipped around to face him, "what is this? One minute you act like a jerk and the next you're sat here with your cute pet names!" I whisper-yelled exasperatedly.

He'd taken his elbows off the counter and, like me, was now leaning halfway across it staring right at me intensely.

And then, "Is that really how you should speak to a paying customer, tigru?" He smirked and leaned back on his stool, "do you know nothing about customer service?"

My eyes rolled and I decided I couldn't be bothered to argue anymore, he wasn't worth it; right? "What do you want then?"

"Told you, black coffee."

"Is that it?" I asked him as his eyes twinkled with something I couldn't place, "you came all the way here for just a black coffee?"

"Yup," he popped the 'p' and smirked at me.

My eyes narrowed at him, "bullshit, Ryker."

He let out a sigh and let the smirk fall off his face as he leaned forward again, "I wanted to know if you were gonna come to training today."

"You could've just messaged me like a normal person instead of showing up at my work," I paused as a thought crossed my mind, "how do you know where I work anyway?" I had certainly never told him.

He shrugged, "does it matter? Gym or no?"

"Stalker," I coughed under my breath, my eyes dancing around the room as I did so. He gave me a pointed a look, "Yes, fine, Ryker, I'm gonna come to the gym after shift."

He nodded like he was happy with my answer, "And stop with this 'Ryker' shit."

I nodded at him acting unfazed but as soon as I turned back to the machines, I was smiling to myself. He liked me calling him Eli.

My boss Kasey yelled at me from the kitchen to take the toasties to the family. So I held a finger up to Eli signalling I'd be just a second, he nodded at me and I scurried over to the family with their dishes apologising about the wait, see, I could do customer service, before heading back over to Eli.

He was stood by his stool when I asked him, "I'll see you at about 1 o'clock at the gym?"

"Yeah, your car's not in the car park though?"

"Oh, my Nan's borrowing it today, I'll get the bus."

"I can come get you if you want." His eyes drifted around the room as he said this.

The smile on my face was dorky I'm sure, but I couldn't help it, "I'll be fine, it's a long way for you to drive."

"I'll put it simply, tigru" he shoved his arms into the pockets of his black jeans and he shrugged as he looked down at me, "you don't get a bus in Lendale. You get mugged maybe, but not a bus." He made a fair point, Jake the Creep was proof that Lendale wasn't the safest place in the world but I must have still looked apprehensive because Eli stated, "you can consider it penance for Tuesday night."

That felt like the closest thing to an apology as I was ever going to get from him so I nodded with a smile, "I like the sound of that."

He chuckled and we agreed he would be back at 12:30 when my shift ended.

He left without drinking a single sip of coffee.

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Edited ✅