Hurricane Love

Thirty Eight

The clatter of the tray made me jump and look down at the mess on the floor. 'Shit!'

'What the hell, Amelia?' Becky mumbled, as she leaned down to begin clearing it up. 'Please, just jump on the register, I'll handle it.'

'Sorry,' I said, quickly turning back to look for Ryker and I spotted him approaching the counter, only to find it wasn't Ryker at all. It was just a random guy who happened to look a lot like him, and as much as I felt relief, I felt a little disappointment too.

'Hey, what can I get you?' I asked the guy, pushing away the dismay I was feeling as I tried to steady my breaths after holding it for so long.

'The two XL cheeseburger meals,' he mumbled. 'Both with Coke.'

'Okay,' I said, punching the order into the on-screen menu but my hands were still shaking and I kept messing up. I could feel my mouth going dry as I began to grow anxious and flustered, suddenly feeling completely lost on what I was supposed to be doing. 'Sorry, give me two seconds, this bloody register is playing up.'

He nodded as I tried to delete the things from the order I'd put in by mistake and I sighed as I tried to remember his order again.

'Sorry, was it the two XL bacon cheeseburgers?' I asked.

'No, I didn't want bacon,' he said.

'Okay, sorry,' I said, attempting to alter his order. 'What were the drinks again?'

'Are you really that forgetful or do you just really not care about your job?' he asked, seriously, with his brow arched at me.

'Excuse me?' I said, frowning at him. The guy not only looked like Ryker but it seemed he had his bad attitude too.

'It's a simple order,' he said. 'Why are you taking you so long?'

'Why are you being a dick?' I asked, and I watched as his whole face froze in a stunned silence.

'Okayyy,' Becky said, as she appeared beside me and smiled at the customer, awkwardly. 'I'm so sorry, Amelia is actually just having a tough time today so how about I take over this for you?'

'Please do,' he said, scowling at me.

'I'm fine,' I mumbled.

'Go take a break,' she said, flatly, as she nudged me away from the register.

'I said I'm fine,' I told her.

'And I said go take a break!' she said, sternly, and I whipped off my hat and apron as I glared at her before throwing them down on the counter and I headed out to the restaurant, walked to the door and stepped outside.

I took in several breaths as I tried to calm down and took a seat on the outdoor benches, resting my head in my hands.

'Amelia?' Abbie's voice came from behind me and I softly groaned to myself.

'Are you okay?' The second I heard Mason's voice too, I was ready to get right up and run off, but I didn't, as they both sat down opposite me.

'I'm fine,' I sighed. 'I just fucked up a little so she told me to take a break.'

'I don't blame you for getting stressed in there,' Abbie said. 'It's crazy busy.'

'I just can't wait to quit as soon as I'm ready to start my apprenticeship and actually do a job I want to do,' I complained.

'Yeah, just keep thinking of that every time this place brings you down,' Mason said.

'Exactly,' Abbie said. 'We'll spend tomorrow doing a huge study session all day at your house.'