Darkest Hour

Sangre Cafe

“One Grande chai latte, coming right up!” I ring up the order for the businesswoman as she taps her shoes in a very annoying manner and looks at her watch. “Come on, hurry up! $3.50 for a chai latte! Ha! Not even good service! Why does it cost so much?! Where is your manager?!” I can’t deal with these types, I think with an internal groan. Externally, I was showing her fake sympathy. “I am so sorry ma’am, I just started working a month ago! I will get the manager if you want to see her, but I am trying to make your latte as fast as I can!” The lady glares, yes GLARES, at me when she has only ordered a MINUTE ago. “Why does she have you on the front line then! You are obviously incompetent! GET YOUR MANAGER NOW!” She obviously woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I go to the back and call out, “LILLIAN! A customer wants to see you!” I hear a groan and a faint “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming, I’m coming… damn.” Lillian comes out from the back sluggishly. She was wearing the same uniform I was, black pants, black t-shirt, brownish-red apron (super ugly, I know but it’s what the owner wanted) with the name Sangre Cafe. The only difference from my uniform and hers, was the fact the Lillian’s apron had a black lining on the edges to show she was a manager. Lillian was definitely taller and more intimidating than I was. She was built like a wrestler, blonde hair, green eyes, RBF and at her 5’8” to my 5’2”, the businesswoman calmed down quickly. Lillian looks at me and the woman and sighs dramatically. “What is it THIS time Kathy? Didn’t get your chai fix as soon as you ordered?” The woman, Kathy, starts turning red as a tomato in anger and starts doing that thing with her mouth where she looks like an out of water fish. “Helllllloooo?” Lillian continues as Kathy tries to figure out what to say. I finish fixing her chai latte and say, “Here ya go, one grande chai latte.”

“NOT on the house,” Lillian practically growls, “This is the fourth time this week Kathy. Stop it, or else the Butterfly and Viper will get ya!”

I felt a dull ache in my heart as she says those words. The only ones who know my parents were dead was me and the upstarts at Draco. Kathy quickly picks up her drink and furiously scurries out the door, to whatever hole she slithers into. Lillian slowly turns to look at me. And by slowly, I mean like a lioness that was woken up from her nap… which she was. “Why, The. Hell. Did. You. Not. Take. Care. Of. This. By. Yourself.” She broke each word as she spoke. I could feel chills going through my spine as I answer.

“Uuuuuummm… Sorry?” I mentally facepalm. The one thing that Lillian despises is when someone says SORRY. She continues to give me that blank stare and I scurry to clean up the brewer. She continues staring as I furiously clean the already clean counters. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her shake her head and go back into the back. I was lucky to have survived saying The Word to Lillian. Most (pretty much everyone) was fired right away after saying it. She’s in a good mood today I guess, I thought. I look around the desolate café and start spot cleaning the three tables we have. Sangre Café wasn’t that big. Family owned since the 1960’s, the checkerboard floors and brownish-red chairs set up around the brown tables felt really old school. That’s probably why not a lot of people come here to order food and drinks. Somehow though, it’s still earning income. I finish my spot cleaning and head towards the back to see what Lillian needs me to do. She’s on the phone and I hear the backend of her conversation, “… this is why I hate this place. Why can’t I just grab the package and go?” She waits for the reply and answers, “I knooowwwwwwwww. Ugggghhhhhhhh! Just hurry it up!” She hangs up the phone and goes to turn around to come back out to the front. She jumps and bumps into the cleaning supplies shelves. “What the hell are you doing?!” She practically screeches.

“I, I, I didn’t mean to. I was just coming back here to ask what else you need me to do?” I stammer a little bit. I can honestly say that Lillian is almost as scary as my parents when they got mad. Almost. Lillian balls up her fists, but then relaxes them and takes a few deep breaths. “I don’t need you anymore today, just go home. I’m closing shop early. Owner’s orders.” She turns around and walks past the other shelves with food and drink items to the door right beside the back exit. She opens it and slams it to let me know that’s all I’m getting from her. “Oooookkkaayyy,” I whisper underneath my breath. I turn around to go to the cash register to clock out and see a man in a black on black suit standing there. I muster my best customer service act.

“Hello sir, we are actually about to close.”

He looks at me with a deadpan expression. He’s close to Lillian’s height with a pale complexion. “I’m not here to order. Tell Lillian Syl is here to speak with her.”

“Alrighty sir! I’ll go get her right now!”

I walk to the door Lillian had slammed shut and knocked. “WHAT!” She snaps through the door. “Um, a man named Syl is he-“ She opens the door before I can say another word. “Out” She says and I run through the back door. Something is strange here and my gut is telling me something. I just don’t know what. I wish I had known sooner and ran while I had the chance.