Loving the Innocent Criminal

 “Hi, may I take your order?” I asked a group of middle-aged women at the table. They were gossiping about a mistress named ‘Karen’ in hushed voices.  “I told you! Your husband is cheating!” The blonde girl exclaimed as she pushed down her Louis Vuitton bag, which, for all I know, is a rip-off because no one can afford a Louis Vuitton bag in this small town near the coast. These women are social climbers who like to pretend they were living in a bustling metropolis when the reality is, it’s not.  We are not.  The jobs of the people in this area are either fishermen or a waitress who work their butts off just to survive their daily life – including me.   “Cruella!” That sound came from the kitchen. I need to get this order as soon as possible. Clearing my throat to get their attention, “Hi, may I take your order?” This time around, it’s louder. They return my smile.   “Oh, here’s the waitress. What do you want to order?” The blonde asked her friends and they started mentioning the names of the pizza they want to order. Immediately, I jotted it down on my notes. “Thanks. Have a good day.”  “You too,” she answered, forcing a smile while looking up and down to my body. Her eyebrows raised, and I saw a hint of judgment in her eyes. “So, what happened to your husband again?” The woman asked and returned her face to her friend who was now crying in despair. That’s enough drama for today. I could not handle this anymore. Sighing, I put down my plate on the kitchen sink and looked at Madame Levigne, the owner of the pizzeria.“Table number 9. Here’s the order.” She grabbed the piece of paper from my mini notebook and saluted me after that. I step back and return the gesture to Madame Levigne before getting back to work again. Turning around, someone appeared in front. “Hey, what are you doing here?” “You look tired,” he whispered, looking at me with worried eyes. Jonard is a friend of mine who recently confessed his feelings to me, but I turn him down and told him that we’re just friends. He keeps on pursuing me up until now. The thing about Jonard is, he is a gang leader in this small town. He’s 6” ft tall and bulky and has a lot of tattoos and… the lists go on. But he is a better friend than I have ever imagined before I started to live my life here. He’s very protective of me when it comes to silly street guys near my apartment who like to get fun of me. “I’m almost done here,” I whispered back, smiling a little, and looked behind him.  His eyes glistened in happiness after I said that. “That’s good. We are still going to that date, right?” His voice was hopeful.  “Yeah, but do me a favor?” I asked. He nodded. “Go ahead.” After he said that, I bit my lower lip before running towards the kitchen sink to find a familiar checkered black and white apron and its hat dangling on the refrigerator. Then, I went back to Jonard who was looking impatient while standing near the table.   “Here,” I said, showing him the apron I got earlier. His smile faded and he sighed as soon as he recognizes the thing I was holding. “Oh Jesus! Don’t tell me you’re planning to – “  “Yes!” I cut him off and put the apron on his neck without further ado. “Sorry! Can you slouch your back? You’re too tall!” Jonard rolls his eyes backward but in the end, he chuckled softly when I patted his back so I could put the string of the apron around his neck. He didn’t have the chance to complain because he is now wearing an apron similar to mine.    “Help me with the orders. Consider this as our date, okay?”  “Fine. Okay, you win!” He exclaimed while slightly punching the marble table near him. I smiled and shook my head. I was now tying my hair into a ponytail to get back the orders in the pizzeria. My smile faded as soon as I get back into reality. Looking at the woman who was eating a pizza in front of her laptop, I froze. She’s living my dream. With the badge on her collar, I know she’s a lawyer. “I need a glass of water,” someone said, but my eyes are still on the book piled up to the woman’s table. I was busy looking at the constitutional law books and the other pile of familiar books in my sight.  She must be lucky enough to have rich parents who could support her in law school.  “Hello? Are you still listening to me?” someone said again but I didn’t mind him. I continuously peeked at the woman’s laptop to saw familiar terms that I used to know before. She is case digesting, I conclude.   The woman creases her forehead as she was reading something. It wasn’t that hard to understand. The case seems familiar to me and I had handled similar cases like that before.  “Hey!” Someone screamed so loud that I think everyone looked at our side. As if my body has its own brain, I jolted and almost jumped on my place when I looked at the angry customer who could kill… right now.  My heartbeat triples and I started to get that feeling when I’m scared, again. “S-sir? I’m s-sorry. What was your o-order again?” s**t. I should focus! When he suddenly grabbed the notebook that I was holding and throw it on the floor. “I said! Get me a bottle of water!” he screamed. My eyes voluntarily shut in a second because it was too loud.   “Hey…” Jordan appeared behind me and looked at the old man I failed to get his order. “What’s happening?” he asked me and I answered, “Uhm, just – uhm, just – just a misunderstanding – I mean, I was not focusing – I’m sorry…”  “Sorry? No! You’re wasting my time!”   “I’m sorry, Sir. I’ll – I'll get your o-order now!” I stuttered again and grabbed the notebook that was on the floor with a shaking hand. Jordan lends me a hand to get up after that. When he felt that my hands were shaking, he intertwined our fingers and put me behind his back.   “Let me take his order instead, Cruella,” he whispered and grabbed the notebook in my hands. “Uh, o-okay.” I swallowed and slap my cheek softly.    “What’s your order, Sir?” Jordan asked in an unfriendly manner to the customer. You could feel the sarcasm in his voice while he was jotting down the order of this old man. “Is that all?” he asked again while pretending to write in my notebook.   Jordan doesn’t know how to write. I mean, he barely knows a word or a letter or a consonant and stuffs like that. But he was trying to learn and asked me to teach him. Considering the amount of time that we spend each other tutoring him, I know him.  He couldn’t write those words that were mentioned by the old man. “Come again, Sir? Bufaylow pizza?” he asked. The old man gestured his hand to him. “Yes! Bu-Fa-Lo. Buffalo Pizza!”   God! This is nuts. I know Jordan’s impatient. I felt his shallow breathing in front and he let a deep sigh, taking down the notes of the old man. He was tempted to shout back at him, but I told him before that a customer is always right. He should control his anger issues during this time.   “Ah, yes, that freaking buffalo pizza. It sucks, man. Why don’t you order another one? We have the bestseller here. Or is it your taste that sucks?” s**t. This is it. It’s starting. If Madame Levigne heard what he had said, I’ll be fired for bringing him. I mean, why would he tell a customer that our pizza sucks? “Hey, that’s enough,” I slapped the back of his palm to give him a signal. He heaved a deep sigh and told the old man that he was just kidding. He pointed the pen he was holding to the old man and smiled. “You’re wearing a Nirvana t-shirt. You like that band, huh?”   “Why? You will tell me this band sucks too?” I slapped my forehead and bit my lower lip. They are starting again. Jordan slightly c***s his head at the side, mocking him, but his words were the complete opposite. “Nope. They’re not that bad. See you, then.”   He gives the old man a salute but I saw how it turned a middle finger sign after getting away from that table. “What the hell were you thinking a while ago? You’re not like that.” Jordan said to me while sliding the piece of paper on the counter to get the order of that old man.   “You handled it nice, Jords.” Madame Levigne tapped his back while getting the piece of paper.   “I apologize for what happened a while ago, Madame Levigne.”  “No, you don’t have to. I know that old man over there. He was my ex-husband.” My jaw fell open because of what she had said. I can’t believe it! “What?!” I exclaimed while looking at the old man who was now reading a newspaper.   “Yes, Cruella. I should’ve told Jords to smack his ass but I don’t want to lose a customer.” Madame Levigne gives Jordan a high-five and both of them grinned at me, while I was here, still shocked because of that.   “Told ya’ this is town is small. If it’s fate, you are bound to meet that person again even if you don’t want to.”   Jordan didn’t talk and just stares at me. After a couple of seconds, Madame Levigne spoke again while shooting dagger eyes to his ex-husband. “Tch. That jerk cheated on me,” she whispered while hearing the sound of her chewing gum.   Madame Levigne is beautiful but her style is gothic. Black eyeliner with curly brown hair. Dark clothes as if there’s a funeral. She has big silver earrings dangling on her ears all the time. When I asked her about that one time, she said it was her lucky charm to grow her business. She wasn’t that nice but she was good to me at least. She gives sympathy to those who were living shitty life.  Alone. Near the coast of this small town.   “Let’s get you home.” Jordan must’ve noticed how my mood changes. He looks at me warily and asked. “What’s wrong?”   “Nothing.” I smiled at him.  Madame Levigne tapped our backs to continue our work. It was a long afternoon that Sunday. I thought it was just an ordinary day of my life hiding in this small town near the coast. But it wasn’t.   “Hi, may I take your order. Sir?” I asked while smiling at the man who was wearing a black cap. He was talking to a little girl in front of him. I recognize that girl. She’s one of the street kids that lived near the coast who was trying to survive every day of their life by asking for donations from the tourist.   Basically, they are orphans and homeless. I pity them.    We were outside the pizzeria and the sea breeze touched my skin sent shivers to my spine. It was cold outside. I really need to get this order right now.    The man who was wearing a black jacket and black cap gives something to the girl. It was a biscuit. “It’s not that delicious, but it’s the only thing that I could give to you,” he said to the girl but the girl was now eating the biscuit in hunger. She smiled and give him a thumbs up. “It’s delicious. Thank you!”    “No problem. Go share it with your friends.”    The scene touched my heart for a second. It was too cute and I think this man is such a wonderful person. May God bless this guy. “Hi, can I take your order now?” I asked in a friendly tone.    He removes his black cap first and puts it down on the table before turning at me, only to see how the corner of his smile faded in just one look at me. I caught my breath because of the sight of a familiar person.    No… this is not happening.    I left my job, dreams, family, and the prestigious life that I had in that bustling metropolis to get away from that dark past. I was starting to move on.  No, this can’t happen.   Madame Levigne’s hushed voice rings to my ear, “Told ya’ this is town is small. If it’s fate, you are bound to meet the person again even if you don’t want to.”    “Angelic…” Owen whispered while looking at me with wide eyes. I blinked and said, “I’m sorry, Sir. I think I can’t take your order…” Before he could even speak a single word, I left him at his table.   My breathing hitched. I couldn’t breathe, and my vision started to blur. That man…that man who destroyed my life suddenly appears in front of me. He was the sole reason why I am here… and why I am suffering every damned day of my life. He was the reason why I can’t see the boy whom I cherished so much before, and now that he stole my heart, he has the intention to break it into pieces.   It was all because of him.    Owen Lacoste. The criminal that I’ve loved.