How To Tame Kalyx Ysaiah

Chapter 2: Your Order

I hung up on Keith's call and started the car engine again. The car behind me that had been honking earlier, did nothing and just passed me by. I turned left to stop by the coffee shop I saw then got out immediately after I parked the car.

The coffee shop was not that big nor small and it was named Anayah's Coffee. The front of their shop is full of attractive plants that are neatly arranged to gain people's attention. There are no customers inside and they seem to be closing the shop now. But even so, I’m still a customer. Maybe they can even allow me to order, I guess. So I walked through the counter to ask the man, probably in his 40's, standing there and gazing in my direction while wiping a cup.

When I saw him up close, I couldn't believe he only worked in a coffee shop. He is at least 6 cm tall from me, with grey eye color and his body is shaped like a soldier's or something that needs intense training because his body gains proper posture and built up biceps. The apron he was wearing doesn't suit him so much either.

Is he really working here? I thought.

"Uhmm … Can I still order something?" I politely asked. The man put down the cup he's wiping and stared at me with a serious face that undoubtedly tells me to go find another coffee shop because their shift is over now. Even so, I don't want to give up and wait for his reply. I just wanted to order a coffee since I'm a little drunk. I'll pay no matter how much he wants.

"Sorry, lost boy. We no longer take orders now," he said with a straight face.

I laughed in absurdity. Did I hear this geezer right? Haha. This a*shole! He undeniably called me a f*cking "lost boy"! I'm asking him with respect but this is what he would say? I don't care whether he's a soldier or what back then! This bastard is pissing me off!

"Is that how adults insult us today?" I smirked. My night is already ruined by Dennise and now an old bastard is trying to get on my nerves. I won't just let him get away with what he said.

"You should leave. We're closing the shop now."

"Were you this rude to all of your customers?"

"Not at all." He focused his gaze all over me. "I just don't like your presence. I hope we never see each other again in the future," he proclaimed.

"Ha?" I growled. Hearing it made me furious. This big of an older motherf*cker is really pissing me off. But suddenly, someone spoke that startled us both.

"Dad! J-Just let him order what he wants."

We both looked at his left side. We saw a girl holding the hem of his shirt and facing towards him. She was wearing a pink apron and white dress underneath. Her black hair was braided like a crown. I couldn't see much of her face because she was looking down and trembling a bit. Her pink apron with a cat patch on it that she was wearing is full of cluttered cake icings, she has on her face too. One thing that I really noticed is her height, she's only up to my shoulder.

She is short. I didn't see her coming.

The man looked so surprised at her. "What are you still doing here Lin—"

"P-Please, Dad! Let him order what he wants." she pleaded, but still, looking down. I couldn't say a word since it's a father and daughter conversation, although I am the subject. I wonder why she is persistently asking her Dad to let me order. Does she know me or something?

"Okay. If that's what you want," he sighed. It looks like he doesn't have a choice. The girl raised her head and smiled at him genuinely, but when he gazed at me slightly, she fidgeted and bowed her head again. She must have heard what I said from his Dad before, that's why she acts like that.

The man looked at me after that. "So what's your order, Sir?" He asked politely but his eyes said otherwise.

"Caffe Americano. Tall, if you may."

"Okay, 1 Caffe Americano, tall and takeaway. It's ₱1—"

"I'll dine-in, if it's fine." I chimed in. He looked at me with his angered eyes. The girl pulls softly on the hem of his shirt as if she was gesturing something.

"15 minutes. Just 15 minutes is fine," I said.

"10 minutes. I'll give you 10 minutes!" he uttered sternly.

"Fine by me."

"It's ₱130.00. Find your seat and I'll just bring it to—"

"I-I'll bring it to him Dad," the girl interposed. "S-So you can do the other things you still needed to do."

"Were you really fine with that?" the man queried and the girl nodded on him.

This is a bit awkward now. "Here's my payment. I'll go find my seat now." I voiced, so they could talk properly. I chose the seat at the far end overlooking the outside. No one else was noisy so I could still hear them talking.

"Why do you insist on letting him order?" the man asked.

"J-Just because …"

"And what happened to you?" Probably he was referring to the clutter of cake icing on his daughter's face and apron.

"I-I bumped with the chair and dropped the cakes."

"You're so clumsy. Clean yourself first before helping me here."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"I'm not angry. Just be careful next time so you don't hurt yourself," he sighed.

So he's still a good father, huh? Though he's totally rude.

I took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair. "What a night!" I looked at my wrist watch and it's 8:45 pm now. I felt a little dizzy because I drank at the party, so I stooped down on the table and closed my eyes. "I'm beat."

I remembered what happened again with Dennise so I was suddenly feeling annoyed. My head can't easily cool from anger so I got even angrier at the moment. And after a while, someone called me by my name that irritated me.

"Kalyx!"

I raised my head and fumed. "What?!" I was so surprised because the girl was the one who called my name and she flinched in fear.

"I-I'm sorry sir. I-I j-just want to give you y-your order. I'm-I'm sorry!" She bowed repeatedly and ran away.

"H-Hey wait." I called out, but she didn't listen. "I didn't mean to scare you." Is what I wanted to say but she ran away fast. How did she know my name? Did I hear her right? Crap… I really scared her away.

"Now that I saw her face clearly, she's cute." I mumbled. "I didn't notice her coming again, damn! Is it because of her height? … Well, whatever."

I sipped the coffee I ordered and looked up outside. The moon and stars are shining so bright but it doesn't make me feel happy. I'm only reminded by the painful past when I'm looking up in the sky.

"What's wrong with this world?"

"Nothing interests me," I sighed.

"If only you were here…"

"... Mom."