In Summer We Started

4.

Valentina

For the next couple of days, I helped the waitress-I did the major work anyway-in Grandma's coffee shop while Grandma remained home. By the time I was back, she'd have food ready and waiting and we'd pray and eat together. I wasn't big on Jesus and all that stuff, but Grandma did. She believed in a higher power, overseeing all that went on on earth. And when she asked me to say the closing prayer, I recited it as I used to when I was little. But, it had gotten to a point then, my father stopped going to church, leaving only my mom and me. Mom hadn't been able to respond to all the questions about her husband and why he abandoned church so she left too. I was forced to stay home. That was why when I paused in reciting the prayer, my eyes squeezing tight, Grandma had to complete it for me, telling me I needed to start studying the Bible again.

A few days after the prayer incident, I encountered Luca-the rude and annoying boy-again. I was busy around the back when I looked up and saw him alongside a group of his friends, all on baseball t-shirts and jeans. Only Luca dressed differently. He wore a leather jacket-the same one I had seen on him the last time-over his orange sweatshirt and had a baseball cap slapped the other way over his head. They made loud noises as they looked around for a space to sit, disrupting the rest of the customers. I winced, scrunching my face. After I'd seen him make trouble with the bakery owner that day, I had started to grow weary of him. And most nights when I changed into my nightie and lay on my bed with the moon casting half its light across my dark room, I went over the details of that day. How the sun had been shining so hot with the wind blowing at intermittent intervals, how I'd wanted to be over and done with the errand. I saw him in my mind's eye, fist clenched as if restraining himself, eyes turning to flicker over me briefly, the tattoo peeking out of his sleeve, and his black motorcycle which he'd rode on, speeding into the morning. I'd tried my best not to, but still, I kept thinking about him, how he'd acted, harassing the owner of the bakery, reducing her to his own level. One could get angry but not to that extent-the extent of threatening to burn the place down. It was insane. He was insane.

Luca and his friends had found a spare seat at a corner, and sat in a semicircle, making one hell of a fuss. They talked and laughed loudly, making the hairs on my arms stand. Oh jeez. They just had to. I contemplated going to them to tell them to quiet down because their noise wasn't only disturbing the customers, it was disturbing me as well. But, before I could take a step, the waitress stepped around my front and immediately her eyes landed on the group, her mouth fell open, her eyeballs saucer-wide. I came up behind her, following her line of sight to where Luca threw his head back and laughed.

"You know them?" I asked, brows furrowing. It seemed like she did.

"Everyone knows Luca around here. He's just so cute, with his dark hair, chestnut brows, and eyes... Oh God, I love him." I looked at the waitress, eyeing the way she gushed at him. Love? Wasn't that too extreme?

"All the girls are dying to have him, trust me. And he rides a motorcycle. He's everything I want. And have you seen his tattoo up close?" She bit her bottom lip, squealing in delight. No. I didn't see what all the fuss was about Luca. The boy had no manners and it showed that he didn't have good home training. To me, he was just a plain, regular guy, who had his nose high in the air. I didn't want to associate with someone like that. Acting like he was better than everyone else. Eww.

"I'm pretty sure he has a pet with his type of eyes. He's so kind and caring and his smile is heavenly. There was a time he came here with his friends, and he helped assist an old lady who couldn't carry her bag to the car. She was trembling all over. It was cute to watch. How he made sure she was secured tightly in her seat before he left. He's a god sent, really." Luca? Could Luca really have done that? The image in her head and the one now didn't correlate at all. I was sure the waitress was speaking about someone else. It couldn't be him, right? If it was, then why had he threatened the owner of the bakery so violently? How did one go from being all chummy and nice to acting the way he did? I rolled my eyes. No. I wasn't interested. I wished I could tell the waitress but she just went on and on about how much of a gentleman he was, sighing dreamily like someone who'd been starved of love. The irony, because that sounded more like Luca-the grumpy one.

"Hey, could you please tell those youngsters to keep it down? They're making a lot of noise." I nearly jumped at the lady's voice, not expecting to be interrupted like that.

I faked a smile and laughed awkwardly. "Sure. I'll tell them to reduce the noise. Sorry for the inconvenience." Then, I looked at the waitress. "Could you go do that while I handle things here?"

"No way. I can't. I like Luca and if I walk up there, I'm only going to melt at his feet." Ugh. So annoying.

Irritated by her attitude, I marched to the group. "You guys are being very noisy. Please, keep it low." I don't know if it was because of the way I placed my hand on my waist as if showing authority, or if it was the tone of my voice with a slight edge to it, but they all quietened down, staring at me. I gulped, suddenly aware of the pairs of eyes piercing through me, and I turned around, about to leave.

"Not so fast, babydoll. You're the girl from the bakery, right?" Luca asked, and I blew out a breath, turning to glare at him.

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, and so?" His friends are quietly watching the show.

"You were rude." His gaze casually flicked over me, and I squared my shoulders, refusing to cower under his intense gaze. Meanwhile, my insides were burning.

"No. I'm not the rude one. You are," I said, pointing at him. "You should look at yourself in the mirror before saying stuff like that to people." His friends whistled, some snickering, and Luca shot them a look of warning.

"Really? Cause I remember you were the one who scowled at me for having an issue with the baker. I know you're new here, but act like it, and stop forming opinions about people before you even know them." His friends oohed and ahhed, cheering at Luca. I shook my head and stalked off, infuriated at his audacity. I hated that he'd succeeded in getting a rise out of me. How dare he? Did he think because I was new, I would fear him? No f*****g way. I wasn't going to. But, I had to keep my cool and serve them. I collected the menu from the counter and walked back to their table, handing it to one of them. Luca leaned back in his chair, studying me. After I'd taken all their orders, I went back to the counter, thinking if I could send the waitress to deliver their food to them. But, I checked around and couldn't find her. Great! Just what I needed. I placed the cup of coffee on a tray, alongside smoothies and packets of chocolate cakes. Carrying it through the row of occupied tables to theirs, I steeled in a sharp breath, willing myself to stay calm.

"Here you go," I pasted a wide smile on my face as I dropped the drinks and cake on the table. They distributed it amongst themselves. "Who's paying?" I asked, looking from one to the other. They all stared at Luca and I turned to him, wishing to wipe that annoying smirk out of his lips.

"Do we have a problem?"

"No. I just wanted to know, that's all," I said, and whisked away. When I got to the counter, I slammed the empty tray on it, earning me stares from a few of the other customers. The mere sight of Luca annoyed the hell out of me. And where was that damn waitress?