Chapter 3. Teach Me How to Cherish

Clattering sound of the rolling door being pulled indicates a new shift for the two employees. Something in the air tells one of them that today is going to be complicated. Who knows, weird sensations are flowing through Vionna's guts. She flipped the hanging sign until people outside could see that the coffee shop was finally open.

"Make sure you clean it well, 'kay?" The girl told her co-worker. "Yeah yeah," a lazy reply was heard. Their duties continued until suddenly someone who caught her eyes walked in through the front door. His demeanor exudes elegance and wealthiness even when he is just dressed in plain T-shirt and black chinos. Silver necklace hanging around his virile yet delicate nape to shoulders, his smooth voice awaken the awe-strucked barista from her dumbfounded state.

Taking his orders, Vionna can't help but to feel rather nervous. "In whose name is the order, Sir?" She asked. "Hades. H-A-D-E-S." The man who owns a unique name responded with one arm on the counter. "What a refreshing sight to see," she thought. Pulling a twenty from the slip of his wallet, he told Vionna to keep the change. On second thought, the weird feeling earlier is probably a good sign after all, or so she believes.

. . .

Meanwhile, near the back door, her co-worker lit up a cigar after throwing out some trash. It was his break time. A peaceful rest to clear his mind from a rowdy day, accompanied with a bottle of beer. In his sight, a man dressed in a suit was standing beside what looked like a lavish car. The man walked closer like he was about to ask something. "Excuse me, may I ask where's the toilet?" he uttered. Kane immediately replied, informing him of the direction.

After finishing his time off, Kane who felt lazy to dispose of his beer bottle thought he could throw it past the car to the dumpster. It was a foolish decision. Sound of shattering glass echoed through the parking lot, provoking the car alarm to join the chaos. The panicking young man just stood there in front of the car without knowing what to do. From behind, a glimpse of a distraught bodyguard can be seen, running while fixing his belt. "Hey! What the fuck are you doing?" He screamed. "Calm down, I didn't mean it." Kane replied, "You guys are rich. Fixing a small bump like this won't be a big deal, right, Mister…?" Losing his temper, the bodyguard finally snapped. He pulled Kane's collar and pushed him to the wall where they suddenly knocked a drink crate. "Mr. Sean Cadby, and let me tell you this jackass, this job is everything to me. If I get fired, you'll be dead meat."

. . .

The sound of glass hitting a hard surface and the beeping noise from the damaged car disturbed the female barista who is currently working on her customer's drink. In a hurry, she sealed the coffee cup and handed it to Hades. Opening his lips to say something, before he could deliver his speech, Vionna cut his words. "Thank you for ordering, Sir." She immediately rushed off through the back door. Pretending to clear his throat, Hades thought he almost had a chance to approach her. He backed away and waited for the woman while drinking his cup of coffee.

"What happened? Why is it so noisy?" She questioned after catching Kane and Sean in a hassle. "Is he your co-worker, Miss?" Sean asked. "Yes, what did he do now?" Vionna's tone of voice indicates this was not the first time her friend got into trouble. Kane glanced at her in disbelief. "Please tell Mr. Kane here that he needs to pay compensation for my boss' car," the bodyguard stated. "Let me speak with this man first." And with that, Sean loosened his grip so Vionna could talk with Kane. "Are you kidding me? Even if we combined three months of our wage, it would still not be enough to pay for that! Not to mention, we still need to buy food and everyday needs!" She scolded Kane. "Well I'm sorry! Maybe you can negotiate with the car owner?" He pleaded. "Why should it be me who fixes your problem?" The male employee could only avert his eyes in guilt as a response.

"Can you call your boss? I want to speak with him." Vionna requested. Sean quickly pulled a cell phone out of his pocket when suddenly, they heard footsteps from the parking lot entrance. Sean bowed his head. A familiar voice rings the girl's mind. "It's me, I'm his boss," he said. She took a step back and turned her head towards the sound source. "Hades?"