#twundercover

“Hi, what can I get you today?” the bubbly barista asked from behind the till.

“Morning,” I smiled, looking over the menu but not knowing why when I knew what I was ordering. “Venti pumpkin spice latte to take please?”

“Sure, and the name for the order?” She picked the largest cup up and wrote the order down, ready to write my name down.

“Grace, cheers,” I grinned.

The barista placed the coffee cup next to her and pressed a few buttons on her screen. “That comes to £3.55, please.”

I placed my card into the machine, typing in my PIN when it asked and then removing it a few seconds later. I said thanks to the barista before heading over to wait for my coffee.

When IIIIIII, talk to yoouuuuuu, on the phooooooone, and liiisten clooose.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at the screen. “Hey, mate,” I answered, knowing who was calling me.

“You in town yet?” Jasmine asked. I could hear the quietness of Boots in the background.

“Starbucks getting coffee, you?”

“Boots getting lunch but I’m coming to find you.” I heard wind rush past the microphone. “I want to hear all the goss from your holiday.”

“There was no goss. Holiday with the family means nothing happens ever.”

“Lies!” she accused.

I looked to the entrance to Starbucks and saw her coat walk past. “Want to come into Starbucks or just walk past?” I laughed.

Her coat came back to entrance and she pushed the door open. “We have a new guy starting today,” she announced.

“Order for Grace,” the girl actually making the coffees said.

“Thank you,” I said as I lifted my coffee in gratitude. I turned to Jasmine. “New guy? English or foreign?”

“English, kind of geeky looking, and I have a feeling you especially will like him.” She smirked in my direction.

“Stop trying to set me up with every person you can think of.” I had to laugh at her. Every guy that has worked in that place in the last six to nine months, she has tried to set things up between us. I’m pretty sure that’s why they’ve all left. One a month ... or about one a month. Definitely in the last year, there’s been eight – nine including this one.

“Well, I want you to break your spell,” Jasmine stated, quietening down as we were approaching the shop more.

I took another sip of my coffee as we stepped into the shop, feeling the warmth of the heater as we stepped onto the front mat.

“Morning girls,” our boss grinned, standing in his usual spot in front of the scarves, waiting for everyone to arrive at work.

“Morning, Tony,” we both chorused, flashing him a grin.

We headed to the back of the store where we go down to the basement to put our bags and coats. I dropped my bag to the floor, hung my headphones up on a hanger and hung my coat up over them. I headed into the small kitchenette facility we have to wash up any cutlery or mugs we use in the day on our breaks. I checked myself over in the mirror like I do every morning.

“Making an effort for a certain someone?” Jasmine’s voice came from the hallway, out of view.

“Yes, like I do every morning I work,” I laughed back. “How long have you figured that I’ve taken a massive fancy to you?” I came around the corner to see her fake amused face.

The door above us creaked open and we could hear our general manager talking to obviously the new guy. “Morning, you two,” she smiled as she came down. “I’d like to introduce Kevin to you both.”

A guy aged about the same age as us followed her down the stairs. “Hey,” he smiled and held his hand up in a greeting familiar to a native American – kind of like the Indians in Peter Pan. How!

“Hey,” both Jasmine and I grinned back, raising our hands in a similar way.

“Jasmine, can you show him around and then show him what you do in the morning?” Carrie asked, turning on her heel and leaving before any more could be said.

“Yeah, sure,” Jasmine mumbled after the door closed. Jasmine was usually asked to do this stuff; she was the most experienced, being there three years already.

“I’ll save you the easy one,” I whispered to Jasmine.

“Thanks,” she whispered to me. “Right,” Jasmine turned to Kevin, “if you just leave your stuff down here with ours, I’ll get you a hoody to wear.”

I was left alone with him. I’m not good with new people starting. I don’t know their sense of humour so I don’t know how to treat them. “I’m Grace,” I smiled. He placed his rucksack on the floor next to my bag. “You’re probably going to get a shock working with us girls.” What?

“I used to dance so it can’t be that different, can it?” he asked. I pulled a confused face. “Yeah, I know,” he laughed a little. “I’m just screaming gay!”

“No, you’re not,” I tried to convince. “Unless .... are you?”

“No!” he reassured me a little too strongly.

Silence. Well, until Jas came back with a hoody he could wear until he received a proper uniform.

~

The morning went quite quickly – me, Jasmine and Kevin being sent to break first and leaving Mike to go on second. Deliveries of t-shirts kept me and Carrie busy, chatting at the back of the shop about our upcoming holidays and Carrie’s new tattoo she was getting down her entire left leg. Before we knew it, Carrie was sending us on to lunch and as usual, Jasmine and I were heading down the street to have our lunch from our usual cafe. We returned with a couple of minutes to spare meaning for Jasmine to hassle me again about my love life. This was when I decided I didn’t need to stay downstairs and headed back on to the shop floor to find Kevin already there.

“Go anywhere nice for lunch?” I asked, folding something from the main section in the shop.

“I found a vegetarian place on the market and thought I’d give it a go,” he replied. He started to check over the section he and Jasmine were on that morning.

“So, you’re a veggie like Jasmine then?”

He nodded. “You?”

I shook my head. “Can’t give up chicken.” Silence ensued for a little while.

“How long have you worked here?” He seemed to be able to make conversation easily.

“Nearly a year now.” I pulled a hoody off the shelf to give myself something to do. “Is this your first full time job or ...?”

“Nope,” he popped. “I first worked as a waiter, a terrible one, and then I worked in a bit of acting but didn’t get anywhere so thought ‘why not try retail?’”

“I would’ve stuck with acting,” I commented. I heard the voice in my head repeat what I said. “That came across rude. I’m sorry.”

Kevin chuckled. “No, it didn’t, but I am pretty useless with this folding. Can you give me some tips?”

I showed him with the hoody I had in my hands. Fold one arm over, fold the other, flip the hood over and then in half. Kevin tried it with the same hoody, folding it terribly. I couldn’t help but giggle and it didn’t help that he was making himself more of a fool by messing around. If he was going to continue this for the entire week, he was surely going to be fired by the end of it. It was only the two of us on the shop floor and Tony was out so no one was watching the security cameras. I managed to show him properly before either Carrie or Tony came back onto the shop floor. Jasmine was busy sorting out the embroidery machine downstairs; working on a big order we received a couple of weeks ago.

“Grace, do you want to show Kevin how to do postal orders?” Carried shouted from the back of the store. She came to the front of the store while Kevin and I went to the back.

“I walked him through the procedure of reading the order form, processing the payment, collecting the goods, packing them and working out the postage. Like the hoody folding, after showing him, I let him try. After every action he had carried out, he turned to me, making sure it was correct. Of course, I nodded as he had a pretty good memory for this. To finish, I gave him the second from last order which was just a college hoody and matching scarf and cufflinks. I, however, had the last order, which was an MA gown with PhD hood, academic bands and white cotton bow tie. The gown was to be folded properly and boxed for Royal Mail Special Delivery.

“Just heading upstairs for a gown and shit,” I announced to both Kevin and Carrie. Carrie didn’t even acknowledge me but Kevin nodded; his straightened hair that a typical 14/15 year old boy would’ve had flicked a little.

I quickly grabbed the correct gown and hood, knowing the bands and bow tie were downstairs. I shoved a flat box under my harm and rushed downstairs.

“Oooh, what’s that?” Kevin asked, touching the red silk of the PhD hood.

“PhD hood,” I answered, looking at him like he was a weirdo. He was still stroking the hood though. He looked to me, still stroking the hood, and I had a tight knot develop in my abdomen. I pulled even more so when he accidentally brushed my hand with his fingertips. “Anyway,” I breathed, moving to make the box up.

*

“Grace, Jasmine, Kevin,” Carried said to the three of us as she stepped behind the front till. “You can all go on break.”

Jasmine and I ran downstairs almost cheering. “Finally over the longest part of the day,” I silently cheered. “Coffee?”

“Definitely coffee,” she agreed. “And food.”

“You coming Kevin?” I offered.

Jasmine subtly hit me from behind.

“Nah, I’m good, cheers though,” he kindly smiled.

Jasmine grabbed me and pulled me up the stairs. “Why would you invite the newbie?” she asked, hushed tones applied.

“I was being friendly,” I chuckled, pushing Jasmine’s clenched fist from my shirt. “Are we not allowed to be friendly to newbies now?”

Jasmine pushed the door open to Caffe Nero. I smiled at the guy behind the counter. “Double caramel latte girl,” he smirked.

“Gets my coffee order right guy,” I smirked back, not even listening for Jasmine’s reply. “How are ya, mate?”

“I’m good,” he blushed a little. He turned to the espresso machine. “So, when do I get to know your actual name?” Jasmine nudged me. “I only know you as your order.”

“Grace,” it was my turn to blush. “Do I get to know yours?”

“Will,” he smirked as he turned to face me.

“Will and Grace,” Jasmine giggled.

Let’s just say, we quickly left.

*

“Home time,” Tony chimed as he came down the stairs.

“Cheers,” Jasmine and I thanked, heading to the basement door. “I have gotta ditch ya, Grace,” Jasmine regrettably said.

“Why now?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Getting a lift home.”

“Well, screw you,” I joked.

Kevin came down the stairs, stopping on the bottom step. “See you tomorrow, Kev,” Jasmine smiled. I could tell she was forcing herself to say bye to him by the way she smiled. She squints her eyes a bit and her mouth goes all tense. Kevin was oblivious to it and I think that was best.

“Are you in tomorrow?” Kevin asked me as I was putting my coat on and Jasmine was going through the top door. I nodded in reply, shoving my hand in my bag for my iPod. “Wicked.”

“Where abouts do you live in Cambridge?” I asked, thinking nothing of the question.

“Why? Are you going to follow me home?” He smirked as he pulled his jacket on.

“Oh yeah, that’s how I’ve scared the rest of the guys off; following them home!”

Kevin chuckled and it sounded so similar to me. “I’m actually staying the other side of the shopping centre, about 20 minutes away.”

“The Grafton?”

“I think so, yeah. You heading that way?”

“Uh-huh.” I placed my bag on my shoulder and started to head up the stairs. “I’ve got a mate who lives over there so I’m crashing at his for the night.” I pushed the door open at the top and we both walked through the shop, waving bye to Tony and Carrie.

“Crashing means something different then?” Kevin asked, giving me a side glance as we walked out of the shop door.

“Well, that would be the case if he wasn’t into guys,” I chuckled.

Kevin’s a pretty down-to-earth guy. He talked about one of his friends getting a little too in over his head with the career he was in and that Kevin was glad he had other friends to ground him. He opened up a little and I didn’t quite understand why. He only just met me nine hours ago and it made me feel like I needed to tell him some stuff. He’d only be here for a month or so, I could tell, so what harm could it cause?

“This is my stop,” I said as we came to my friend’s block of flats. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you at the shop,” Kevin said.