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"So you're going to be late again?" Jamie shouted on the phone at Grace. "Listen, you're making me one of those hazelnut coffee whip-ups when we get to the café. Bye." She hung up and finished getting dressed.
Jamie was irritated with her sister. They'd gone through the same routine at least twice a week. She quickly threw on the rest of her clothes and a black top with light blue jeans.
Ten minutes later, after waiting on the couch, Jamie got the "I'm here" text. She ran out of her apartment and hopped into Grace's car.
Grace sped off.
"Are you trying to get us fired?" Jamie asked as she put on her seatbelt.
"Welp, that wouldn't be the first time," Grace said, trying to be funny.
"You know it's not funny. I said pick me up at 6:30 a.m., not 8 a.m. Last thing we need is Vince on our backs. 'GRACE, MOVE FASTER!' 'JAMIE, MORE COFFEE!' 'MORE COFFEE, JAMIE!' 'COFFEE! COFFEE!...'"
"OKAY! Shut up!" Grace shouted.
"It's true. That's what Vince does!"
When they arrived at the café, customers were already lined up out the door. It was always packed in the mornings with caffeine-craving workers. A colleague waved at them from behind the counter. It was Clarence.
They quickly grabbed their aprons from the kitchen and put them on. Clarence switched places with Grace at the register and handed Jamie a cup with an order written on it. They knew the routine.
"If you guys hadn't come in today, I would've had to stay overtime. That means I'd be here while my wife and newborn are at home," Clarence said. "Now, I'm not saying that's such a bad thing. That child screams all night. Point is, Vince isn't happy. He's going to fire you two." He added two pumps of strawberry syrup to a cup as he spoke.
"I know. I know. You're right," Jamie said, taking a deep breath.
She had no choice but to rely on Grace for rides. She had just turned 21 and didn't have a car. The café was her only source of income. Still, being treated badly by her boss made her want to quit working at the café and pursue her dreams of becoming an author.
"Whipped cream on top and bottom. Blended caramel Frappuccino. Two pumps of strawberry syrup," Clarence read off the order.
Sometimes he read them aloud. He truly loved his job and so did Jamie, sometimes. Her only other dream job was to work at Mr. Zain's publishing company. It was known throughout the town for having the best published stories that were distributed all around the world. She wanted to present her book, get featured on the company's magazine cover, and work there, of course.
"Alright," Jamie said under her breath. She had another order. It was simple; a hot caramel coffee with two pumps of peppermint syrup.She ran over to the coffee pot that had hot coffee brewing in it. She was able to hymn a song in her head. Multitasking was the key and she pretty much mastered it the past few months of working at the café.
"Yes, yes. You want three pumps of chocolate and light ice?" Grace repeated to a customer.
"So you guys were late again," Vince said, finally returning from the back from wherever he was.
Grace turned to Jamie, eyes wide signaling trouble.
"We're sorry again, Vince. We're really going to try harder next time," Jamie said and looked at Grace with the 'we are right' look.
"You know, if you two don't want to be here, find another job," Vince muttered, then moved to the second register to help with the line.
Jamie raised her hand, about to say something, but Grace grabbed her arm leaving the register unattended.
"Listen," she said. "We need this job, okay," Grace told Jamie.
Clarence helpfully turned on the blender to muffle their conversation so that Vince wouldn't hear.
"I know, but you don't seem to care about it as much as I do," Jamie said.
"I'll stop making us late. I promise."
Then Vince turned around and interrupted, "You two need to find another job! You're always late, and I'd rather have employees who actually want to be here."
"We do want this job, Vince," Jamie replied.
Vince ignored them and, just as he was walking back to the register, he froze.
"Hey!" he yelled.
"Shut your mouth or I'll shoot!" the robber shouted, pointing a gun at him.
Clarence dropped what he was holding. Jamie, Grace, and Vince raised their hands. Customers fled from the café terrified.
The robber's curly blonde hair stuck out of the top of his mask. He wore yellow pants and a green shirt.
"How do you rob someone looking like that? Is he trying to be the center of attention?" Grace whispered.
"He looks like a pineapple," Jamie replied.
The guy finally emptied the register and bolted out the door. Vince ran to the kitchen to call the police.
"WHO ROBS A CAFÉ?!" Grace shouted.
The café was empty. Customers likely weren't coming back anytime soon.
"That guy looked like a pineapple," Clarence said.
"That's what I said!"
A few moments later, Vince walked outside, phone pressed to his ear, talking to the police.
Just then, a man in a suit walked in, completely unaware the café had just been robbed.
"I got this order," Clarence said.
"You sure?" Jamie asked.
"I'll take over. Go cool off," he said. "Like I said, overtime sounds nice."
Jamie had nearly forgotten she and Grace were in a heated conversation with their boss. She sat at a table and pulled out her phone to write, hoping it would help with the stress.
"Two pumps of hazelnut," she heard Clarence say.
It reminded her of the hazelnut whip-up Grace was supposed to make her that morning. Grace's special concoction: iced coffee with hazelnut syrup, caramel drizzle, whipped cream on top and bottom, and two pumps of peppermint syrup.
"I'll be right back," Grace said, leaving the café to look for the robber.
"Hey, what happened? Aren't you guys usually full?" the suited customer asked Clarence.
Jamie paused her writing to listen.
"Well, brother, that's a long story," Clarence said, turning on the blender.
Jamie looked up and caught the man in the suit staring at her. He thought she was pretty.
She quickly looked back down at her phone to write some more, but she couldn't, her mind was focused on not losing her job.
"You guys are fired," Vince suddenly announced as he came back in.
"You guys...meaning my sister and I?"
Grace walked in. "I tried looking for him, but..."
"You guys are fired!" Vince cut her off.
"WHAT?" Grace said.
"You and Jamie. If you hadn't left the register unattended, this never would've happened!"
The customer and Clarence watched the whole scene unfold.
Jamie and Grace went to the kitchen to take off their aprons. Vince didn't even look at them as he sorted through what little money was left in the register.
"It was coming, sister," Grace said, tucking her arm into Jamie's. "I know we're always late, but even when we're on time, you treat us like trash! You should be more mindful of how you treat people!" she told Vince.
"Get out of my café!" Vince shouted as Jamie and Grace were making their way toward the door.
That was it for Jamie. She couldn't take it anymore. She quickly turned around, ready to yell back, but instead ran right into the suited customer, bringing Grace with her; whose arm was knit with hers. The funny thing was, Clarence had just made the man five Frappuccinos, which were now spilled all over Jamie and Grace.
Jamie wiped her eyes. Grace did too. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"This is so embarrassing," Jamie said, nearly crying. Then they both slipped and fell to the ground, laughing even harder.
"I am so sorry!" the man said.
"We're sorry we ran into you," Jamie said. "We can clean that up for you!" She spit out a mouthful of Frappuccino.
They both got up and tried walking back to the kitchen to get some rags but slipped and fell again.
The man chuckled. "Here, let me help you guys."
He reached out his hand helping Jamie out of the puddle of slippery Frappuccinos. Clarence came over and helped Grace off the floor all while trying not to slip.
Jamie wiped the whipped cream from her eyes and noticed the man's nice suit was now covered in coffee and whip cream.
"Idiots," Vince muttered, offering no help.
Just then, the police arrived. Two officers entered the café.
"Are those the suspects?" one asked, pointing at the sisters.
Vince paused, as if he was going to blame them, but didn't.
"Nope. I just fired them. The suspect is gone," Vince replied.
The officers nodded and began inspecting the registers.
"I'm sorry. I should've known," the suited customer said, referring to the robbery.
"It's alright," Jamie said. "My sister and I are having a pretty clumsy day. We can make you another one, or another five, I mean," she pulled a glop of whipped cream out of her hair.
"Well, you can't. You just got fired," he joked.
"Very funny," she laughed, slightly embarrassed.
"I got it. I'll clean up and remake the drinks," Clarence said, almost pressing the matter. "Just go home, guys. Remember overtime... crying baby..."
"Okay, Clarence. Thanks," Jamie giggled.
"Actually, you two can't leave yet. We have to make a report," Vince said to Jamie and Grace.
The man smiled at Jamie, and then went to sit at a table, waiting for Clarence to remake his five Frappuccinos.
Jamie, Grace, Clarence, and Vince finished giving their statements to the cops. The officers asked for the security footage to help track down the robber.
Twenty minutes later, the suited man got his Frappuccinos and left. He wished he had gotten Jamie's name. For now, he'd just call her "the pretty woman from the café that got robbed."
Now that Jamie and Grace were out of a job, they needed something fast. Jamie knew it was finally time to finish her novel and submit it to Mr. Zain's publishing company.
46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEMto3AwFU
Author Note: Hey everyone! Zariel here. I hoped you loved Chapter 1 of Mr. Zain's Publishing Company. Stay tuned for a new chapter every week!
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