Chapter 1: Everyday...
Excuse me sir, can I take your order." I said to the man who stood across me behind the counter, well calling him a man would be an understatement since he looked more like a deadbeat brimming with testosterone.
He had a Large and sturdy physique, yet his body reeked of sweat and protein powder that told me he must've come straight out of a gym after completing a heavy workout, as for how I knew what protein powder smelt like, let's just say that this wasn't the first time I encountered someone like this.
" I'd like an iced latte with a side of breast milk, I mean break milk, no, I mean regular breast milk." My eyelids twitched continuously in irritation watching him make a fool of himself yet that wasn't what annoyed me the most, it wasn't even the fact that the grown man kept ogling my chests but the fact that he wasn't the only one.
Behind him was a line of men who's unruly gazes kept roaming about my chest as well. I unconsciously stared at my chests yet I still couldn't understand what these men saw in them. In my eyes they were like two nuisances.
' These darn things are always getting in the way, do they even know how hard it is to walk with them always making me lose balance.'
' All these idiots care about is how big they are!'
' The nerve of them!'
This wasn't the first, 3rd, or fifth time this was happening today, and it wasn't even past 12 in the afternoon.
This sort of situation would happen almost everyday, anytime I came to work it was the same issue. On several occasions, I even tried complaining to the owner of the coffee shop about it, asking to be assigned a different tasks, I would've rather preferred to work in the back, stock up ingredients or something. To think that boss of mine actually chided me about it, telling me that I was trying to ruin his business.
That grimy old man was no different from anyone of them. Since then I've been forced to act as an attraction for the store.
' If not because my rent is due this month, I wouldn't have bothered to keep working here. At least the janitor job was more peaceful than this.' I sighed in my mind.
It was really pitiful to be honest, a 28 year old graduate, struggling to get a job. All my years in college, wasted because I decided to quit school and pursue some stupid obsession.
' Now look where that got me.' I sighed again, this time more helpless.
" Sir, if you could please hurry and make your order. As you can see, There's a line behind you..." I forced on my signature complimentary smile while gesturing towards the other buffoons behind him.
" Hey buddy, hurry it up."
" We don't have all day!"
" Just make your order and move, stop hogging."
' Gosh this is going to be another migraine of a day.' I was happy the others were at least in support but I could also read in-between the lines of what they meant which only made me even more exhausted and annoyed.
The man, realizing that he was going to cause a scene, finally made his order. I was so relieved when I poured him his coffee before watching him step out of the coffee.
' One down....a lot more to go.' My expression deflated when my gaze landed on the others, recalling I still had to deal with them.
Fortunately, not much of them were complete buffoons like the gym addict. Soon the line began to lessen as I attended to the afternoon rush customers. When the time was approaching 5, I felt relieved, glancing at the remaining customers that weren't much, I felt secretly happy.
To earn extra income, I and the boss concluded that I wouldn't be taking lunch breaks and to be honest, I had no choice but to agree, the pay was significantly better, although it did nothing for my mental health, I decided that I couldn't get everything in life, something's had to come at the sacrifice of others. And in my case, it was my mind that was on the brink of crumbling.
" I'll have a cup of coffee, dark with some cream and a bit of milk."
" Of course sir I'll get that for you in just a..." I replied to the man who's order I was taking yet my voice were logged in my throat when I felt his left hand grope my chest when he spoke about adding milk to his coffee.
" Excuse me sir... but do you mind." I felt my blood boil from the obvious harassment yet I held myself back, forcing myself to keep my signature smile.
' Just stay calm...'
' Your almost done for the day...'
' He's just another temptation, don't let yourself fail because of this.'
' Remember to take a deep breath, it'll all be over soon...'
" Anything wrong dear, I'm just making sure there's still some milk left to spare. I hate it when my coffee isn't sweet, you see." To my irritation, the customer didn't seem shameful towards his actions, instead he looked proud of himself?
I glanced at the remaining two customers behind him, the woman at the back, simply rolled her eyes, disgusted at not the man but me? acting like it had nothing to do with her, while the man in front of her in line, averted his gaze yet it still didn't stop me from noticing that he was secretly taking glances. Even my colleague didn't bother to do anything.
With every fiber of my being, I grabbed his wrist and pulled off his disgusting hand from my body while still maintaining my smile. I refused to let this random fool push me past my breaking point.
" Hey, calm down. It was only some harmless fun." The man snickered.
" Please, Sir. I'd appreciate it if you refrained from doing such ever again." I replied with a smile yet right now my smile looked more like a vase with countless cracks spread across it's surface, waiting to break.