The day was closing in slowly and Joan could barely wait for the day to be over so that she could close the shop and head home for some hot chocolate. She was pretty tired from the general cleaning she did at home. It tired her a lot, and a good rest where she doesn’t have to do anything is what she wants at the moment.
“Already wishing the day went fast?”
“You read minds too?” she asked jokingly.
Camila faked a hurt look. “Oh, come on, we’ve been best friends for years now and you’re telling me that you’re just finding out that about my most important superpowers?” she shook her head then brought her a cup of hot choco and herself a cup of very creamy coffee with lots of sugar, something she calls ‘coffee with a lot of Camila’.
She has so much energy and she believes it’s because of the amount of sugary food she consumes, so she came up with her kind of coffee, which is premium to her and Joan when she's been visited by her monthly visitor.
“I’m sorry, oh great mind reader, Camila with lots of sugar” Joan curtsied while waiting to be released.
“You are forgiven child, we pardon offenders,” she pats Joan’s head.
“You’re crazy,” she shook her head then inhaled her hot choco before placing the tip of the cup between her lips and sipping the hot-warm content slowly, savoring the intense and delicious taste it gave her mouth and the warmth it gave her entire body.
“We need a break,” Camila said after a while.
“If you’ll make me hot chocolate like this, I don’t mind,” Joan continued sipping her drink.
“I’m no slave to you woman,” Camila playfully said to her. “I shall serve no one but myself because I am not meant to serve you”
“Even if I am your queen?”
“Yes, Your Majesty” she slightly bowed her head “I’m sorry if I disobeyed your orders but I am a woman for myself”
Joan shook her head and then put down her almost empty cup.
“You watch too many royal movies and read so many of those books”
Camila shrugged “I need it in my life or I won’t survive” she sighed then looked at the last customer standing up to leave after putting her bills on the table.
When the customer left Camila began wriggling her body and dancing around the café as she went to clean the table and cash the money.
“I know what that dance is” Joan teased.
Camila stopped in front of the counter and danced around Joan then went inside to wash the needed cups and plates, Joan shook her head and began doing some of the paperwork that the manager was supposed to do.
“It’s movie night for me” Camila announced like she was giving a very important announcement to her audience.
“I know” Joan cheered.
“You’re joining me?”
“Got a lot of work to do here” Joan pointed at the papers in front of her, Camila stood behind her and shook her head as she began packing up the papers. Joan protested but she raised her hand to stop her.
“You’re not doing this”
“I have to,”
“You don’t have to, it’s the work of the accountant and the manager doesn’t want to employ one, so he should do it himself,” she packed the rest and placed them behind her to avoid Joan from getting it.
“I understand but I want to do it, it might not be exactly what I did when dad still had his company but it’s similar to having office work, you know doing all those paperwork”
“That isn’t finance related”
“Yes, but still. I like how occupied it keeps me” she said then took the paper from Camila “You go and enjoy your movie night, next week will be packed with exams and all that, so go enjoy yourself,” she smiled at her and then took her seat.
Camila sighed and then hugged Joan from the back. “Everything will fall into place, I believe,” she tells her.
Joan sighed then nodded her head in agreement.
“I believe too, I believe too,” she closed her eyes and let out another sigh. “Thank you” she breathes out.
“You’re very much welcome,” she released her hold around her and then went to take her bag “Make sure you leave early, if it’s late text me, I’ll bring my TV and we can have a sleepover here” she winked and flickered the tip of Joan’s ear.
“Ow! Go already woman” she said then went back to what she was doing.
It was not up to five minutes that Camila left when she heard the door open again, she smacked her head for not locking the door and stood up to see who that was. It was Henry standing by the door, he looked like he was on something as he stared intently at her.
His stare was strange and she didn’t feel comfortable with it so, she stepped back by a step.
“Why… what are you doing here?”
He took one step closer to her and she took one back, he took one forward and she took one back then she held her hand up to stop him.
“Don’t move any closer” she said in a firm tone.
“I’m sorry, let’s start over and leave behind whatever we had. I love you and things could be better between us” he said with a smile and she shook her head.
“No, you messed up and I can’t stand you already” she stated and saw anger flash across his face.
She had no time to move because Henry quickly walked up to her and grabbed her arms in a very tight grip, she tried to release herself from his grip but it got tighter so she winced in pain.
“Stop, you’re hurting me”
“Not as much as you are, come back to me baby and we can forget about the past, we have a future together, me and you… I love you so much and I want us to be together” he said bringing her closer to himself.
Joan already started feeling scared but she didn’t want to panic, so she did the first thing that came to her mind but he stopped her halfway from hitting him down there, he roughly pushed her against the counter and then came closer to hold her hand but more gently.
“I’m being gentle, will you come back to me?” he asked calmly but she pushed him from herself and screamed.
“Get away from me or I call the cops” she threatened then tried to run past him to get her phone but he caught her and pushed her against the floor which yielded a cry of pain from her.
He raised his hand and was about to hit her when another stronger hand held him and pulled him away from her, he lost balance and fell back on his butt.
The man immediately went over to Joan to help her up and made her sit down on one of the chairs.
“Santiago,” she said when she saw his face and he smiled at her before turning to face the enraged-looking Henry.
“Get away from here and from her,” Santiago said to him but Henry charged for him and Santiago held him by one arm and by the neck, he placed his legs behind Henry and pushed him so that he fell backward on the floor.
Henry cried in pain and tried to take a swing at Santiago but he was quick to dodge and immediately threw punches on Henry's face and torso. Joan just sat there in awe at what she was viewing, she didn’t know if she should feel over the moon or stop Santiago from killing Henry.
Santiago stood up, grabbed Henry by the hair and jacket then pushed him against the wall as he warned him threateningly “Come near her again and I’ll be doing more than disfiguring your stupid face”
He pushed Henry out of the store by a kick to his butt then made sure that Henry had staggered away before closing the door and turning to meet the still petrified-looking Joan.
“No man has ever done that for me,” she said when he came to kneel before her.
“No one?”
“Only my best friend, she’s a girl”
“Don’t leave her, she loves you” he grinned at her and she couldn’t help but imitate him.
“Thank you,” she said genuinely.
“Are you hurt?” she shook her head “Did he do more than push you before I came?” he asked and she shook her head.
“You came right on time,” she told him.
“I’m glad” he stood up, helped her up, and helped her to lock the shop.