Chapter 45: I’m doing six hours. All seven days."

The espresso machine whirred to a stop. Himanshu slid the empty cup across the counter.

​"So... what did they tell you?"

​Gaurav looked at the people laughing and chatting at the front tables. "A cafe is like a house," he said. "And the staff is the family."

​He wiped down the espresso machine with a towel.

​"You have to listen to everyone to keep a house running. Guess you got your answer."

​Himanshu nodded.

​"Yeah."

​Meera walked up with a new slip of orders. She grabbed the prepared coffees, loaded them onto a tray, and headed straight back to the tables.

​Gaurav turned back to the counter.

​"Alright. What did I just put in that coffee, and how much?"

​Himanshu froze.

​He had been watching the coffee, but all the overthinking and Gaurav’s advice had completely derailed his focus. His mind went blank.

​"Actually, um... I got a little distracted talking." He looked down at the counter.

​Gaurav let out a short laugh.

​"It’s fine. I’ll do it again. Watch me this time."

​Himanshu nodded. Gaurav fired up the machine and made the exact same coffee. This time, Himanshu tracked every single movement of his hands.

​Gaurav slid the fresh cup forward.

​"Alright, hit me."

​Himanshu took a breath.

​"Okay, first you did... one shot of espresso, 30 ml."

​"Hmm."

​"Then 200 ml of cold milk. After that... one to two spoons of sugar. Four to six ice cubes. And finally, you ran it in the blender for twenty to thirty seconds."

​Gaurav snapped his fingers.

​"Perfect. Let’s get you making one."

​"Right."

​Himanshu walked to the other side of the counter. He grabbed the metal handle. The second he flicked it on, a burst of hot steam hissed against his knuckles. He flinched back. Taking a breath, he stepped up again and focused on the machine.

​He finished the first cup. Not perfect, but decent for a first try. Too much milk.

​He made another. Then a third. Four. Five.

​He got better with every cup. His hands moved faster. Gaurav pointed out the mistakes each time, tweaking the ingredients right there until the coffee came out just right.

​Gaurav picked up the sixth cup and took a sip.

​"You learn fast."

​He set the cup down.

​"You’ll have this down perfectly in a few days."

​Himanshu looked up.

​"Really?"

​"Yeah. You’re doing great."

​Himanshu wiped his hands on a rag.

​Guess talent only shows when someone actually bothers to look. He thought it would take him a month to settle in here. But all that time cooking at home was actually paying off today.

​Four or five hours later, the crowd finally thinned out.

​It was dark outside. The clock hit 10:30. Closing time.

​Meera and the Demon hauled dirty cups from the tables and dumped them into the back sink.

​Meera stood by the washbasin, showing her how to scrub them. The Demon had definitely cleaned a few plates herself.

​Standing out by the counter, Himanshu listened to the noises coming from the kitchen. Clink. Clack. Smash.

​He stayed far away from that door. If he opened it, he’d have to look right into those killer eyes. She had probably shattered half the plates by now.

​The Demon and Meera finally walked out of the kitchen.

​Himanshu and Gaurav met them at the counter.

​"So, how was day one?" Gaurav asked.

​Meera cracked her neck. "It was alright. Give it some time, she’ll get the hang of it."

​Gaurav patted Himanshu’s shoulder. "Himanshu is basically a pro already."

​Meera pulled out four empty cups.

​"Let’s talk pay."

​She flicked the coffee machine on. "Starting rate is 14 dollars an hour. You’re students, so you get two or three days off a week. Unless you want to work all seven. Your call."

​She poured the coffee and slid the cups across the counter.

​"So, what shifts do you guys want?"

​Himanshu picked up his cup. The heat seeped into his palms, washing away some of the exhaustion.

​"I’ll do 6:00 to 10:00 PM. Veloria will take the same shift."

​Gaurav grabbed his coffee.

​"Works for me. Evenings are always packed."

​Himanshu took a sip. "Okay. We’ll start tomorrow."

​"Wait."

​The sharp voice cut through the air.

​"I’m doing six hours. All seven days."

​Himanshu choked on his coffee.

​He coughed hard, hitting his chest, and stared at the Demon.

​She was still looking at Meera. Her red eyes were dead calm.

​Is she trying to turn this place into a literal hell? She almost punched someone four times in two minutes, and she wants a six-hour shift?

​Himanshu cleared his throat.

​"Uh, what she means is, starting from 6:00..."

​He rubbed his forehead and looked at her.

​"Right, Veloria?"

​She didn’t even look at him. She kept her eyes on Meera and Gaurav.

​"No. I said six hours."

​She finally turned to look at Himanshu.

​"I have a debt to pay. That’s why."

​Is she talking about the clothes and shoes I bought? Himanshu stared at her.

​He let his shoulders drop and let out a long breath.

​She’s going to get me fired.

****

​The streets outside were empty. The city usually had some traffic around 10:30 at night, but this alley was dead quiet.

​The Demon walked four steps ahead of him.

​Same heavy steps. Same attitude.

​She already knew the way home.

​Himanshu couldn’t hold it in anymore. He had just been waiting to get her outside.

​"Are you going to tell me why you asked for six hours?"

​She didn’t stop walking. She didn’t even turn her head.

​"I told you inside. Are you deaf?"

​Himanshu stopped walking. He glared at the back of her head.

​Arrogant jerk.

​"What is your problem?" he yelled. "Why can’t you just give me a straight answer? I talk to you normally, don’t I?"

​The Demon stopped.

​The faint city noise in the background vanished.

​She turned around. Her face was completely blank. The second her eyes locked onto his, The cold hit his skin like ice.his eyes went wide.

​Why do I keep pushing her?

I’m such an idiot.

​He tensed up and took a breath.

​Forget it. I already took the job.