I woke up to my phone blowing up with text messages and phone calls from none other than my best friend, Mei. The relentless vibration on my nightstand was enough to drag me out of my half-conscious state. Blinking against the bright light streaming in through the window, I sat up and answered the call, putting it on speaker.

"Good morning, Mei, wha—" I said, before being interrupted by Mei's shrill voice, practically vibrating with energy.
"WHERE ARE YOU? IT'S 10:45!"
I rubbed my eyes and tried to process what was happening, still not fully awake. "Huh?"
"GIRL, ELLIOT IS GOING TO BE MAD YOU'RE 35 MINUTES LATE!"

"WHAT?!" I screamed, jumping out of bed in a panic. My head spun as I realized what they were talking about. I hung up on Mei without a second thought, dropped my phone on the bed, and rushed to the bathroom. My brain barely kept up as I splashed cold water on my face and brushed my teeth with frantic haste.

Grabbing my makeup bag, I tossed it in my bag and bolted out the door, nearly tripping over my own feet in the process. I fumbled with the car keys, my heart racing with the pressure of being late. I started the engine with a screech and, without missing a beat, pulled out of the driveway, trying to do my makeup at the same time. I could barely see through the mirror, but I managed to apply some mascara, swiping it over my lashes like a blind person with a paintbrush.

I cursed under my breath when I saw the clock on the dashboard—10:52. My brain told me that no amount of makeup was going to save me from the wrath of Elliot, the manager of the café where I worked.

When I finally arrived at the café, I saw Mei standing outside, frantically waving their arms at me. They motioned for me to hurry, and I did, sprinting across the parking lot in my boots. The door slammed open just as I arrived at the counter, and without skipping a beat, I greeted a customer who had been standing there waiting.

"Good morning, sir! How can I help you?" I said, trying to sound professional despite my breathlessness.

I could hear Mei's voice behind me. "There you are, girl. You're lucky Elliot's in a good mood today," she whispered under her breath as she passed me with a tray of coffees.

I nodded and smiled politely at the customer, but my mind kept racing. My thoughts were briefly interrupted when I looked up to see her. She stood there, close to the counter, ordering her coffee with a soft, melodic voice that sent a shiver down my spine.

Blonde hair that fell in perfect waves around her neck, tanned skin that looked like it belonged to someone who spent hours basking in the sun, and dark blue eyes that seemed to stare right through me. She was effortlessly stunning, and I couldn't help but think, Damn.

I snapped back to attention as I remembered I was at work. "Good morning, what would you like to order?" I managed to ask her, trying to sound as professional as I could, though my heart was beating a little too fast.

"Good morning! Can I get a black coffee and a croissant, please?" she responded with a bright smile that nearly made me forget I was at work.

"Sure, coming right up!" I said, entering the order into the till with slightly shaky hands. I tried to keep my cool, but the way she smiled at me had me blushing. It was ridiculous.

I smiled back at her, and she did the same. We stood there for a few moments, neither of us saying anything. The awkward silence felt like it stretched on forever.

"The price?" she asked after a beat, breaking the tension.
"O-oh! It'll be £8.99," I stammered, quickly recovering. She handed me the money with a slight chuckle and walked over to the seating area, leaving me standing there, feeling like an idiot.

I watched her take a seat, her presence still lingering in my thoughts as I quickly turned to Mei. I rushed over to them, whispering in their ear.

"Omg, did you see the girl who just walked in?" I whispered, trying to contain my excitement.

"Yeah, what about her?" Mei whispered back, clearly more interested in the task at hand.

"She's super hot! I want her so bad," I said, my voice still hushed but with a teasing undertone. I wasn't entirely joking—there was something magnetic about her, and I couldn't shake the feeling. Mei just smiled at me knowingly, saying nothing.

I walked away, slightly embarrassed. I thought they were mocking me, but it wasn't until later that I realized Mei had a different plan in mind. As I was busy greeting another customer, I caught Mei slipping something under the paper napkin they were handing out to the blonde woman. They wrote down my name and number on the tissue paper before handing it over.

The woman looked at Mei, a bit confused, but Mei just winked at her and turned back to the counter. I saw the woman pause, glance over at me for a moment, and then smile before walking out of the café.

The rest of my shift passed by quickly, and I managed to keep myself busy despite the swirling thoughts in my head. It wasn't until I was about to go on my lunch break that I heard my name being called.

"Mia Can you come here for a second?" It was Elliot, the manager.
I sighed inwardly. "Did you need something, Elliot?" I asked, bracing myself for whatever was coming.

"Yeah, can you skip your break? There are lots of people out there, and we need you at the front," he said with a grin, looking far too amused with himself. I stared at him, knowing I had no choice. I wasn't the type to argue, especially with my boss. "Y-yeah, sure, no problem," I said, plastering on a fake smile.

I trudged back to the front counter, where Mei was waiting. They looked at me, confused. "Why did you come back? Your break is 30 minutes," they asked, clearly frustrated.

"The manager told me to come back because there are a lot of people," I said, keeping my tone neutral as I greeted a customer who had just walked in.

Mei glared at Elliot, who was standing behind the counter, chuckling to himself and scrolling through his phone. They rolled their eyes dramatically before turning back to the task at hand.

After my shift ended, I had to do a few closing tasks before leaving. I took out the trash, wiped down tables, washed the dishes, and cleaned the floors. By the time I was done, it was dark outside. I stepped out into the cold evening air with a heavy sigh.

I approached my car and slid into the driver's seat, hoping to get home and unwind. But when I tried to start the engine, it sputtered and refused to turn over. I cursed under my breath. I tried again, but the car remained stubbornly silent.

"Bloody hell. Do I really have to walk all the way to my apartment?" I muttered to myself, frustrated. Grabbing my makeup bag, I slammed the car door shut and started the long walk home.

It wasn't until I was only a few steps away from my apartment building that I felt a heavy weight on my head. My vision blurred, and before I knew it, I was stumbling. I could feel my body swaying, and then everything went black.

*****

END OF CHAPTER 1. HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

Q: What's your favorite song?

A: Love potion - Bring me to life - Black Friday - WILDFLOWER