Chapter 22

Iris felt a pang of guilt. She wasn't the type who gets angry with her staff for no reason. She decided to go out and apologize to everyone including Mr. Davies. 

As she stepped out the first customer walked in. Mrs. Lewis. Iris exhaled sharply and slapped her palm against her forehead. 

Mr. Davies looked at Iris from the corner of his eyes and tilted his head in Mrs. Lewis's direction, indicating Iris to take her order. 

Iris crumpled her face and murmured, "Holy Cow!" 

She walked to the counter to take her mini notebook and pen. 

"Not fair. She is going to ruin the last day of the year for me," Iris told Mr. Davies. 

"It's okay! Yours seem already ruined." Mr. Davies smirked. 

"How rude, Mr. Davies. I hate you." Iris scowled. 

Mr. Davies laughed. Albert was standing near the glass display. Iris looked at him and he shrugged and smirked. Iris shook her head and walked towards table number 5 where Mrs. Lewis was sitting. 

"Good morning Mrs. Lewis," Iris said. This time without a smile. 

"Good morning Iris. I'd like to have a latte and a turkey sandwich, please." Mrs. Lewis said without looking at Iris. Her eyes were glued to her cell phone. 

Iris wrote it down in her notebook even though it wasn't hard to remember. She then kept the book on the table beside Mrs. Lewis's hand and said sarcastically by pointing her pen on the words, "Please confirm it, one latte and one turkey sandwich. Right?" 

Mrs. Lewis looked at Iris irately and said, "Yes Iris. That's what I said." 

"Just confirming it Mrs. Lewis," Iris said and left before Mrs. Lewis could say anything further. 

"What a bad day to handle someone like her," Sandra whispered to Mrs. Davies and Iris overheard her. She looked at Sandra and flicked one eyebrow. Sandra shook her head and went into the pantry. Mr. Davies chuckled. 

Iris got Mrs. Lewis's order and placed it on her table. 

"Enjoy." She said without any expression and left. 

Later Iris kept the tray of scones in the glass display and Mr. Davies looked at her with concern. He knew something was bothering Iris. 

"Iris, are you okay sweetheart?" he asked. 

Iris looked at him and pulled her eyebrows together. "Of course," she replied. 

"You don't seem fine." 

"I'm just feeling under the weather." 

"You don't have to lie to me. Did you fight with Hugh?" 

She snorted. "What? No way. You'll have to stop assuming that he's my boyfriend." 

Mr. Davies shrugged his shoulders, "I never said he was your boyfriend." 

Iris rolled her eyes, "Then stop asking me about him." 

"Alright," he said and started working on his computer. 

Iris exhaled. She realized she was supposed to apologize to them and not be rude. 

"Okay, I'm really sorry, Mr. Davies. I didn't mean to so rude," Iris said. 

"That's okay Iris. I understand. Everyone has bad days." 

"I guess." She walked down to the dining area. "Albert?" 

Albert walked up to her. "Yes, Iris?" 

"I'm really sorry for being so rude for no reason." She placed her hand on his shoulder. 

"Oh, that's alright. You don't need to apologize." Albert smiled. 

"Sandra? I am really sorry. Forgive me. I didn't mean it," Iris said. 

Sandra smiled. "No problem. I hope everything falls into place." She replied. 

Iris pressed her lips together and nods. She was hoping for everything to fall into place too. But she had learned to live with affliction. This will pass too and one day she won't be missing Hugh anymore. 

Mrs. Lewis paid her bill and said, "Happy New Year, everyone," without a smile. 

"Happy New Year Mrs. Lewis." Everyone replied with distaste except Iris. She ignored her and went into the pantry. 

"That woman really does my head in," Sandra said as she cleaned the countertop in the pantry. 

Iris was sitting on a wooden table. "I've learned to ignore her," she replied. 

"Yes, I've stopped taking her orders," Sandra replied. 

Iris nodded. Her subconscious mind was wondering what Hugh must be doing. If he was thinking about her if he was angry if he was still going to change his mind. 

Sandra looked at Iris, who was totally lost in thoughts, and left the pantry, giving Iris her space. 

The cafe doesn't get very crowded. But there were a few customers throughout the day. Iris tried her best to keep her mind occupied. Since everyone got busy with New Year preparations and the staff had to leave early for their plans, Mr. Davies decided to close the cafe at 5 PM. Iris wasn't too happy about it. She dreaded to go back home and be lonely. 

Iris saw Albert standing outside the cafe as she stepped out. 

"Albert, aren't you getting late? You have to travel way outside the village for your party." Iris said. 

"I was waiting for you," he replied. 

"For me?" 

"Yes. Would you like to join me and my friends at the party? There are girls too." 

Iris laughed. "Albert, you are the sweetest person I have ever met. But I can't come to your party." 

Albert shrugged his left shoulder, "Why not?" 

"You and your friends are way younger than I am. I don't fit in." 

"Oh, that's okay. My friends are cool. You can come with me since you don't have any plans." 

Iris fought back tears in her eyes. No one had ever invited her over for a New Year's party before. 

She took him in a hug and swung him softly. "Oh, Albert. Thank you so much. You are the first person ever to invite me. And I don't mean to disappoint you, but I really can’t." 

Albert nodded. "I anticipated that." 

Iris smiled and touched his cheek. "Thank you, Albert." 

Albert grinned. "C'mon let me drop you home." 

"It's not snowing today. I can walk. And you're getting late," said Iris. 

"No, my friend is picking me in his car at 7, I still have time. I just wanted Mr. Davies to close the cafe early," he winked. 

Iris laughed. "Okay! You can drop me home then." 

Albert dropped her off near her lawn. 

Iris kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Albert. Happy New Year." 

"Happy New Year, Iris. I'll pray that Hugh comes around." 

"What?" Iris asked in puzzlement. 

"He didn't come to pick you today. I know there's something wrong, I just hope whatever is going wrong between you two, gets solved." 

Iris was taken by the wave of emotion. She exhaled and said, "I hope so." 

"Take care, Iris." Albert left in his scooter. 

Iris sat on her couch and started musing. She didn’t feel like changing her clothes or making dinner for herself. She couldn't stop thinking about Hugh. He really didn't show up. Iris couldn't cry but her heart ached. She felt the unbearable pain of losing someone who never was hers. 

She had come too close to Hugh and now he was gone. Iris had accepted the fact that Hugh was not coming back now. And even if he did it won't be the same again between them.