Chapter 58 First Day

Chapter 58 First Day
NOVA'S POV

"I'm sorry but we need someone with abit of experience."

My eyebrows furrow.

It's a cleaning job at a restaurant. Surely anyonecan do that.

I've been to almost every restaurant around the apartment building I moved into a week ago and no one seems to believe I have worked before.

I mean I haven't done the hard jobs just making appearances..but I need to do it without my family's influence.

I pass by an icecream shop feeling tired from the heat.

There's a line for the Gelato special and by the looks of how impatient the customers are getting I can tell they are short staffed.

I wait for almost half an hour until it's my turn.

"What can I get you?"

"double scoop of the fresh fruit sorbet,"

She sighs.

"We don't have that at the moment."

I chew on my bottom lip checking the display for more options. 

"then Pistachio." I say simply and she smacks her lips keying the order into the system.

Is she not used to interacting with customers or what?

I wait for my order deciding whether now is the right time to ask if they are hiring.

My order is placed on the counter.

I blink.

I wanted it on a cone.

"I asked for a cone one."

"You said double scoop...nothing about a cone."

Right but can I have it in a cone?" She blinks in disbelief.

"Look there's a long line behind you. I can hand you a cone and call it a day."

She walks over to the cone selection getting a waffle one andplaces it on top of the double scoop.

"Enjoy." She plasters a fake smile gesturing for me to move.

I don't think I've ever been treated that coldly.

Usually I'm the one that does that.

I sit by an empty booth waiting for the rush hour to end so I can try ask for a job.

It's funny because as a customer I would never come back here when she's the one running the counter, but as an employee id be so happy to work with someone I didn't have to be nice to.

I take out my phone.

Snap a picture of the icecream.

My mind goes back to Sofia.

I have been texting her almost everyday and every hour.

Its stupid I know. 

She won't see the texts. And even if she does, she miht hate me more now.

Why didn't I just tell her that night she found me at the hotel?

She left somuch room for things to be put in the open but I just....became even more selfish.

The way she looked at me.

How she knows me.

My thumb hovers over the keyboard.

My eyes stare at the numerous unanswered messages I have sent hoping each one would be the last one and she'd see and finally reply.

Even if that text is her telling me to leave her alone.

I can spend the rest of my miserable life trying to get over her without succeeding. But its harder to do that without knowing if she would have wanted to hear me out. 

If she...

Still had any love left for someone like me.

I type out whatever comes to mind.

Then press send.

Surely she'd understand how desperate and shameless I am in this moment.

She means the world to me.

I look up finally. 

The service seems to have slowed down.

My gelato is almost fully melted.

Even then I still have it because of what happened earlier.

Then I get up and walk over to the counter.

"are you guys hiring? I mean I noticed that it was just you and its an icecreamshop so..."

She pinches the bridge of her nose.

"Have you ever worked at an icecream shop?"

I remember the last few places I went to and this time I nod. I can't afford to do another round of job hunting.

"Great! When can you start?" 

"whatever time that works for you."

"The next shift is an hour. I can walk you through basic training then you can do the evening shift along with the other employee."

She checks her phone then tucks it in her work apron.

"Come on then." She says and iwalk behind the counter before she starts explaining how the system works.

Then moves to the display of different variety of gelato and cones.

"Customers will want to change theirmind last minute so please wak themthrough their order before preparing it." She says.

I nod.

The last part is the icecream machine.

"Make me a swirl with the waffle cone." She instructs.

I stand there unable to process what she just asked.

I've never done this before.

"Sorry I'm late Jill..nona got lost again." The ginger haired girl says wrapping an apron around her waist.

Her eyes land on me before she looks over to Jill.

"You hired someone? I thought you'd let me pick up the extra hours."

"We're short three people. Even you can't do all the work by yourself. Train her." She says simply walking away like what shesaid didn't need a rebuttal. 

She looks over to me, analysing me.

"You look flawless."

"Uh thanks?"

She scoffs.

"that's not a complment. It means I don't want you slowing me down."

"noted."

She smiles before finishing with the restof the training.

She's much easier to understand than the manager.

A customer walksover to the section Mona gave me.

To scoop icecream. 

"twelve scoops of pistachio please...on the waffle cones too." He hands me a receipt of the order and I look over to the girl that just trained me.

She furrows her eyebrows in confusion before walkinbaway from the counter to my section.

All eyes are on me now for slowing the service. 

"Why aren't you serving?"

"I uh...don't know the scoop ratio.

She snorts.

The customer taps on the glass watching us.

"we'll ring you when your order is up." Mona says and he just walksaway like that's all he needed to hear.

She turns toface me fully, her hands resting on her sides.

"You've never worked before have you?"

I chew on my bottom lip nervously.

"not technically."

"what does that mean?"

"I have supervised people."

"You're scooping icecream."

"Is it the same as supervising it?"

She laughs.

Thenmoves tothe cones scooping the icecream quantities and I watch keenly.

I think that's easier than the icecream machine I had to face earlier.

By the time the shift is over I have scooped enough icecream to call myself a pro.

The closed sign is pulled out at exactly 8.00PM.

"Want to go for a drink down the street? My boyfriend's band is playing."

Her face beams at the last bit.

That's how I imagined Sofia's face whenever she'd decide to come watch me practice or play.

"No....I'm still new here."

She nods in understanding.

"well maybe another time. You look like you have a story."

Then she walks down the street and I head in the opposite direction.

I wasn't that good at cooking anything but breakfast before, but I'm learning slowly.

Rome does look different from Milan. 

And I mean that in terms of residing not just observation.

My phone vibrates.

Just a reminder to to make dinner.

I chuckle.

I almost dropped my phone getting it out of my bag thinking it was...

No.

I shouldn't think about her this much.

Especially because I put her inthat situation.

I bet her father hates me.

Because he's protective of Sofia in ways I wish I could also be.

She's...special.

My kind of special.

I open the door to my apartment letting the streetlights light up the space.

Today was my first day of work and I survived.

It's my first time being employed.

Like really working under someone.

I turn the lights on before moving to my bedroom.

I take ot my journal and write down how today was.

Somehow since I started...I've felt less alone.

I still don't know what dad will do topolish his image.