Chapter 4 Whipped Eggs

• Zoe’s POV
• On my way to the café next to the university where I work, I see Pablo's car making its way through the morning traffic. And as expected, my boss, Mr. Fiorenzo, is waiting for me.
• I hold my hands up. "Sorry, sorry! There was a car accident and that's why I'm late—"
• Mr. Fiorenzo interrupts me with a wave of his hand, turning his back to me as he walks towards the pantry.
• "Shh, shh! Excuses, Zoe! Get to work; we open in five," he instructs me before leaving me alone.
• I start opening the curtains and placing the napkin holders on the tables. I turn on the computer and change the sign to "open."
• It hasn't even been ten minutes when the first customers arrive.
• Mr. Fiorenzo and his wife, Ermine, have been running Bistro Vatale for thirty years. Their former waitress got married three years ago and moved out of the state. I was just starting university and needed a job nearby, so when I saw the vacancy, I applied for the position. It was difficult to convince Mr. Fiorenzo, but in the end, I succeeded, and I've been working here ever since.
• Ermine is very kind and affectionate. It's really thanks to her that I got the opportunity to work here. If it hadn't been for her intervention, I wouldn't have gotten the job. Thanks to this job and the tips, I can afford university.
• Fortunately, I only have one more year left to finish my degree.
• Mr. Fiorenzo has threatened to fire me several times because I tend to always arrive late. But it's not that I want to, it's just that I'm not a morning person. He even followed through on his threat once and fired me. Fortunately, Ermine intervened and rehired me.
• It's not that he's a bad person either. Mr. Fiorenzo is a very cheerful and beloved person by his customers, but he always says that I tend to push his buttons.
• However, I'm here every day from Monday to Sunday, from seven in the morning to two in the afternoon. Lucy, another coworker, works from one to eight. So we only overlap for an hour. An hour that we spend catching up on university gossip.
• The morning passes by with eggs benedict and brewed coffee. Ermine helps me with the cash register while I take some phone orders.
• Around eleven, when there are fewer people, the two of us take a short break to have breakfast.
• "And how's the return to classes, dear?" Ermine asks me while sipping her green tea.
• "It’s great, I'm really excited for this last year," I say enthusiastically.
• "We're very happy to hear that. That's why we want to give you a little gift. Fiorenzo," she calls her husband, "darling, do the honors."
• Mr. Fiorenzo makes a face, as he always does when Ermine orders him around.
• " I'm coming, dear.” He approaches us with a small envelope. "It's not much, but it can help pay for this semester's tuition."
• "No, I don't have words, really. It's too much. It's not necessary," I respond with a lump in my throat as he hands me the envelope. "I know you always put extra money in my tip jar and add some bonus to my payments on Sundays, but this is too much."
• I have the envelope in my hands and I try to give it back to Ermine. The tuition for the university I attend is expensive, and without the scholarship I have, I could never afford it. But I make an effort and manage to save up the money to pay for it in six months.
• "Oh, dear, of course it's not too much. We do it gladly. We see how hard you work every day. While others spend their weekends having fun, you're sitting behind the café making those beautiful designs for your lazy classmates," Ermine says as she approaches me for a hug.
• "Thank you so much. I mean it from the bottom of my heart."
• I return the hug to Ermine and then approach Mr. Fiorenzo to give him one. He returns it somewhat reluctantly, but he does.
• "I really have no words," I respond to them with a lump in my throat that doesn't want to go away.
• "No, it's not necessary for you to say anything. In fact, tell us if you need more, because I don't know if it's enough. Lucy told us how much you pay, and I know it increases every year."
• “Don't worry, Ermine. I saved money on my vacation, so it's not necessary.”
• “Alright, but if you ever need it, let us know. Promise?” she insists.
• “I promise,” I reply while crossing my fingers behind my back before giving her another hug.
• The bell at the entrance rings and Ermine goes to attend to it while I finish my coffee.
• “It's not right for you to cross your fingers like that,” Mr. Fiorenzo accuses me, as he saw me crossing my fingers.
• “You caught me.” I smile at him and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you very much, Mr. Fiorenzo.”
• “Oh, come on. Don't be so sweet. It's nothing,” he pretends to scold me, but as he turns around, I can see that little smile on his face.
• I put the envelope in my backpack and go out to help Ermine, but I falter.
• Oh, surprise! Our star customer is the rude man I met this morning outside my mother's workplace.
• I laugh to myself, planning to give him terrible service to ensure I never see him at my workplace again.
• “Darling, they ordered black coffee to start.” My boss intercepts me. “Bring them the breakfast menu after that.”
• “Yes, ma'am,” I respond to Ermine.
• I go back to the kitchen and take some plates with their cups. I put them on the tray along with the coffee pot and go out again.
• “Good morning and welcome to Bistro Vatale,” I greet as I place the things and cutlery on the table.
• The man's face is priceless. He stares at me while squinting his eyes. He is accompanied by two other gentlemen: Mr. Henry, who is a frequent customer, and another man who looks a lot like him.
• “Good day,” they respond in unison while the spoiled one just looks at me disdainfully as I serve the coffee.
• “Your black coffee and the menu cards,” I announce as I place the things on the table.
• Mr. Henry kindly rejects it with his hand. “Bring me the usual, please.”
• “What is the usual?” the nosy spoiled one asks.
• I decide to let Mr. Henry answer since I don't feel like talking directly to him. Noticing my silence and fake smile, he realizes it and responds.
• “I want the breakfast tortilla wraps with the house sauce and bacon. For sides I want beans, cheese, and toasted bread with ham.”
• “Breakfast tortilla wraps?” the spoiled one asks, pretending not to know what it is. What planet is this guy from?
• He does have an English accent….
• “Yes, that’s right,” Mr. Henry responds.
• “So, you just wrap up some eggs and call it a day?” the insolent one asks, addressing me.
• Their perplexed faces are nothing compared to the expression on mine. This can't go unanswered!
• “Yes, but I will burn them for you,” I reply as I take the coffee pot from the tray and spill it on his pants.
• “Bitch!” He jumps out of his seat, shouting curses in his fancy English accent.
• “Oops,” I say as I throw a napkin at his chest.
• I flee from the crime scene and take refuge in the kitchen. Mr. Fiorenzo stays there, looking horrified, while Ermine enters behind me.
• I feel a knot in my throat from anger and frustration, but I won't cry. I take a glass and pour myself some water while I hear Ermine telling Mr. Fiorenzo what happened. I quickly drink the water as I see Mr. Fiorenzo's face turning red with anger. I'm sure I've lost an important customer with the little scene I just caused.
• “Are you okay?” Ermine asks, approaching me.
• “Yes, I'm fine. Angry, but fine.”
• “I didn't think you would do that. The boy was very rude to you.”
• “I'm sorry, Ermine. It was an outburst on my part. I'm aware that this could cost me my job, and believe me, I won't beg for it. I'll face the consequences,” I say as I rub my temple.
• “Consequences for what?” says a third voice that enters the kitchen at that moment.
• “Henry, hello,” Fiorenzo greets.
• “Hello, Fiorenzo, Ermine. Excuse my intrusion. I wanted to apologize for my nephew's behavior. As you could see, he lacks manners.” He approaches me with a penetrating gaze. “There are no consequences to face, my dear. On the contrary, thank you for teaching him a lesson. He deserved it.”
• “No, Mr. Henry, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I could have hurt him.”
• “It’s nothing. I'm telling you there's no problem at all, and he deserved it. That's not the way to talk to a lady.“ He nods and then turns to my boss. “Fiorenzo, can we talk?”
• “Of course,” Mr. Fiorenzo says as they both head to the small office.
• “See, there's no problem. Calm down a bit—you still look upset. I'll go attend to it.”
• “Alright, Mrs. Ermine. I'll be out in a moment.”
• Ermine leaves the kitchen and goes to deal with the mess I made. I feel terrible about my behavior. I know it wasn't necessary to pour the entire jug of hot coffee on him.
• But he deserved it, he really did.
• I don't understand how people can be so disgusting and rude. If he's Mr. Henry's nephew, that means he comes from money, which could be a big reason for his arrogance and insolence.
• I finish drinking the water and prepare myself a chamomile tea. I can hear the muffled voices of my boss and Mr. Henry, who curiously happens to be my mom's boss. Mr. Henry was the one who helped my mother when she became a widow.
• One time when I picked up my mom from work, while waiting for her at the reception, Mr. Henry approached me to ask how I was doing in school. Being the talkative person that I am, I told him about my new job at the bistro and how delicious Mr. Fiorenzo's cooking was. He promised to visit the place, and since then, he comes once or twice a week.
• This was the first time he came accompanied. As far as I know, Mr. Henry never got married and doesn't have children.
• I take sips of my tea, waiting for Mr. Fiorenzo's verdict. I don't even want to think about what might happen. While it's true that Mr. Henry has been a sort of guardian angel for my mother and me by giving her a stable job and a fair salary when she didn't even belong to his architecture company, that doesn't mean he's our masked avenger or our provider.
• After all, I'm just an employee and at the mercy of whatever Mr. Fiorenzo decides.
• The minutes pass slowly, the wall clock shows half past twelve. Lucy won't be long as she always arrives early just to have a little more time to chat before our lunchtime customers start coming in.
• Finally, Mr. Fiorenzo and Mr. Henry come out of the office, laughing and joking in a way that only they understand.
• “I want to apologize for my nephew's bad behavior. I would have loved for him to do it himself, but his arrogance and pride won't allow it,” Mr. Henry tells me.
• “You don't have to apologize, Mr. Henry. You're not at fault for anything. And I didn't expect an apology from your nephew, so don't worry about it,” I finish with one of my best smiles.
• Mr. Henry is an Englishman in love with New York, who decided to stay in the city after a vacation. Well, that's what I know because that's what my mother has told me. He's a tall man in his fifties, with blue eyes and blond hair that’s already streaked with silver. My mother says that many women in the company are crazy about him because he's very kind, and many tend to mistake it for something else. I say that he must have been good-looking in his younger days, but now I'm not one to judge.
• “Okay, dear. If for any other reason my nephew bothers you again, don't hesitate to call me.” He hands me a business card with his name and mobile number. “Please, anything at all. Alright?”
• “Alright,” I say without further ado.
• “Well, I'll take my leave. Fiorenzo, don't forget what we talked about,” he reminds my boss and leaves without waiting for a response.
• “Mr. Fiorenzo, I....”
• “You don't need to say anything, Zoe. Don't worry. Everything is fine. You better go help Ermine, she probably thinks I made lasagna for you.” He winks at me and turns towards the stove.
• I go out to the front of the restaurant and take my order pad again. There are only a few customers who at least allow me to distract myself a bit from what happened. I glance at the table where the accident happened earlier, and everything is already clean, so I start attending to the tables.
• A few minutes later, Lucy arrives. Between tables, orders, and food, I tell her about my day since the morning. Lucy's expression goes from joy to frustration, doubt, and anger.
• “Oh, dear, you should get a spiritual cleansing. If this is all happening before noon, what will happen by the end of the day?” she suggests, laughing at my misfortunes.
• "I know, I know. I can only pray to God that worse things don't happen."
• "Well, let's hope so because it's tough," she replies and leaves the kitchen to continue attending to the tables.
• Time flies by quickly and before I know it, it's five minutes to two.
• Great, I have class at two. I hope everyone is late since it's the first day. I say goodbye to everyone with kisses, but not before thanking them again for being so good to me.
• I grab my backpack and cross the street to the university. My class is in the last building, tucked all the way on the top floor. The second-to-last classroom. As I pass the other rooms, I see many unfamiliar faces. Those must be the new students. I run up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, until I reach the seventh floor.
• As I turn the corner of the hallway, I see Naomi, a girl from my major, knocking on the door. Thank goodness I'm not the only one arriving late.
• They open the door as soon as I arrive with her. My classmate named Robert holds the door open for us to enter.
• Two things catch my attention: the first is a handsome young man sitting in my seat with a wide smile, and the second is the new professor for strategic planning.
• "Bravo!" the professor says while applauding. "The young lady has honored us with her presence."
• There's no need to say who the professor is.
• His name was written on the board: Ian Ikard.
• Professor of Strategic Planning for Design.
• Great, just what I needed, my teacher is the jerk from the cafe.
• Lucy was right. I'll need some cleansing for this.