2 PART-TIMER’S TIPS

"I have an Iced Americano for...Mason?" Leena alerted from behind the counter. Even calling for a customer in a crowded cafe, her voice was exquisite and tamed, the sort of voice that could sing a lullaby without her throat going dry. Mason came up to take his order, his fingers grazing against hers like a butterfly kiss. He then proceeded to shy out and blushed, avoiding her eyes which winched as a smile at him. Leena always smiled with her eyes first before her plump pink lips, something about how she never faked them, always bonafide and directed at others with no ill-intentions in sight. "Enjoy your coffee," her soft and sweet voice, barely above a whisper yet audible and harmless, so much to note with the way she fixed on him. What astounding customer service. "Uh, thank you. Um, excuse me, do you have a moment?" Mason managed to muster out. "Yes?" Even her puzzled face, tilting her head with doe-like beady eyes focusing and listening to just about anyone, indicating her many respects for people and their times. "Can I...have your number? So that maybe we can grab a bite to eat sometime?" He beseeched, scratching at the nape of his neck. "Hehe.." When Leena tittered, the treacly noise of ecstasy, the way her fingers came to block her white straight teeth. Before she inhaled, almost responding, a rather towering man emerged from behind her, clothes homogenous to hers. Out of nowhere, he gripped her arms and glared into Mason with an intimidating and possessive aura. "Sorry, our employee cannot accept any suitors right now." He said, his extensive voice sending shivers to anyone who could hear. Mason felt the urge to lift his hands up in the air as a sign of surrender. Never in his life had anyone sent him such a protective look as if he could be a predator. "Huh? Daren, stop that. You're embarrassing him." Leena was so much shorter compared to him, her head merely reached his shoulder-length, cocking her head up at him so winsomely. "I'm sorry, Mason. My manager can be very strict, but, I'm sure I can think about it. If you don't mind waiting." Shit, Leena smiled again. What an inviting innuendo. "Yeah, o-of course." He stammered, because she remembered his name! "Sure, I'll be back." Mason took his coffee and left the cafe in a haste. "Tsk," Daren clicked his tongue, appearing quite disappointed with Leena. "Why do you always have to be nice to suitors and shit? They only see you for your appearance. They're gonna think you're leading them on." "I'm leading nobody on." Leena guffawed, elbowing Daren off of her. "And, what's wrong with only seeing me for my appearance." "Because there's more to you than your face and body." Was Daren courting her? At this rate, how close Leena was with Daren, they were obviously teasing around. "Oh, really? And what is that?" Leena mounted an eyebrow, challenging him. "If I tell you, you'll think me completely head-over-heels for you. I can't have an employee I care about be uncomfortable with me." Daren challenged back. "I'll never be uncomfortable around you, Daren. My point is, my face's the only reason why our cafe had so many customers." Leena went over to an empty register machine, readying to take orders from no one so far, procrastinating from this topic. "I guess you're right," Daren sighed in defeat, "you only started for six months and you already got multiple gifts mailed to you on the daily basis." He continued, annoyed by the fact he just spouted. "Should I be proud and thank you?" "Yes, maybe you should. Maybe I'm the pride to your business." She teased with a cocky yet friendly smirk flashed over her shoulder. "Oh, Leena, I'm sure people also like you because you're sweet, funny, and can take their bullshit better than anyone else. How do you go to school every day attracting this much attention?" Daren fidgeted to get the rushing blood in his body flowing, "Do you need a bodyguard? Should I be your bodyguard?" Leena rolled her eyes, shaking her head, coddling him humorous. "You're giving me a little too much credit, Mr. Manager. If someone overhears you, they might think something is going on between us." Avoid the topic by subtracting the topic to something else utterly unfathomable. How clever. "There is. I'm your only friend around here, Leena. I care about your health more than anyone." "I appreciate your love and affection, Daren. I'll work harder to return it." Of course, she wouldn't take his courting to heart, it was all playful to her. She is the impeccable girl-next-door. As she focused on the register machine, not sharing him a glance once with the same expression glued to her engaging physiognomy. Daren found himself quite bothered by her attitude, the silence between them was deafening to him. But to Leena, silence must have already deafened her, wherein she can no longer hear anything anymore. Daren wondered why. "Leena, are you sure about this?" "Hm?" Leena hummed, puzzled. "Working as a sugar baby, I mean." His question did not waver Leena one bit, everything seemed too calm for her, like an old lady bypassing World War 2 or whatnot. "It's very necessary, Daren. The Sugar Partner corporation handles the Sugar community really well. They even test on STD, it's very safe from what I've heard and seen." "I know, I just...don't think it suits a girl like you, y'know?" A girl like her as in— someone who is fashionable and cares for her body and skin, wears different colored lipsticks and heels, does her makeup and drinks hot Jasmine tea by the patio. "A girl like me? Do I have a category on what I should do as a human being, now?" "No, it's just, you don't seem the type to be cheap and sell your body for money." "Then, maybe I am cheap." Her tone remained ever so slightly the same, it never changed after any sort of emotions. How can everything be so lighthearted to her? "Leena, if only I can help you with your tuition, so you don't have to do all of this." "I see an advantage in partaking in this community, Daren. Think about it, a girl with a pretty face who's desperate for money from wealthy older guys. With a body like this, plus the fact that my ovaries failed to produce anything after unprotected sex. Anyone would love that, having sex with a woman who is infertile." "Yeah," Daren approached her with a fretful expression on his hunky face as if agreeing with her, until he placed his warm hand over her porcelain and smaller one on the countertop. "What's up with that?" "I told you, it's a childhood incident. Something damaged my reproduction system." Leena explained all these issues with an unbothered nature, alarming Daren if she was alright about this setback. "Yeah, I still don't get how it turned out this way. So, you never remembered what happened?" She never remembered what happened, based on what Daren was informed once upon a time. Leena scowled, becoming muted to Daren's inquiry as if she was lost. Then, the bell to the entrance jangled, her hand slithered away from his at the sound of customers chiming into the scene. "Welcome, what would you like?" Leena switched back to her usual solemn stance. Daren was concerned. Should he have asked that? Should he have been so nosy? Who else would look out for her besides him? The girl dangerously lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment, she hardly had enough to survive. Worst-case scenario, she was isolated every Christmas eve, even on her birthday a few months back, they partied around between only the two of them. Daren had no idea why women were absolutely brutal with her, even her own parents withdrew from her life in such a manner. Who would do something so treacherous to a girl as breathtaking and down-to-earth as Leena Choi?

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