Cracked

by Lisett Alonso

  “Say cheese!” I say and he looks at me, I snap the picture and save it as my contact. I actually got him smiling, and his dimple came out. I smile at it and put my phone in my bag. When I look at him, he has this big cheesy smile on his face. I look down then out my window. That smile brought some warmth to my heart. A warmth that should not be there. A warmth that is not allowed. I see that we are almost reaching Wake and Bake, so I prepare my stuff. I look at the clock and have 15 minutes to spare before my shift starts. He parks at the back of the shop.

  “Thank you for your help today I appreciate it.” I keep a small, fake smile in my lips. He sees right through it but does not say anything about it.

  “Anytime.” He gives me a sincere smile back. I nod and get out of the truck. I turn around when I hear him say, “see you tonight!”

  “See you.” I say back and head to my apartment. When the door is close, I lean against it. This has been the first time I have felt something so warm in the last 12 months. This feeling is dangerous. I cannot go there.

  I go up the stairs and apply some more perfume and clean my face. Once I am done, I go back down to the bakery to start working. I am greeted by Elia.

  “Hello sweetheart how was your morning?” smiling back I reply.

  “Good, I actually got a lot done. How has it been in here? Busy?” I go towards the counter. I was glad there weren’t people here just yet.

  “It was pretty busy during the morning and lunch time. But it quiets down around this time then at around 3 it gets buzzing again. Come to the back let us start teaching you.” She opens her arm in a signal to follow and I do. Elia shows me the ropes of everything she shows me how to use the oven, and the coffee machine as well as the register. Then starts giving me the recipes for the different coffee and how they are made. Suddenly the bell on top of the door jingles and Elia makes me take the girl’s order.

  “Hello welcome to Wake and Bake, how can I help you today?” I ask her, she looks at me grinds and looks around.

  “Can I have a large, iced caramel latte with three cannoli’s?”

  “Sure thing.” I reply give her a smile and go to make the coffee, Elia supervises while I make it, she had told me how to make it earlier, now is time to prove to her I was paying attention. Once I am done with it, I give it to the girl, and the I grab the three cannoli’s and ring her up.

  “That would be $12.50” I look back up at her, she smiles and gives me the money. She takes a sip of the drink and smiles.

  “This is really good!” I smile at her and hand her the change back. She leaves me the 5 dollars as tip and goes out the shop. I look back at Elia, and she has a proud smile in her face. I smile at her.

  “I guess I will be able to leave you to close soon then.” My face contour to one of nervousness. “It’s ok that won’t happen till next week.” She said it like it was such a long time. I mean I will be opening Monday and Tuesday, holy mother of god, I am opening alone on Monday. That Is three days away. I really better get all the ropes. Elia chuckles at my petrified look. I just look at her like she is crazy, and she laughs more. The rest of the day flies by and it is a complete bliss. Pretty much every customer I had was happy with their order of coffee except for one, but Elia told me, he was always like that. So, I paid no mind to him. By 7:40 Elia comes out of her office.

  “Hey Leah, so tomorrow you can come in at 9, that’s the time we open on Saturdays, and like I told you yesterday it will be all day.” I nod and continue to clean the chairs. Once I am done there is 5 minutes to closing. I start to clean the espresso machine and put the recites inside the register. Once that was done its already 8. Elia just finished sweeping the floor and is about to start mopping.

  “Hey Elia, I can do that. If you want ill just finish that and close the shop. Theodore is done cleaning the kitchen and you have been here all day. Go get some rest.” I walk up to her and she smiles, a tired one. She hands me the mop.

  “Thank you. You just need to mop here and behind the register. When you finish just put it in the closet and there is a little drain there, just put it down through there.” I nod and start mopping. “Leah, here is the spare key to the door, it locks both doors the back the front. I already locked the back so all you have to do it lock the front, thank you again, you did and amazing work today.” I smile at her.

  “Thank you, I had a great mentor.” She smiles and heads to the front door. I lock the door after they leave and continue cleaning. My phone starts to ring in the back of my pocket and the name Monica flashes in my screen. I pick it up.

  “Hey.” I say, I put the phone between my shoulder blade and my ear.

  “what is up girly!” Excitement and effects of alcohol is the first thing I notice when I hear her voice, I guess she pregame really hard.

  “Nothing just closing up the shop. Did you get to the party yet?” I hear music in the background. I get my answer.

  “Yes, I sent you the address, don’t take long I want you to meet my friendssss.” I laugh when she extends the s in friends, which tells me she really is out of it.

  “Ill be there in 30, just going to shower and head over there. What’s the dress code?” I finished mopping so I take the bucket to the closet and dump the water where Elia told me too. Heading to the register I grab my stuff and turn off the light.

  “The sexier the better!” She screams, I laugh

  “Alright I be there, and hey save some drinks for me will you?” She giggles and hangs up the phone. I walk out of the front of the entrance lock it and double check is lock. When I see that it is, I head up to my apartment. I take a shower and get out a pair of rip jeans, a lace spaghetti strap shirt, I could not decide between heels and my black slip-on vans. At last, I decided to go with the heels, they weren’t too tall and if I didn’t see girls with heels on I will just take it off and put the vans on. I shoved them into my bag. I put my usual make up on and decided to put some red matte lipstick. My hair was down, and it was straight like it always is I just style it so that it would look sexy.

  After twenty minutes I head down and put the address on my phone. I saw that it was dying and decided to put it to charge. A couple of wrong turns and dark streets later I finally found the house. It was huge, it was mid century modern house that was white and had brown accents. It was beautiful. And it had a lot of acres. There probably was not another house for miles and miles. Parking my car in the grass like many of the others, I get out.

  The house has a huge window right in the middle of the living room that let me see some people dancing. I guess I am staying with the heels because every girl in there is dress as if they are going to a club instead of a house party. I grab my bag and put in the back of my car. I grab my phone and keys I put the keys in my front pocket of the jeans, I then proceeded to call Ethan. The phone rings, and then it goes to voicemail. He probably cannot hear it over the music. I try Monica and same thing. I decided to go in by myself and see if I can see them. There is a line and actual bouncer. As I approach the door, he looks at me and then at his phone then back at me.

  “Hey what’s your name?” He asks me as I near the line.

  “Leah.”

  “Come on in Leah.”

  Chapter 5

  As soon as I walk in the song Skin by Rihanna starts. The party is full on going and everyone is grinding on each other. I keep walking in, and I head to the kitchen. The house is impressive, everything inside is modern and ties to the architecture of the house. I see a couple of people around the kitchen but no one that I recognize. I keep walking around and then I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see Ethan standing there.

  “Hey, wow.” He looks me up and down, I blush. And look back at him. “You look beautiful but sexy at the same time.” He says smirking. I arch my eyebrow.

  “Thank you. You look pretty good yourself.” I tell him looking him up and down just like he did me. I look back at him and now he is the one blushing. I laugh. “where can I get something to drink?” I ask him wan
ting to change the chapter.

  “Come with me, I got you.” He grabs my hand and guides me through the kitchen till we go outside, there is a small bar set up. He goes behind the bar and ask me “what do you like to drink?”

  “What do you know how to make?” I ask, at this point I take whatever. Drinking made my thoughts drift away, it made me loosen up and forget a little.

  “A lot of things actually.” He looks back at me his eyes drifting down my face then my tits then back up. I laugh.

  “How about you give me some vodka and sprite?” I tell him.

  “That’s too easy but ill comply.” He takes the vodka and a new can of sprite soda and pours it for me. “Here you go my lady.” He passes me a red solo cup with my drink. I bring to my lips and keep my eyes on him. I take a gulp; it has been a while since I drank alcohol and it burns my throat. I take the cup out of my mouth and pass my tongue around my lips. He follows the movement. When I am done, he looks up at me and clears his throat. I smirk, he pores himself some vodka and sprite as well and takes a drink. All of a sudden, I hear a screech and turn to my side to see Monica running towards me with a couple of girls behind her.

  “You came!!!” She was definitely drunk; she hugs me and then pulls back. “Bitch you look hotttt!” I smile

  “thank you, you look hot too.” She twirls around.

  “Thank you, thank you.” I had to hold her because she missed her step. “I see that you have met my brother Ethan.” She says looking behind me.

  “Oh, I didn’t know he was your brother, but yes I have met him.” She swings her arm around me.

  “Come dance with me!” She exclaims I look at Ethan and smile, I grab my drink and swallow it down in one swing. Pour it up by Rihanna came on. I guess someone is obsess with Rihanna and her old hits because this is the second song, they put from her since I got here.

  Monica guides me to the makeshift dance floor in the living room and we start dancing. Everyone around is dancing, then some guys come behind Monica and she starts to grind too. I keep dancing and when the song changes to partition from Beyoncé I feel someone come behind me, I look back and see Ethan, I pull him closer and keep dancing. He grips my waist and moves my hips with the music. I wrap my hands around his neck and keeping grinding on him. Again, another song from Rihanna comes on and I laugh. Work blast through and everyone starts to speed up their movement some girls start to twerk on the guys. I start to shake my ass and I feel Ethan getting more exciting. I chuckle to myself and keep dancing. When drake starts singing, I feel eyes on me. I start to look around and see Luke looking at the way I am moving, his face is blank, when we connect eyes. Then the song changes to Bodak yellow by cardi b I pick up my speed and keep looking at Luke, for some reason I can’t look away. When I do look away, I look down to myself, when I look back up, he isn’t there anymore. A bit of disappointment settles in the pit of my stomach but as quickly as it came it went. I just keep dancing with Ethan. After a couple of more songs, I get thirsty and turn around.

  “Hey, I need a drink, I’ll be right back.” He nods and stays at the dance floor dancing, looking out for his sister. I go to the same bar he took me to and grab a soda. I did not want to drink more because I do work tomorrow, and I don’t feel like being hung over all day. When I feel hydrated enough, I go back to look for Ethan and see him dancing with another girl. I stand back, and just stay in the kitchen. I sit in the countertop and just relax, my feet were already killing me, stupid heels. I was never much of a heel girl; I only wear them when my mom made me. I usually tried to slip away from the stupid parties she made go to, so I never really wore them for long.

  “Hey” I look to my right and see Luke standing there.

  “Hey” I say back. Now that he is up close, I look at him up and down. He is wearing dark jeans, a white shirt and white adidas shoes. I look at him and he is smirking. “What?” I ask him. His cockiness really annoys me. The times I have talked to him he just gets me exasperated.

  “Nothing, but you know if you take a picture it will last longer right?” I decided to take him up on the offer and pull out my phone. Two can play this game.

  “Pose then.” I put my camera on and pointed it at him, he looked at me smiled and posed for me. I take a couple of pictures, some of guards that I really like. “There” I put my phone back into my pocket. He smiles. He has a beautiful smile, one that can really lighten up a mood. I have a felling he does not really smile that often.

  “My turn then.” He took out his phone “pose” He repeated what I said, I look at him and smirk. The flash goes off and he takes it. “Another one” I look at him and arch my eyebrow.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yea now pose.” I laugh, and then pose. I closed my eyes and sticked my tongue out. After a couple of seconds, I opened them back up.

  “I’m going to start charging you for pictures.” I say as I grab my soda and put it to my lips. He looks at me and smirks.

  “You started it, so it’s only fair I charge too.” He takes my soda away from me and drinks from it. I look at him.

  “You just indirectly kissed me.” I told in a matter-of-fact voice. He looks at me and arch an eyebrow. “You just took a swing from my drink. Which means you tasted my saliva, which means you just indirectly kissed me.” He shakes his head and laughs, then goes and takes another drink from my can, while looking at me. I unconsciously bite my lip. He looks at it and swallows hard. The connection between us really electrifies me, I let go of my lip and look away. Does eyes can really cause more havoc in life and I don’t need that right now.

  “Hey guys.” Monica comes towards me with Ethan following her, he is with the girl he was dancing with, I notice their hands are holding and look back at Monica. “So, there is a game of Truth or Dare happening in about 5 minutes in the basement so let’s go!” Monica grabs my hand and drags me with her. I see that both Luke and Ethan are following us as well as the girl Ethan was with.

  “Aren’t we a little to old for truth or dare?” I ask. I cannot recall the last time I play that game.

  “Not the way we play it! If you do not do a dare then you have to take a piece of clothing off, and if you pick truth twice in a row then you have to do a dare.” I nod, I should have definitely come with more clothes.

  We reach the basement and I see Krista and Brianna sitting around and a couple of other people I do not know.

  “Finally, you guys got here. Okay people sit boy, girl boy. Hurry up.” Some girl says. I sit down and two guys I do not know sit next to me, Luke sat across from me and Ethan right by him. “Okay so you guys know the rules so let’s begging!” the same girl says. She sits next to some guy and puts a bottle in the middle, she spins it, and it lands on Brianna.

  “Brianna, truth or dare?” the same girl asks.

  “Dare.”

  “okay, I dare you to take your underwear off and out it in the pocket of the person you like.” Dam, these people do not play. I thought they would start easy, and warm up from there.

  “Ok, I’ll be right back.” She went into the bathroom and when she came back, she put her underwear in the guy’s pocket that is to my right. His mouth hung open and then he closes it and smirks. Brianna goes back to sitting in her spot then spins the bottle. After a couple of more truth or dare, basically all dare, the bottle lands on me. Fuck me, Krista was the one that spin it.

  “Leah, truth or dare?” If pick truth I’ll break the streak that they have going on, we’ll lets do this.

  “Dare.” I say, I am totally going to regret this.

  “I dare you to give the person that starts with the same letter of your name a lap dance, and the song that you have to do it to is the one from magic mike.” Okay that is not so bad.

  “Who has a name that starts with the letter L.” I was really hoping the Luke was not the only one. But he was. Well, I will be dammed. I got up, and went towards Luke, I put my hand out and he grabbed it. I dragged him to a near by chair and put him on it. “Can someon
e put the song please.” I say as I look at Luke.

  Someone puts the song on, I close my eyes and take a breath. I start dancing and then I turn around, so my ass is facing Luke. I start to move my hips more and start going down, I back up a bit and bend my knees a bit so that my ass is close to his crotch. I keep dancing, when the guy starts to sing, I turn around and keep dancing. I put my legs on either side of his knee and grind on it. We make eye contact, and I do not look away. As the song goes on, I get on top of Luke and straddle him, I keep dancing and put my hands around his neck. When the song comes to an end, I stop dancing. I cannot take my eyes away from him and he cannot take it away from me. The same connection from early happens and everything inside me warms up. This feeling, its dangerous and I need to get away from it.

  “What the fuck are you doing on top of my boyfriend!” Someone shrinks. That snaps me off the trance and I get off of him. I look up and see Mackenzie.

  “it was- “

  “I’m not your boyfriend Makenzie.” I was cut off by Luke. Oh, I guess is one of those one sided relationship.

  “That’s not what you were saying this morning when you were fucking me.” I decided to move out of their way. I look at the time and it was already 1 am. I should get home. I approach Monica.

  “Hey, I am leaving, I have work in the morning, I’ll see you Monday?” I tell her while crouching down. She looks up at me.