Hey guys! I'm so sorry it's been literally seven months since my last update. Life got pretty hectic pretty fast! If you don't remember what happened in the last chapter, feel free to glance over it before proceeding to this one!

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"How's the cut feeling? Any better?"

Michael sits slumped in his chair, holding an ice pack to his eye, self-pity on full display. His uncovered eye scans upwards, finding Allie's face, though he makes little attempt at smiling upon making eye contact with her.

"It's fine, thanks." His voice holds a hint of dejection, for his focus lies solely in the anticipation of what she wishes to talk to him about. "I'm just concerned about what you said before we came back here."

"Concerned about which part?" Allie carries her freshly-brewed mug of tea over to her desk, setting it down before she takes a seat opposite him. "Because you don't need to be concerned about anything, Michael."

"It's just you said that you needed to talk to me about my role in the company, or somethin'." He sighs, prolonged and shaken from the adrenaline of what just happened. "It sounded kinda ambiguous. Like I was gonna lose my job, or something."

Allie lets out a small bout of laughter, using the seconds of amusement to grab her accident log book from a folder in front of her. "Oh, Michael. Silly boy. That's not what I meant at all. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Your job here is secure."

Michael's demeanour shifts immediately; his body livens up and his face brightens. "Really?"

"Of course. And in case you forgot, you were sort of the hero of the day. Laurie could've faced some serious trouble with that customer if you hadn't have stepped in."

"Did you see what happened, then?"

"I didn't see it, no. But one of the girls came to grab me from my office to deal with what was going on. She explained a customer was acting confrontational with Laurie." She reaches to take a pen from her stationary pot, before beginning to write down details of the incident. "Now, could you tell me in more depth what happened?"

"Of course." He sits back in his chair, his eyes moving upwards in recollection. "There was a man and his girl who entered the cafe with their baby daughter. Avery went to take their order, but then Laurie started acting kinda odd. I asked her what the matter was, and she told me the man was her ex. She tried not to draw attention to herself, but he caught sight of her and started a conversation with her. It was real awkward, and at first Laurie was polite. But then, as the conversation progressed, it became more heated until I intervened. I tried to ease the tension by asking the guy to go and sit down, but then he started yellin' at me and threatening violence. That's when he called Laurie some nasty stuff, and I told him not to talk to her that way. So, he punched me ... and here we are, now."

"I'm so sorry you had to experience that." Allie scribbles notes hurriedly onto the page in front of her, before glancing back up. "Do you feel unwell at all? Dizzy or weak? Anything at all?"

"I mean, it stings a little. But I guess that's to be expected." He laughs wryly. "But honestly, Allie, I'd do it again in a heartbeat to defend Laurie. Or anybody, actually. But Laurie ... she's a great friend to me. She has helped me a lot since I moved here, so it's only what I owed to her."

"You don't deserve to repay anybody by being assaulted, no matter how much they've done for you." Her brows furrow. "But seeing as it's done and can't be changed, let's discuss the future."

"Yes. Let's." Michael leans forward in his seat, intrigued. "Why did you say you wanted to talk about my role in the company?"

"Well, I've said it before. I notice your potential, and I don't ignore it. You have initiative to take action when needed, and that's a very good quality to possess. You're also an all-rounder—you know how to make drinks; wait tables; take orders. I've even noticed you've started picking up the basics for cooking the food orders in the kitchen. You're a hit with the customers and the colleagues. Everybody loves you." She smiles as she continues her praise. "You're an asset to the business, truth be told. I mentioned to you during your interview that we have always been iffy about having a man on the team. Well, it's safe to say you have proven me wrong in the best way possible."

"Well, thank you." Michael returns the smile. "It's honestly real neat to hear good things about myself."

"You are an excellent addition to the team. We are lucky to have you." Allie nods, sliding the accident log book to one side so she can clasp her hands together. "That being said, it seems a waste to keep you where you're at. You have much more potential than waiting tables and taking orders."

Michael's uninjured brow cocks in curiosity. "What are you suggesting?"

"Now, I don't want to jump the gun here," Allie explains. "And I don't want to get ahead of myself. But I've been very impressed by your performance within the business so far. I know you haven't been here for very long at all—a matter of days—and that you've sort of been the centre of a couple of incidents. However, I'm also aware that none of those things were actually your fault. So what I'm suggesting here, is that you could be in the running for a little promotion, if you play your cards right."

"A promotion?" Michael's eyes widen subtly. "But—but a promotion how? What would it involve?"

"We'd start small, of course. But I'd like to trial you on a sort-of "supervisor" role. You know the drinks to a tee. You know what's good quality and what isn't. Without naming and shaming, a couple of the girls seem to lack the abilities in milk frothing for cappuccinos, if you catch my drift."

"I ... may have noticed." He chuckles, awkward and knowing. "But making the customer happy is more important than anything. If they don't mind the milk lacking a little ... je ne sais quoi, then it's not so bad, right?"

"You have a point, yes. But some people do mind. So we have to make sure that every drink we sell goes to the customer with the best presentation possible. That's where I need your help."

"So what do I do?" Michael asks.

"What you're already doing, really," Allie explains. "But in addition, I'd like you to watch over the drinks that the other girls and Avery make, just to be sure they're top notch. And if you're feeling really clever, you can inspect to make sure all the cutlery, plates and other eating utensils are in perfect condition before being given to customers to use. Pot-washing is often done in a rush, so sometimes you have to be thorough with checking things like that. I trust your abilities to spot any issues."

"It sounds pretty easy to me." Michael nods, optimistic. "Of course I'll do it. Thank you."

"Perfect. We can arrange a new contract for you to sign, but what you need to bear in mind is that this is only the first step." She gives him a knowing smile. "If you play your cards right, you could eventually become my second-in-command. Like a deputy manager. Maybe a fully-fledged manager."

"Really?" For a moment, he is speechless. "Gosh. I-I mean, thank you. It really makes me happy that you see potential in me and wanna give me this chance. I appreciate everything you've already done for me. The only problem is—"

"Your friend babysitting your child?" Allie intercepts. "That's still not an issue. You still only need to come in on days when your friend isn't working. Although, once your little one starts school in September, would you be interested in a few more hours?"

"Absolutely. That would be perfect."

She smiles, pleased. "That's settled then. But for now, we'll figure out a provisional contract."

• • •

"Everyone, before you go home I'd like to quickly tell you all something."

The exhausted staff members all observe Allie, curiosities piqued. Avery removes their apron, tossing it onto the front counter while the likes of Laurie and the other girls prepare their bags and jackets ready to leave.

Laurie speaks on behalf of the room. "What is it?"

"So, I just wanted you all to know that following some recent events, I have decided to appoint a new supervisor. This person will overlook the drink production and the quality checks for all utensils, alongside some other extra commitments—namely reporting any incidents that may occur in the establishment, some lighter admin work, and retraining some of you in certain aspects of the business." Allie flashes a glance at Michael, though this is done so quickly that nobody other than him catches it. "Now, I don't want to alarm anybody. If you are retrained for anything, it does not mean you are bad at the job. I believe it's healthy to have a refresher every so often."

Avery folds their arms across their chest, impatient. "So, who is it?"

Allie's eyes fall on Michael yet again; a silent invitation for him to come forward himself. Michael reads the signs, bashfully raising his hand for everybody to see.

"That would be ... me."

At first, nobody responds. Michael lowers his arm, uncertain of whether to speak again.

But then, Avery—pleased for their friend—reacts. "Nice one! Pleased for you, mate."

Michael mouths Avery a "thank you" underneath the sudden commotion that has emerged among the team. Opinions, both positive and negative, fly around the vicinity, slightly overwhelming him.

The one thing he does notice above the overstimulation, however, is Laurie silently leaving the building with a tensed demeanour. Confused, his brows furrow as he excuses himself politely and attempts to follow after Laurie.

He finds her walking to her car a short distance from the cafe, so he ups his speed to a light jog for the final stretch.

"Laurie?" he calls after her.

He observes that she freezes for a moment upon hearing her name, but nonetheless, she continues on her way. "I'm going home, Michael."

"Wait. Hold on." Michael finally catches up to her, walking alongside her as he regains the stability of his breathing. "Why did you leave like that?"

"It doesn't matter. Just go home to Casey."

"I'm not doing anything of the sort until you tell me what's goin' on." He observes her as they continue, concern sparkling in his eyes. "Does it bother you that Allie offered me a promotion?"

"Why would it bother me?" she answers. "It's not my place to tell her who to hold favouritism over and who to shun time and time again."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Please, Michael. I don't want to talk right now." She comes to a halt, standing opposite him. "It's not your fault. I just want to go home and forget about the day I've just had."

"I understand. Really, I do." His eyes soften; he wants to broach the subject further, but he also wishes to respect her boundaries. "I'll go home. I'll leave you be. But ... if you wanna talk to me about anything, either from today or your past, then don't hesitate to come to me about it." He raises his arm, resting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "I'll see you after my days off."

As he begins to walk the opposite way, he hears her. "Wait, Michael."

He spins himself back around on his heels, looking to her again. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry for the way I've behaved today." She lets out a sigh in defeat, maintaining eye contact with him despite her apprehension. "None of what happened today was your fault. You didn't deserve that scar on your face. You didn't deserve the way Vincent spoke to you. And it's only fair for me to take responsibility for my actions. So I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Michael responds. "I know I don't know your history with him, but that's okay. I don't need to if you don't want to share it. But I wasn't gonna let 'em talk to you like that."

"And I appreciate you stepping in. Thank you." She forces a smile. "And I'm sorry for being bitter about your promotion. That's not your fault either. It's a personal problem only I can really work on."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"There's not much to say, really." She rubs at her upper arm. "I'm just tired of Allie showing clear favouritism for the only man on the team, when you've been there for five minutes. Me and the others have worked just as hard as you have, but we never receive any recognition for it. I guess I'm just sick of getting nowhere with my writing, and being stuck in a dead-end cafe job as a waitress five days a week."

"Hey." Michael gently grabs her by both arms, forcing her to focus undivided attention on him. "What you need to understand is that you're not a waitress. You're a writer, who just so happens to work at a cafe. You've got way bigger things comin' your way—I know it. You don't need to pay any attention to Allie and her favouritism. One day she'll see your name on billboards across the country, and she'll wish she gave you that promotion instead of me."

Laurie scoffs. "You're just saying that to be nice."

"Me? I never lie." He wiggles his brows up and down once playfully, as though this solitary action will evidence his statement. "But regardless, I'll let you go home now. I've probably got a five-year-old waitin' for his daddy to come home right about now."

"I-I mean, yeah. Of course." Laurie hesitates, contemplating whether to speak further. "Um, actually ... did you maybe want to go to the park? You could bring Sean and Casey along. There's a playground there, so Casey can burn off any energy he has left from the day. Maybe you and I could have that conversation about my past, like I promised you."

Michael nods. "I'm sure Casey would love that. I'll go home and get changed into something less ... cafe-oriented. We can grab some dinner while we're out, maybe. Do you know any good places?"

"There's a chippy on the next street over from the park. Best fish and chips in England, I tell you." She nudges his arm, insistent. "My treat. I'll pay for us all to have some. We can eat it on the park bench, sort of like a picnic."

"That sounds wonderful. I'll see you in a lil' while, then?"

"Of course. I'll drop by Sean's place to meet you guys there."

"Perfect. See you later."

"See you later, Michael."

As the pair part ways, Michael experiences a vaguely familiar sensation in the pit of his stomach, though he cannot identify quite what it is. What he does note, however, is that it isn't an uncomfortable feeling — but rather, a very pleasant and welcome one.

As he walks back towards Sean's house his mind goes back and forth, evaluating the rollercoaster of events that have occurred in the last few hours. But rather than feeling scorn for the injury he sustained during his shift, he replays the conversation he has just engaged in with Laurie. Seeing her feelings hurt throughout the day has bothered him more than he cares to admit—but, by the same token, seeing her smile has made him smile, too.

The feelings of intense empathy that he experiences towards her puzzles him greatly, but as he continues on his way home he determines that this is merely the epitome of a blossoming friendship.

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Chapter fifteen! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will try to get back into writing this story as much as possible because I've missed it! xx