But the main reason was mostly because she knew she wouldn’t be able to cope with the loneliness if she didn't keep busy. She found it exceedingly hard to make friends. She just didn’t fit in. The girls in her program were so beautiful, trendy and sophisticated. Coming from a small town, she felt she either stood out too much, or rather, that she was invisible.
Max had been busy as well. Since Kate left, Max decided to finally take over his father's restaurant business, as the time was opportune. Max decided not to go to college, and his father was getting old and tired. The restaurant wasn’t big enough to hire a manager so Max could easily take time off. But since his was one of the biggest restaurants in his small town, Max was busy almost seven days a week, from early morning until late at night, until the last employee left.
Kate couldn’t talk to her parents too often either, not wanting to make them worried. She wanted to be strong and independent. But what gave Kate the most stress was her dire financial situation. Everything just cost so much. She thought she had planned her budget well. She had accounted for her tuition fee, rent, electricity, internet and the phone bill. She didn’t live far from college, so transportation wasn’t an issue.
Food, stationary, daily essentials, functional electronic appliances that were supposed to be included in her rent, and unforeseen expenses from school, such as a new computer more suitable for graphic design, had given her a lot of difficulties making ends meet, however. She could have asked for help from her parents, but she was determined to make it herself. She set out to find a part-time job while being on a tight budget.
Finding a job wasn’t easy for Kate. The only job that would not cut in to her school hours was the food service industry. She didn’t want to work at fast food. She didn’t drink, so she definitely couldn’t work in bars. So she set out to work in coffee shops.
She must have submitted applications to every coffee shop and small restaurant within a five kilometer radius, until she finally heard back from one coffee shop. It was a JavaU café, one of those chain coffee shops found only in the city (and a few cities in the Middle East) that operated like a Starbucks, but served higher-end sandwiches and coffee. Kate was ecstatic that she finally got an interview.
The next day, she wore her best outfit (which was really the same old white turtle-neck and black knee-length skirt over thick, black pantyhose) to meet her potential employer. She arrived at the coffee shop ten minutes early, and approached the cashier, a beautiful, petite brunette, maybe ten years her elder. She would later learn that her name was Liz, a young mother of a two year-old daughter. Liz was expecting her. She served her a coffee and asked Kate to wait at one of the tables for her supervisor to come conduct the interview.
Kate was very nervous, as it was her very first interview ever. She was eager to get the job, so that she could finally solve her financial problems. Her budget was such that she could probably last another month or so without help, and that was even after she had cut all expenses to a minimum, including cutting the internet. After waiting for over thirty minutes, her nervousness only grew. She was afraid that the interview wouldn’t happen. When her prospective employer finally arrived however, her nervousness was replaced by a mixture of anger and surprise.
Standing in front of her was Kyle. Kyle and Kate had gone to the same high school. He never finished high school, however. He was always a rebellious student, and rumor had it that he was kicked out of his home to live with his sister in the city. Kate never liked Kyle. In fact, she loathed him. He was somewhat of a bully, although never physically. He was average height, but had an athletic build, and good looking, but cocky as hell. He would make fun of all the unpopular kids in school, which included Kate and Max.
His other pastime was hitting on girls. Countless girls had their heart broken. It appeared that he was completely disinhibited. He was particularly fond of girls who were committed in a serious relationship. What really perplexed Kate however, was that girls would fall for him, knowing they would get hurt. He was simply despicable.
“Kate, I know you right? We went to high school together,” Kyle said as he was approaching where Kate sat. He had disheveled hair, was chewing gum, and was dressed in a v-neck, with tight, black jeans. Nothing like the serious middle-aged gentleman Kate imagined her supervisor would be.
“Yes, I am afraid so,” said Kate.
“'Afraid so,' what the hell does that mean?”
“Figure of speech,” she replied. A part of Kate really wanted to leave. Knowing that there was a potential of working with Kyle made her stomach churn. But Kate stayed, and thought to herself that if worse came to worst, she would work here while looking for another job.
“I saw your resume. To be honest, I am not looking for any help. Oh, in case you haven’t noticed, I run this place for my sister. She is usually in another JavaU she owns at the other end of the city. Anyhow, I was surprised to see your name. I didn’t know you moved here. I guess you need a job. I can help.”
Kate hated what was going on, but she desperately needed the money, so after discussing details of what the work entailed, she agreed to take the job. She would work two or three weeknights and all day Saturday. The hours weren’t too bad; the café closing time was 10pm. She would eat her supper later, sleep around midnight, and still be able to make it to her morning classes.
She fitted in quite fine as well. She got along with her co-workers, and despite lacking experience, she handled her share of work. She was even able to stand Kyle. He was surprisingly appropriate with her and the other co-workers, who were all female. He would occasionally crack borderline inappropriate comments, but never to them, and always in the spirit of making everyone laugh.
The only thing that made Kate uncomfortable was the uniform. Everyone wore the same white button-up blouse that was too see-through and too tight for Kate’s taste. Her breasts were very generously accentuated. Fortunately, they wore it under a black apron. For the bottom, they all wore the same black skirt (but too high for Kate’s comfort), over black pantyhose, with black, round-headed flat heel shoes.
Three weeks had almost passed until payday finally came. The timing was opportune; Kate had been living off her meager tips, and what little savings she had left. She was looking forward to finally stocking up her fridge with healthy food. It was a busy night, much busier than usual. After the last customer left and the place cleaned, Kyle distributed the paycheques.
When Kate opened the envelope, she stood there looking at the cheque. A part of her felt excited, as this was her first paycheque. Another part of her felt relief, as the weight of the financial burden finally lifted off her shoulders. Kyle must have noticed. To celebrate Kate’s first paycheque, he invited everybody over to his apartment for food. It was little before 10pm, and nobody had eaten anything yet. So Kyle brought Kate, Liz, and Carla, another co-worker, to his place.
When they arrived at Kyle's place, Kate was very impressed. It had high ceilings, with floor windows overlooking the city. The place was huge compared to what Kate had. The furniture looked so expensive. The place looked like what you would see in a fashion magazine.
“So, what do you guys wanna eat?” Kyle asked, as Kate was still absorbing the place, visibly impressed. Nobody said anything, so Kyle asked if they were okay with sushi.
Kate finally joined in the conversation and replied, “I don’t mind, I've had it only once though, at the Sushi Shop. It was okay."
“The stuff served in a box, piled in a fridge? That’s not sushi, that’s fast food. Actually, that’s shit food. You’re in my city now. You will be eating the good stuff,” Kyle boasted.
Kate was somewhat insulted by the comment, but then again, she knew what Kyle said was true. She had always wanted to try sushi, and she knew the food from Sushi Shop wasn’t actually the real deal. But Japanese food was a luxury she couldn’t afford. While waiting for the sushi delivery, Kyle opened a bottle of sake. At first, Kate really did not want to drink.
She was never good at holding her alcohol. In fact, she never really enjoyed it. The only alcohol she had ever had was beer, which was the only thing her family and friends ever drank in her hometown. She took some sake for politeness, but to her surprise, she actually enjoyed the subtle, sweet taste of it. Without realizing it, she did not stop drinking for the rest of the night.
The food arrived shortly after. It was her first time eating authentic Japanese cuisine, and she enjoyed it very much. Eating raw fish was such an exotic experience, and she did not hesitate to try everything. She even enjoyed the things Kyle said would be hard for anyone without a fine palate. While Liz and Carla stayed away from such delicacies as Ikura and Uni, Kate was beaming with pleasure while sampling the food. And when Kyle complimented Kate’s ability to appreciate good food, it made Kate even happier. She felt proud knowing that even a small town girl can be sophisticated.
The sake was flowing, and they were having a great time. At one point, Kyle went to the washroom. When he came back a few minutes later, Liz and Carla had already left.
“Where did everybody go?” Kyle asked. Kate was sitting alone between the sofa and the coffee table in the living room.
As Kyle sat an arm-length away from her on the floor, Kate replied, “Liz had to go home. Her husband says her daughter woke up asking for her. Carla accompanied her. And I just missed the bus. The next one is in thirty minutes. I hope you don’t mind if I finish the sake.”
“Of course not. I’m impressed you appreciate the good stuff. I thought a small town girl like you would have her stomach turned at the sight of raw fish,” Kyle said. That comment irritated Kate, but at the same time, it made her feel flattered. She felt like a little school girl getting complimented by her teacher for the very first time.
“Thanks, I guess. So, I heard you got kicked out of your home for doing something bad. Is that true?” Kate immediately regretted her question. It was none of her business, and she was afraid she offended Kyle.
“That’s what I hate about small towns. Little people talking behind others back. I got kicked out alright. That was because my mother hooked up with a dude, and she wanted the house so she could moan and scream when she gets fucked. It suits me though, I get to live in the city and do my own things without people meddling.”
“Oh. I am sorry to hear that,” Kate replied, while trying to hide her offense to the vulgar vocabulary.
“That’s cool. I always found it funny that people called me a son of a bitch back in the day. 'Cause I am!”
With that said, Kate couldn’t stay another minute. The last comment was just too tasteless. “I should get going soon,” Kate said, while trying to be polite. She continued while she was getting up, “Kyle, thank you very much for all that you have done.
