It's been a few days since Dimitri was last seen in the cafe, the three, Darwin, Stacy, and Thea could only walk into thin line while observing Simon's unusual behavior for those few days. Never has the back alley reeked that much of smoke, and the whiskey in the bottom-most cabinet is always empty, but another unopened bottle is always seen by the morning. They could never think of anyone but Simon to do that, they all knew that Darwin has two other jobs to feed his three younger brothers so he dont drink, Stacy might go to parties and go out drunk but never comes in or out of work drunk and neither is Thea, who dont have the guts to drink in anytime she could think and lastly, all three of them dont smoke.
Thankfully enough, there hasn't been much customers in days due to the school holidays. This gave Thea much more time to rest, and study for her coming exams after the break. Normally, she would have hunted down other jobs but this job in the cafe pays her enough to cover her needs and slowly pay her debt in this cracky room.
"Are you ready for your exam Thea?" asked Darwin, who smiled at her gently while preparing the ingredients before opening the cafe.
"I don't think so." Thea sighed and shrugged it off.
"You studied, that's what matters." Stacy reassured her and gave her a slight tap on her shoulder, signaling Thea to flip the sign and open the cafe.
"Sir Simon hasn't arrived yet." Darwin started.
Thea's brows furrowed and so as Stacy's. "So it's just us right now?" Stacy asked.
"Yeah."
"He's acting a bit off these past few days, but he was never been late." Thea answered and stopped when she remembered the day she found Simon so drunk. "Except that day."
"You know what, I don't care what's wrong with our bosses as long as we get paid on time. I'm good." Stacy blurted out in her frustrated tone. Which of the two just laughed it off and went on to their work.
"Sir Dimitri." Thea whispered which didn't fail to reach to the other two's ears and immediately looked at Thea.
The three stopped on their tracks and stared at Dimitri, looking at them through the glass door which Thea is wiping.
"Sir, you're here." Darwin unknowingly blurted out which raised Dimitri's brow as he looked at him.
"Of course, I own this place." Dimitri sarcastically answered and pulled the door handle which slightly pulled Thea along.
In his usual demeanor wearing his suit he looked to professional and intimidating at the same time as he walks up to the counter. The three followed him with their eyes in pure shock of his presence.
"I thought he wont be around for 'a while'?!" Stacy aggressively whispered to Darwin as they stare at Dimitri remove his coat in the counter, rolled up his sleeves and started working on it.
" 'A while' ends now Stacy. Simon will be taking a leave." Dimitri answered.
Stacy panicked and ran towards the garbage, wrapped it up, and went out through the back door.
"Why?" Thea asked as she walked close to the two left behind the counter.
Dimitri stopped and looked at her for a while. "Why you'd want a drunk man here?" He asked sarcastically and rolled his eyes on her. "I will be here while he is away."
Thea backed off and walked towards Darwin, who was visibly tensed up with Dimitri's demeanor. They both knew what Dimitri is talking about, sir Simon is drunk almost everyday and its not doing well to them; the employees.
The day went on until the sun sets, the three were working silently while Dimitri is on a table across the place scanning some papers and back to his laptop. As they were cleaning, Thea could occasionally look at him, so focused on whatever he was doing. The two rushed their work and went off, leaving Thea fixing herself in the locker room and packing her things.
On her way out through the back door, she peeked back at Dimitri who's eyes are still on his laptop. *Should I tell him that I am going?*
"Uhm__excuse me sir__Im going ho___" she started as she slowly walked back to Dimitri.
"I'll drive you."
"What?" Thea's eyes went wide looking at Dimitri.
"But s_sir I__I_uh..."
"Your exams are coming up right? Stay there." Dimitri added as he bats an eye on her and eyed on the table besides him. "You study there."
"Okay." Thea whispered and nodded in response as she cautiously sat on the table beside him. *What should I study with? I dont have my books with me? Why am I even here? I should've just left together with Stacy!*
The silence engulfed the two, with only the sound of the pages flipping, his laptop's keyboard, the cars outside and Thea's foot tapping on the floor. The girl couldn't look at his direction and roams her eyes around the cafe, and on the road outside as she occasionally peeks on her phone for the time.
"I am almost done here, few more minutes."
Thea gasped hearing Dimitri breaking the silence between them, that pulled Thea's curiosity to know what he is doing. She observed how his eyes went back from the pages to his laptop and how quick his fingers taps on the keyboard while the hand flips on the pages. She then remembers how he turned up in the cafe this morning, and noticed how his eyes are deeper than before.
Unknowingly she stared at him, laid her bag on the table and leaned on it while her eyes are wondering on his table.
"Sir Simon said that you are working on an important case, that's why you are away. Is that the case he was talking about?" Thea asked that stopped Dimitri and glared at her.
"You ask unnecessary questions. I only asked you to wait," he answered annoyingly and went back to his work.
"Sorry." Thea whispered and turned her head away from him which he didn't fail to notice.
Dimitri sighed and looked at Thea who's back at looking at the road that's about to be empty as the night falls. "Yes, this is the case."
Thea sat straight and turned to him who's already looking at her with his pissed off face painted on it. He rolled his eyes at her and sighed again.
"Stand up, I'll just drive you home." he said as he stood up, and arranged his things back to his leather office bag.
"Bu_but sir, you still have some work to do. I can just go home by myself actually." Thea insisted bending to see Dimitri's face that obviously look so tired.
"Just keep your mouth shut, I'll drive you."
"Sir____"
"You think I intend to drive? Huh? Thea?" Dimitri snapped on her. Turning his head on her looking straight directly into her eyes which made her flinch.
"I never asked you to sir. I told you I can go home by myself___"
"Yeah you didn't. But HE did!"
"Huh?" Thea stared back at him so puzzled as he looks down on her with his tired eyes.
"Yeah, Simon. He asked me to drive you home right before he got back to rehab!"
*Rehab? Sir Simon?*