To pole-dance, you need to be flexible, beautiful and either a tattooed, bearded 1.90m man or a 70-year-old woman.

Wednesday. My so-called day off. But since I've been here without knowing anyone, it's turned into my worst nightmare. The cause? The profound boredom that overwhelms my whole body, trying to drown me so I can join Sponge Bob. So when Anita saw me turn up at 9 o'clock wearing my best blue jumpsuit with yellow flowers and a jacket full of clouds, all smiles, I thought she was going to kill me or torture me by cutting off my toes to make a pendant — I have no doubt about my boss's creativity.

I camped out for a whole hour until she agreed that I could only work on Wednesday. What helped me in my quest for work was that she still had an appointment and it suited her to let me have the coffee while she came back. At least that way she doesn't shut up and I can keep busy.

The last few days we spent together went well: she continued to train me, criticising my outfits every day and finally apologising. She gave me dubious advice about boys or ideas about how to make friends and she continued to feed me gossip about the clients. I get on quite well with her so I work happily, while earning quite a bit of money for a job as a waitress. It has to be said that she hasn't had many waiters in her life and it shows. As much as I adore Anita, her habits at the café are well ingrained, so she very often — too often — forgets I exist. But I have to admit that her trust in me is incredible and warms my heart a little more every day. She's a bit like the grandmother I never had, except that she's nothing like me.

At around 3pm, she sets foot in the café again, apron straight on, after sending me a message to let me know she'd arrived a few minutes earlier.

« It's true I didn't tell you, but your outfit today is fine. » she says, dusting off her yellow apron.

« Anita? Are you all right? » I ask, my hand over my mouth as if shocked. « It's the first time you've complimented me on my outfit. »

« Don't dream too much, little girl, it's just that my apron goes well with your outfit at the moment. »

« At the same time, the little cloud jacket I found in a shop yesterday is just incredible! It goes perfectly with my little sunflowers. »

She raises her eyes to the sky and smiles as I laugh, spinning around to show her my outfit. I didn't think Wednesdays were so quiet, and I think I like it just as much. We sit quietly behind the counter, chatting a bit while we wait for customers.

« Sweetheart, I've been thinking. » says Anita seriously this time. « Since you arrived, I've had the impression that everything in town is flat. Not at the café! You're a real ray of sunshine and you know it, but there's nothing going on, not even a pregnant chick or a neighbour cheating on his wife with a supermarket cashier! Nothing, no gossip. I tell you a lot of old stories, but there's nothing going on. »

« Excuse me. » I laugh. « I admit that since I've been here my life's been pretty quiet too, but I'm not going to complain. Maybe I brought some bad vibes when I arrived, putting an end to family conflicts and dramas! I should think about opening a witchcraft practice myself. »

« But you've got to live! You're going to end up all alone if you keep this up! » she exclaims as if I hadn't interfered in the conversation. « I don't doubt the good company of cuddly toys or an old lady like me, but you need friends to go out with, to break the spell of boredom in this town and in your life! »

I have to admit that since I've been here, my life has been flat, not to say invisible. I came here to make a fresh start but above all to live a new life. A little more exciting than the first, if possible. But that's not the case. I get up, eat what's begging to be eaten in my fridge, go to work, work, and go home to sleep. I do a bit of shopping from time to time for decoration and clothes, but I get a bit bored. My time off is spent reading by myself or wandering around the city with no particular goal in mind. I'm actually a bit pathetic as a girl, in retrospect.

« Well, » I thought, « don't you want to show me some of the sights? Or point me in the right direction and maybe I'll go for a walk... »

« Saperlipopette! » she shouts, waking up the few customers in the café. « You're not 80 years old and going out alone to look after your legs! »

Now all the customers are looking at us, laughing.

« Anita, keep it down! » I whisper, lowering my eyes. « I don't want the whole town to know my every move... »

« Believe me, sue already is » she declares. « If you think the arrival of a pretty girl in town has gone unnoticed, you've got another thing coming! »

And this statement doesn't surprise me in the least. A lot of people who come here talk to Anita for long minutes about the latest local gossip. And I doubt they're only like that with Anita... And I can't say I haven't noticed the customers who ask me lots of personal questions, probably to sell my information to whoever wants it.

« OK, fine, you win. I'll try and make some friends... »

A cry of joy escaped the woman as two or three people in the room began to applaud.

« I said 'I'll try'... »

« Don't worry, darling, I can make you a list of people if you like. Some are more pleasant than others, but... »

« Hello! » I exclaimed as I saw a man enter the café. « What would you like? »

Anita has no choice but to capitulate, but I know very well that this conversation is far from over. Much to my chagrin.

***

At 6pm, as he does every day of the week, the man I bumped into turns up. Every day he looks up at me from his 6'3' height, rubbing his growing beard and ordering a coffee. Just a poor black coffee, bitter and sad. Every day I bring it to his table because Anita insists that I serve it. In fact, I suspect she passes on to me the customers she doesn't like, him being one of them. And every day I hate running into him just as much as she does, because he makes me feel uncomfortable. Every day he gets up and leaves, discreetly leaving Anita a generous tip, and crosses the road to go opposite the café. It looks like some sort of nightclub, but a bit selective, with a bouncer arriving at the entrance when we close, and just the name 'Milady' above it. Not even a sign indicating what's inside.

I go back behind the counter after picking up a table and find Anita cleaning her favourite coffee machine with great care.

'What's opposite the café? It looks like some sort of ultra-selective nightclub. » I ask her, looking through the bay window at the bouncer coming out to settle in.

Anita turns to face me and bursts out laughing. It takes her a few minutes to recover, but I can't work out why she's laughing so hard. I don't think I said anything funny... or I've got something very funny on my face.

« It's a strip club, beautiful'. » she explains as she puts her sponge away. « Run by good old Greyson, a man who's as loathsome as he is rich, handsome but vicious. »

« Is he the man who always sits there around 6-7pm? » I ask, pointing to a deserted table.

« No, that's Gareth. He's a rascal, even if he's not very bad. I knew you'd spotted him. He's trying to get you to serve him so he can annoy you more. Watch out for him, he's trying to find out who you are. »

I frown, not really understanding what Anita is telling me. It's more like she's trying to hand him over to me as soon as she can.

« Spotted? » I ask her indignantly. « What do you mean, spotted? Every day I have to watch him stare at me because you won't serve him and I have to deal with him! I didn't spot him, I have no choice but to see him! »

« He's caught your eye. » she says simply, shrugging her shoulders. « And I don't like it. »

« A stripper? » I continue, getting carried away. « Or even worse, a poor guy who goes to drool in front of dancing women every day. No, but that's not right, never of life. »

« You should go there one night, just to have a drink and meet people. I have to say that even if I'm not a big fan of Greyson, his club is pretty nice, I have to admit. It's a... special atmosphere. I think you'll like it, you know. »

« You're crazy! It's a good thing I've just finished my shift and you'll soon be finishing yours, because you look like you've had something to drink! »

I finish putting away the last of the things I have in my hands before heading off to the back of the shop. For once since I started working here, I feel like leaving as quickly as possible.