Page 10 of The Perfect Blend
“What will it be this morning, Robin?” She asked.
“Hm, it all looks so good,” I said, eyeing the display of tasty looking pastries in front of me.
Mia laughed. “It always does!”
“That's true. I think I’ll go for a cinnamon and walnut bun, please. Can I pick up my order for the shop on my way back from the park?”
“Sure, no problem,” she said, popping my purchase into a paper bag and passing it over. “I’ll just add this to your invoice.” She reached into a glass jar on the counter and pulled out a bone shaped dog treat. “And this one is of course on the house for our lovely Beanie!”
Very accustomed to this special treatment, Beanie sat waiting patiently as Mia walked round the counter and delivered her morning treat. What a glorious life she led, going from place to place, receiving gifts as if she were a visiting dignitary. No wonder she thought she ruled the roost.
“Thanks Mia! See you in a bit.”
“See you later!”
I headed out of the shop, crossing the road and into the park. It had kept its Victorian layout, with plenty of paths through trees and manicured gardens, all surrounded by wrought iron fencing. We walked to our favourite spot where I ate my breakfast and Beanie did her absolute best to look pitiful in order to secure a single flake of pastry. A quick game of fetch and a lap of the park later, we picked up the goodies for the cafe from the bakery and returned home to open up.
The morning progressed as usual, with regular customers and new ones, but underlying it all was a heightened sense of anticipation. I had managed to work through my nerves and I was looking forward to seeing Zach this evening. No doubt I’d still find him attractive, but I didn’t want to focus on that. He wasn’t some abstract guy anymore who was rude enough that it was safe to find him hot. Attraction led to feelings and feelings led to trouble with me. My last boyfriend had turned out to be an absolute scumbag, which my cousin Sharon had no trouble reminding me of whenever she popped in just after the lunch rush. Living down the street and working from home, Sharon often came by on her way back from lunchtime grocery shopping or when she needed a change of scene. A handful of years older than me, Sharon had married and had kids young. She was a similar height to me, but much curvier, something I’d been so envious of back when I was a teenager. We shared the same brown hair, but where I preferred mine long, Sharon’s was cut into a sharp bob that flattered the rounder shape of her face. We didn’t really look alike, but upon close inspection, there was a small similarity to our faces that marked us as cousins. Today she bustled in, shopping bags weighing her down, and ordered a latte to go.
“What are you up to this evening, Robin? I’m having the girls round for a few drinks if you’d like to come over.”
I was grateful I actually had a good reason to refuse. I loved Sharon, and her friends were nice, but every time I went round I always ended up looking after the kids whilst Sharon and her friends had a great time. Don’t get me wrong, they were fantastic kids, but being a glorified babysitter was not my idea of a relaxing evening out.
“Ah, sorry Sharon, someone’s actually coming by to help me put the Christmas lights up for the shop,” I said, trying my best to sound apologetic about it. “Do you remember how I used to spend most of Christmas up at Bluebell Ridge Farm as a child?”
Sharon nodded. "Great big draughty place owned by those people your mum was friendly with. I went once, and it was awful. I could never figure out why you loved it up there so much.”
“Yes. Well, anyway, a boy I used to play with whenever his family came up for the Christmas holidays has actually come back and is living there now. We bumped into each other yesterday and tonight he’s lending me a hand and some ladders to get the lights hung up.” I strategically chose not to mention that he was the same guy that I’d been bumping into. “It’s great to see him again after all these years.”
I don’t know what gave me away, but I saw something change in Sharon's expression. “Oh, Robin,” she started in a sympathetic tone, “I know you must be lonely after being without Pete this past year, but please tell me you’ll be careful this time.”
I decided to put aside the assumptions about how I felt about my cheating ex boyfriend and do some damage control before I became the topic of gossip between Sharon and her friends tonight.
“Ah, Sharon, it’s not like that! We were good friends back in the day and it’s fun to reconnect. You worry too much.” I said lightly, willing her to drop it.
“Mhmmhmm,” her voice was packed with scepticism. “Well, as long as you’re being careful. We don’t need another heartbreak like last time, and the times before that.”
Swallowing my ire at this “we” who didn’t need another broken heart, I smiled brightly at her.
“Never again! Here’s your latte, I’ll add it to your tab. Oh, look at the time, it's nearly two o’clock! I’ve got to ring one of my suppliers.''
“Alright then, see you, Robin. Let me know if you change your mind about later!” She trilled, picking up her bags and her coffee, and hustling back outside as I held the door open for her.
“I will!” I sang back, though we both knew I wouldn’t. “Have a good day!”
The door chimed as it closed behind her, and I tried to ignore the twinge of unease the conversation had instilled in me. Sharon was an unnerving mix of perceptive and assertive. She was always either completely right about something, even if people didn’t yet know it themselves, or 100% convinced about something even when it was proven to be untrue.
∞∞∞
The sign on the door had been turned to ‘Closed’ and I was just cashing up when the door chime announced the arrival of Zach. He stepped inside and suddenly the shop felt small, his presence filling every corner. Maybe it was his height or the way our eyes connected the second he stepped over the threshold. Or maybe it was because I was, as expected, crushinghardand without any of the self-preservation I had repeatedly promised myself.
“Hey!” I said, maybe a little too enthusiastically. “I’m just finishing up here, feel free to look around. I’ll only be a minute.”
“Hey to you too,” he said, low voice smooth and warm like fine coffee, “I’ll make sure to soak it all in. You were right to put me in my place the other day for being rude about your bespoke coffee matching. It’s clear I don’t know the first thing about it. So, I’ll take this as a learning opportunity,” he said wryly.
I snorted, and turned back to the safe, un-sexy page of my cash book. “There’s a carefully curated selection of coffee themed, coffee table books and children’s books in that nook in the back. If you feel you might require a textbook for your educational journey.”
“I’ll make sure to select a text suitable for my reading level,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. Which, of course, made me smile too. Quite a feat since I was engaged in tedious basic maths.
