A/N: this is the entry for the rsd round one.
Word count: 2032
Group image: the coffee cup and cinnamon on the hessian
Pictures used: 3, 4 , 5, 6
Cuppa Jo was a wonder. The little coffee shop had been a success since the day Joanne opened it and she loved the place so much. Good quality coffee and cakes were what she prided herself on and she managed to share her passion with others. Baking was her creative outlet and she hoped that one day her own prince charming would eat something that she had baked and decide to sweep her right off her feet. Her whimsical sense of romance added to the charm of the shop and during the peaks season she saw many couples pass through and return again and again.
She was busy baking again and the scent of cinnamon and orange hung heavily in the air. Each breath was a caress to the olfactory and she was sure the sweet tooth was directly connected to the nose. Joanne heard the small copper bell above the door tinkle and she turned, a brown paper packet ready in her hand. She knew who it would be.
He came in without fail every day at precisely 9 am, ordered a coffee and a muffin and then he was off again. She looked forward to his visits every day and she wasn't ashamed to admit that for the ten minutes that he was in the shop every day she felt like swooning. As her sister would say “ He was one hunky hunk of man.”
His skin was tanned from working in the sun, his dark hair curled , mostly hidden by the ever present Stetson and his eyes were bluer than the sky in September.
He was tall, dark and handsome.
He was Gareth Rawlins.
He probably didn't even know she existed.
She smiled sweetly at him, hoping her adoration wasn’t too plain to see. “Good morning Mr. Rawlins. I baked a special batch today: spicy orange marmalade muffins, and to counter the sweetness, just a regular cuppa Jo.”
Gareth Rawlins looked up and smiled, making Joanne's heart flutter. She knew he would now say thank you, give her the money and take his order, have one sip and then walk out... yes, there came the smile, and then- he took off his hat and leaned against the counter.
“Joanne, I do believe you know the way to my heart.”
Joanne gaped, aware that she had to resemble a goldfish quite closely at that moment. She gulped the lump in her throat down.
“Excuse me?” she asked, hesitantly. Trying to not read too much into his words.
“You always know just what to make, as if you know exactly what I’m in the mood for.
Her heart fell, sinking right down to the bottom of her stomach. “ Personal service, what can I say? I believe in getting to know my customers.” she wondered if she sounded as brittle as she felt. She waited a tad impatiently for the words that would shatter her heart. But they never came. Once again he surprised her, this time by murmuring softly.
“You don't do what you do for me for all your customers, and you know it.”
Their eyes met and for a moment Joanne felt lost, like she was floating in the blue depths of his.
“I may be going out on a limb here, but I have nothing to lose: Joanne, can I take you out for coffee some time?”
Gareth was glad when she said yes. He didn't lack self confidence, and could easily get a date with a any umber of girls in town if he felt like it but Joanne had always intrigued him. She was so passionate about her shop and threw herself into it so whole heartedly. He wondered what it would feel like to be loved like that.
