A Knock Away

Sourdough Sorry

"He seems nice." Having taken my eyes of Vince for the moment I was startled when his voice sounded from my right side.

"He was actually," I kept looking forward.

Vince turned and peered that way too, "Boyfriend?"

We never had talked about being exclusive, so I understood his need to know. "What does it look like to you?"

"If I'm being honest," Vince took a step closer, "It looked like you were trying to make me jealous."

"Don't flatter yourself," I took the last swig of my coffee and started to head back to my bakery.

Vince followed, clipping at my heels, "So I was right, he is more than a friend?"

I stopped mid stride and turned to him, poking his chest, "Clearly it did make you jealous!"

Vince looked sheepish.

"Aha!" I clapped, since he might as well have admitted it in words, his expression was that easy to read.

"Ok," he called from behind, having not followed me again.

I turned to see him slowly walking backwards.

"Yes, I'm jealous, what do you expect?" He threw his hands out, as if frustrated by this conversation.

"I expected an apology!" I yelled, then immediately quietened down, noticing all the people's eyes from surrounding cafes looking to us. "I just want you to tell me the truth, don't fill your response with a witty phrase. Why didn't you want your sister to meet me?"

Vince was a foot away from me now, his breath heavy, the two of us tired from the chase. I could tell he was trying to find the right words. After a while I could see he wasn't going to say anything.

"It was nice while it lasted," I scoffed, heading for my bakery, weaving through people, not having missed the annoyance of crowds when in lockdown.

"I was embarrassed," Vince choked, I could hardly hear him as he ran beside me.

"You?" I threw my hands out stopping once more. "You were embarrassed?"

"I felt bad since you said you wanted to keep things casual," he tried to explain, "and then my sister comes around and..."

"You thought I was angry that I was getting to know you better?" I slapped my forehead and watched as he realised how confusing that concept was.

"When you put it that way..."

"Argh!" I groaned and pushed the little plastic flaps to the door of my bakery out of the way as I entered, heading straight behind the counter and into the back room where the kitchen and ovens are.

Rushing behind the desk, Vince followed.

Jemma quickly came to my rescue, stopping him from crossing the barrier to behind the counter. "If you're staying you've got to buy something."

"I'll take a chocolate croissant," Vince said then leant over the counter, peering at me as I tied my apron back around my waist in the back. "I'm sorry Hannah, I don't know how many times I..."

"No croissants left pal," Jemma was being rather cold, and I loved her even more for that.

Vince rubbed his temples, "A sourdough loaf then."

Another customer came to the counter, an elderly lady, and Jemma was occupied with Vince's bread, so I had to come out, while he was still there, slightly to the left out of the woman's way.

"May I have one of the coconut-cream pies," the old lady pointed.

I took a breath and conjured up a smile, "Certainly, boxed?"

The woman nodded.

Vince spoke to me through the glass display cabinet, both of us bent down, "Hannah, I want you back in my life."

"In your bed you mean," I took the creamy pie out carefully, trying to say it quietly.

As I came back up, I saw Vince standing there nodding, moving closer, his chest up against the glass he whispered, "That part was brilliant."

"Wrong thing to say." In a moment of both frustration and anger I lifted my hand and shoved the cream pie right in his face. After a moment, I clapped my hand over my mouth, shocked by what I had done. Vince stood in the middle of the shop with coconut pie dripping off him.

I didn't know what I thought he was going to say but what came out next was totally unexpected.

"I never did like coconut," he licked the side of his lips getting a taste of the pie, which covered him from forehead to chin.

With that the little elderly lady burst out laughing, "I guess I'll have what he's having."