Caleb frowned. "Deaf language? That gesture, blowing kissing, is a thank you?" He was caught between laughing at his idiocy and crying because that gesture derailed his life!
Jena rolled her eyes and wondered about his expression because his eyes showed bemusement. "Sort of. I showed you a couple gestures and signals, remember. And I think I told you how to say thanks in deaf signal language. Remember?" She was sure she had told him the signal for thanks, but it was possible she told him another gesture.
It was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He could not help the chuckle. He used the deaf signal for thank you and added, "I could spin you around like Matt!"
"Why?"
"I can't believe I was jealous about a sign in deaf language!"
Jealous? Jena blinked.
He glanced over at Jena, and said, as his plan gathered speed. No obstacles in his way. "Come on Jena. Let's go. We are going on this date. And it is not a platonic date! You want to drive or shall I..."
Her mind was spinning. A non-platonic date? With him. But then her delight was muted when she realised the plan was to thwart the troll. "You just want us to have coffee, right? At a local café?" She interrupted. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." He nodded calmly. He could see she was worried. Their gazes collided. A shame that neither had the guts to be honest.
"We can walk?" She said, and wondered why she had capitulated so easily! Her heart was racing. A date. A proper date. Forget about the excuse. Treat it like a normal date, she ordered her.
"Walk?" He nodded. "Good idea." Success. He nearly whooped in delight. His tactic worked. Now to scale up this scheme. But his heart, reminded, small steps, because he did not want to scare her off. "Assume to a café locally."
"Yes. Five, ten, minutes away from here." She rubbed her hands as nerves and anticipation vied for position. In the back of her mind, she just hoped she was not jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
"Brilliant. Lets go, Jena." He grinned. Delighted to see his plan was working. He could not remember anticipating a date that was laced with so much excitement and euphoria. His eyes sparkled with jubilation. "And I assume you will let me go through your front door, not scramble over your fence." He teased.
She smirked. "Depends."
"On?"
"If you behave while I change my clothes." She was trying to decide on what she would wear. Something classy, but not too flash. Going out, with him, albeit to a local café, she thought she ought to make an effort. At least put on some makeup?
"Why?"
"Why?" Her mind still on her wardrobe. "What you mean, why?" She would have to find something to blow off his socks while not confusing her local café. Not that she would have anything that would blow off his socks.
"Why do you need to change?" He asked. His gaze roamed over her, and as far as he was concerned, she looked beautiful.
"You want people to see you with me," She gestured at her attire, "dressed like..."
His eyes tracked from her eyes to her feet and back, "Yes."
She looked at her attire, she has worn this to her local café but she was on her own when she was there. Now she was about to go out on date with a celebrity.
"Come on Jena, let's go! What you are wearing is great, Jena! "
"Yeah, right." She mumbled.
He smiled. "You do, what you are wearing is fine, and you look lovely,Jena." He reached for her arm, and drew her closer, their gazes flashed messages. "Beautiful."
She swallowed, then moved away, "er, Right, ok. Er, Right, we should leave. Before the café is closed." And before I lose my nerve.
He glanced at his watch. Plenty of time, he thought. But at least they were not going to wait for her to change. And he was not spinning a line about her or her attire. She was beautiful.
They left via her front door.
They walked on the private unsealed road heading towards the main road. With neither saying anything. Both reviewing the situation. Caleb was trying to fine tune his plan. Jena was trying to stem her nervousness. Until they reached the junction.
"Where are we going?" Caleb looked to the left and then the right, very little in this area he thought. Shops, but nothing special. And no sign of a cafe or a restaurant.
She mumbled, "Nothing flash. Just a local café that is open until 7 pm." She looked to the left, "We should cross here."
With his hand at her elbow, they crossed the road. When the reached the other side, of the road, his palm moved down her arm, and found her palm and linked their fingers. Jena glanced at their hands. Then looked up and met his gaze. Caleb waited to see what she would do.
Fortunately, they were jostled by the crowd on the pavement and with their hands still coupled, he lead his way through the crowd on the pavement. Then they navigated the group that descended from the bus. Clearly young people favoured this area. Obviously the industrial ambience suited some, close enough to the centre of town, but with accommodation that matched their pay bracket. Using her other hand, Jena pointed at another road, when they reached the corner.
An alley? He glanced at the tiny street, and said with a frown, "You want us to go along this alley?"
"Yes, the café is at the end." She pointed at the sign.
"You do remember why we agreed to this venture? That we need to be seen!"
"Yes. But you assumed someone will follow us. So it does not matter where we end up for this coffee date! That someone is probably tracking us!"
"Perhaps. But we need to be somewhere where we will be recognised. And not sure that anyone will see us if we vanish in an alley." Caleb grumbled as Jena marched away, dragging him along as she maintained their hand clasp.
They reached the café, Jena shrugged, "Well, I like this place." She opened the door, the door bell rang and they stepped into a tiny café. Small. Very small. He glanced around, 8 assortment tables with unmatched chairs, 4 at the windows, two on other side of the door, and then 4 tables skirting the counter. The café was so small he could see the counter, cakes and savoury pastries from the door way.
There were only three tables available. One at the window, the others were closer to the counter. "I suggest we take the window table?" Caleb ushered her towards the table. The door bell rang, and a man came in.
Caleb and Jena shrugged off their jackets and sat. Jena smiled at the waitress who had just delivered an order to the table beside their table.
"Hey, Jena."
"Hi. Busy already, I see." Jena glanced around the room. She knew this café had a great reputation, and as per normal, the place was nearly full.
"Yes. And you know you are lucky, " She glanced at the clock behind the counter, "Any moment, we expect a deluge, and you would have to wait for us to serve you!" She smiled, taking note of Jena's companion. But continued to talk, "Unfortunately, Iris called in, she can't come."
"She is ok?"
"Yes. I think so."
"So, just you and May at front?" Jena knew that would be hard, given this place will be packed in the next minutes. So contrary to Caleb's view, this cafe would be perfect for their plan.
"Yes." The door bell went again, as a couple appeared and headed for the counter. "I know what you want, your regular, and when your date decides, just signal me, ok?"
Jena nodded and did not enlighten Anne about Caleb. Anne headed for the door just by the counter and vanished.
Caleb glanced around and noted the man who had appeared just after they entered the café, was watching them. "Your local and the waitress knows you. She might post something on social media. And she thinks I am your date!" Caleb grinned.
"Because you took my hand, and we came inside with you still holding my hand!" She griped and he chuckled.
"I like holding your hands." He grinned.
Hiding her delighted reaction, Jena reached for a laminated menu and gave it to him. The door bell rang, and another man joined the queue at the counter.