0.4 |from Sabah's hastily written notes on tissue paper: when baking a lemon cake|
A week later, Friday evening came again and the door chimes tinkled their little tune.
Auburn was right on time.
Except she wasn't.
It was the German boy. The one I wished was Spanish. Aaron? Anthony? Yes, Anthony. His blonde hair was windswept back and his second visit was quite like his first. He looked inside, eyes wavering from right to left, and seemed to question whether the cafe was open. Finally, he caught sight of the old cafe owner, me.
He flashed a quick smile and sat on one of the rickety white chairs. Suddenly remembering that he hadn't given his order he got up and looked slowly through the menu as if it hadn't occurred to him that he had come there to drink coffee.
As I made him a cappuccino this time, his fingers drummed softly on the table, a slight smile on his face while his eyes flitted to the glass door often following the sunrays that filtered over to that plant I kept near the board.
Feeling a sort of pity for his patience and those slender fingers that drummed ceaselessly, I called him over to check out the lemon cake I was baking.
"Wow, smells good. I'm sure it'll taste great when its done," he said, inhaling.
I laughed, "For that, young man, you get a free slice when its done."
"Oh no," he looked at me, "I'll pay, okay?"
"You do as I say or I'll hit you with an egg!" I threatened good-naturedly.
"You'll hit me with what?"
I was saved from answering when the door chimes tinkled and with the wind, in swept Auburn. Anthony turned and the effect was immediate. Both of them looked pleasantly surprised and smiled long and warm.
Auburn was the first to speak a friendly, "Hi!"
Anthony nodded and reaching up with his fingers, combed his hair sideways nervously, "Hey."
This time no one needed to tell them that they could sit together. Anthony gestured towards his table and pulled out a chair for Auburn. He was quite a gentleman.
"Thank you," Auburn sat down and deposited her bag of a week's papers, odd notebooks and red pens. "I didn't think we would meet again."
But she did think about it then, didn't she?
"Neither did I," laughed Anthony. "What a coincidence."
Of course, what a coincidence that you came back, Anthony. I smiled to myself.
Anthony was talking, "But the latte here is just so good that I had to come back."
Ah, the latte he had today substituted for a cappuccino today. He was not a great liar at all.
"Anyway, how are you?" he questioned, his grey eyes catching her violet-blue ones.
"I-uh-" Auburn faltered and then blurted, "Oh my God, your eyes are such a lovely shade of grey."
Anthony looked taken aback and a shade of intense red visibly climbed up his face, "Uh-thanks?"
Auburn laughed, "Sorry, that was clearly creepy of me. They are pretty, by the way." She heaved out a stack of papers from her bag and clicking open a red pen, she said, "And I am the same as last week. Horrible life. No escape."
Anthony's eyes followed her fingers and he guessed, "You're a teacher?"
She nodded slowly, her lips moving wordlessly as she read the first line of a student's answer sheet. She looked up and found him staring at her. "I'm sorry. What did you just say?"
He repeated, "You're a teacher?"
"Yes. A biology teacher of minimal Spanish knowledge teaching in an English medium school in Spain. Now, it even sounds odd. I don't know what possessed me to-"
"Here's your espresso," I handed her a cup of her favourite coffee, "and here's your cappuccino."
As I went back to take out the lemon cake I had been baking, I said, "I see that you still have your job, Auburn."
"Yup," she shrugged. "You were right. They didn't sack me this week."
I took the warm cake to their table and winked, "I am always right." I took a second to look pointedly from Auburn to Anthony.
Auburn shook her head at my actions but I just smiled and walked to the counter to bring out some extra plates.
"What was that?" asked Anthony, interested in the silent exchange.
***
A huge thank you to everyone who commented shipnames in the last chapter. In the end, there were so many and a few of them were agreed upon by the others. So, judging by the most popular ship name, we are on board the #AUBONY ship. You up for it?