Chapter Nineteen - Plum and Violet Wildflowers
Going back a day, to Wednesday afternoon, across town there was another gay kid very much smitten. Sam lay on her bed with her ankles crossed, biting her smiling lip. She was mid-way through a text conversation with Pathina, one of many they had had since Sam had jotted down the number from the cookie and nibbled it as enticingly as she could manage as she held Pathina's gaze and winked at her before slipping thought the coffee shop door. She'd done her best to hold her cool as she left the shop, well aware Pathina would be watching her from the window.
After that she'd grinned all the way round town as she wandered to kill time. She had most certainly noticed Pathina before although never been served by her, only watching her from a distance, hoping she'd get a chance to work her charismatic powers on her.
'Charismatic powers' was an over-statement. She did have charisma, the kind of charisma that comes naturally to someone like Sam who didn't try to be liked; someone who moseyed through life just being herself.
And now that charisma had gotten her an admirer. Well, the charisma hadn't done much, they'd only talked for a short while but that didn't matter now.
Sam had waited until she got home before texting Pathina a casual, 'Hey. It's Sam, the girl from the coffee shop.' She debated adding a smiley but then decided against it, leaving setting tone of the conversation Pathina.
'Correction: It's Sam, the cutie from the coffee shop ;)'
Sam's eyes lit up as she read the message. Aww, she's sweet. What do I have to lose here? Might as well be sweet right back. Sam grinned mischievously as she typed back 'Ok then, It's Sam, the cutie from the coffee shop ;) Cutie here's wondering why a beautiful girl like you gave her their number...' She ran her fingers through her hair and thought how flirty she could get away with being by text to a girl she just met.
'(Nawww! You're really sweet!) Well the girl thought made she could hook up with said cutie from the coffee shop.'
The conversation continued and it turned out... Sam could get away with been very flirty by text as Pathina was being just as flirty back.
But that was back on Saturday and they'd gotten to know each other considerably since then.
'What are you thinking about?' The message flashed up on Sam's screen and she held it over her head to read, still lying down her bed.
She thought for a moment before replying, 'I'm thinking about changing into some nicer clothes and coming to see you.' She knew Pathina was at work, they'd briefly discussed it earlier. Usually, Sam would have been out somewhere after school, at a cafe with a book or just walking around town but she'd come home specifically to change to see Pathina, she'd just been waiting until the right moment to tell Pathina she was coming.
'Well I think you should stop thinking and get over here. I want to see you :)' Sam leapt off her bed when she read the message and rummaged through her wardrobe for something nicer to wear. She looked down at her school uniform, puzzled as to what she should go for. She switched her school trousers for jeans, her blouse for a t-shirt and hoodie.
Her reflection disagreed with her choice. She sighed despondently. Slowly, she walked to her drawers and drew out a black skirt. Biting her lip she looked back at her mobile that she'd left on her bed. What would Pathina like? She thought looking back at the skirt. She hadn't worn it in ages, partly because there was no where she felt she could wear it to and partly because she hadn't got the guts to wear it often anyways.
Within ten minutes Sam had left the house and set off towards the coffee shop in a red hoodie and her neat black skirt with dark tights. She hoped Pathina would comment on her legs when they met, it would certainly encourage her to wear more skirts in the future.
'On my way :D' she texted back, speeding up a little to get there quicker.
Vicky Ave.'s Caffeine Fix wasn't far from where Sam lived. Her walk would only take ten minutes at a leisurely pace - but Sam was far too excited to walk leisurely.
Between Sam's estate and the edge of town, just two streets away from the Fix was a small expanse of grass with beds of wildflowers to one side, un-owned flowers that had done well to survive with no-one caring for them. Usually Sam would pass these without interest but today the bright purple of a single flower caught her eye, reminding her of Pathina's colourful crop of curls. She scanned the beds for others like it. With a small smile to herself she knelt down in the dirt and plucked a few, choosing only the deepest plum colours and the most shocking violet ones. Standing, she arranged them into a neat bouquet, wishing she had a purple ribbon to finish it off with. She looked down at her tights and quietly scolded herself for not remembering she was wearing them when she'd knelt in the soil. She used her free hand to attempt to tidy herself up but there were still two dark patches on her knees that refused to be rubbed off. Sam frowned. But the flowers were worth it, and so will Pathina's smile when she sees them, she thought, her frown changing to a grin as she set off at her hurried speed once more.
She slowed her walk a few streets away from the shop so that she could act as natural as possible when she walked down Victoria Avenue, just encase Pathina was watching for her.
Sure enough, Pathina was watching for Sam, twisting round every few minutes to check if she could be seen through one of the shop windows. Pathina was excited, very excited. She felt hopeful that she could woo Sam into being a lovely fixture in her life.
The soft chime of the doorbell twinkled in the air but the sound was not needed. In her mind, Pathina ran across the shop and bundled Sam into her arms breathlessly.
But that, unfortunately, would not have been fitting for a public setting though. Restraining herself, she walked towards Sam calmly and held out her arms which Sam neatly fitted herself into and they shared a brief, friendly hug.
"It's great to see you again," Sam said as she stepped out of the hug, the flowers in her hand swinging by her side.
"You too, I missed you."
"You did?"
"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you like we did last time you were here," Pathina smiled and cocked her head a little.
Sam remembered the flowers she was holding and presented them to Pathina, "These," she said holding them out confidently, "Are for you."
Pathina caught her breath a little and smiled a smile of surprise that reached her eyes and set them sparkling, "Sam..." she whispered, taking them gentle, "You are so sweet, no one's ever done anything like this for me before," she stroked a petal with her thumb as she spoke and pulled Sam into another hug when she'd finished. "Pick them yourself?" she asked, noticing the dark shade of Sam's knees.
"I did. I spotted one... this one," Sam reached out and pointed to the flower in the centre of the bouquet, "And it reminded me of your hair, which, by the way is the most awesome hair I've ever seen," she winked playfully, "And I decided to pick it for you and the others were to keep it company."
"Cute," Pathina said quietly, "Let's goget you seated shall we?"
She took Sam to the same table that she'd sat at last time. Instead of sitting opposite Sam she turned her head and frowned, "Two minutes," she said, walking away swiftly, cradling the bunch of flowers in her hands.
She fetched a small vase from beneath the counter and turned to another employee who was standing next to her, "I'm going to take my break now Tom, is that ok?" she asked, filling the vase with tap water.
"Sure. You know the drill, ten minutes."
Pathina nodded and slipped the wildflowers into the vase. Her boss, who had been standing behind the counter too chewing on the end of her pencil, looked at the flowers thoughtfully, "Is that your girlfriend?" she asked.
Pathina looked up and bit her lip. She'd never told her boss she was gay but she'd never thought it'd be a problem. There was nothing but kindness in her boss's face though and Pathina relaxed but blushed, "Not yet."
"Not yet, eh?" she tapped her bottom lip with the pencil, "take thirty minutes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm a sucker for young love."
Pathina beamed, "Thank you so much, I swear I'll make it up to you!"
Her boss just shook her head, "No need, it's a slow day. Go have fun."
With an almost skip, she returned to Sam's table and set the vase neatly in the middle. The chatted for a while, the chemistry so perfect between them that time flew. Within what felt like minutes almost the whole of Pathina's break had gone. They both knew that just this was not enough for them. Pathina especially
"So this is great, but I'd really like to take you out on a proper date."
Sam smiled and raised an eyebrow, "Where would you take me?"
Pathina tapped the side of her nose secretly, "I'm not going to spoil that," she laughed, "I'll take you nice places, like you deserve. That's better than just seeing me on my breaks, which by the way is almost up I'm afraid."
"I'd like that."
Pathina put her hand over Sam's, "I do have to go now and you are free to leave, I won't be able to give you as much attention as I'd like to right now, but come back tomorrow yeah?"
Sam laughed and decided she probably should go, "Yes, ok. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Great," Pathina sighed and stood up as Sam did so that they were looking into each other's eyes. She didn't want to have to work right now. She rested her fingertips lightly on Sam's shoulders. Smoothly, she leant and pecked Sam's cheek, her eyelids fluttering as she did. Sam blushed instantly, but leant and returned the favour as Pathina's hands dropped from her shoulders.
"See you tomorrow," she whispered in her ear after kissing Pathina's cheek too, her hand touching Pathina's wrist gently.
Sam stepped back and waved by creasing her fingers towards her palm twice, then turned and left, leaving Pathina with a pleasant glow in her heart that matched the heat of her cheek where Sam had kissed it. The glow was reciprocated in Sam's heart as the cold air outside the shop quickly stole the heat from her own cheek.