Chapter 2
You know when you're lying half asleep in bed and you start to get that hazy feeling where you can't work out if the sounds around you are real or in your dreams...
BANG BANG!!!
Well I know that wasn't the sound I wanted to hear in my dreams.
"What the hell..." I jumped up in bed rubbing my eyes half asleep. What the heck was that banging! I looked over at my clock... seven o'clock!! God! I have an extra hour I could have slept whose causing that banging.
Bang!! The sound came again from outside my front door, it was then my mind started in gear as I worked out what was going on.
"Open up!!" Ross my Landlord screamed angrily. Why was he so angry... Oh, bugger! I owe him like two months' rent!
Bugger!!
I haven't got paid from the club this month and last month my wage was so small it wouldn't have fed a church mouse. Shifts at the club were coming up short and I could only work so much at the Café and it's not like Milly has money to just give away. Mickey said they were after new dancers for the club but things hadn't got that bad... had they.
Bang!!
"Girly I know you're in there! Open up!" Russ wasn't a mean guy he was just... no, Ross is a bastard. I know right now I'm in the wrong for not paying him but I've had no hot water for three weeks, the electric goes near every day and the walls are still damp from when I moved in, making it stink.
"Shit" I whispered moving quickly around my room, I changed quickly into my skinny jeans and a large baggy jumper, pulled my boots on and grabbed my coat and bag in under a minute.
Now was the tricky bit.
"I'll break this door down!" he really would he's done it loads of times then makes me pay the damages... again bastard comes to mind! "You own me two months' rent girly!!"
I run to the window where the fire exit is. I hate having to use these stairs. I was quite sure they don't hold my weight or even the weight of some of the London's pigeons!
Gripping on tight on the railings a felt my heart jump to my throat when I saw how far I had to fall to get to the ground. It wasn't that far but I'm short. I tried pulling myself a low as I could before I had to let go of the railings and my legs were just dangling down.
Here goes nothing...
Thirty minutes later I'm limping down the street heading for Millie's.
"Morning Sid" I lent down giving him his tea like I did every day before I went to the café for the past two years. Sid was the homeless guy that lived outside Peters fish and Chips where I used to work. He was in his late sixties and been on the streets all his life. He says he likes the outdoors and wouldn't have it any other way, every time I tried to give him the money he'd find a way of getting it back in my pocket. Weird really, to others he looked like a hairy smelly old trap ready to mug you any minute but he's putting money into my pocket not out.
So, I finally stopped trying to give him the odd pound now and then and just brought him stuff instead, like every morning I'd bring him breakfast at eight-thirty and in the afternoon after work I'd take him a cupcake from the shop.
Problem solved.
"Hello my lovely, you're early" how he would know that without a watch is beyond me but he was right. I was normally running to walk every morning because I slept in.
I loved sleep if I had my way I'd sleep till midday every day. But everyone that knew me knew it was odd seeing me before nine.
"Yeah, well that's thanks to that dame landlord banging on my door" I laughed sarcastically.
"You late on your rant again," he asked sipping his tea.
"Yep! Rents have gone up because I didn't pay for last months and the club's only really giving overtime if I get my kit off" I leaned on the wall next to him out the way of the normal flock of Londoners starting their day.
"What do you do at a strip club if you don't get your kit off?" Sid asked.
"Nothing gets past you Sid. I work at the bar serving people drinks." I only had to dance once. That night a little bit of me died being on that stage. With eyes all over me I nearly ruined the whole routine, I'm normally a good dancer but wearing nothing but underwear and having men older than you Dad watching you kind of put me of believe it or not.
"We all need to make a living"
"Well, dancing isn't my best talent. Surprisingly they never asked again" which I was more than happy about, I thought. I grabbed the rolls out of the bag I got for our breakfast "What do you want the bacon or sausage roll?"
"Baron... thanks" I passed him the roll then pulled any but not before he saw... "What happened to ya hand?" he asked as.
You know when you have a cut and it doesn't hurt until you see it? Well, that wasn't this... it's been killing ever since I jumped off the rails back at home I scrapped my hand as I feel cutting along the side of my risk and perm.
"I fell... I gotta get to the café, take care Sid" I didn't want to fuss about the cuts or I'll have to think about the burning pain.
"You need that care more than me Hun, thanks again my lovely" he called to me as I continued to walk to work.
"Morning Milly" I called into the kitchen taking off my coat and putting my apron on.
"Morning sweetie, you're early?" The shop wasn't open yet but I normally didn't start until past nine so I guess it is weird seeing me early but it's not that strange is it?
"Yeah people keep saying that. I wake up early that are all" I walked into the kitchen seeing Ninny baking already, Milly normally wakes five every morning getting the shop ready.
"Kate, you hate waking up early, is everything ok?" I forgot how well she knows me so well if I don't get my full... thirteen hours sleep I get very snappy and moody.
"Yeah, every things fine!" my voice was a little too high and I answered far too quickly to be believable but Mil would know if I wanted to talk about it I would. "I just had a bad night's sleep, that's all"
"Ok, if you're sure," she said going back the bread.
"What do you need me to bake?" I looked around the place seeing she'd already done the breads and pastries.
"How about some pies and muffins seeing as your early, you're better at sweets as I am anyway" I loved making the sweets! It made licking the spoons after more fun.
"I'm only as good as my teacher" a grinned at her.
"Well your teacher must have been amazing" she smirked. I kissed her on the cheek before starting the day.
This morning run quicker than I thought it was nearly eleven already, we had the rush of the breakfast runs and soon lunchtimes would start but right now it was quiet with only a couple of random customers.
I was just displaying the cakes that came out the over when I heard a manly deep Irish accident from over the counter.
"Excuse me?" When I turned around I wasn't expecting the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. He had thick black hair, sharp bone structure with a little stubble and a strong jaw. He was big too, like bodybuilding big with broad shoulders and you could easily see that under his leather coat is an amazing body...
Stop looking at his body! I told myself but I looked back to his face and his eyes hadn't yet met mine but I could already feel like they were going to be the most amazing site.
"Hi what can I get for you?" I smiled trying to give my best customer service.
"Hi...sorry mmm..." he said pulling his hand through his thick hair. He looked tired like he was still half asleep, he must hate mornings as much as I do. It was then that his eyes met mine and I felt like the temperature in the room just hit max and time stopped. His eyes were the most amazing mixture of browns, deep and strong.
I forgot where I was and what I was doing just staring at this stranger's eyes like he was some kind of hero... it looked like he was looking at me a little too intense as well.
He smirked looking away as I did.
"I've never been here before so what's good here?" he said in his deep sexy accent, who couldn't help but fall for this guy? I made me feel nervous, like a schoolgirl.
"Mmmm... It's all baked fresh every day so everything" I smiled. I didn't know what to say. I was never good with the whole flirting game. Not when living with my foster father. I guess I didn't have the normal upbringing where you learn how to talk to the opposite sex.
"By you?" he asked smiling back.
"Yep... and the owner. I cook the sweets"
"Then I'll have something sweet, sweet is always better. What would you have?" he lent on the counter looking at me making me feel like the only woman in the world. This guy was too much. Way out of my league. Yet I couldn't help my mind travel to an imaginary world were he picked me up and walked me out Richard Gere style. With Milly calling out 'Way to go, Katie! Way to go!'. Aww, An Officer and a Gentleman, such a great movie.
"Hello?" he waved his hand at me.
"Hun, sorry" I woke up. Oh Jesus, how embarrassing. Please tell me I wasn't drawling. "Ok... well I had to pick one I'd say the strawberry and chocolate muffins" I blushed.
"I'll have one of them then please and a black coffee" I felt like he knew what I was thinking and loved the attention. Great.
"Ok" I went over the coffee machine and I could feel his eyes on my back.
"So what's so special about these muffins?" he asked still grinning that cheeky smirk.
"Well they just came out the oven so they are at their best and in the middle is like a strawberry jam so you got a bit of your five a day in there" I tried to make a joke but just felt like an idiot. Moving swiftly on. "...and it has white chocolate chips so it's extra sweet" I gave a far too serious answer, I needed to lighten up "And because I made them"
"And who doesn't everyone like extra sweet things" He's differently flirting with me now I could feel my cheeks burning up.
"That's three twenty please" I tried not to grin too much as we exchanged money.
"Thanks," I said taking his coffee and muffin.
"There you go I hope you like it," I said, was I being over the top?
"I'm sure I will, thanks. I'll have to make this place my local"
"You haven't even tried the muffin yet you might not like it" I laugh.
"If they're as sweet as you, then I'll be back," he said and I did the unbelievable... I giggled! Like a little girl, red-faced and everything.
"Bye," he laughed walking out the cafe looking back as he went.
"Who was that?" Millie made me jump.
"Just some random guy" I lied, I felt really silly thinking that two-minute conversation was one of the best I've ever had! I laughed at how silly I was, thinking myself a little in love with the random Irish guy.
"He was handsome, he looked familiar like I've seen him somewhere before" Now Milly said that he did look familiar like I've seen him before but I really couldn't work out where or how.
"I thought that too," I said still staring at the door. I wanna if he'll be back?
"Hey maybe his famous and he'll fall in love with your muffins and come back," Milly said making me laugh.
"You've been in that kitchen for too long"
Jake
This has to be the best thing I've ever tasted! I thought, licking the rest of the jam from my fingers. I'd marry that girl just to have one of them every day... And because she was quite cute in that little apron with flour on her cheek, I grinned.
Dame, I should have asked for her number, there's always next time even if she did look a little too young and innocent for the likes of me.
"Yer?" I answered my phone still licking my fingers.
"Hey, Jakiee baby it's me," the voice on the other line said, I had to look again at caller ID but it just said the girl from Saturday night.
"Hey... You! How's your beautiful face this morning?" If honest I don't remember what she looks like.
"Wanna go out tonight?" She asked in her sexy voice.
"I'm all yours baby" I grinned, life was just too easy.