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Scrounging for change at the bottom of her bag the lady on the opposite side of the counter let out a mumbled apology. Her cheeks flamed out of embarrassment but I assured her it wouldn't be a problem since she was only missing a quarter off of her coffee but she seemed to be determined to find it.
She wore a suit and though her complete attire seemed costly up close you can notice the worn fabric from the ends of her sleeves and lining of the blazer. Her hair though attempted to be put in a professionally styled bun was a tad messy. A hard-working woman, I suppose.
Standing little ways away in front of the pastry display who I assumed to be her daughter looked into it in awe. Her eyes widened to the full extent and her mouth parted just a tad. Her gaze, however, seemed to be specifically on the red velvet cupcakes I had just put out. Giving my best guess she couldn't have been older than five.
Feeling in the giving mood, I unfolded a small white cardboard box just big enough for the cupcake to fit in and attempted to set it inside without letting the frosting touch my fingertips.
Catching the girls imploring eyes I nodded in the direction of the cash register so that I could hand it to her. Standing on my tippy toes I stretched over the counter and the little girl takes it between her dainty hands. She shyly attempts to hide behind her mother and with her now rosie cheeks it reminded me of the women.
Once again looking up from her purse she gives me a tender smile, "Are you sure?"
"Of course and don't worry about the quarter either," I ensured her.
"I'm sorry I usually have change. I have a habit of just throwing it in here."
"Seriously it's okay. Your missing a quarter off your coffee it won't put me out of business." I tried to joke aiming to ease her mind.
She turned to her daughter, "What do you say?"
"Thank you." She spoke still remaining behind her mother.
Effortlessly picking up the girl I watched as they left the bakery and out onto the sidewalk. Nearly out of view I noticed the women had stopped and turned around. Walking back into the bakery she pulled out a quarter from her pocket. "I put the change in my blazer pocket so that I could remember." She laughed nervously.
Waving me goodbye she veered back towards the door. With her back facing me, I could see her daughter wave back at me. A large smile rather than her shy grin.
"You say you don't want kids but you are so good with them." Facing Rosa she was drying her hands with a towel and grinning at me knowingly.
"I never said I didn't want kids, just not now."
I heard Rosa hum before heading back to the kitchen.
Overall, it had been a slow morning carrying small waves of people inside. I had time to write out on a little chalkboard our prices of coffee and hot chocolate which I intended to layout in front of the bakery. All the while Rosa sat scrolling through her phone that her son had given to her so she was able to contact them. It was clear that it had now become somewhat of an addiction.
Around midday, things had begun to pick up. Most people were on break and since we were surrounded by businesses it was most of the same people who stopped by and most of them I had gotten to know by name.
"What's something with the least amount of calories?"
"Water, Mr. Sullivan. It's a bakery and nearly everything has some amount of calories in it. I thought you told me you and your wife were trying to go on a diet."
"Well, we were till I found Oreos hidden behind her spices." Trying to hold in a laugh I couldn't even though he'd seemed truly hurt.
"Do you want your usual?"
"Let's go for a plain bagel. You have that don't you?"
"Yes, we do." Grabbing a napkin from the top of the display I went to our section of bagels and picked out the plain. When I first made the menu for Elle's I had left out bagels for no particular reason other than wanting to stick to sweets but after being repeatedly asked if we had them I decided it would be best to just add them.
The bell above the door chimed grabbing my attention and compelling me to look up. Elijah stood in his police uniform that had somehow fit him perfectly, almost as if he had it tailored. Since his body was broad the slim door made him seem bigger than he was. I watched his eyes roam the bakery and assumed he was looking for me.
Clearing his throat I realized I was keeping Mr. Sullivan waiting. Handing him his bagel he had already set the money down on the counter.
"You are a godsend."
I may have tuned out Mr. Sullivan the moment my eyes met Elijah's. He smiled which was rare but like last night when it happened, it leaves a print in your memory.
"Have a good day, Evangeline."
"You too."
"Do you want your usual?" Elijah has always bought a single blueberry muffin so by now I felt asking him was completely unnecessary but I did anyway. He shook his head, yes and pulled out cash from his wallet that he had shoved in his pants pocket.
"No need."
"Evangeline." He said sternly.
"Fine." We had an argument every time he had come in. When I first moved in and we began our occasional talks I told him I had a bakery and since then he'd come in at least once a week.
"I wanted to know if you liked Chinese food?" Grabbing the muffin from my hand he set the his money in the other.
"Yes, why."
"I wanted to thank you for looking after Harvey and thought I'd bring you dinner tonight."
"I haven't even started watching him yet. I could be completely terrible at it and you'd have to find another sitter."
"Still. Would you mind if I came over later?"
"Not at all."
"I have to go but I'm sorry about this morning. I didn't know you'd still be asleep."
"It's okay. I only had a couple more minutes before my alarm went off anyways." I lied. I still had a whole hour.
Elijah had decided to drop off his keys early this morning before he went to work. To my luck, I was still in my purple fuzzy socks and oversized shirt. I was barely able to open my eyes let alone care who was on the other side of the door. I can barely remember our short-lived conversation. I do remember him, however, giving me instructions about food and waking Harvey but really only bits and pieces.
"I'll see you around eight? If that's alright?"
"Perfect."
As soon as he left the bakery I could see Rosa pop her head out from the kitchen before walking to stand beside me.
"Your job is to help me bake not to put inside commentary on my life."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were going too. You make a comment every time he comes in."
"All I was going to say was is that your cute, intelligent, and generous. A man like Elijah would be lucky to have you, that's all... and that I wished I was fifty years younger."
"It's not the same anymore, Rosa. Guys don't want cute and smart, they want hot, sexy, and confident. I, however, are none of those things." I explained while putting his cash into the cash register.
I'm not going to subject men all to the same level of vanity. There were good guys out there, I just never met any. In college, I remember a frat and a couple other guys on the baseball team trying to make a game of how many girls they could get in a week. It was disgusting, and juvenile yet they talked about girls as if we were nothing but a piece of ass. That's why I swore off relationships in college because I was willing to take that chance of him turning into a complete asshole.
"Well then, these supposed men need to reevaluate there life. Not everything is about looks. Although Evangeline you aren't ugly."
Going to reply I felt relief when the door chimed again and a man walked into the bakery interrupting the conversation.
After Elijah's made his short stop at the bakery everything seemed to drag on. Now, that I finally had plans—one that I was actually looking forward too, time couldn't have gone by slower. I knew once I closed the bakery I would need to rush over to my apartment to clean it. Which I did and accidentally walked into three people along the way.
Most of my stuff I had thrown into my room while the rest I had put away. Checking the time I had about twenty minutes before eight. Taking the shortest shower I've ever taken and blow-drying my wet hair I put on sweats and my sweater. If he came over looking nice I'm going to regret putting on my comfortable clothes.
Not soon after I heard him knock on the door. Taking one last look around I decided it was clean enough.
"Hey."
Opening the door he had the food in a thin plastic bag. I was thankful that he had dressed down in a pair of worn sweats and a t-shirt.
"Hi. I thought—if it's alright with you—that I could bring Harvey over just to get used to your apartment."
"That's fine. Just give me the food so I can set it out."
Handing over the food I went to the kitchen and started to pull out plates and forks and set out the food. What if I really wasn't a good dog sitter? Or what if Harvey didn't like me? I remember when I was eight and Allie was around ten we were riding our bikes when a pitbull had come out of nowhere and bit her right above her ankle. Thankfully it wasn't bad enough to need to be stitched up but still to this day Allie doesn't like animals let alone dogs.
Hearing my door open and shut again I heard Harveys paws hit the wooden floor. His collar also making sounds as he walked.
"He doesn't bite, right."
"No."
Making the logical decision not to drop on my knees in front of the dog I just bent over to pet his head. He's already near my waist and if I were to sit down he'd be my height. "Hes not mean at all."
"I wouldn't have asked you to watch him if he was."
"Well aren't you a good boy. You're so cute. How old is he?"
"Two years."
"Hes so big already! He could knock me over." Elijah chuckled. Finally letting Harvey go I followed Elijah to my kitchen.
Over the next hour we ate. Most of the time it was silent. Though it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable silence but rather just enjoying one another's company. I had a feeling that Elijah didn't do this much and by this I meant hang out with friends or talk. He'd occasionally asked questions though. Then he apologized for not being good company which I assured him he was doing fine. I mean he did buy dinner.
Then he asked a question I had hoped to avoid. "Why name your bakery Elle's? Not Evangeline's?"
I hated it when people asked that. Although it was partly my fault since it had been such a random name to the eyes of people who didn't know the story. It was personal and I wasn't close enough with him to want to share. Thinking of a way to try and evade answering I was saved by the bell or in a literal sense my phone.
"One sec."
"Ill start to clean up."
I nodded and grabbed my phone from where I had left it on the countertop.
"Hey Mom."
"Hi Sweets. How are you?"
"I'm doing good but I'm kind of busy at the moment." I shot a look to Elijah who was rinsing of the dishes in the sink. Part of a tattoo along his left shoulder peeked through the end of the short sleeve shirt he wore.
"Well—Alright. I just wanted to ask if your father and I could stop by next week?"
"Yea that would be great."
"Okay, ill let you go. Goodnight, Evan."
"Goodnight." I think that had been the shortest conversation I've had with my mother in a while. Our usual conversations would run for an hour or so. I'd complain to Allie one time she told our mom. Snitch.
"You dry, I'll wash." He said handing me the towel.
"Sorry. My mom likes to call me at random."
"It's alright. It's nice that your mom cares about you enough to check up on you."
"I guess so."
Our conversation once again subsided as we concentrated on getting the dishes done in a steady rhythm. Every now and then we'd bump hips and I started to get the impression that he was doing it on purpose after the fifth time.
When I walked him to his door I kinda wish he wouldn't leave. Even though we didn't converse the entire time being in somebody else's company felt nice. With my parents living just enough distance that makes it hard to visit and my sister being too busy with her own life I was alone most of the time.
"Maybe we could do this again." I asked hopefully. Maybe that had been too big of a leap but when he shot his infamous smile I felt my body physically relax.
"I would actually really like that."
Opening the door I felt Harvey at my legs jumping excitedly knowing he was going back to his home. Jumping onto my back I was pushed even closer to Elijah and now being in intimate vicinity his whole height was vast. I physically had to lookup causing my neck to crane and lool back. It didn't go unnoticed by me how he licked his full bottom lip before he stepped away.
Breaking the silence I told him I'd take Harvey and bring him back to my place tomorrow when I got home from work. His only response was a nod and with the civil goodbye, he left. It seemed he had gone back to his usual quiet and brooding ways.
Authors Note:
Sorry, it had taken to long I got stuck halfway through. I hope you all liked this chapter. I'm definitely going to have to go back and edit.
I need serious advice (I always do lol) but how did you like the chapter? The ending? Was if written poorly?
UNEDITED