The marshmallows bobbed around the spoon's edge as Leah twirled the ornate silver handle around in the huge, steaming mug of cocoa. The shop was quiet today, particularly so, since Lucian had taken the day off to be with Mai and Sam was in the kitchen instead of serving the customers. Andre was too shy to even mumble more than a few words after taking orders and so she was stuck. On her own. After three hours of lonely Christmas shopping. At least the view was pretty outside the glass window next to her seat. The bright red berries and green moss gave a Christmassy feel to the tiny cafe. She sighed as she returned to the open copy of the fashion magazine that lay on her table and the decadent chocolate cake topped with dark chocolate shavings that awaited her. No boyfriend, her best friends were busy with their work and she being the only freelance designer with plenty of time on her hands since she had finished all her orders before the Christmas season had started. Life was treating her well in every aspect except for her social life.
The cafe bell tinkled merrily as a gust cold air ruffled Leah's straight brunette hair and made her shiver despite the thick cream shawl she had wrapped around her neck. Someone new had come in. Leah peeked through the gold gauze curtains and looked around the shop's cozy interior for the newcomer. A man stood at the counter, his back to her. All she could see was the charcoal plaid coat he wore and his very red hair. Leah gave an involuntary giggle as she realized that his hair coordinated with Mii, the cafe's mascot's bow. They had tied a bell strung on a bow around her neck and she was currently begging to be scratched under the particularly annoying new accessory by the mystery man. He inclined his head to the kitten and obliged. The purring could be heard all the way from the counter to Leah's table.
Sam emerged from the back of the shop, his normally perfect hair plastered to his head and his forest green apron covered in flour. The two men talked briefly before disappearing to the back of the shop. When they emerged, mystery man was dressed exactly like Sam. A new waiter then, Leah mused. Perhaps the next few afternoons wouldn't be that lonely after all.
MILK CHOCOLATE
Today a small pile of melted snow from a shop roof decided to kiss her in the face. Leah cursed her bad luck as she made her way into the cafe, hoping that nobody would notice the bedraggled mess she was in shoulders upwards. She was struggling to take her wet coat off when suddenly the weight lifted and quiet voice saying "Let me help you with that, miss." Thinking Sam was the one who had helped her, she turned around with a ready smile and an explanation as to why she was leaving a wet mess on the cafe coat rack when the words died on her lips. The red haired waiter smiled in a rather bemused way at her sudden goldfish impersonation. "I'll be serving you today, miss. Sam is elbow deep in flour and eggs." he continued as he led her to her usual table. "I am Aaron, by the way." All Leah could do was mumble something incoherent as he rattled off the specials for the day and randomly point at something on the menu before he was gone. To fulfil her order presumably. She took out her sketchbook, which had miraculously survived the melted snow attack and flipped to a blank page. Inspiration had come. In the form of a red haired waiter with the greenest eyes she had ever seen.
A few minutes into her sketch, a shadow fell over her page. Aaron stood quietly by her side, a tray with what looked to be a Swedish Black Forest cake on a gilt edged plate. Whipped cream covered the whole confection and the cake itself was cupped between large slices of milk chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. A hot mug of cocoa with extra marshmallows daintily perched on top of the foam and cream nestled next to the plate of cake with a warm towel curled around it carefully.
Aaron said nothing as Leah hastily flipped her sketchbook shut and pushed it to a corner. His eyes were unfathomable. Leah felt a little nervous. What if he didn’t like her sketching him? It was rather obvious actually, what with the red hair she had given the sketch and the same lanky grace to the posture. After he handed the warm towel to her, Aaron gave a short bow and retreated to the counter.
Leah sighed as the curtains fell back in place after his retreating back. She rubbed the towel over her hair and neck, relaxing as the hot cloth chased away the cold and returned some sort of life to her bedraggled hair. A slip of yellow paper fell out of the folds of the towel into her lap. She stared at it, a little confused, before picking it up between thumb and forefinger like a strange specimen. It unfolded to reveal a tiny but detailed sketch of her, complete with Mii curling around her legs. A scene from the day before. A warm fuzzy feeling that broke into a wide smile bloomed as bright as the rare winter sunlight that suddenly lit the whole café. She had a feeling Aaron wouldn’t mind her sketch.
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE
Her customary mug of cocoa came with a yellow slip of paper attached to the handle with baker’s twine. Leah unfolded the paper as she tucked into the Death by Chocolate cake that sat in a river of chocolate and raspberry sauce on her blue and white china dessert plate. It showed her staring out the window into the street with a wistful expression on her face, her half-eaten cake on the table. Yesterday’s scene. She smiled and tucked it away in the pocket on the front cover of her custom made sketchbook. A scribble on the back of the paper made her stop in her attempt to push the paper in without creasing it. On the back of the sketch in elegant cursive, Aaron had signed his name and also left a message. Would you be here tomorrow as well? Tomorrow? Leah pursed her lips as she thought. Why was tomorrow so special? She checked her watch and made slightly amused sound. Christmas Eve. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. She would come. Tearing out a fresh sheet from her sketchbook, she peered through the gold gauze curtain and watched as the same long-fingered artist’s hands that had sketched her held the dainty plates of macaroons and eclairs. She left her message under the rim of her plate.
WHITE CHOCOLATE
Leah wasn’t disappointed. In fact, she was pretty taken aback. Dozens of sketches of her in different poses and moods were clipped with small wooden pegs onto baker’s twine that had been stretched over the window frame next to her usual table, forming an inspiration board of sorts. Her mug of cocoa already awaited her, and a peculiar looking cake with striped chocolate pieces and white chocolate buttons arranged on the top. Drizzles of chocolate had partially covered the writing on a small plastic card placed alongside the cake but she made it out to be Seven Sins Chocolate cake. A pot of poinsettias was sitting in the middle of the table with a note stuck in between the velvety red blooms. Be back in a few minutes. Please enjoy. Leah sat down feeling a little in awe of the sketches. The cake was all but forgotten as she stared at them. All drawn over the span of three days. Aaron was quite the artist. A polite cough alerted her to his presence. She hadn’t even noticed him till then. His red hair had been tamed somewhat and up close it was less of a bright fiery red. It was darker, reddish brown actually, and his eyes were more emerald than forest green. His cheeks were red though and Leah pretended not to notice as he fumbled into his seat. A shy guy was rare in her opinion and she thought it was rather cute. “You did all these?” she asked while sipping her cocoa with hands that she hoped were not shaking. “Yeah, do you like them? Sorry I didn’t ask you beforehand, but I saw you drawing what looked like me and I thought perhaps you wouldn’t mind if I let you know that you made the most beautiful model an artist could hope for.”
“Ah, I didn’t. Mind that is.” Leah blurted out. He smiled and fingered the cuff of his white shirt. He had taken off the green apron. “I was wondering,” he paused, shook his head and continued in a stronger voice “I was hoping you’d be free tomorrow. I know it’s a little soon, but could we have dinner? Together, anywhere you choose.”
Leah could hardly believe her ears. Was he asking her out? On Christmas Day? To hell with her plans, she wasn’t going to let them stop her. “Yes. Definitely. Yup” she squeaked.
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| Picture from Google Images |
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