Kekse
Drifter
Aiden sat quietly while Lynn applied her makeup, still not entirely awake after a night of sleeping on a decidedly too small and worn out couch. For about the millionth time he wished that caffeine worked on him. However, he had little time to think about it before the owner of the apartment returned to the living room. She looks just as beautiful as ever, he thought. It took a conscious fight to keep his mouth from falling open.
"Oh, uh. If you just want coffee, we can go to the cafe down the street? They have pretty good pastries, and as far as I know they can make coffee that straight up doesn't even taste like coffee. Aka the only way to drink it, if I had to." He stood up and straightened his shirt, then followed Lynn outside and into the elevator. His head swung from side to side while his eyes scanned the entire floor. Thankfully he didn't see Natalie anywhere and made it into the car safely.
Once his seat belt was secured, Aiden pointed to the right. "Just turn that way out of the parking garage, and it will be two blocks down on the right. It's not very big, but if the three spots out front are full, there is a shared lot behind the complex."
Now that he was away from Natalie, Aiden began to relax. He could feel the tightness cascading down his muscles to pool in his shoes and dissipate in the running board of the car beneath his feet. "Thanks again, Lynn. I don't know how I'd deal with my ex reappearing on my own. It's easier to be no-nonsense with you being on my side. That's not something I had before. Just watch: as soon as she gets all the drugs the doctor gave her out of her system, she'll go back to her manipulative self. Don't believe a word she says..."
He glanced down at his shoes and let out a sigh. Those blue eyes remained downcast until the car came to a stop in one of the miraculously open spaces in front of the cafe. It was a little thing indeed, easily missed if one wasn't specifically looking for it. A single window next to the faded red door read Elevate Cafe in a fancy script above an abstract coffee cup. Aiden slipped out of the car and hurried to Lynn's door to open it for her. He ensured she made it out safely and followed her through the door into the shop.
Inside it smelled of roasting coffee beans, fresh bread, and cinnamon. Aiden took a deep breath through his nose and sat in a chair in the corner where the pair would be mostly out of sight. The barista smiled and waved while filling a cup with lightly steaming coffee. "Let me know when you two are ready to order, yeah? The special today is a white chocolate lavender latte paired with a vanilla custard bun."
"Could I get that made with white cocoa instead of coffee?" Aiden asked. The barista nodded and a smile crinkled the corner of his eyes. "I'll try that, then. Can't say I've had flower-flavored cocoa before, but there's a first time for everything!"
In the familiar shop, it felt like the worries of the outside melted away to a puddle at the door. Aiden's shoulders were straighter and his smile was brighter. He settled back in his chair and fidgeted with the cuff of his jeans while his foot bounced lightly on his knee. "Put whatever she orders on my order, okay?"
"Oh, uh. If you just want coffee, we can go to the cafe down the street? They have pretty good pastries, and as far as I know they can make coffee that straight up doesn't even taste like coffee. Aka the only way to drink it, if I had to." He stood up and straightened his shirt, then followed Lynn outside and into the elevator. His head swung from side to side while his eyes scanned the entire floor. Thankfully he didn't see Natalie anywhere and made it into the car safely.
Once his seat belt was secured, Aiden pointed to the right. "Just turn that way out of the parking garage, and it will be two blocks down on the right. It's not very big, but if the three spots out front are full, there is a shared lot behind the complex."
Now that he was away from Natalie, Aiden began to relax. He could feel the tightness cascading down his muscles to pool in his shoes and dissipate in the running board of the car beneath his feet. "Thanks again, Lynn. I don't know how I'd deal with my ex reappearing on my own. It's easier to be no-nonsense with you being on my side. That's not something I had before. Just watch: as soon as she gets all the drugs the doctor gave her out of her system, she'll go back to her manipulative self. Don't believe a word she says..."
He glanced down at his shoes and let out a sigh. Those blue eyes remained downcast until the car came to a stop in one of the miraculously open spaces in front of the cafe. It was a little thing indeed, easily missed if one wasn't specifically looking for it. A single window next to the faded red door read Elevate Cafe in a fancy script above an abstract coffee cup. Aiden slipped out of the car and hurried to Lynn's door to open it for her. He ensured she made it out safely and followed her through the door into the shop.
Inside it smelled of roasting coffee beans, fresh bread, and cinnamon. Aiden took a deep breath through his nose and sat in a chair in the corner where the pair would be mostly out of sight. The barista smiled and waved while filling a cup with lightly steaming coffee. "Let me know when you two are ready to order, yeah? The special today is a white chocolate lavender latte paired with a vanilla custard bun."
"Could I get that made with white cocoa instead of coffee?" Aiden asked. The barista nodded and a smile crinkled the corner of his eyes. "I'll try that, then. Can't say I've had flower-flavored cocoa before, but there's a first time for everything!"
In the familiar shop, it felt like the worries of the outside melted away to a puddle at the door. Aiden's shoulders were straighter and his smile was brighter. He settled back in his chair and fidgeted with the cuff of his jeans while his foot bounced lightly on his knee. "Put whatever she orders on my order, okay?"
