Reverie

"£2.25, please."

I sent a short, warm smile in the direction of the barista as I handed over the change, exact to the penny as always. The young boy smiled back in return before handing me my receipt, and watching me somewhat expectantly with his large, doe-like eyes. It was hard to notice that the moment the small slip of paper was in my pocket, and the cappuccino cup no longer on the counter but in hand, his attention had smoothly turned to rest on his next customer, leaving me instantly forgotten. I threw a sidewards glance to the burly women beside me, her flushed face and hard expression telling the whole world that she wasn't interested in waiting any longer.

"Yes, Madam, can I help you?"

Shaking my head to myself as I turned away from the boys polite, over-rehearsed tone, I started the troublesome job of weaving my way through the tables of chattering customers, eyes firmly set on their target before it got away. Excited, high pitched voices of joy mixed together with the poor attempts at subtlety from those having more serious conversations, filling the small coffee shop with white noise. A ghost of a smile fluttered across my lips as I half envied both. Like most other days, I'd be sitting alone.

After my battle against flamboyant arm movements with an accompanied barrage of muttered sorry's to get to my destination, I breathed a sigh of relief as I stood within a meter of the small round table tucked into the corner of the room. The moment I was within arm’s reach, I set the coffee saucer firmly down on the wooden top to claim my space. It was only then that I allowed myself to relax, safe in the knowledge the women who had been behind me in the queue could no longer compete with me as she rushed through her order; left to only stare daggers into my back as I turned away. I had experienced worse, though by the looks of her today she wouldn't hesitate to change that.

I took my seat, dropping my bag carelessly to the ground and leaning back to stretch, making the rickety wooden chair creak as I pressed my weight onto it, before sighing and sitting forward again. I rested my arms on the table top and allowed my gaze to wander the room for a moment before turning to the caramel-brown liquid in the ice white cup.

Pushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear, I hunched over slightly to look down on the coffee as my fingers wrapped around the hot china, while lightly blowing on the surface. I watched the ripples for a moment before regaining my posture and sipping cautiously at the scolding liquid. My eyes travelled the room again, following the red-faced woman who was now forcing her way across to the opposite side of the coffee house. She was just as regular as me in this small establishment, and I was also always here before her. Some days I wondered if she thought it to be intentional.

My body jolted slightly as my trance was broken by my phone ringing at me, vibrating against the wooden flooring as it sat at the bottom of my bag. I quickly placed the cup back down onto its saucer, and tugged my bag into my lap, digging through it as fast as possible.

"Hello?" I questioned sharply as I snapped open the phone, wedging it between my shoulder and ear so I could rearrange everything that I had just so conveniently messed up.

"Persephone, how's that work going?" I heard the bright voice of Katie speak into the receiver in a chipper tone. I smiled to myself at her all too forced question, and also at the fact she knew I was on my break. She mustn’t have been alone in the office.

"It's okay, I just had a run in with Brenda though," I returned with a dry tone, dropping the messenger bag back to the ground and retrieving the phone from my shoulder.

"Oh how dreadful! Well I do hope you don't have that problem again."

I scoffed as I moved the handset into my left hand, while the right picked up the coffee cup again. "One of these days I'm going to get a coffee hurled at me, I'm telling you now, Kate," I said as I took another sip of drink. "And you better come save me!"

"Of course, of course," she replied slowly, pausing for a moment. I listened carefully and heard a door closing in the background, followed by a heavy sigh of relief. "Seriously though, Sephy, you should just give that old hag a piece of your mind."

"She'd hit me. No," I replied evenly, earning a small chuckle from my friend. A smile tugged at my own lips at the prospect of having a showdown in this very room. We'd probably even make the headlines, considering the boring state the town was in at the moment. I could already see beady-eyed Brenda's photograph on the front page.

Smiling inwardly to myself, I brought the coffee cup to rest in front of my lips as I blew gently onto the surface again. "So what's up?"

"Oh God, Sephy, you have no idea. It's mayhem in here right now," she sighed irritably. "Photographs have dissolved into thin air, Si keeps checking up on me every five fucking minutes and I've lost that damn intern."

I snorted in amusement. Gavin had already gone missing four times since he started his internship. "So this is your cry for help?"

"No, actually," she said a little indignantly. "Have an extra ten minutes on lunch, there's not much for you to do right now."

"Oh, so they were Martin's photos?" I asked absently, not all that surprised. As much as I loved them, the rest of my department were never the most reliable of sorts, and with the big boss around they behaved more like headless chickens than usual. This would, of course, lead to my materials being lost in the haze.

"Bingo, Hun," she replied with a smile in her tone. "I'll let you know when they resurface. Maybe Greg's got them or something..."

"Gav," I corrected with a chuckle, sipping at my coffee again. "But sure, I'm not about to complain," I replied honestly, my gaze wandering out of the window and savouring the bright, cheerful day that I was missing while cooped up in the offices. As much as they tried to bring the nice weather inside, it never quite worked.

"Okay, I better go before the Dragon comes back. That's if he hasn't already traced my call and prepared to fire me," she said half-heartedly.

"It honestly wouldn't surprise me. That man has security issues," I replied dryly, placing the cup back down.

"You're telling me... Thank you for calling. I hope you choose to work with us soon."

I laughed softly. "Bye, Kate," I cooed before flipping my phone closed and placing it on the table beside the now half drained cappuccino. I honestly couldn't believe Katie had dated Simon once upon a time. They never were a good match.

I picked up my bag from the ground again, placing it in my lap as I returned my phone into the abyss and started searching through the rest of the mess to pick out my purse. Extra lunch break meant an opportunity to indulge in some of the gorgeous, freshly made pastries this place stocked. It was one of the reasons it was so popular, that was for sure.

Shrugging my jacket off and hanging it over the back of my chair, as a matter of claiming my spot along with my still half-full coffee cup, I moved back through the closely placed tables to the front counter. I smiled warmly as the same young boys eyes settled on me, his routine question meeting my ears.

"I'll have a cinnamon roll, please."

He nodded obediently as he turned to move across to the glass cases packed full of lunch time treats, as a tone met my ears that made my scrunch up my nose in distaste.

"Before me again I see, Persephone."

Fingertips still resting on the edge of the counter, I slowly turned my body to look over the customer behind me. I sent a tight smile in her direction, though I had intended it to be a lot brighter. "Hello, Brenda," I replied lightly. "How are things?"

"Don't how-are-things me, Missy. I know full well what your game is!" she retorted, those beady eyes narrowed in my direction. I tried my best to maintain a clear expression and a more subtle smile, though it was easier said than done under her heated gaze.

"Game?" I asked, an innocent chuckle breaking my words. "I really don't know what you mean."

She rolled her eyes dramatically and exaggeratedly shook her head. "You and your sort. You think you own the place," she shot, as a stubby finger was pointed threateningly at me, her usual flushed face deepening a few tones of scarlet. I bit my lip as that front page news story seemed to stare me right in the face, the bold black and white photos glaring at me in my mind’s eye. She still managed to look flustered, even in grey-scale.

"Brenda, look, I don't mean any harm, really," I assured with a ring of honesty in my words. "I'm just on my lunch break."

"Oh, well how convenient for you," she spat, tone dripping with sarcasm.

I sighed inwardly at her stubborn attitude, not quite believing that today would be the day for her to finally snap at our series of coincidences. It really didn't help that she lived a few doors down from me, so we seemed to run into each other more than I would have liked. When you both have a standard nine to five job in the local area, I'll admit it's hard to avoid. This was the kind of place when you saw the same old faces every day.

"£1.99, please."

I turned back to the boy at the counter with a slight frown. "You know, I'm not so hungry anymore," I grumbled to myself as dug a £2 coin from my purse and handed it over.

"Finally!" Brenda cried dramatically, physically pushing her way up beside me as the young barista handed me my change and receipt. I scowled over at her darkly, about to pick up my plate and walk away, when something got the better of me.

"Are you kidding me? It's just a coffee shop, Brenda, the world isn't going to end if you have to wait an extra 30 seconds now, is it," I shot spitefully, causing those doe-eyes behind the counter to look fearfully between myself and burly Brenda in their midst.

Brenda gasped loudly, staring at me in shock as her mouth hung open. "And since when do you have you right to speak to me like that! You must be half my age," she growled indignantly.

"Yeah, and I look a lot better for it," I scoffed lowly, hearing a few chuckles nearby from the attention we had attracted. I wasn't ashamed or embarrassed by all eyes on the two of us to say the least. I certainly wasn't in the wrong, and I was confident that the majority of the people in this room would agree with me.

Brenda, however, looked positively horrified and offended by my statement, though I can't say she didn't have it coming. "Excuse me, but I think you need to learn some respect!"

"Speak for yourself," I returned just as boldly as I folded my arms across my chest defensively, noting she seemed to be squaring up to me. If she wanted to get physical, I'd like to say I'd stand up for myself, but in truth I wouldn't stand a chance. I was a smart enough girl; I knew I was no match for Brenda. Beside her I looked like a frail twig, and that was just in how I held myself.

"I'm sorry, but... is there a problem here?"

Both Brenda and I's attention snapped to the side, to see a man standing at a cautious distance behind the two of us, apparently the next in queue. I didn't hold any resentment for his interruption in my gaze; he probably just wanted his coffee, and not to witness Bridgend’s news at 10 main reports unfolding before him.

"We're fine, thank you," I replied in a reassuring voice, picking up my plate from the counter. "I was just on my way, wasn't I Brenda?"

"If you know what's good for you, then yes," she replied sharply, glaring at me fervently. My eyebrows knitted together tightly as I processed her comment, not quite believing she really was going so far. For just a moment a spark of fear travelled through me, but it passed almost as soon as it fell upon me. Almost simultaneously the tall, dark haired man took a step closer, so he was now directly beside us. I glanced up curiously to take him in for a moment, noting his expression had darkened a shade.

"Now, I really don't mean to interfere, but it seems to me that you just threatened this young woman," he started carefully, pointing between the two of us as his gaze fixed with Brenda's own glaring eyes. It was quite an interesting sight to see her turning her frustration towards him, considering she was quite a bit shorter than me and this man was tall enough to tower over most.

"That's exactly what I'm doing, and you are interfering, lad, so I'd mind your own business."

I glanced to the side as the barista cleared his throat. His soft doe-eyes had suddenly been captured with headlights. "E-excuse me, I'm sorry but I-I'm going to have to ask you t-to take your seats or leave," he stuttered slowly and quietly, though I doubt Brenda or the stranger even noticed he had been talking at all as they continued throwing daggers between each other.

"Are you threatening me now?" the man asked, sounding more amused than anything else. "Look, I'm not trying to start a fight, I just want a drink, and I'm sure that's all this young lady wants too," he said calmly yet with a sharp edge in his tone.

Brenda finally looked a little taken back, and that didn't happen very often, that was for sure. This man, despite his friendly appearance, held an air about him that made you respect him, and I don't think she was ready to push that. It wasn't her style, you could say.

After making the most childish puffing sound she could conjure, Brenda's eyes turned to me. "I'm watching you, Jones," she hissed through her teeth. "Don't think I'm going to forget this either, oh no," she added as she turned away, pushing her way back through the tables to her side of the coffee shop, under the watchful eye of all the other customers.

I inwardly breathed a slight sigh of relief, still clutching the plate towards me as my eyes followed after her, too. I then directed my attention to the man who had approached the counter and already made his order in a bright tone, as though nothing had happened. I smiled a little as it surprised the barista, who quickly went about preparing his order.

"Uhm, thank you," I said cautiously, leaning to the side to catch the man’s gaze. "She's usually not like that," I added as his crystal blue eyes met with mine, my thoughts suddenly trailing off.

"I'm sure," he replied with a warm, even smile, not sounding all that convinced before turning to me. His brow furrowed slightly as he seemed to look at me a little harder. "And, you're welcome," he added slowly, a different note in his voice. The slightly intensified gaze made me a little nervous, but I simply inclined my head and sent him a small smile of thanks before turning and making my way back to my table.

"You don't deserve that, Sephy. You should show her!"

I laughed to myself and smiled graciously at the elderly man a few tables away, his lips pursed stubbornly as he waved in my direction. "Thank you, Aled. I'll consider it!" I called over as I took my seat. He really was a sweet old man, but he had a bad streak you wouldn't want to mess with. Of course, all of them did, these days. Even those nice old ladies who live down the road and bake all day, living somewhat peacefully with their three cats, aren't like that all the time. Everyone knew that.

I took a sip of my coffee and cringed a little that it was now barely lukewarm. Dismissing it, and deciding I liked iced coffee anyway; I started picking at my cinnamon roll, slipping into my own world as I thought over that little confrontation. I was half expecting to go home and find my house to be egged. Brenda had devilish children. Brats would be another term...

My body jolted suddenly, the messaging tone erupting from my bag and sending my phone vibrating against the flooring once again. I quickly retrieved it, flipping open my phone and scan reading the message from Kate, letting me know the photos were finally found - along with Gavin. I smiled for a moment before a frown took over my lips as I looked back down over my pastry. No time to eat this baby, now.

Sighing and pulling myself to my feet, I grabbed my jacket from the back of the chair and shrugged it back on, throwing my bag over my shoulder. I downed the rest of my coffee before plucking one of the torn pieces of cinnamon roll and placing it in my mouth, savouring the sweet flavour as I picked up the plate and started my way back through the maze of tables.

"Aled!" I cried brightly as I stopped beside the greying man’s table. He looked up at me, a large, welcoming smile making its way across his wrinkled features as he looked up at me. "Hungry?" I asked, placing the plate down onto the table, on top of the newspaper that was sprawled across it.

Aled glanced between me and the cinnamon roll which was missing a corner, his smile fallen. "You don't want it, my love?" he inquired in disbelief, his large eyes finally settling on me in surprise.

"I've got to get back to work," I explained sadly. "And I know you do have a sweet tooth," I added with a wink, making the elderly man chuckle.

"You're sure?" he asked, receiving a firm nod from me. "Oh you're an angel, Sephy. I owe you."

I smiled happily, glad that there were still such lovely people in this town. "I owe you many," I countered, pointing at him as if to make my statement true. "I'll see you later," I added, giving him a pat on the shoulder before I moved back away through the tables towards the door.

"Goodbye now, love!"

I tugged open the door, the small bell above the doorway chiming to itself as I glanced back, sending a small wave in Aled's direction. Just before I was about to turn back again, however, I paused for just a second as something caught my eye. A couple of tables behind Aled, the man from the counter was sitting idly, his gaze meeting with mine as I looked over him.

It felt much like one of those awkward moments when you don't mean to give the impression that you were looking at someone purposefully, but you half think you can see a glint in their eye that convinces you that they're thinking exactly that. It was with that in mind that it surprised me a little when instead of instantly looking away to pretend it never happened, I could have sworn I saw a small, polite smile behind the coffee cup that was hovering in front of the stranger’s lips. I thought about it for a second, unsure whether to return it, before eventually settling for turning up the corners of my mouth just slightly in case my eyesight wasn't failing me. I didn't wait to see a reaction, though, turning on my heels and marching from the coffee shop, the ringing above the doorway hovering in the air as I left.