The Cream Pot was a cozy little coffee shop and bakery nestled in a pedestrian-only, tree-lined avenue in historic downtown. This area catered mostly to the wealthy, young professionals in the booming tech industry, but The Cream Pot was one of the few shops here that kept its prices within the reach of the common folk. Neil and Eva liked coming here for Sunday brunch. It was the only day of the week that Neil could get out of bed before noon without an alarm clock.
Neil and Eva were well-tipping regulars here, so the owner always reserved the best table for them in the alcove with the huge bay window that looked out onto the street.
Sure, watching people walk their dogs and making up funny voices for the passersby over generous helpings of The Cream Pot's famous cinnamon soufflé French toast were typical past-times for Neil and Eva.
But not on this particular day.
Eva, absent-mindedly stirring her cooling mocha, kept shooting nervous glances out the window, while Neil had been valiantly carrying the conversation for the past five minutes.
"...So Alistair was like, 'But I use deodorant, confound it! I can't help if I have over-active glands!' And then he started — "
Neil paused. Eva was fidgeting with her fingernails and jiggling her knee. She stared transfixed out the window somewhere over Neil's shoulder, her lips pursed.
Neil sighed and sipped his macchiato. "And then he started gawking out the window like an idiot, ignoring every word I say."
Eva finally snapped out of it, "Neil, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get distracted."
"Who said anything about you? Alistair's a rude jackass, and twice as smelly."
Eva gave a laugh. The next second, her eyes were out the window again. Neil's curiosity got the better of him.
"Oh, all right, already. If aliens aren't robbing the liquor store across the street, I'm going to be SO disappointed in you," he said, turning to look over his shoulder.
"Oh..."
Across the street was the florist shop — its entrance adorned with buckets and barrels bursting with colorful floral arrangements. The owner stood outside chatting with a certain tall, disgustingly handsome man, who held a disgusting bouquet of flowers in his disgusting muscular arms.
"That's Craig, isn't it?" said Neil, trying and failing to keep the groan out of his voice. "What's he doin' here?"
"I don't know. Gosh, it's been over a year since I've seen him last. I had no idea he'd be in town. Oh God, what should I do?" fumbled Eva, teetering on the edge of her chair.
Neil stared at her. Normally, Neil would find a flustered Eva endlessly entertaining, but not this time. He sighed. "...Just go say hi to him already," he said to his coffee cup.
"Oh, but..." said Eva, her eyes shooting between Craig, who was waving goodbye to the florist, and Neil. She looked desperately guilty.
"No," Eva stated, resolutely. "I set this time aside for you and me. And that's important to remember."
"Eva, we see each other every day. You'll wallow in regret for the next week if you don't say hi to him. And I'M the one who has to deal with you in that state. So please. Do us both a favor and go."
Eva looked from Neil to Craig out the window. Craig was walking away.
A chair scraped. "Lunch is on me tomorrow, Neil," said Eva.
Quick as a flash, Eva rushed out of the coffee shop and called out to Craig. Neil chanced a glance out the window.
The moment Craig spotted Eva, his entire face lit up. "Rosie!" he called.
He immediately dropped his shopping bags on the curb, and ran up to embrace Eva. Picked her up off her feet. Their laughter could be heard through the window and above the hubbub of the coffee shop.
Neil turned back to his coffee. He absent-mindedly traced shapes with his coffee stirrer on the saucer.
Without really meaning to, his brain concocted several excuses he could use to get himself out of there. He had a running compendium of "life-savers," as he called them, filed away in the part of his mind that abhorred all things "mushy" and "fluffy". Stumbling upon romantic encounters — whether between his coworkers, clients, or complete strangers — always made him want to puke. The thought of sitting through Eva's heartfelt reunion with her ex-boyfriend from college made him viscerally-
He stood up and hurried to the men's restroom, feeling sick.
Upon resurfacing ten minutes later, Neil spotted Eva back at their table, and a certain disgusting pretty-boy sitting in Neil's seat. Seriously, thought Neil, look at him, with that oh-I'm-so-rugged-yet-attractively-high-maintenance stubble smothering his jawline, and that stupid, boyish grin that could sell ice to Eskimos. The pair looked absorbed in reminiscing some undoubtedly sappy trifle, and barely noticed Neil until he was right at the table.
"Oh, there you are! I was wondering where you went," said Eva.
"Nile! My man!" exclaimed Craig in his jovial, booming voice. He rose from his seat and, before Neil could object, engulfed Neil in a massive bear hug. "Oh, it's good to see you, Nile!"
"Hey there...Craig," Neil croaked indignantly into Craig's jacket, trying not to choke on the stench of Craig's cologne.
Craig knew damn well that Neil's name wasn't "Nile." Back in their final year of college, Craig had won first place in a bridge engineering competition, and earned an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. Neil had come in third, and received a certificate that read "Congratulations, Nile Watts!" Neil thanked his lucky stars he didn't associate himself with a lot of people in college, or they'd all be calling him "Nile" to this day.
Neil firmly extricated himself from Craig's grasp. Craig was one of those people who would hold a hug just a second too long — a sad attempt at "sincerity." His burly arms served as bear traps, longing to crush people in between them. Eva would always rave about how Craig gave the warmest hugs — the kind that would plaster a smile on her face for the rest of the day. Neil could go the rest of his life without it.
Like the perpetual party host he was, Craig ushered Neil back to his seat before grabbing his own from a nearby vacant table. With one hand, Craig deftly swiveled the chair backwards and sat astride it, draping his arms around the backside of the chair.
"How are you guys? God, it's been way too long!" said Craig, looking between Eva and Neil on either side of him. "I don't think I've seen you, Nile, since I graduated."
"Oh, same ol', same ol'," said Neil, pushing away the huge bouquet of flowers that monopolized his side of the table.
"Oh, here, let me get that," said Craig, picking up the flowers and stowing them in one of his tote bags.
"What are the flowers for anyway?" asked Eva.
"I'm visiting my mother in the hospital today. I thought I'd surprise her with something nice."
"That's very sweet of you," said Eva warmly. "How is your mother doing, by the way?"
"She's...a trooper. She started chemo a month ago. It's been rough, but she's nothing if not brimming with positivity."
"She's one of the strongest people I know," said Eva. "Please give her my best, will you?"
"Absolutely. Thanks, Rosie. That means a lot," said Craig, giving Eva a sincere grin, which she returned. Neil continued fiddling with his coffee stirrer, unsure of what to say.
"But, hey," said Craig, addressing the both of them again, "I didn't come here to put a damper on the proceedings. Let's talk about something cheerful. How's work?"
"Well, that's hardly a good change of topic if you want to talk sunshine and rainbows," said Neil.
"Work's been busy," said Eva, shooting a warning look at Neil. "Our last case was especially challenging since I had come down with a fever that day. No one was available to cover for me on such short notice, so I -"
"So you had to work with a fever?" said Craig, incredulously. "I'm pretty sure you're entitled to sick days under the law."
"We are. It's just a little complicated, since we're dealing with dying people. I mean, yeah, Neil could technically handle a case himself; it's just much more difficult and time-consuming. And with the nature of our job, we only have the one shot to get it right," explained Eva.
"Not to mention the safety issues," Neil chimed in. "You never know what sort of complications you'll encounter in someone's memories or in the privacy of someone's home. It's just good to have someone watch your back at all times. You know, insurance and liability and whatnot."
"But still, Rosie," said Craig. "I hate to hear that you've been working while sick. I get that this is more than just a job to you, but this is unhealthy."
"I know," said Eva. "And I assure you; I would've been allowed the day off had I taken it. But the way I see it...I only had a fever. The job is more mentally rather than physically strenuous, so I wasn't completely incapacitated. Besides, I get to live another day; the client doesn't. And like Neil said, I also have my partner to worry about. This isn't just a job; I really do feel personally obligated to look after these people."
"And that's why you're not a medical doctor. No professional detachment, whatsoever," Neil smirked.
"Oh, like you have the bedside manner of Mary Poppins," Eva parried.
"Always healthier to care too little than care too much!"
"Pff, put that on a fortune cookie," replied Eva, sipping her coffee.
Craig looked from Neil to Eva as if he were watching a tennis match. "You two do make a great team," he remarked.
"We tolerate each other," Neil and Eva said in perfect unison. They looked at one another, and fought the urge to grin stupidly.
"Ahem, well," flustered Eva. "Excuse me for a minute. Restroom."
She got up, knocked her chair over, straightened it, and shuffled sheepishly to the women's restroom, leaving Neil alone with Craig.
Neil resumed twirling his coffee stirrer, trying to look anywhere but at Eva's ex-boyfriend. Damn it, he played his "restroom escape" card too soon. Now what?
Craig cast a fascinated eye around the bustling coffee shop. "You know, I've heard about this place," he said. "I heard their strawberry cream cheese pancakes were to die for."
"It's all about the cinnamon soufflé French toast," replied Neil.
"You've been here before?"
"Eva and I have been coming here for ages. We're on first-name terms with the owner."
"Does Eva still ask for an extra side of cream?"
"You kidding me? She pours that stuff on everything. I swear, it's like me with ketchup."
Craig laughed, his eyes twinkling with nostalgia. "Does she still do that thing where she asks what you're ordering, so that she could order something different and still try your food? Or when you're trying to figure out where to go for lunch, she rattles off about a dozen places with increasing enthusiasm?"
"...Mmm, no, I've never seen her do that."
"Really? She did that all the time back when we were going out! Especially when we're out with a group of friends. She gets this light in her eyes whenever she talks about food. She does it with such infectious joy that you can't help but join in. Surely you've noticed this, too? She's like this with all her friends."
"Either she's just different around me or she's changed," muttered Neil, perhaps a little too nonchalantly.
Craig's smile faded a little, and he regarded Neil with a curious gaze. "Why would she be different around you?" Craig asked.
"Look. Can we not talk about this?"
"Or maybe she has changed since I've seen her last," Craig mumbled — more to himself, it seemed.
A silence. Dear lord, this was the pits, thought Neil.
"So, Nile..." began Craig, staring pensively at Eva's coffee cup.
"You have full permission to call me Neil."
"This is probably an inappropriate question, and I don't mean to put you on the spot," continued Craig, "but since you get to see her every day...I gotta ask."
Neil felt a thrill of foreboding as Craig fixed him with a hard gaze.
"How is Eva nowadays?" asked Craig.
"What?"
"I mean...Is she doing okay? Life treating her well?"
"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?"
Craig waved it off. "You know her; she's an 'I'm fine' kind of person. I'm sure you get as annoyed as I do whenever she bottles up her problems and throws you some evasive response."
Neil took a long sip of coffee.
"I mean," said Craig, lowering his voice. "And let's keep this between us...It's been two years since she and I broke up, but I still worry about her, you know? In every break-up — even the mutual ones — there's always one unlucky person who falls to pieces over it more than the other. And well...Eva was that unlucky person."
And here it was. The worst case scenario. Neil would rather be anywhere in the world than here, discussing Eva's love life with her ex-boyfriend. More than every other irritating trait that Craig possessed, it was his utter lack of personal boundaries that infuriated Neil the most. Who, in the depths of their stupidity, would bring up such an excruciatingly awkward topic with a mere acquaintance, and then have the balls to expect confidentiality as if they were the best of bros? Who does that?!
"Look, I'm sorry for bringing up the past; I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable," said Craig, obviously picking up on Neil's grimace. "I just need a definitive answer from someone who knows her well and would never sugar-coat anything. I swear, I'll never bug you about this again. I just...I gotta know. Is Eva happy?"
Neil stared at Craig, whose intensely dark eyes bored into his.
"She seems fine to me," Neil said in a measured tone. "But as you've said, her life could be a mess for all I know. But see, I don't concern myself with things she doesn't tell me. I don't go out of my way to make sure she addresses every little problem, especially if she's not enlisting my help. People don't like that, you know."
"But...don't you care about her?"
"I care if she's doing her job."
Craig raised his eyebrows. "Wow...Ok, then. Guess I misinterpreted your relationship."
Neil tried to curb his impatience. "Look, you wanted to know if Eva's happy, and I gave you the best answer I've got. Anything more, and you're better off asking her or someone else."
"Ask me what?"
Eva returned. Neil shut his eyes. Nope. This was the worst-case scenario.
"What're you guys talking about?" Eva asked, taking her seat.
Neil cast a pitiless "you-got-yourself-in-then-you'll-get-yourself-out" look at Craig.
Craig looked helplessly at Eva. "I...I just..."
Eva raised an eyebrow. Craig sighed, "I just wanted to know if you're happy. That's all."
Eva looked just as taken aback as Neil was. "Oh...Well, you could've just asked me. I'm absolutely fine."
Craig tried to catch Neil's eye, but Neil wouldn't oblige.
"You know if there's anything you need — if you just need a friend to talk to — you can always call me, right?" asked Craig.
Eva looked thoroughly bewildered. "Of course."
"I just...felt like telling you that you matter to me, and you always will. That's all, really."
Eva gazed at him, completely disarmed. Neil wanted to punch something. At least inside memories, he could freely call out saccharine nonsense with unbridled derision. But this time, he must hold his tongue.
"Anyway...I have to get going before visitor hours end," mumbled Craig, rising from his chair and grabbing his tote bags.
Eva, recovering from a daze, stood up and extended her arms for a hug. "Well, thanks for spending time with us, Craig!"
Craig wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you for stopping me on the street, Rosie! It was good to see you guys." He turned to Neil.
Neil groaned as he stood up. He shook Craig's hand, warily anticipating another bro hug. Thankfully, Craig restrained himself.
"Take care of yourself, Nile."
"Don't get hit by a bus, Craig."
Craig hesitated, and opened his mouth to say something to Neil, his strong, admonishing gaze piercing through Neil's glasses...But Craig sighed and gave a small wave to Neil and Eva before exiting the coffee shop. Eva watched him silently through the bay window until he turned a corner and vanished from sight.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
"Did he really ask you if I was happy?" asked Eva. There was a needy curiosity in her eyes that made something hurt inside of Neil.
Neil looked away. He had to choose his words very carefully. "He was worried about you," he said in a low voice. "But since I'm not you, I'm hardly qualified to speak on your behalf."
Eva looked embarrassed. "That must've been horrible for you to sit through. I'm really sorry."
"Yeah, well, you do owe me a lunch, so..."
"So, anyway," Eva said, too distracted to respond to Neil's jab, "I'm ready to leave whenever you are."
"...Yeah. Sure," said Neil, gratefully.
They paid their bill at the cashier, and left their usual generous tip in the tip jar. The owner personally thanked them, and gave them each a free, freshly baked croissant to-go.
They walked down the cobblestone street in the warm, dappled light, munching on the buttery croissants in morose silence. Once again, Eva's eyes were somewhere far away.
"What's eatin' you?" asked Neil.
"...You wouldn't want to hear it. Trust me."
"You're probably right. Anything concerning what's-his-nuts - Greg? - would be butt last on my list of things I'd want to talk about. Right down there with Willis's hemorrhoids and world peace."
Eva smiled.
Neil watched their shadows flow side-by-side along the cobblestones. "But anything concerning you, on the other hand..."
"Right down there with pickled olives and carrot cake?"
"Mmmm...More like up there with Dr. Who marathons and my heartbreaking good looks. Somewhere around there."
Eva gave an appreciative laugh, which slid off her face as she stared pensively ahead.
"It was good to see him today," she mused quietly. "...But it also hurt. Just a little...Or maybe a lot. I don't know."
Her voice wavered, and she took a slow, steadying breath. "I wish it didn't still hurt. I wish it was just...good to see him. Plain and simple."
"I know..." said Neil, quietly. "Believe me, I know. I've been there. And I did say that you care too much. I never said that wasn't an asset."
Eva cast a sidelong glance at him, as though she were meeting Neil for the first time.
"What?" said Neil.
"I'm just...not used to having this kind of talk with you, of all people," said Eva. "You're normally quite averse to touchy feely subjects like this."
"I am. You have no idea how much monumental effort this costs me," he said, nudging her with his elbow and giving her his lopsided grin. "But hey, I'm just hoping I'll score another lunch out of this."
"Can I just say thank you and call it even?" said Eva, her smirk returning.
"I don't understand 'thank you'. I only understand food."
Eva's face broke into that same barely contained grin she had when they had both blurted out that they tolerated one another.
"Oh! Speaking of food," Eva clapped her hands. "Roxie told me about this great ramen place that opened up on Third and Miriam. Santouka, I think it's called. Apparently, they're known for their special char siu pork ramen. Have you ever had char siu pork, Neil? It's like savory heaven that melts in your mouth. Let's go there for lunch tomorrow! Oh oh! Or...I know this great pizza place where you can get crispy fried garlic on your pizza! How amazing is that? Ooooh, or there's this - "
Eva went on and on, getting so jazzed up about food with Neil, he scarcely had time to let the significance of it set in. He was too busy getting helplessly pulled into Eva's infectious enthusiasm.
Before long, the two had a list of a dozen restaurants they wanted to try. Over the next few months, Neil and Eva became well-tipping regulars of each of these establishments, always scoring the best seats in the house.