Rays of sunlight poured in from the cracked and scratched up windows, illuminating a single table, as if the person occupying it did not shine through appearance alone. Despite sticking out like a colorful brushstroke against a white canvas, the wealthy man didn't seem uncomfortable working in such a contrasting environment. Sitting quietly while reading through official-looking documents, a fragrant cup of red tea had been his only interaction for hours.
And as the sun rose high in the sky, announcing midday, the waitress couldn't help but glance over, once or twice, at the gleaming strands of golden hair that were loosely tied into a ponytail. Whenever Len leaned in to write something down, his bangs almost brushed against the paper. He had told her how he'd grow his hair out one day. Caught in that memory from long ago, she didn't notice him answering her lingering gaze until he broke into a smile.
Argh! What was she doing? She told Len that she wouldn't interact with him with anything but a professional attitude. When he argued that he was visiting the café as a paying customer, she had reluctantly allowed him in. Her policy was to never turn down anyone due to their appearance… although the ideals she had pictured along with it were challenged today.
"You look uncomfortable. Are you sure I don't need to keep him out?"
She met concerned honey-brown eyes with a caring smile. "It's okay, Al. Besides, you've been here all morning. Did you catch any sleep at all after that nightshift?" Rin asked.
"…I'm staying here for as long as you need me," the man said. The waitress lowered her eyes, deciding that the serious tone suited him ill.
She had heard him use it this very morning, when Al had told her he wouldn't come back to the café after apologizing for yesterday's fight. He had looked very determined about that. If she hadn't pulled him back… and convinced him that his apology was accepted… That as long as he wouldn't start another fight, he was welcome anytime, then...
Her eyes glazed over for a moment.
Then, he would have walked out of her life, just like that. Just like….
"You know, I really did lose my balance yesterday," Rin quietly reassured him. "It was a misunderstanding." She felt compelled to look over in the direction of that illuminated table as she said this. The blonde youth looked diligent as he sorted through the paperwork he brought with him, a concentrated look on his face made him appear so much more mature than her memories of him. "Besides, Len is…" Catching herself, those words died away on its own.
"…Your childhood friend, right?" Al guessed the end of that sentence and expressed it with a low sigh. "The kid and I had a long talk yesterday and that's what he told me. That you guys used to live on the same block and your families were close."
Her lips parted in silence for a moment. "We used to be," were the few words the girl settled with.
"I don't mean to pry into anything personal," Al explained as he looked at her face. "But I'm betting you guys didn't simply drift apart. There's only one thing I need to know from you… and that is wether it's safe to leave you two alone."
Even though the answer to that was redundantly clear, Rin felt her throat tighten on its own.
Those brown eyes were looking straight through her with such intensity, she felt caught behind her layers of self-protection, as if they had all turned transparent all of the sudden. The laughter that left her lips was a defense mechanism, to cope with the interrogation without cracking underneath the weight. One well-thrown accusation and those walls would shatter like glass. "Of course! I can handle myself. If anything, I was the troublemaker of us two." Her brain searched for a harmless story that she could use as an example and the first thing that popped up was likely the result of yesterday's orange mandarin tart.
"Like when I used to dig holes in my parents' yard," she started sharing a story of when she was still a child. "I loved oranges, so I would bury the seeds in the hopes of growing a tree. I thought they would pop out of the ground, just like that, so when nothing happened I… kept trying, day after day." Ah, she was rambling along, but it was calming her down. "I completely ruined the landscaping and pretty much killed my mother's roses. She was very upset about that." When she reached the end of that small tale, she realized something. "I don't remember getting caught though."
"That's because your father thought there were moles underground," was the reply that continued her story. "They hired people to spread poison, but you kept trying to sneak into the yard." From across the table, the well-dressed youth gave her a knowing smile. "I don't think your parents ever connected the dots, but that's how you stayed over at my place for a week or so. You cried every night about your trees, so I remember it well."
"Oh," Rin gasped quietly as the memory flooded back to her.
Guiding out her hands, small fingers had clasped around hers, squeezing lightly and swinging their arms from the left to the right. Those dimples in his round cheeks. Those bright eyes that sparkled with hopes and dreams, in a way that told her nothing was impossible for the both of them.
When we're older, our garden will be full of orange trees, so don't cry okay?
It took a moment for her to wake up from her daze, from a memory so vivid, she couldn't understand how it had stayed dormant for so long.
Al's expression had softened, but she still felt it in the air as he took his coat from the back of the chair and covered himself up with a large scarf. She pretended not to see the sideward glare he shot at Len. There were lingering words left unspoken and it was probably the reason why he stayed so long in the first place. "I'll be back tomorrow then?" he still asked for her permission, which she answered with a smile.
"Yes, see you tomorrow." She gave him a friendly wave goodbye.
The old door creaked behind him as it finally shut back in its hinges and with it, the silence that filled the café lasted only momentarily.
"…Rin."
She answered that call with a breath of uncertainty. "Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" the waitress replied in a tone that would certainly set the mood straight. She would not treat him unlike any other person that came to the café. Whether that was a good or bad thing for the rich businessman could be left debated.
"An hour of your time would be great," he smiled, but his eyes were downcast, as if he held no expectations. "If not that, I'd love another cup of tea, please."
Dust particles glistered around them in the sunlight as she approached his table. The warmth she stepped into felt like someone had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. The waitress' fingers curled around the handle of his mug and without spilling a single drop, boiled water was poured in. This was her reply to his request and when he reached for the mug with both hands, her eyes lingered for a moment. He must have misinterpreted her moment of delay.
"Will you sit with me?" He was reorganizing the documents he had lying around as he asked this, perhaps to clear the space for her.
"Oh, but you don't need to hide the company logo of those contract papers." As she said this, she reached for his palm, guiding his wrist inwards. "It's right here, on your cufflinks after all."
He was silent and didn't meet her eyes, lips pressed together with a faint redness coloring his cheeks. Was he embarrassed? He definitely should be, but this wasn't the face she'd though he'd make. Confusion settled on her own expression, that is, until she realized they were basically holding hands. "Ah, I didn't mean to," she flapped her hand around, unsure where to place it. "Sorry."
His response was softly-spoken, and a bit shy. "Don't be. It was a happy mistake."
The waitress had to turn around, barely resisting the urge to bury her face into her hands. That was when the bell of the door announced a customer.
Grateful for an easy transition back into her role as a waitress, she heartedly welcomed her customer. It was a girl her age that she was familiar with, her long red hair loosely tied up into a messy bun. The baggy clothes she wore hid much of her frame, but a bony shoulder poking out of her oversized sweater betrayed just how frail the girl was. She was practically shivering in the autumn weather, but still hesitated to leave the safety of the doorframe.
"Miki, it's good to see you," Rin beckoned her, taking this moment to move back to the counter. "Come in, can I get you something to warm up?"
But the timid girl took quick, hesitant glances as Len's fancy attire, concerned of their pricey appearance.
Rin had pulled through similar reactions this morning. What strategy should she use this time?
She decided to address the issue lightly as she reached for her best mug in the cabinet – a rosy design that mimicked her customer's haircolour. "Don't be shy," she placed the ceramics on the counter for Miki to see. "If you win the guessing game, I'll let you have this drink for free."
"H-Huh?" That threw the girl off, startling her out of her dazed state.
The waitress hummed in reply, while pouring the steaming water from the saucer. "Why not speak those thoughts of yours out loud?" she suggested, before feigning a gasp. "Oh no, what is this rich looking stranger doing in a rundown café like this? What is his job? His reason for being here?" Strategically choosing a tea that was especially fragrant, she filled the café with the alluring scent of warm spices. "If you guess any of those correctly, you win."
"Ah, I didn't mean to…" Miki halfheartedly started to explain herself.
"How about three chances? I'll even help you by shooting down the more obvious answers," Rin deliberately interrupted her apology. And while her costumer's cheeks reddened, she did take a subconscious step deeper into the café, which was a very good sign.
So the waitress opened a pot of honey to sweeten the deal. "Well, he's not a police officer, undercover or otherwise," Rin waved with a spoon in her hand. The golden honey poured in brightened the color of the tea as a visible weight fell from the girl's small shoulders. Well, she did expect that to be her biggest concern.
"I don't know, I might be private investigator." Len surprised her with his own suggestion, playing part in the pretense of a game he hadn't been invited to. "Here to find secrets hidden within the walls of this old building." It sounded so ridiculously out of nowhere, the waitress couldn't help but raise her eyebrow at him. He returned her bewildered look with a playful smile.
Did he… just really challenge her to a battle of wits? She swirled the spoon a little hastily now. "And I bet he's not a high-ranking criminal either," Rin gave him a sideward glance.
"Hmm," Len pretended to think for a moment. "But I could still be the illegitimate son of a mafia boss, using this café as a hiding spot," he managed to deflect with ease.
"Oh! How creative," Rin praised. "Then what about a trust fund kid that had simply lost his sense?" She placed her hands together and gave him a glaringly bright smile. "…Of directions, of course."
He'd paused at that… a long pause. Well, that may have been too much on the nose.
"Then I might have strayed from the path on purpose," he finally said. The sunlight hit those blue eyes, lightening them up with a glow. The edges of his lips carried a smile that caused dimples to form in his cheeks and… it was as if he was about to promise her the world once more. "Because I'm trying to find my way back to someone precious to me."
She found herself struck in that gaze and it was like nothing else existed for a fleeting moment. …Haa. She needed a moment to breathe and come back to reality.
The red-haired girl had quietly taken a seat at the counter, glancing between the two of them. "Is… that mine?" she pointed to the tea, a bit awkwardly as if she didn't want to interrupt.
"Ah, yes, here you go," the waitress placed the steaming mug down with a heartfelt smile. "Sorry for all this. What I've been meaning to say… Len is harmless. I thought that if I erase the worst case scenarios that pop into your head, you might feel more comfortable staying."
"Thank you," the girl send a small smile back. "It's really thoughtful of you. The tea… and the strange game." She traced the floral design absently with her finger, not realizing that the oversized gap of her sleeve revealed the purple mark on her wrist.
"You're welcome of course," the waitress averted her eyes from the signs of abuse and poured a harmless conversation into a cup of her own. Other than creating a safe place to talk… there was little else she could provide. Perhaps she was in the wrong for getting their minds on the happier things life had to offer by completely sidestepping the daily struggles of life. But hearing the red-haired girl's genuine laughter felt like a good thing, regardless.
"Do I get to see you anytime soon?" Rin couldn't help but ask as she escorted Miki to the door. The shade of the sky was starting to change as the sun lowered through the clouds, painting them in a colorful pink hue.
"I'll try to visit more often," she said, with an expression that carried little actual hope. It could be weeks for them to meet again.
"Take care then," Rin meant that wholeheartedly, not closing the café door until she left around the corner. Once she walked back towards the counter to grab the used mugs, she caught Len wincing as he stretched his back. Surely, sitting on a wobbly chair wasn't the most comfortable after everything that happened yesterday. Even if nothing was broken, there would still be bruising.
"I have to close the café soon…" she decided to inform him just a little earlier of their closing time.
"Ah, yes of course," Len reached for his paperwork to pile them together. "Let me clean everything up. It will only take a second."
Her eyebrows knitted together as he moved to stand up. His movements were stiff and rigid.
"If you're coming back tomorrow, don't stay here all day like today," she huffed. "If your back still hurts, at least take it easy and rest up." She did not think anything she said was unusual, so she was taken aback when the rich businessman swiftly turned his head in her direction. They exchanged a confused look, before he broke into a quiet laughter. Not understanding what was funny, she gave him a glare that communicated this.
"Oh, don't mind me," he chuckled. "I'm just… really happy to hear you say that." He grabbed his bag, practically beaming as he walked to the front door. "Because I'd also like to see you again tomorrow." With the sky shifting to orange behind him, he left the café with only a speechless goodbye from her side. And perhaps it was the glow of the setting sun on her cheeks… that made her hesitate to lock that door between them.