"Look, he's here again!" A lady fiercely whispered to her friend.
The two ladies sat in the La Martiniere, one of them sipping coffee and the other eating a banana split at 8 am in the morning. The topic of interest was a well built, dark haired man, sitting by himself on the counter, arms crossed on the counter top.
The other lady discreetly glanced over the rim of her coffee cup as she took a sip. However, unlike her friend, she did not whisper frantically.
"So he is," she smiled.
"And he's not wearing a dress shirt today, how bizarre! " Her friend was close to squealing. "A green cardigan! Doesn't he look so much younger?"
"Do you think he should've left his sleeves unrolled?"
"Noooo OMG the only way to wear long -sleeved cardigans is to roll up the sleeves till the elbow! Plus look at his arms, can you see me drooling?"
Her friend chuckled. "That's tru- the Barista's here!" Her voice may or may not have risen a few notches.
The banana split girl whipped around. Sure enough, the blonde barista had returned to the counter and was now talking to the cardigan man with a little smile. The dark haired man said something and grinned, the barista blushed slightly and tucked his hair behind his ears. Then he grabbed his coffee machine and set to work, turning his back to them.
" Isn't the barista the owner too? And Mafioso is totally checking out his ass again."
"Did you see the way Blondie smiled?"
"Why don't they just go out already, dammit."
"Who do you think will confess first?"
"Bet it's the Mafioso."
"I think it'll be the owner."
"In any case, mafia-man has been hanging out here almost everyday. He should man up."
Her friend nodded and checked her watch.
"Oh shoot! We're gonna be late!"
They hurried over to the cashier.
II.
"Any louder and the whole Cafe would have heard them." Zoro smirked.
Sanji smiled and poured coffee into the cup. "They're regulars, work in an office down the street. Have taken a great liking to you, it seems." He added, teasingly.
"Me? It's you they were gawking at." Zoro huffed.
"Oh c'mon," Sanji blushed and waved away the suggestion. "The coffee will get cold."
"Yup," Zoro mumbled, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks as well. Ah, thought Sanji, his sunshine got brighter.
"Anything else you'd want?" He asked aloud.
Zoro shook his head. By now Sanji had got used to the five-minute ritual Zoro had, of blowing on his coffee, as discreetly as possible when there were people around.
"Is the coffee good?" he asked, leaning forward on the counter.
Sanji's face at such close proximity threw Zoro off-guard for a few seconds.
"Tis good." He hurriedly replied. "How's your father doing?"
"Discharged day before yesterday. He's doing well."
"That's good to know."
Sanji smiled, a genuine full-fledged smile.
"Thank you."
Zoro stared. For a minute too long. Then quickly looked away.
"Basic courtesy."
"Not many people have it." Sanji retorted. "I gave you a compliment, sit down and accept it, idiot."
"Huh?" Zoro scowled, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Who gives a compliment like that?"
"Me. Deal with it."
Zoro didn't have a comeback to that. Very few people could silence him, and those who could, had known him for decades. Except Sanji. It all came back to Sanji.
"Are you free this weekend?" He asked, changing the subject.
"Hmm no, Tuesdays are my day off. Why?"
"Just askin' "
Just then Conis, a part-time, came rushing towards them breathlessly. "Chef! They need help in the kitchen!"
"Enjoy the coffee!" He waved at Zoro before disappearing behind the swinging doors.
Zoro nodded in acknowledgement.
So Tuesdays it was. Zoro sat there for some time, contemplating his next move.
