Chapter 10

Claire was pulling in extra hours at work while school was out for a two week break and she was able to make time to see the city and just relax on her off days as well. Matt met her three days a week for lunch and joined her for a picnic on the beach dinner every Wednesday, and she was glad to have his company. He was, aside from Sadie, the only real friend that she had. It was starting to get to her that there was no one in her life aside from two people and family. Why shouldn't she make friends? She would ask Matt and Sadie to introduce her around, but she would make it clear that she only wanted to meet friends, no blind dates or set ups. Nothing romantic at all was on her agenda.

The bell over the door to the café brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see the massive monster from the fair. She groaned inwardly as he headed to the counter. He hadn't yet made eye contact or noticed her which she was grateful for. When he did turn and his eyes landed on her, he smiled. She politely smiled back and greeted him as though she had never before met him.

"Hi there, what can I get for you today sir?"

"Well, hello there Miss, Claire was it?" He smiled down at her, noticing her blushing cheeks and said, "Why have I never noticed you in here working before?"

"Maybe you usually come in when I'm off or something. I'm sorry, I don't know if you have a usual order or not, so you're going to have to help me out here on what you'd like."

"All business at work I see and that's respectable. I'll take a coffee, large, and black, no sugar. Let me get a bagel as well, if you don't mind."

"Alright that will be four dollars and twenty eight cents." He paid with a five dollar bill and she counted his change back to him and then turned to fix his coffee and grab his bagel. She could feel his eyes on her back while she worked and it unnerved her. He was probably harmless she thought, and he was a friend of Matt's but he was a walking, talking, breathing example of everything in life that she didn't want near her. He was large and heavily muscled, far too muscular, and she would be willing to bet that he was interested in her.

She turned and her eyes met his and she quickly looked away before she could even tell what color they were. Being that he was so very Irish she was betting on green, much like her own. "Here you go sir, anything else for you today?"

"I think this will do it, of course unless you're willing to join me."

"Sorry, I've got to work; it's not lunch time yet. Have a nice day, and come back soon."

She saw him smirk as he turned and walked out of the door into the sunshine. She stood and watched the door as it shut slowly and he walked away. She could feel herself shaking just from being in his presence. He intimidated and scared her out of her shoes. She decided that the only people she really needed in her life were the ones who were already there.

Every day for the next week he came in while Claire was working and ordered the same thing. It got to where Claire would begin fixing his order when she saw him out on the sidewalk, just to minimize the time he would be in the shop. Each day he asked her to join him and each day she declined. The last Friday that she worked before returning to school Claire noticed that Stephen hadn't came in by the time she went on her lunch break. Maybe he had taken the hint that she wasn't interested. She took her seat by the window and smiled as Matt sat down across from her.

"So, are you ready to go back to school on Monday?"

Claire shrugged her dainty shoulders and Matt thought of a butterfly for some reason. "I guess so. I do kind of miss the classes and the text books as weird as that sounds."

"I bet it will be strange working a different schedule too. I mean before you worked Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and now you're going to be in here on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Definitely a change, even if it is the same amount of time on the clock."

Claire opened her mouth to answer just as the bell over the door tinkled, announcing a customer. She caught sight of the large arms and immediately knew who it was. She picked up her tea and drank slowly instead of answering. Maybe he hadn't gotten the hint after all.

Just as Matt noted the change to Claire's face he was stopped from asking why when he heard, "Well, well, what's a guy got to do to get as lucky as Matt here? I haven't been able to convince you to take a break all week."

Claire grimaced in to her cup and then looked up and put on her best fake smile. "Stephen is it? Why don't you have a seat here with Matt and chat? I should be getting back to work anyway."

Matt reached out and touched her hand in that sweet and reassuring way that he had. "Claire you just took your break, you've got another twenty minutes left easily. Sit and talk with us." At her shadowed eyes he dropped his voice so that only she could hear him. "I'm right here Claire, and he isn't a bad guy. Just sit with us and talk. Please."

"Fine," she said, not nearly as quietly as Matt had spoke and she sat back against the chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "Stephen, have a seat, join us, please."

The big man smiled down at her as he sat between her and Matt. "You're a tough one you know that Miss Claire? Why do you act as though I'm the big bad wolf, just waiting to eat you?"

"Because, for all I know, you are."

Matt cleared his throat and began small talk trying his best to ease the mood at the table, or to at least take the focus off of Stephen's obvious crush on Claire. With ten minutes left in her break Claire excused herself to go back to work. When she had disappeared into the back Matt turned his attention to Stephen.

"What in the hell is going on?"

Stephen looked at him and thought about his answer for a minute. "You know I really don't have a clue. I walked in here at the beginning of last week and when I looked up and saw her at the counter I was blown away. I haven't had a lady under my skin this way in a long time, and I don't know that I'm sure I like it. She is a stand offish one too which only makes me want to know her more."

"So it's the whole you want what you can't have thing, is that it? Is that why you are flirting your blazing head off? You want what you can't get and IF you were to win her over that's it?"

"Whoa man, I didn't say that at all, you did. I was taken with her the night at the fair two weeks ago. I didn't know then that she was off limits. If I would have I might have walked on by instead of looking into her eyes. Had I have known you obviously had your sights set on her I wouldn't have bothered either. So what is it with her? She one of those who thinks all men are pigs or is she a lesbian?"

Matt shook his head and laughed a short almost bitter laugh. "No she isn't a lesbian. Is that what you think, that because you can't break her walls down buying coffee and bagels everyday that she must be into women since she's not into you? For the record she doesn't think that all men are pigs no. She thinks that all men are assholes who would rather have a punching bag than a partner. She has a strong distain for all men, but specifically ones who are big. Too much muscle, too much size in general is a big no-no for her in a man. You're screwed I guess cause you can't change all that about you." Grabbing his coffee cup Matt stood and walked out, leaving Stephen to think about everything that he had just said. He hoped that he hadn't said too much as he walked to his car and drove away.

Stephen sat in the chair at the table in the window looking out at the trees in the square across from the café. He was sure somewhere in everything that Matt had just tossed at him there was a story to be told. For the life of him he just couldn't figure it out though. She wouldn't give him the time of day because he was muscled and tall? That made no sense at all. And what was he had said, that she thought all men preferred a punching bad to a partner or something like that? So maybe she'd had a boyfriend who liked to hit the gym too much and it interfered in their relationship, but that was no reason to judge all men based on that one idiot.

He had drank all of his coffee and walked to the counter to order another to go, and when he saw her come from the back, arranging her hair just so, and tying her apron behind her back he smiled softly. She reminded him of a fairy, small and dainty, breakable looking almost. She was petite yes but she exuded a strength that said not to mess around with her or else. Her hair haloed her head in a ring of fiery, springy curls and her freckled face held clear green eyes that he couldn't forget if he tried. She was no doubt beautiful, and he made up his mind then and there to know her, and what made her tick. Hopefully in learning all of that he could figure out why he couldn't get her out of his mind.