'Coffeegasm (noun) – that little rush you feel after that first sip of good, strong coffee!'
Ginny returned, as she said, on Sunday, only to find he wasn't there. Ben was covering for him the whole weekend, as he had told Ben he was going away for the weekend.
"Probably met some hot chick," grinned Ben, forgetting that the other waitresses had told him about their hopes for their boss and Ginny.
She didn't come to the café Monday, and she left on Tuesday. He didn't see her for two weeks, then when she finally had come in, he had been out. They spent the next couple of days unintentionally playing tag. He wasn't sure if it was deliberate on her part but it was driving him crazy.
It was now coming up to the end of the month. Nancy and Helen had already offered to cover Stacey on Mother's day, and between the four of them – Ben included – they agreed to pool some money to buy her a voucher for a day spa. Most of her money went on bills and the kids, so this way she'd have to spend it on herself. He made a mental note to roster her off that day.
Ginny came in the Saturday after the mother's day weekend, just before closing. "Hey," she said glumly.
"Hey. Machine's down for the night," he told her, reminiscent of her first night. He paused from filling the fridges to study her. He knew Ginny and could tell something was wrong
She shrugged. "Tea?"
There was no-one else in the café, so he came over to her. "You okay?"
She nodded, then shakily stood. "You know what, forget the tea. I-I should go."
"No, you shouldn't. You're upset, I don't want you to go, not like this," he said.
She smiled sadly. "Don't suppose you want to get a real drink after you close, do you?" she asked.
"Um...well..." He didn't drink beyond a couple of beers, whereas she looked like she wanted to get blind drunk. Figuring she needed someone to watch over her, he was about to accept when she spoke.
"It's okay. I'm going to go to that bar up the road. Come, don't come... whatever," she said, then stood and left.
He watched her walk quickly up the road to the pub, shoulders hunched over. She was sad; hurting.
He flipped the sign to 'Closed', lowered the blinds that blocked out any afternoon sun that tried to come in, then wandlessly cast a thorough cleaning charm on the floor and counters. He set a washing charm on the crockery and cutlery, and checked that everything that needed to be, was unplugged.
He then raced to his flat, quickly changed and went to meet her. All in all, she had a twenty minute head start.
At first he thought she had changed her mind, or gone somewhere else. He nearly passed her, huddled in a booth, four shot glasses in front of her. He slid in opposite her, looking at her in concern. "What's going on?"
She shook her head and tossed back one of the shots, grimacing. "Ugh – that tastes disgusting!" She pushed one towards him. He took it, only so she wouldn't.
"Are you okay?" he asked, becoming more and more worried by the minute. He had a sudden thought. "Your family? Are they okay?"
She skolled another, as she thought about his question. "My family...are definitely not okay. Sunday...Sunday is my brother George's birthday."
Shit. How had he forgotten. April 1st. George's birthday...and therefore Fred's birthday. Only now there was no Fred.
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" he asked carefully.
She smiled sadly. "You'd think so, yeah? Only, my brother was a twin, and we lost him almost three years ago." She skolled the third shot. "Sorry, we're all a bit of a mess. It hits us hard around this time of year, especially mum, and with it being Mother's Day last weekend, well..."
"I'm sorry. So sorry," he said.
She reached for the last shot, but he kept it away. Shrugging, she simply ordered more from a passing waitress.
"Don't do this," he said, gesturing to the empty shot glasses on the table between them. "It won't help."
"It will help me forget," she corrected.
"Forget your brother?" he asked.
"No! Forget the way he died. Forget that his twin is so unhappy and there's nothing I can do to help him," said Ginny, angrily. Under her breath she muttered, "Damn Oliver Wood!"
The waitress brought over the new shots, placing them on the table. He made a discreet notion at her – no more – but she simply shrugged. It was Friday night, after all. The drunker they were, the more money she stood to make.
"I'm sorry you lost your brother, more sorry than you'll ever know. And I'm sorry that George is unhappy, and you feel so bad. I'm sorry, Ginny," he said. "I'm sorry."
How many times had he cried that out, even after he had left. Waking from a nightmare, living a nightmare. I'm sorry, Ginny. Sorry for leaving, but I couldn't stay. Sorry for not staying in touch. Sorry for loving you too much to drag you down with me. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm so sorry, Ginny.
He covered her hand with his own. "This isn't the answer," he said, moving the shots out of the way. "Tell me about your brothers, the twins. Tell me absolutely anything," he invited.
She looked at him, then slowly started. Stories about them growing up. Tales of their boarding school pranks. How they'd opened a joke shop when they were eighteen and made a success of it.
"They sound great, Ginny," he replied. "I'd love to see their shop, try out some of their pranks," he said. He had heard Ron was working there with George now, and he wondered how they had recovered after the war.
"Maybe you will," she said. She grabbed a glass and skolled it. She stood after wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You ready to go?"
He stood hurriedly. "Yeah."
They walked back to the café together, not speaking, not touching. It was a companionable silence though, not uneasy.
"Okay then," she said, when they arrived. "Good night."
"Wait!" he called, when she started to walk away. "Will you be okay? I could walk you to yours, if you want?"
She smiled and walked back to him, standing so close there was mere centimetres between them. "I'll be fine. If you walk me home, I'll probably invite you in, and we'll end up in bed. Then I'll have to face the reality that I slept with a guy named Ezekial." She grinned cheekily and he couldn't help but grin back.
Merlin, how he had missed her.
"I'll have you know I'm not that easy," he said, pretending to be shocked.
She laughed, a real genuine laugh."You and I both know it's going to happen...Enrico."
"The whole bloody café knows its going to happen," he groused happily.
"Yeah," she agreed. "You can't fight fate, Ezra."
"I'm tired of fighting," he said honestly. So tired.
"Yeah, you probably would be," she agreed, and he wondered if they were talking about the same thing.
"But it's going to be spectacular. I'm pretty great, best you'll ever have. Think about that while you're alone in bed tonight...Evan."
She walked off, waving goodbye. Damn, the girl knew how to make an exit.
He watched her walk away. He never even got to tell her she had finally guessed his name correctly.
~00~
There was something different about them now. Even the waitresses had noticed. For the most part, they continued on as they always had been. But there was something more when their eyes met. An electricity, an awareness.
"You're doing it again," sang Nancy, as she walked past Ginny at her table.
"Doing what?" asked Ginny, as if she didn't know.
"Eye intercourse," quipped Nancy.
Ginny snorted. "Really? That's what you're calling it now?"
Nancy nodded. "It's gone past eye flirting. Well past."
"Damn, flirting is so much fun," protested Ginny.
"So is sex," grinned Nancy.
"Is it? I've forgotten," said Ginny.
"How long?" asked Nancy, as she cleared the table next to Ginny.
Ginny winced. "Over a year."
"What?" cried Nancy, nearly dropping her dirty cups and plates. They clattered on the table.
He glanced over, his gaze lingering on her. He was sure they were talking about him. He rolled his eyes and went back to making her coffee.
"Seriously?" whispered Nancy. Ginny nodded glumly.
"Well, no wonder you're eye fucking. You've probably forgotten how to do it properly," said Nancy, truly surprised. "How old are you, anyway?" Funny, she always meant to ask Ginny things about her, but when she saw her, she completely forgot.
"Twenty...in August," said Ginny defensively. She did not want to hear she was too young. Not in her world, not with what she had been through.
"Girl, you should be out partying, screwing every other guy," said Nancy.
Ginny shrugged. "I'll start with him," she said, nodding in his direction, "and go from there."
"He comes with a lot of baggage, I reckon," warned Nancy, "and although we'd love for the two of you to get together, we don't want you two to get hurt either."
"He's lucky to have all of you," said Ginny sincerely.
"And you," added Nancy.
"Naturally," smirked Ginny.
"You know, we've all got next Tuesday off. Wanna catch up, go to the flicks again?" asked Nancy.
"Next Tuesday? Oh! Right," said Ginny, checking the date. "Why is the café closed?"
Nancy shrugged. "Some sort of maintenance. Monday and Tuesday are our quietest days, so it's not surprising the boss chose that day to get it done. So, are you free?"
Ginny shook her head. "It's my niece's second birthday. It'll be a pretty big day for my family." Starting early with a service at Hogwarts.
"Sounds fun. Still, I think I'll see if Helen wants a break from her studying. My Tom's working and I hate to waste the day, especially now the weather's getting better," said Nancy. She glanced over at her boss. "Wonder what he'll be doing?"
Ginny looked over, finding his eyes on her. "He probably needs to be here with the maintenance people, doesn't he?"
"I guess," sighed Nancy, noting that Ginny had yet to look away from him.
She nudged the younger girl. "Can't you just jump him? His flat is just upstairs. I can cover you for ten, fifteen minutes."
Ginny shook her head, her gaze never leaving his face. "Hell no. Our first time together is going to last all night. I won't settle for less."
Nancy hooted. "Damn, I love you, girl. You're exactly what he needs."
"I know," smirked Ginny. "Plus he can make me a damn good coffee in the morning."
They watched as he brought her coffee over to her. "You taking your break?" he asked Nancy pointedly.
"Nah. Just discussing the benefits of eye intercourse," quipped Nancy, as she took the dirty crockery to the back kitchen.
"Do I want to know?" he asked her, sitting across from her.
She nodded. "Apparantly we're doing it...eye fucking."
"Really?" he asked interestedly. He paused. "Was it good for you?"
She snorted. "Best eye fucking I've ever had...Evan." She had taken to using his name when they were alone.
He preened. "The best, you say!"
She laughed. "So, you're closed next Tuesday?"
He nodded. "Maintenance." Yeah, right.
"I'll be near Devon. It's a big day for my family."
He nodded. "How's your brother doing? The joke shop one?" He asked her often, after that night at the pub.
"He's doing better. His boyfriend has -"
"Wait, George is gay!" he cried.
Ginny nodded. "I thought I told you. He and Oliver are-"
"Ollie? That guy Ollie is your brother's boyfriend?" he practically bellowed.
"Yeah? What is wrong with you?" she asked.
"I-I-nothing. I-I-I had no idea," he stammered.
"Yeah, I got that," she said dryly. She peered at him. "You seem shocked, though."
He shook his head, still processing it. George...and Oliver Wood? He knew the two men had been friends, and teammates on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, even when he was on the team, but together? A couple?
"How long?" he finally asked.
"Shouldn't that be my line?" she flirted, twirling her hair around her finger.
"Huh? Oh-OH!" He flushed and grinned.
"Listen, I don't want to talk about my brother any more," she said.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked.
"Who said I wanted to talk at all?" she flirted. "Nancy offered to cover us for ten, fifteen minutes if we wanted to...you know. Disappear." She grinned.
"Disappear," he mused. "Wouldn't it be nice to be able to just...disappear."
The grin on her face faded. "You want to disappear?"
"Sometimes," he admitted. "What do you say? You, me, on a deserted island?"
She smiled again. "Tell me more."
"You in a teeny tiny bikini. Me in a hammock. There'll be wine. Definitely coffee. Chocolate...or ice cream and jelly. Whatever you want," he said.
"Maybe I want you in a teeny tiny bikini," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.
"I think you'd fill the top better than I could," he teased.
"So I'll wear the top and you wear the bottoms," she said.
"And I'll be on top, and you'll be on the bottom," he said.
"The first time, anyway," she agreed.
They sat staring at each other. In the corner, Nancy rolled her eyes.
The bell pinged. A customer had entered.
"I need to get back," he said, his eyes buring into her.
"I should go," she agreed, her eyes blazing.
They stood and simply stared at each other. Nancy took the guy's order, keeping an eye on the two.
"See ya," he said softly.
She had a strange look on her face. "Just...don't disappear without me," she responded carefully.
He nodded and watched her leave, his body aching to be as close to her as possible. Preferably naked. Preferably sooner rather than later.
If only he had a deserted island.