Mumbo Jumbo

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews on the first chapter. Really appreciate them!

"Thanks for your help today, kid." Punk nodded, closing the coffee shop up with the help of Daryl who was stacking chairs on top of tables whilst Punk mopped the floors.

"You're the one paying me." Daryl shrugged.

"I know but you're good at this." Punk assured him, "You're a good worker."

"Thanks." Daryl nodded, turning around to hide his small smile, "So like… how'd you end up here?"

"What do you mean?" Punk asked.

"It's not exactly an exciting town. What made you wanna open the shop here?" Daryl asked.

"Was the cheapest listing to rent." Punk admitted, "And I liked the idea of a small community. In Chicago, there's coffee shops everywhere. It'd be hard to compete." He said, "It's hard enough with that stupid place across the road. Couldn't imagine trying to survive in the city."

"You're kinda old." Daryl shook his head with confusion as Punk raised a brow.

"I'm thirty-seven." Punk grumbled.

"No, I mean… what made you wanna open up a coffee shop now?" Daryl asked curiously.

"I just came into some money about a year back. And I've always been a saver. And I thought it'd be a good challenge." Punk nodded.

"Have you always worked in coffee shops?" Daryl asked.

"No… No, I was a lawyer." Punk said, not wishing to extend any more on that subject.

"Oh." Daryl raised his brows, surprised.

"I think I can manage from here." Punk said, "You should get home."

"Ok." Daryl nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah." Punk said, watching the teen grab his jacket from the back of the shop, "And hey, you really have been a great help." He said seriously as Daryl nodded with a smile before leaving the shop.

"Look at these babies." AJ smiled proudly, taking out a tray of fruit scones from her oven in her apartment whilst Lyla sat at the table waiting.

"They worked this time?" Lyla asked, delighted by the sight.

"I think so." AJ said excitedly, sitting the scones on the rack.

They provided all of the baking and pastries for their café, and every now and then they tested out something new to add to their array of sweet treats.

"Quick, let's eat them whilst their still warm." Lyla said as AJ put a few scones on a plate and brought them over to the table in her small kitchen.

"I think I nailed them." AJ smiled happily, cutting the scones in half, almost salivating at the doughy, crumbly texture inside.

"Oh, they're good." Lyla said with a mouthful, "Still very hot, though." She warned, waving her hand in front of her mouth.

"I could whip a batch up tomorrow morning and have them out for the afternoon." AJ nodded, pulling her diary over and writing her plan for the next day out.

"We also need to figure out what we're taking to the Spring Fair." Lyla said.

"If these go down well tomorrow then maybe we can add these to the list." AJ said as Lyla nodded, eating happily in agreement.

"He was… kinda busy today." Lyla said, immediately regretting it as AJ looked up at her.

"I didn't notice." AJ shrugged.

"You look out the window every hour of the day now. You noticed." Lyla said, "He was busy and so were we. It's not such a bad thing. It could be friendly competition. Maybe we've been getting too comfortable."

"I like comfortable." AJ said, "We've worked hard to get comfortable."

"I know we have." Lyla understood, "Do you think he's going to have a stall at the fair?" She asked.

"Probably." AJ realised, "He looks like he's just having a midlife crisis." She shrugged as Lyla laughed.

"April." Lyla scoffed.

"What?" AJ said, "How many businesses and shops have been in that building since we've been here? About a dozen. None of them last."

"So you're hoping for him to fail?" Lyla asked.

"No." AJ sighed. She wasn't that cruel, "I'm just worried." She shrugged.

"There's nothing to worry about. He's not gonna drive us out of town. We've established ourselves here. We have nothing to prove to anyone. You have nothing to prove." Lyla assured her.

"I don't think I'll ever feel like I'm not trying to prove myself." AJ admitted, "And the thing he wrote on his board was nasty." She folded her arms.

"It was childish." Lyla agreed.

"He called me sad the other night. Said that everyone has been so friendly and welcoming in this place apart from me." AJ said, still thinking on the words, letting them eat her up inside until the point where she felt like a terrible person.

"You did steal his board. When we first saw him outside his place, he waved over, and you just stared at him." Lyla laughed a little as AJ shrugged.

"Well you know I'm not good at making friends." AJ justified.

"I have a small suggestion. Hear me out before you say anything." Lyla warned.

"I don't like the sound of it already." AJ said.

"Why don't we ask if he wants to do a joint stall at the Spring Fair?" Lyla asked, "It cancels out any sort of competition. We could get to know him a little better. The community will probably think it's a nice idea." She shrugged.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." AJ nodded with a devious grin.

"No, that's not what I mean." Lyla scoffed, "It would squash any hostility between us."

"And how am I supposed to propose this to him? He's not stupid. He knows I dislike him." AJ said.

"You don't even know him." Lyla said.

"I've spoken to him twice now and both times he was smug and arrogant and… entitled." AJ said, "I don't like him."

"You should go over to his shop tomorrow and ask him. Take some scones over." Lyla said.

"I'm not giving him scones. I don't want him getting ideas." AJ said with horror.

"Ok, well just go yourself and ask him about doing something together for the Spring Fair. It's a nice gesture. You can be nice, right?"

"I can try." AJ said, reluctant to the idea but seeing sense in it. It was a kind idea and Lyla was right, it was perhaps a good way to address any sort of competition.

"Can you get that table over there?" Punk asked Daryl, placing a lid on a coffee cup before handing it to the waiting customer, having noticed a family waiting at a table ready to order.

"Sure." Daryl nodded, making his way over to the table.

"Who is next?" Punk asked, watching a small elderly woman walk towards the counter with the help of a walking stick.

"Just an Americano, honey." She said, "Too much mumbo jumbo coffee these days." She shook her head as Punk smiled.

"I agree." Punk nodded, putting more coffee beans into the filter before brewing her coffee into a cup.

"Like that place across the road. Too frilly and fancy." She shook her head as Punk chuckled, "Sweet girls, though." She admitted.

"You got any pointers for me?" Punk asked, already warming up to the old woman.

"Looks like you should just keep doing what you're doing, love." She replied, looking around the busy shop, "Seems to be working just fine." She smiled.

"Thank you." Punk nodded sincerely, checking back on her coffee, placing a lid on the cup once it was almost full, "No mumbo jumbo for you, ma'am." Punk said, handing her the coffee.

"Wonderful." She chuckled, sending her into a coughing fit as Punk looked on with concern, "Oh, don't worry. That'll be the forty cigarettes a day." She waved her hand casually as Punk nodded slowly, "I'm Linda." She smiled, taking the coffee from Punk.

"Phil." Punk placed his hand on his chest. He knew most of his success would be the relationships he built with his customers. Being friendly wasn't something he was particularly accustomed to, especially in his previous job, but he was working on it.

"Well, Phil, I'll be over here enjoying my coffee and doing my crossword." Linda said, making her way over to a table as Punk smiled.

The only thing that broke his attention was noticing the board thief walking into the shop, walking towards the counter with a nervousness about her.

"Can I help you?" Punk asked her.

"Well… the Spring Fair is coming up. I don't know if you know what it is-"

"I do." Punk nodded.

"Ok. Well, I always have a stall there. We serve coffee, other drinks, cakes… we tend to make a decent amount of money. It's always super busy, not just with people from this town but a few over too." She explained as Punk nodded, confused about where this was going. He already knew about the Spring Fair and had been granted a spot for a stall of his own.

"Will you be using my board there?" Punk asked curiously as AJ just glared at him.

"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to join coffee forces." AJ nodded, immediately regretting her choice of words, wishing for the ground to swallow her whole.

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"I was wondering if you wanted to do a stall together. Let's face it, we'll be selling basically the same stuff." She said, taking a moment to look around his shop for the first time.

It was very sleek and refined. Oak wooden tables and chairs. Intriguing art pieces on the walls. A fireplace on one side of the place with a couch area in front. A large selection of pastries, deli sandwiches and bagels on the front counter. It was rather… nice.

"Well… thanks for the offer but I've already got some ideas for my own stall." Punk said, "Plus, I'm sure we won't be selling the exact same stuff." He shrugged as AJ looked at him, her hands falling to her sides with defeat. She was going to murder Lyla for this. She knew she should have trusted her gut.

"Ok." AJ said, "I just thought it made sense but… if you've got big plans-"

"I do." Punk nodded.

"Ok then." AJ shrugged, standing awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

"Can I get you anything?" Punk asked.

"No thank you." AJ shook her head, turning around and leaving the shop as Punk watched her curiously. He was officially confused. He was sure this offer was some sort of calculated move to keep him at arm's length, but he couldn't deny there was genuine tone to her voice when she had spoken.