The Why

"Thank you for coming in short-notice, Shiv." AJ said gratefully to one of the other employees at the café. Siobhan, or Shiv to everyone, was eighteen and worked part-time at the coffee shop at weekends to support herself as a student.

"It's no problem. I love it when you need me." Shiv grinned, bubbly and sweet which had AJ hiring her right away, not to mention she was an incredibly hard worker who never stopped, which was ideal for the busy weekends.

"Me and Lyla have got the counter covered in between baking in the back, if you can keep an eye on the tables with Becca." AJ nodded.

"Sure." Shiv nodded, grabbing a waiting tray and heading over to clear a table of coffee cups and plates.

"Hey, these scones should be ready in about five minutes." Lyla said as AJ walked into the back where their kitchen was.

"I'm still not talking to you." AJ said, "I didn't get any sleep last night because of the humiliation."

"Oh, stop." Lyla scoffed, "If he wants to be a little bitch than let him. He's the one that should be humiliated." Lyla shook her head, "Not just for declining our offer but for having a lip piercing at his old age."

AJ tried to remain mad, but couldn't help laughing a little to herself, "I… don't mind the lip piercing, actually." She admitted without realising she said it out loud.

"Oh, really?" Lyla raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"I'm just saying. Barely anyone pulls those off." AJ said, "It was so embarrassing standing there, being kind and friendly, just to have it thrown in my face."

"Screw him. I officially agree with you that we should ruin his life." Lyla nodded.

"His place is really nice." AJ admitted, "It's warm. Comforting." She nodded.

"Did you tell him that?" Lyla wondered.

"No, of course I didn't." AJ shook her head, "I wonder what he's planning for the fair."

"I doubt it will be anything on our famous guava cookies and raspberry empanadas." Lyla smiled, "People travel for them, you know."

"I know." AJ smiled a little, "He seemed all mad that I wasn't welcoming enough and then when I tried to be welcoming, he acted like a child. What the hell does he want from me?" AJ scoffed.

"I say, let's ignore him from now on. Our place is still thriving as it always is and that's the only thing that matters." Lyla said.

"Hey, what's this in here?" Shiv asked, opening up the staff toilet to take a quick bathroom break when she noticed the display board sitting inside it.

"Oh, that's… we'll fill you in." AJ waved her hand, "Just move around it."

"Ok." Shiv said with confusion heading into the bathroom and shutting the door over behind her.

"These should be ready now." Lyla said, opening up one of their many ovens and taking the fresh scones out, "Look at them." She marvelled at the sight and smell.

"Have you ever seen a better sight?" AJ smiled, equally as impressed.

"We outdo ourselves every day." Lyla shook her head as AJ chuckled, shoving her a little.

"Idiot." AJ shook her head.

One thing she loved about their café, was they worked with some of the local farms and grocers when it came to their baking, priding themselves on having locally sourced ingredients from their tight community. From fruit, to milk, butter and grains.

"Why did you decline?" Daryl shook his head, standing by the coffee machine whilst Punk prepared a coffee.

"Because it wasn't genuine. She just wants to keep a close eye on me. Make sure I'm not going rogue at the fair." Punk nodded knowingly.

"Ok, I don't know if you're familiar with these fairs. There's no going rogue. It's dull and boring." Daryl shook his head.

"I bet you're fun at parties." Punk shook his head, frothing some milk up at the side.

"I'm just saying… that was a nice gesture. You probably made her feel like an idiot." Daryl said.

"She's got an agenda, alright. Just cause you have a crush on her." Punk said.

"Of course I've got a crush on her." Daryl said without a hint of embarrassment.

"I don't need a helping hand from anyone. Would I have liked some friendly conversation with her? Maybe a friendly smile when we see each other in the street? Sure." Punk nodded, "But I don't need babysitting."

"Well stop acting like a baby then." Daryl said as Punk turned to him, "Come on… teaming up for the fair would have squashed all this weird hostility. You've made it ten times worse."

"She made it worse when she stole my display board. That wasn't cheap, you know." Punk said, "Was this supposed to be oat milk?" He asked as Daryl looked at his notepad.

"Almond." Daryl said.

"Fucking hell." Punk grumbled, pouring out the coffee he'd just made with regular milk and starting again.

"I can't wait until you get so angry that you let me do open-mic night." Daryl nodded.

"Never going to happen." Punk said, "Go do your job, please." He nodded, handing the coffee to Daryl who sulked and took the coffee to deliver to a table.

"Morning, Phil. I've cheated on you." Linda said, making her way to the counter slowly with her walking stick.

"What?" Punk laughed a little.

"I was at The Brewberry this morning." Linda nodded with guilt, "My granddaughter told me they were selling these scones that I would love." She explained, "Turns out I did love them." She nodded.

"As long as your happy, Linda." Punk nodded, resisting the urge to kick her walking stick away from her, "Can I get you anything whilst you're over here?"

"No. I just thought you should know I've been unfaithful." She said.

"Well, I might forgive you." Punk nodded along. He couldn't believe that the townsfolk were now actively aware and participating in this foolish feud.

"Your coffee is better, my love." Linda nodded as she began to walk away, "You just need to up your bakery game."

"I'm not much of a baker honestly." Punk admitted.

It was a concern of his whilst setting up the shop. He knew how to bake croissants and other frozen bought pastries. He also made a mean selection of bagels and sandwiches which seemed to be going down well, but he wasn't a baker. Not like the girls across the road.

"I can bake." Linda turned back to him, giving him a cheeky wink before heading for the door.

"Yeah, ma. I sent this month's money over." AJ nodded, speaking into her phone as she walked around her apartment in her pjs with wet hair, freshly out the shower and ready for bed before realising she hadn't called her mother like she'd planned.

"Ask daddy for help." AJ rolled her eyes, glad her mom couldn't see her, "Yeah, the café is good. Really good… I know. You always say you're coming to visit. I hope you can one day." She nodded.

She continued to pace around the kitchen, listening to her mother go over her fear of flying as she always done, moving onto family gossip and how beautiful the Puerto Rican weather was.

"I'd love to come over there some time… I'm just so busy here." AJ explained, "I know I have other staff but… it's my responsibility." She said.

Her mother continued to talk for another half an hour before AJ finally managed to end the conversation, sitting her phone down and massaging her ear which was hot and burning.

She switched everything off in her apartment, heading to her bedroom and getting under the covers. Another triumphant Saturday had been done and dusted, but she still couldn't help pondering over Punk's rejection. Not that she felt herself so high and mighty, but she had thought there would be a good chance he'd accept, and that maybe Lyla was right, maybe they could squash this silly feud that was developing.

She sighed to herself, rubbing her hands over her face, suddenly feeling wide awake even after dreaming of her bed for the past hour. She reached over into her top drawer, picking up her vibrator and turning it on, burying it under the covers and under her pj bottoms. The only thing she'd let touch her down there in six years.

"Well this is depressing." Daryl nodded, standing behind the counter with Punk the next morning where they only had one customer sitting at a table. Meanwhile they could see out the front windows that there was a line all the way outside The Brewberry Café, "Bet that open-mic night is sounding pretty good right now." He turned to Punk who just glared at him.

"You know how to make scones?" Punk grumbled.

"Nope." Daryl shook his head.

"Didn't think so." Punk nodded.

"What's the catch?" Daryl asked, "Why would a lawyer open up a Coffee Shop in a shitty little town like this?" He shook his head. It was something he'd been wondering for a while, ever since he found out Punk was a lawyer.

"I'm not a lawyer any more." Punk said, "And I told you I recently came into some money."

"Sounds seedy." Daryl nodded.

"I sold my dead parents house." Punk turned to him as Daryl cringed.

"Sorry." Daryl said seriously, "I shouldn't have… sorry-"

"It's fine. I didn't speak to them." Punk shook his head without much thought, "But it was a good amount of money. And I wanted to do something with it whilst also giving myself a challenge." He shrugged.

"By why would you give up being a lawyer for this?" Daryl shook his head, looking on at the practically empty coffee shop.

"I didn't have a choice." Punk said, underestimating how easy this eighteen-year-old kid was to talk to, "I got disbarred." He said as Daryl turned to him.

"Doesn't that mean you did something-"

"Yeah." Punk nodded briefly, "Come on. Come help me with this milk delivery out the back." He told him, walking off as Daryl watched him for a moment before following.