Passing By

"He's thirty-seven?" Lyla questioned, sitting at her kitchen table with AJ after making them both hot chocolates. They felt it was necessary after the miserable weather they'd just gotten in from.

"Yeah." AJ said.

"So, he's like forty basically." Lyla said.

"No. He's thirty-seven." AJ rolled her eyes.

"And you guys were just… chatting the whole time? Being friendly?" Lyla asked curiously. It was very surprising to her.

"We cleaned at first." AJ said, "And then we mostly just spoke about the coffee shops." AJ shrugged, although that was a lie. She'd shared more with Punk than she'd intended tonight, but it had all just come out.

"Why the sudden change of heart about him? I thought he was a slimy little snake in your eyes?" Lyla smiled a little, taking a sip of her warm drink.

"He was when he was messing with me and stealing my specials." AJ nodded, "But it's been ok recently. He's not going anywhere anytime soon so I gotta get used to him working across the road, right?"

"Right." Lyla nodded, "I just didn't think you'd be having candle-lit chats so soon."

"It wasn't like that." AJ scoffed.

"Do you… find him attractive?" Lyla wondered as AJ looked at her with confusion, "What? I'm just curious."

"I don't see how that's relevant." AJ laughed a little.

"You totally do." Lyla grinned, "You think he's sexy as hell, don't you?"

"That's a bit of a stretch." AJ said, "He's… a good-looking guy. I think we can all see that."

"Yeah, but you don't easily admit your attraction to the other sex." Lyla said, "And I know you can be kinda wary of being on your own with guys."

"No I'm not." AJ defended.

"You are." Lyla said gently, "You might not notice it, but you are."

"Why are you making this a big deal? We just had a simple conversation. He mostly asked me about baking, honestly." AJ said.

"It's just not like you. Especially after how he's acted towards our coffee shop." Lyla said.

"We're not innocent either." AJ reminded her, "He's clearly been through a lot. Like you said, he's came here for a fresh start just like I did. I shouldn't be trying to make it harder for him."

"But it was fun." Lyla pouted, "I hate when you get responsible." She said as AJ chuckled.

"We've had our fun." AJ said, "I think he's actually pretty kind."

"And you find him attractive?" Lyla nodded.

"Oh, stop it." AJ shook her head.

"I'm just saying. I've never known you to willingly chat to a man for five hours. By yourself." Lyla said, "Not since…"

"He was easy to talk to." AJ shrugged, "And I feel like we have a lot in common. And I can tell he really cares about succeeding with his shop. The same way I did when I came here."

"Do you think you'll be having more chats with him?" Lyla asked with a grin.

"Lyla. Stop." AJ said, seriously this time, "I'm just trying to be friendly. And move past all the silly drama."

"I know." Lyla nodded, "You just… well, you looked really relaxed tonight when I walked in on you both. I've not seen that in a while. Especially with a guy."

"I'm not afraid of men." AJ shook her head as Lyla looked at her, "I know not all of them are rapists." She said bluntly as Lyla looked at her with sadness.

"I know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Lyla said, "I just know that everything that happened… it follows you around."

"It does." AJ agreed, "But I was ok with him tonight. I didn't feel that nervousness that I usually do." She said. She was just as confused as Lyla about that, "I guess cause I know he wasn't expecting anything from me. If anything he's always expecting me to insult him." She smiled a little.

"So he's handsome, you're attracted to him, you feel relaxed when you're talking to him-"

"That was only tonight. He's infuriated me up until now." AJ assured her as Lyla laughed a little, "I guess like everyone… you have to know a person before you judge them."

"So, we like him now?" Lyla asked.

"We're civil." AJ nodded, "And we're not making it a big deal." She gave her friend a warning look.

"So I shouldn't start planning your wedding?" Lyla teased as AJ groaned, "No, we can't have you marrying an old man." Lyla shook her head as AJ chuckled.

"I went home yesterday and slept all day. It was great." Daryl said the next morning as they'd just done serving the busy morning rush.

Thankfully, the power had been restored after yesterday and they were back in business as usual. When Punk had gone home to his apartment, he thought he'd be up all night worrying about his coffee shop and whether they would be able to open today. Instead, he'd thought about his coffee shop rival and their unlikely night spent chatting.

It had been a while since he'd had any kind of meaningful conversation with someone about his past. He didn't have many friends. The ones he did have were lawyers who no longer spoke to him after he was disbarred. Forgetting all that had happened in the past month or so with AJ, he'd really found comfort in chatting with her.

"That's lazy." Punk told Daryl who shrugged.

"I needed it, man." Daryl nodded, "What did you do with your rare afternoon off?"

"Nothing." Punk said, "Answer me this… how do people meet people in this town?" He asked.

"Is that your polite way of asking how people hook up?" Daryl questioned.

"No. Well, yes. But making friends and stuff?" He shrugged, "There's one bar. Everything is so small."

"Most people meet in high school here." Daryl said truthfully, "Or I guess people move away to the city."

"Isn't that frustrating to you?" Punk asked.

"Not really." Daryl said, "It's just the normal thing. Don't you still have friends from high school?"

"No." Punk scoffed, "I hated high school. Kids used to stuff me in trash cans."

"No way." Daryl said, genuinely shocked. There was no way this tall, lean and fairly handsome man was bullied in high school, "You look like you would have been the popular guy."

"Popular guys hated me." Punk said, "I met most of my friends after high school. Going out to see bands playing, hanging out at the skateboard park." He said, "You guys don't have any of that here. No place to watch bands."

"I guess we've all just resided to the fact we need to go into the city for that." Daryl shrugged, "Would you not take the day off to go visit your friends and family?" He asked whilst putting some mugs in the dishwasher.

"I don't have any family." Punk told him, "And… honestly, I don't got much friends either."

"Because of the disbarred thing?" Daryl asked.

"Pretty much." Punk said.

"That's not real friendship then, is it? You're supposed to stick by your friends, no matter what." Daryl said.

"Yeah, I know that." Punk nodded, "I want to figure out how to make donuts." He stated.

"Why?" Daryl asked.

"I think they'd go down well." Punk shrugged, "AJ knows how to make them. I might ask her for some tips."

"Is that a good idea?" Daryl asked, "I mean… should you do that?"

"We've been friendly." Punk shrugged.

"I don't think you two could ever be friendly." Daryl shook his head, "Can't you just google how to make them?"

"I googled how to make cookies and I fucked that up. She's like… an expert." Punk said. He knew that much from their conversation last night, not to mention all the cakes he'd tried which she'd made.

"If you think it's a good idea, go for it." Daryl said, turning his attention to the door which opened, "Uh… I think you can get this one." He nodded to the door as Punk turned around.

"It's me again." Sophie smiled, taking her black leather gloves off as Punk groaned internally.

"Back already?" Punk asked her, whilst Daryl conveniently disappeared into the back of the shop.

"On my way back from visiting my sister." Sophie nodded, "I sent those papers away that you signed, by the way. You owe me for postage." She said, tilting her sunglasses down.

"How about a free coffee instead?" Punk asked her.

"Fine." Sophie said, "Just an Americano." She waved her hand as Punk nodded.

"Take-away?" Punk assumed.

"No." Sophie said, "No, I'll sit in. If you join me."

"I'm kinda working." Punk said, putting a mug under the coffee machine, turning back to her as she made a face, "I guess I can spare ten minutes."

"Good." Sophie nodded, making her way over to a table whilst Punk prepared the coffee and brought it over to her, taking a seat across from her.

"How was your sister's?" He asked.

"Oh, it was fine." Sophie said, "She's still angry that I'm going to be showing up at her wedding without a date now."

"First world problems." Punk nodded.

"You know my sister." Sophie nodded in agreement, "I told her I'm quite enjoying single life."

"Good for you." Punk said, "How has work been?" He asked her. He was pretending that he wasn't interested, but he was. He'd been a lawyer for so long. Centred his whole life around it just for it to be gone overnight. It was hard transitioning himself away from that life he used to have.

"Do you really want to know?" Sophie asked him, taking a sip of her coffee.

"I wouldn't have asked otherwise." Punk said.

"Work is fine." She nodded.

"They're not giving you a hard time?" Punk asked her.

"No. No, I've stopped being investigated. I think they now fully believe that I had no idea what you had been up to." She nodded, "If anything I think they feel sorry for me now."

"I'm sorry it's been hard on you." Punk said.

"It's fine. I still get to do what I love." Sophie shrugged, "How is working here compared to the firm?" She wondered with a small smile.

"You know, I thought it would be less stressful but… it's hard. It's a different kind of stress running this place but still." Punk said.

"When I came by before… with the papers… I just… I thought you looked kinda lonely." Sophie admitted.

"It's a small town." Punk shrugged briefly.

"You never had to move away. I know it got bad. The disbarment and then us breaking up." Sophie nodded, "But you didn't need to run from it all. I hate the idea of you being alone." She admitted truthfully.

"I'm alright." Punk assured her, "I like the quiet, honestly. I needed it after everything that happened."

"And when you get bored of this place?" Sophie asked.

"I won't get bored." Punk scoffed.

"You get bored very easily." Sophie nodded, "You got bored of me." She stated.

"I didn't get bored of you, Sophie." Punk shook his head, "A lot of shit went down and-"

"And you shut me out. Barely spoke a word to me." Sophie said.

"Us being together would have just made it harder for you. And we weren't happy… even before I got disbarred." He said.

"Maybe." Sophie nodded, taking another sip of her coffee as she looked at him over her mug, "I've been travelling for a while. I don't think even this coffee will revive me." She admitted, "You wouldn't be willing to put me up for the night?" She asked him.

"I live in a one bedroom." Punk said.

"I'll take the couch." Sophie said, "Or I can find a hotel nearby if you don't want-"

"No, it's fine." Punk nodded. Oddly, the idea of not being totally alone for the night was sort of inviting, even if it was his ex, "I can take the couch." He said.