The day had taken an interesting turn for Kostas. He spent the rest of his shift replaying that one single interaction in his head over and over again, wondering how in the hell any of it even happened.
Seeing Juni come in had been a pleasant surprise on an otherwise uneventful day. She visited the cafe often enough that he didn't need to ask her for her order and usually stayed long enough to let them chat for however long he could get away with; about as close to a friend as a customer could get, he supposed. But this was the first time she came with company - serious company.
Cammy. He'd heard of her from Juni before, but nothing could've prepared him for meeting the real deal. To put it simply, she was stunning, so much so that it was almost unsettling. It was strange, but he was convinced it should have been impossible for a woman that beautiful to really exist. But she did, and he'd somehow gotten her number.
He played it cool for the rest of the time she spent in the cafe, serving her and her sisters, then seeing them off when the time came for them to go. Kostas couldn't help but notice Juni looking between him and Cammy with the dumbest smile on her face as they were leaving; that alone made him suspect she had something to do with the whole thing, but he'd ask her and potentially thank her some other time.
Once his shift had wrapped up, he sat down to wait for a bus that would take him back to his rental apartment. Finding and keeping said apartment had been quite the challenge, which was only made harder by the fact he was an international. Between the time demanded by his degree and the work needed to keep up with his rent, there was little time to spend on himself.
But as tiring as it could be, Kostas was partial to the grind. His family back home continued to support him financially, which combined with the handful of scholarships he'd been awarded meant he was far from desperate. His parents' generosity frankly made him working unnecessary, but he liked knowing that he was earning his keep, if just a little. Besides, the coffee shop he'd been hired by was…pleasant as far as part-time jobs go. God knows he felt grateful for it today.
When it became clear he'd be waiting for a little while, he took out his phone and went to messages. He'd practically memorized the number he'd been given earlier that day, but he still referred to the slip Cammy had snuck to him. He was fairly certain girls didn't really do things like that in this day and age, but that made it endearing in an odd way.
Once he was sure he had the right number, he got to typing.
Hi! Its Kostas from Glass Cafe. I just got off.
He left it at that for now. He figured he'd have to wait a bit for a reply, assuming he got one at all. Needless to say, he was surprised when his phone vibrated not even five minutes later; sure enough, it was a message from Cammy, which was soon followed by another.
Hello.
That explains it. You must be exhausted.
The rather formal writing style made him raise an eyebrow, but he didn't pay it too much mind.
Yeah, a bit. far from a bad day tho
How're you doing? Do anything fun with your sisters?
Cammy replied soon after.
We just got back from visiting the market in Greenwich. I didn't get anything, but the others did.
And you? What would you say was the highlight of your day?
Kostas almost scoffed out loud the moment he read that last message. He could tell she was fishing for a certain answer, but even so, he took a little bit to think about it before he answered.
I'm sure you can guess
Next came a few more messages from Cammy, all of which he waited for with the slightest bit of nervousness
Charmed.
It was a pleasure to meet you, too. I hope we can see each-other again soon.
Whatever lingering doubts he may have had about her intentions died then and there. He wrote back almost immediately.
Me too!
My closest free day is this Sunday, but I should also be free Thursday evening. Either of those work for you?
A minute later, during which she was no doubt looking over her calendar, he got an answer.
Either one's fine.
I'm sorry, I'm rubbish at this. Did you have anything in mind?
To be honest, he didn't. It had been a while since his last date and riding the high of getting one at all that he hadn't really bothered to work out the details. That was, until he remembered a detail Juni shared with him at one point.
I know a cat cafe that recently opened near campus. You down?
The reply was almost instantaneous.
A what?
Whether she was confused, excited or a mixture of both, he decided to stick with it.
It's exactly what it sounds like
Just as he was considering being a little more specific, he got another string of messages.
That sounds amazing.
But I have to ask. How much did Juni tell you about me?
Well, she was a sharp one. He was slightly hesitant to give away the exact details about their conversations, but he did want to be as honest as possible.
He'd become so distracted that he almost didn't notice his bus arriving; he probably would've missed it entirely if a stranger hadn't pointed him out to him. Still, it gave him a little bit of time to think about his answer as he boarded and got himself seated. Once he was comfortable, he replied.
Not a whole lot, but she had nothing but good things to say about you
It sounded like you were her hero
I still have a lot of questions, but I'll save those for when I see you
He waited for a reply.
I see.
Sorry for asking. It's just that I know next to nothing about you.
Now, that was interesting. He recalled her other sister, Decapre, saying this was her first time even learning of him, but he had a feeling she'd been lying. Could it be that…?
Deciding it wasn't worth getting concerned about, he messaged her back.
Hey, if you have any burning questions I'd be happy to answer them
Kostas proposed this almost on a whim. By all accounts, this conversation could have ended there, but he didn't feel like letting her go just yet. Besides, if she was interested, who was he to withhold answers from her?
Close to a minute later, Cammy wrote back with her first question.
Okay then.
What's your background? Culturally, I mean.
He was tempted to make her guess, but he decided it would be better to give her a straight answer.
I'm from Cyprus. My family's Greek
I'm here for school obviously but that's where I grew up
Next came her prompt reply.
Oh, really? I figured you were an international, but I didn't want to assume.
Have you been living here for long? How's it been for you?
Close to three years now. It's a bit pricey and I get homesick sometimes but I like it well enough
Not sure if I'm going to stay after I graduate but I'm open to it
He was sure she was going to ask him about that; if not now, then later. Maybe it was a bit premature to say this, but he would definitely rest easier knowing his date wasn't going to up and leave the country at whatever point.
That's good.
He guessed that meant she agreed with that sentiment, but she didn't stop there.
I feel like a bloody recruiter. Maybe I should just send you a questionnaire.
Kostas came very close to laughing, stopping only because he saw that someone else had joined him at the bus stop.
You have that many questions?
Fire away. I've got plenty of time to kill
And Cammy kept on asking questions, enough to keep him occupied for the rest of his ride back. At some point, their little Q&A ended up devolving into simple chatter. Cammy's overly clean style of texting took a little getting used to, but it hardly bothered him when he needed to wait a minute at most for her to answer. Soon, he started getting worried they'd run out of things to talk about before their date, but another part of him just wanted to keep talking to her.
And that side easily won out, and somewhat emboldened him.
I have to walk the rest of the way home, so I need to keep my eyes up
I can message you back in about twenty minutes if you still want to talk.
Or I can call you instead. Your choice
Almost the moment he sent this text, Kostas started to worry that he might have overstepped his bounds. He'd only just met her and the little time he did spend talking to her seemed to show she was a bit on the quieter side. She was confident, sure, but maybe not enough to get on the phone with someone who was still essentially a stranger.
Thankfully, this self imposed dilemma resolved itself when Cammy replied.
Sure. Call me.
You meant right now, right? Or are you going to keep me waiting either way?
Kostas felt a sudden heat upon reading that. Part of that was because he was admittedly a little nervous about the whole thing, but it was mostly because he hadn't expected that. It hardly felt like a question; more like an expectation. He was going to talk to her right this instant.
"Holy shit, okay…" he couldn't help but utter to himself. Without even sending a clarification text, he called her number and put his phone to his ear, nervously waiting to see if she picked up.
"Ah, it's you," he eventually heard her voice on the other side. "Good choice."
"Did I have one?" Kostas jokingly said, skipping over the pleasantries much like she had.
"I honestly would've been fine with waiting, but if you're that eager…"
"I mean, if you don't want to talk anymore…"
"I didn't say that," she pointed out. "Go on, then."
Despite himself, Kostas clamped up immediately. He remembered now how intimidating she'd been to speak to and a big part of that was due to how she spoke. Her tone of voice was consistently serious and sophisticated, but not to the point where she seemed arrogant or demanding.
And of course, her accent. It was just very pleasant to listen to. All she'd done was give him a simple prompt, without any hint of playfulness or flirtation, and he was stuck standing there like a complete idiot waiting for it to be repeated back to him.
"So, you and Decapre…are the two of you twins?"
"We are," she answered after a noticeable silence. "She's the older one, though."
"Oh, wow. I've gotta say, the resemblance is very striking. Only…the two of you sound so different."
"Ah, that. Decapre spent a good part of her life in Russia; she only started living here recently, obviously not long enough to fully integrate or what have you."
For a moment, Kostas considered asking why Decapre had been in Russia - more specifically, away from her sister - but ultimately decided against it. If that mark on her face was a wound like Cammy had hinted it was, he suspected it was nothing good.
"Well, she seems to be happy here, from what little I've seen and heard," he said, deciding to keep things light. "You two seem close."
"We are now," Cammy replied somewhat cryptically, the slightest hint of regret in her voice.
"You mean you weren't always?"
"We had a…bit of a rough patch. One that lasted for a good while." He could tell there was a lot more to that story, but he opted not to push her for details. "Still, that's all in the past. I hold no ill will towards her - I never have, even when things were at their worst."
"Good. That's good," he said when nothing else came to mind. The truth that he wasn't willing to admit was that this story hit a little close to home. "I'm happy that things worked out for you."
"Me too," said Cammy, and she very clearly meant it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for things to get so sappy so quickly."
"You don't have to apologize," he assured her. "You also don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with."
"I appreciate that, but…"
Cammy stopped then, and again, Kostas couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a misstep. It was clear to him that her past was a little messy and because of that, he was trying to keep his curiosity in check. But this revelation about Decapre told him he'd need to walk on more eggshells than he initially thought.
"It's fine. I'm fine," she insisted after some time. "Talking about things as they were lets me better appreciate things as they are. You can ask me whatever comes to mind, but that said, I don't want you to end up feeling like my counselor. I won't overshare."
Kostas found himself unsure of what to say. His hunch had been right, but in a weird way, it was almost relieving. She was choosing to share all this with him, regardless of the fact they'd only really known each other for a few hours. Yet as strange as it was, it already felt like he'd known her for much longer.
He couldn't help but wonder if she felt something similar. He wasn't naive enough to think she trusted him, but she was comfortable with him. And that was a very promising sign.
"Cammy?"
"Yes?"
Originally, he spoke without even knowing what question to ask. She was just so intriguing; the little bits and pieces she fed him only made him want to know more. But where on Earth should he start?
"What exactly do you do for a living?"
Deciding to play it safe at the start, he waited for her answer, only to be met with a laugh instead. "What's so funny?" he asked, more than a little confused.
"My cat," was her sudden reply. "I work in the Civil Service."
"Meaning what, exactly?"
"I work for the Crown government," she said.
"And?"
"Is that not impressive enough for you?"
"It's very impressive, but…" "Trust me, it's really not. I work for the Probation Service; it's not the most glamorous job in the world, but it pays the bills. And, well, when someone truly deserves a second chance at a normal life…it's good to see them get that chance."
That certainly hadn't been Kostas's first guess, but then again, he had no idea what was and wasn't a civil servant in the U.K. or anywhere, really - social sciences weren't exactly his strong suit. That said, Cammy didn't seem like someone who worked some quiet desk job in some obscure government agency. She seemed like she'd lead a more…active lifestyle.
"I guess so," he said. "So, are you like an officer or do you just file the requests?"
"The former," she revealed.
"Really? Does it get stressful?"
"Sometimes. The usual type of stress, though - high work loads, bureaucracy, the whole lot. What I do isn't particularly dangerous."
"I'd hope not, considering the type of people you'd be dealing with," said Kostas.
"The risk is there. It's just minimal. But that doesn't mean that reintegration is an easy process. I won't bore you with the details, but there's a lot I need to keep track of."
"Like what?" he asked. "That hardly sounds boring."
He noticed that she took a brief pause before answering, probably because she wasn't expecting this level of interest. "Well, for one, whether the bargain is working for them. Whether their environment is suitable for them, whether they have opportunities for work or education, whether they've reoffended; really, it's a two-way effort."
"And you're not the type to give up on someone?"
Another pause followed, but somehow, he knew she was smiling on the other end. "Not if I can help it," she replied.
She sounded quite passionate on the subject, even if it was a reserved type of passion. He doubted her work inspired much excitement, but that didn't mean it wasn't important and hopefully, fulfilling for her. Kostas couldn't help but admire that.
"Well, whoever it is you're helping now, I'm sure they're in good hands."
"I can't say I'm a miracle worker," she commented. "But thank you."
He wanted to offer additional words of support, but they frankly felt unnecessary. Cammy seemed quite humble, which apart from being a breath of fresh air from the entitlement he so often saw on the job, also made her quite easy to talk to. And he really, really wanted to keep talking to her. He wasn't one to sing the praises of someone he'd only just met, especially not to suck up to them, but Cammy was…well…
"Juni was right. You are cool."
He didn't know why he said that. The moment he did, he wished he hadn't and started scrambling to find a way to take it back…only to be met by soft laughter.
"She did not say that."
The moment he heard this, Kostas decided to just roll with it. "Oh, she did," he insisted. "I wasn't kidding when I said you were her hero."
"I'm…" Cammy suddenly stopped herself. "I'm grateful for her. Truly."
He could tell this wasn't what she initially meant to say, but whatever that was, he decided it wasn't worth pressing about. But there was something else he was curious about.
"If you don't mind me asking, did Juni…?"
"Recommend you to me?" she said, effectively finishing his question for him. "She did, but I can assure you the choice was my own."
Kostas couldn't say he was that surprised, but her answer left him lost for words nonetheless. Juni was a wonderful person, but he had to admit that he didn't consider them to be particularly close friends - even calling her a friend at all felt like a stretch. She was a customer, someone he saw every so often and could have a conversation with if he had the time…and someone who, for whatever reason, went ahead and set him up with her absolute knockout of a sister.
Needless to say, he felt terrible for ever thinking that way.
"I see," was all he could say at first. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
"Should I tell her to expect a discount on her next visit?" Cammy framed this more as a suggestion than an actual question, but this was more or less what Kostas had in mind. It was the least he could do.
"No, but don't tell her she shouldn't either," he instructed. "Actually, don't tell her anything at all."
"Hmm…okay, then," she agreed, sounding quite amused with the whole thing. "Just don't be surprised if you see me with her then."
"Please, you can come by whenever you want. Not like I'm going to refuse you service."
It honestly surprised Kostas how readily he threw this offer out there. Sure, they already had a date planned, but anything past that was still up in the air or at least, that was what a rational person should recognize. The thing was that Kostas wasn't really thinking rationally. All he could think about was how much he wanted to see more of her, to learn more about this strange woman he never even expected to meet.
Maybe he was trying his luck, maybe she'd given him too much of an ego boost, but that didn't change that Kostas felt confident about this whole thing. And that confidence hadn't failed him yet.
"I would hope not," Cammy finally said in response to his offer. "Now, any more questions you don't want to save for Thursday?"
Kostas was confused for a second, until he finally realized that they never actually agreed on a date to meet. At least one of them managed to remember that.
"Yes," he said. "But I think I'll save them anyway. Meet you there at 6:00?"
"Meet me where?"
"I'll send you the address," he quickly saved himself, realizing he hadn't given her the cafe's name either. "You'll love it, don't worry."
"I'm sure," she replied. "Good luck with your class tomorrow."
"Oh, shit, class," he thought to himself. "Don't remind me," he sarcastically said, hiding the gratitude he felt for her doing exactly that. "Still have a few pages of review to get through before bed."
"Then you'd best get to it," Cammy all but ordered. "It was nice meeting you, Kostas."
"Yeah, you too," he sputtered, more than a little disappointed their conversation was finally over. "See you soon, Cammy."
"Of course. Good night, now."
With that final confirmation, she hung up, leaving Kostas to walk the rest of the way home in silence. All in all, he felt quite happy with himself. Between the messages and the call, they had talked for the better part of an hour, yet that just didn't feel like enough. Something about Cammy fascinated him, more than anyone he'd met in years. And that was because there was obviously much, much more to her than she was letting on.
Her past with Decapre, her supposed job as a parole officer; he didn't know why, but it felt like what she'd told him on those subjects were only portions of the truth. Maybe he was letting his imagination get away from him, excited by the idea of getting tied up with some larger than life stranger…no, that was definitely it.
He was just bored. The monotony of his studies had been unexpectedly broken and he was still riding that temporary high, making it seem more exciting than it really was. A date with a beautiful, interesting woman was more than enough, regardless of who she really was.
"But just who is she?" Kostas still couldn't help but think, over and over again. There was no way around it - he needed to know about her. It was such a strange feeling, such an exciting feeling.
Thursday couldn't come soon enough.
...
