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Here is what I have...
“How about you just leave the trap door open and we will come out when she wakes up. What time does her shift start?”
“She is scheduled to open. Tell her she can use my shower and borrow some clean clothes.”
“I am sure she will appreciate the offer.” All day Granny watched Marissa with a gleam in her eyes. Halfway through the day Franny came dancing into the coffee shop with more enthusiasm than usual. “Kira, could ‘Rissa switch with someone and work the morning shift on Friday?” Marissa looked up at the sound of her name.
“Sure, I don’t see why not. What’s up?”
Marissa listened with half an ear while she made Franny her usual coffee that would go untouched, after all, if Franny was rearranging her schedule, at least she could know why.
Franny heard a dramatic sigh that would have been out of place anywhere except a melodrama, but it was Franny, so it worked. “I am board. The nightlife will not be exciting for a while. I need a mini holiday.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
Franny went on talking to Kira as if Marissa hadn’t spoken. “There is this sweet little spot over on the Ocean I have been dying to go back to.” She leaned her elbows on the counter and propped her chin in her hands. “It was quite hopping in the 20s and they are starting to renovate some of the old hotels.”
“I still don’t see what this has to do with me.” Marissa pressed.
“Because you are coming with me. I do so hate going anywhere without friends.” Franny smiled and took her coffee to her usual spot.
“Just go along with it,” Jason appeared behind the counter next to Marissa as she was forming her protest. She was accustomed to him moving silently but that never stopped her from jumping when he started her. More than once she had thought of giving him a cat’s collar so she could hear him coming.
After taking a breath, “And why would I do that?”
“Because she is a lot easier to live with when she is not moping around. If it is not too incontinent, we usually let her have her little flights of fancy.” It felt as if his words were being murmured into her ear, causing a shiver of pleasure to run down her spine. But when Marissa glanced his way there was more than two feet between where she was, working the espresso machine, and when he was leaning casually against the back counter.
“Mr. Havenward, what pray tell are you doing behind the counter?” Granny called in mock ire as she rolled in fro the back.
Jason was undisturbed, “Watching Marissa work this contraption. It is quite fascinating.”
“That may be true, but this is a place of business, so kindly either go find a chair and glare at all the other men who flirt with Marissa, as you usually do, or put on an apron and lend a hand.”
“I am not apposed to getting my hands dirty, but there appears to be nothing to do.” For Marissa it was as if her world was being turned on its side, first it appeared as of her vampire friend was taking her to a sunny back (whether she wanted to go or not) and now Jason was offering to help behind the counter?
“Oh, there will be plenty of work in three minutes.” Franny’s singsong voice came from her usual chair next to the fireplace. “There is a buss full of Chinese tourists and it appears as if the hotel they were at ran out of coffee this morning.
Sure enough, two minutes later a bus pulled up in front of the shop, and a stream of chattering tourists crowded through the door. Kira tossed Jason an apron as she took her place to Marissa behind the massive espresso machine. “You take the orders and work the till.”
Before she had any time to even think about the weird turn of events, Marissa’s ears were flooded by the rapid flow of Mandarin. The tour guide looked to be in need of coffee as well, but he tried to reign in his excited herd. The smell of coffee appeared to have the same effect on the tourists, as smell of blood effect sharks in the water. They quickly over took the poor man and swarmed the counter. Jason remained unruffled.
The first woman in line seemed to have some difficulty getting her limited English to match up with what she wished to order. After a few attempts, Jason help up his hand and began speaking to the woman in the same rapid flow of words that had no meaning to Marissa. Was he really speaking flawless Mandarin? By the look of surprise and relief that flooded into her face, Marissa could only guess he was.
A good hour later they were finally finishing clearing all the tables and washing the many coffee mugs, even Franny had joined in the fray by taking people their orders that had chosen to rather than wait in the mass for their coffee.
Kira touched Marissa’s elbow, “Take a break. After that storm you deserve it.”
“You first. I don’t think I’ve seen you move that fast since the last time you went shopping.”
“Good point. I’m gonna get a coke, you want one?”
“That would be wonderful.” Kira whipped off her apron and disappeared into the back.
Marissa walked over to where Jason was restacking the clean mugs. She propped a hip on the counter. “So, you speak Mandarin, huh?”
“That I do.”
“Any other hidden talents I don’t know of?”
“There are a few.” He gave her one of his few smiles. It wasn’t a broad smile, just the slight upturn at the corners of his lips.
Marissa rested the urge to ask, what they were, and instead rolled her eyes at him.
“How about you just leave the trap door open and we will come out when she wakes up. What time does her shift start?”
“She is scheduled to open. Tell her she can use my shower and borrow some clean clothes.”
“I am sure she will appreciate the offer.” All day Granny watched Marissa with a gleam in her eyes. Halfway through the day Franny came dancing into the coffee shop with more enthusiasm than usual. “Kira, could ‘Rissa switch with someone and work the morning shift on Friday?” Marissa looked up at the sound of her name.
“Sure, I don’t see why not. What’s up?”
Marissa listened with half an ear while she made Franny her usual coffee that would go untouched, after all, if Franny was rearranging her schedule, at least she could know why.
Franny heard a dramatic sigh that would have been out of place anywhere except a melodrama, but it was Franny, so it worked. “I am board. The nightlife will not be exciting for a while. I need a mini holiday.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
Franny went on talking to Kira as if Marissa hadn’t spoken. “There is this sweet little spot over on the Ocean I have been dying to go back to.” She leaned her elbows on the counter and propped her chin in her hands. “It was quite hopping in the 20s and they are starting to renovate some of the old hotels.”
“I still don’t see what this has to do with me.” Marissa pressed.
“Because you are coming with me. I do so hate going anywhere without friends.” Franny smiled and took her coffee to her usual spot.
“Just go along with it,” Jason appeared behind the counter next to Marissa as she was forming her protest. She was accustomed to him moving silently but that never stopped her from jumping when he started her. More than once she had thought of giving him a cat’s collar so she could hear him coming.
After taking a breath, “And why would I do that?”
“Because she is a lot easier to live with when she is not moping around. If it is not too incontinent, we usually let her have her little flights of fancy.” It felt as if his words were being murmured into her ear, causing a shiver of pleasure to run down her spine. But when Marissa glanced his way there was more than two feet between where she was, working the espresso machine, and when he was leaning casually against the back counter.
“Mr. Havenward, what pray tell are you doing behind the counter?” Granny called in mock ire as she rolled in fro the back.
Jason was undisturbed, “Watching Marissa work this contraption. It is quite fascinating.”
“That may be true, but this is a place of business, so kindly either go find a chair and glare at all the other men who flirt with Marissa, as you usually do, or put on an apron and lend a hand.”
“I am not apposed to getting my hands dirty, but there appears to be nothing to do.” For Marissa it was as if her world was being turned on its side, first it appeared as of her vampire friend was taking her to a sunny back (whether she wanted to go or not) and now Jason was offering to help behind the counter?
“Oh, there will be plenty of work in three minutes.” Franny’s singsong voice came from her usual chair next to the fireplace. “There is a buss full of Chinese tourists and it appears as if the hotel they were at ran out of coffee this morning.
Sure enough, two minutes later a bus pulled up in front of the shop, and a stream of chattering tourists crowded through the door. Kira tossed Jason an apron as she took her place to Marissa behind the massive espresso machine. “You take the orders and work the till.”
Before she had any time to even think about the weird turn of events, Marissa’s ears were flooded by the rapid flow of Mandarin. The tour guide looked to be in need of coffee as well, but he tried to reign in his excited herd. The smell of coffee appeared to have the same effect on the tourists, as smell of blood effect sharks in the water. They quickly over took the poor man and swarmed the counter. Jason remained unruffled.
The first woman in line seemed to have some difficulty getting her limited English to match up with what she wished to order. After a few attempts, Jason help up his hand and began speaking to the woman in the same rapid flow of words that had no meaning to Marissa. Was he really speaking flawless Mandarin? By the look of surprise and relief that flooded into her face, Marissa could only guess he was.
A good hour later they were finally finishing clearing all the tables and washing the many coffee mugs, even Franny had joined in the fray by taking people their orders that had chosen to rather than wait in the mass for their coffee.
Kira touched Marissa’s elbow, “Take a break. After that storm you deserve it.”
“You first. I don’t think I’ve seen you move that fast since the last time you went shopping.”
“Good point. I’m gonna get a coke, you want one?”
“That would be wonderful.” Kira whipped off her apron and disappeared into the back.
Marissa walked over to where Jason was restacking the clean mugs. She propped a hip on the counter. “So, you speak Mandarin, huh?”
“That I do.”
“Any other hidden talents I don’t know of?”
“There are a few.” He gave her one of his few smiles. It wasn’t a broad smile, just the slight upturn at the corners of his lips.
Marissa rested the urge to ask, what they were, and instead rolled her eyes at him.