Marc
The bell rung over the door as I opened it. Candy smiled a little oddly as she spotted me.
“And you’re back,” she announced.
I stretched my hand out to her. “I’m Marc. I should probably tell you, I’ll pretty much be a regular from now on, and not because of the coffee.”
Candy giggled and shook my hand. “You like Marie,” she said, as if she’d just come to the conclusion.
“I do like Marie.”
“She’s a little shy sometimes,” Candy warned me. “But don’t think she’s standoffish.”
“Thanks for the info. Can I get a cruller and a cup of coffee? And can you let Marie know I’m here?”
She didn’t need to let Ash know I was in the bakery. Instead, the door leading to the kitchen swung open and she came out with fury in her eyes. “Candy, can you check on my strudels?”
Candy, sensing a brewing war, acted quickly, but not before she handed me my cruller and coffee. I took a sip as I watched Ash wait until Candy had left before directing her scowl on me.
“This coffee is amazing,” I said, before she could start spewing her anger. “What do you add to it?”
“It’s a secret recipe,” she huffed, then opened her mouth to say something else, but I cut her off.
“Okay, but when I stay over, can you make it for me in the morning?”
I didn’t smile. I just bit into my doughnut and watched her get outraged.
“Stop doing that! And what you did last night was really messed up.”
“You didn’t let me do anything last night because you were busy being a mother. In all caps.”
“Marc, you can’t do this. It’s not going to work.”
“We’ll see.”
I looked around the little bakery. There was only one small table in the corner and two chairs. Since I was the only customer, I took a seat and set my coffee on the table.
The bell over the door rang again, and Ash was forced to give her attention to the next customer. Candy, done checking the strudels, came out, and the two of them served another three customers before the shop was empty again.
Empty except for me.
Ash came over to my table, and, in a hushed whisper, said, “What are you still doing here?”
I held up my coffee cup to make my point. “I thought I would hang out until you close, and then we could go do something. Like see a movie. You know, with all of our history, we’ve never once gone to see a movie?”
“Yes, because you neveraskedme to go see a movie.”
“Ashleigh—”
“Marie,” she hissed.
“Ashleigh Marie, will you please go with me to the movies after work?”
“No, I will not go to the movies with you after work, because I have achildat home waiting for me.”
“Oh, I checked with Sandra first. She’s happy to stay overtime. In fact, she thinks it’s a great idea. Apparently, you don’t do much outside of work and Danny.”
“Because work and Danny are two full-time jobs!”
