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“JERRELL! GET OUT HERE!”
Jerrell made a face and put down his pastry bag. This was the third time in three days he’d been called to the front. He was never called out this often. What was going on now?
He poked his head out of the kitchen. Melody, busy with a counter full of customers and a line almost to the door, jerked her head in the direction of the front corner table.
Oh.
Rafi wanted to talk again. Jerrell felt an absolutely uncalled for flutter in his stomach as he walked over.
“Hi?” He glanced down and saw Rafi had ordered one of the pumpkin mousse cups Jerrell had whipped up. Oh. Okay, so Rafi clearly really liked pumpkin. “I’m uh, I’m sorry we don’t have cheesecake today. Melody wants to wait until next week to serve it again.”
“I’ll have to live with that disappointment,” Rafi said, sounding amused. “But I was excited to see these on display today.” He gestured at the cup. Jerrell rubbed the back of his neck and tried to fight down the grin. The guy was just happy about a pumpkin trifle, geez. Calm down.
“You gave me the idea so... I hope you like it.”
Rafi looked delighted. “I’m happy to have inspired you. It’s very good. My new second favorite item.”
“Second favorite?”
A grin. “After the cheesecake, of course.”
“I hope Melody decides we should keep serving it, then,” was the only think Jerrell could think to say.
“Me too.” There was a pause and then Rafi said, “I hope you don’t mind that I keep asking to speak with you.” He sounded careful. “I come here so often, it just seems a shame that I don’t know you yet. But I don’t want to impose on your time. Especially since you’re on the clock.”
Right. Rafi was being the typical friendly regular. See? Jerrell told himself. That’s all this is. He tried for a smile. “I don’t mind at all. It’s, uh, it’s nice to have someone in mind who’s enjoying my stuff. I mean, you know, like with the trifle. You gave me the idea, then you ordered it and told me it was good so–” stop talking before you let something slip and make Rafi uncomfortable “–so now uh, I know at least one person likes it,” he finished lamely.
Rafi glanced down at this plate, then back up at Jerrell. “Well,” he said after a moment, tone playful. “By all means, keep me in mind when you’re working, then.”
Jerrell was not made to handle this. “Okay,” he said, throat dry. “Um. I’ll let you get back to your trifle. I’m glad you like it.”
Melody smirked at him as Jerrell fled to the kitchen. Which, Jerrell felt, was entirely uncalled for.
***
RAFI DIDN’T SHOW UP on Thursday. Or, well, he might have, but he didn’t ask to speak to Jerrell if he did. Jerrell kind of found himself missing him. It had been nice, in the middle of work, to be pulled out of the kitchen for a compliment. The fact that Rafi was stupidly attractive didn’t hurt either.
It was the same thing Friday too. Amid frosting cupcakes and taking scones out of the oven, Jerrell was almost tempted to ask Lindsay or Tanush if Rafi had come in.
Which was ridiculous, frankly. The man was a regular, but he hadn’t even known who Jerrell was before this week. And Jerrell could say the same thing about him. He’d complimented Jerrell’s stuff a few times. That was it. No big deal.
Instead of letting his brain tailspin over “the Doc”—and Jerrell was curious as to what he was a doctor of—he threw himself back into making the pastries and tried not to fall asleep. A full week and a half of doing all the baking for the cafe by himself was definitely taking a toll. He had decent stamina but man, it was wearing him down a little. He was really fucking glad that Mary was feeling better, and had popped in to say that she’d take over Saturday and Sunday herself. Jerrell was planning on sleeping through most of the weekend.
When twelve-thirty finally rolled around, Jerrell hung up his apron, washed his hands again, double-checked that everything was put away proper, and left the kitchen. He was looking forward to maybe a nap, and then food, and then grocery shopping. Possibly grocery shopping before food. He’d been so busy with work he’d sort of let chores fall by the wayside. His cupboards were getting pretty bare.
The counter was as busy as it always was at this time of day, so he only waved at Melody to signal that he was going, intent on leaving out the back like he usually did.
But Melody held up a finger and beckoned him over, stepping away from the counter.
Confused, Jerrell walked up to her. “Yeah?”
“Done for the day?”
“Um, yeah. And the place is spic and span for Mary to take over again tomorrow.”
Melody grinned. “That’s my boy. You enjoy your weekend. You deserve the break.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you Monday.” He turned.
“Before you go,” Melody said. Jerrell twisted to look at her. She was smirking at him. Now what?
“Did you, uh, need something else?”
“The Doc’s been waiting for you to get off shift,” she said quietly as she nodded her head in the direction of the front corner table. Jerrell followed the movement. Rafi was sitting there. Rafi was there. At like, twelve-thirty in the afternoon, which, judging by previous pattern, was at least an hour after he usually came by. Jerrell might be staring. “Jerrell,” Melody hissed, “Close your mouth and say hello.”
“But he always comes in at eleven,” Jerrell said dumbly. “At least, that’s what I thought. That’s when he’s been here the rest of this week.” Or the three days Jerrell had seen him, anyway.
“And he asked us yesterday if it was alright if he stayed to talk to you when you got off shirt,” Melody said brushing some powdered sugar off Jerrell’s shoulder. “It’s not something I’d let just anyone do, but he’s been coming in on the regular for months and we all know him pretty well. And you two seemed to be getting along. He’s a very sweet man.”
Jerrell blinked at her. There was no way. “Are you... trying to set me up with a customer?” With Rafi?
Melody rolled her eyes. “Lord. You’ve worked for me three years now, see if I can’t make a judgement call. Whatever he wants to ask you, you can always say no, and I’ll chase him out myself if it’s necessary. Now get.”
There was never a point to arguing with Melody. Jerrell sent her one last frantic look, then walked over to the front corner table.
Rafi had been bent over a tablet, but when Jerrell approached, he looked up and smiled. “Good afternoon,” he said.
“Yeah, uh, hi.” Jerrell swallowed. “Melody said you wanted to see me?”
“I hope you don’t mind,” Rafi said. “I know you’re no longer working. Please, I don’t want to take up your time if–”
“No, no, it’s okay,” Jerrell said. “Do you want me to, uh–” he made an aborted motion at the empty chair on the other side of the small table.
Rafi nodded at it. “Oh, yes. Yes, please sit.”
Jerrell sat and fought the urge to pull out a napkin to fiddle with.
“I’ll try to be brief,” Rafi said. “I know you just got off work and have things to do. I just wanted to do this when you technically weren’t working. It felt less like keeping you captive that way.”
“Okay?” Jerrell said. Damn it, Melody had him all wound up now. But what could Rafi possibly–
“I’d like to take you out,” Rafi said, expression earnest. “If that’s not too forward of me.”
