The Sweetness of Youth
“Take this to Ted, kotiro.” Mari pushed the plate of bacon and eggs into Leilah’s chest and wiped her palms on her apron. “And watch his hands, girly. Bugger’s feelin’ frisky this morning.”
Leilah crinkled her nose in distaste and held the plate at arm’s length. She’d learned to avoid Ted’s wandering hands from a young age. He treated her with some caution, afraid of Hector’s giant fists. The cafe had quieted after the morning rush and Leilah weaved through the tables and scattered chairs to Ted’s seat by the window. “Mari said don’t choke on it,” she lied, jerking backwards as he flexed his fingers.
“Ah won’t,” he assured her, an evil glint in his eye.
Leilah backed away and began tidying the chairs, pushing the seats beneath the tables and assessing how long it would take her to wipe them clean and sweep the floor. She jerked as Ted stopped scraping his knife across the plate and cleared his throat. “How’s yer boyfriend?” he asked. A dirty hand wiped his mouth and he laughed to himself.
Leilah tried not to betray her tension, breathing out through pursed lips and ignoring the jibe. He knew nothing. He couldn’t. Ted leaned sideways and his dirty neck cloth dipped itself in the yellow yolk trailing across Mari’s chipped china. “Ah seen ya,” he whispered. “Holdin’ hands and stuff.”
Leilah clattered the chair into the table leg and the whole thing tipped. Ted laughed to himself, thrilled to reach his goal of successfully riling at least one female in the cafe. He glanced back towards the kitchen door but Mari remained hidden. He knew better than to trespass on her holy ground. With a shrug, he lifted a strand of fatty bacon and piled the whole thing into his open mouth.
Leilah reached the end of her shift with difficulty and Mari heaved a sigh of frustration as the girl snatched off her black apron and tossed it into the crate for washing. “What’s got into you, girly?” she demanded.
“Nothing. I’m done,” Leilah breathed, planting a kiss on the older woman’s forehead and bolting for the door.
“Homework!” Mari called after her. “Then I’ll pop up with yer kai. Tell yer father it’s beef pie.”
“Okay!” Leilah escaped with relief, ignoring the sounds of Ted chewing as she unlatched the door and slammed it behind her. The little bell beneath the lintel tinkled in her wake. Turning right at speed, Leilah barrelled into the last person she wanted Ted to see her meet. He righted her as she tipped towards the road, his arms strong around her torso. She smacked his chest in horror, seeing darkness cloud his eyes. “No!” she hissed. “Not here!”
“What’s up?” He glanced to left and right, his brows knitting into a hard line. Last year’s forgotten leaves blew around the empty street. A few tourists toured the gift shops up ahead. “There’s nobody to see.” His fingers reached for her cheek in a lazy caress. Leilah jumped free and shook her head.
“Ted knows.” She lowered her voice and dragged at the hairy arm next to her, sending a nervous glance back towards the cafe window. Her voice wavered. “I think he’s gonna tell my dad.” Her eyes widened in fear, met with a look of equal horror.
“He wouldn’t. He’s scared of him.”
Leilah shook her head and pulled him out of sight of the shop, their bodies blocking the narrow alley to the back of the row. “If he tells Mari, that’s it for both of us.” She gnawed on her lower lip. “Hector won’t let me out of his or Mari’s sight after the murder stuff. If he finds out about us...” Her voice wavered and he stroked a gentle thumb across her lower lip.
“He won’t. We’ll cool it for a while.” His mouth quirked upward on one side, creating a familiar dimple in his cheek. Lowering his head, he brushed his lips over hers. “Gonna be rough though,” he whispered. A probing thumb ran around the waistband of her jeans, contacting the soft flesh of her stomach.
The sound of a truck disturbed them and they jumped apart in fright. Hector parked outside the cafe and Leilah saw his reflection in the shop window opposite as he slid from the cab and slammed the door. His long strides took him across the pavement and the cafe’s bell tinkled the alarm at his entrance. Leilah pressed herself back against the brick, closing her eyes against the fear of discovery, but she heard Hector vent to Mari before the door sealed him inside. “My bloody bitch is pregnant!” he shouted. “How the hell did that happen?”
“Let’s run for it!” Mischief infused her lover’s irises with a curious sparkle as he pulled Leilah free. They skirted the main streets, avoiding the police station and cutting across the graveyard to the riverbank. Once there, he enfolded her into his safe arms and held onto her, the beat of his heart blocking out the clamour in her mind. His lips on her neck bemused her senses. “I love you, Deleilah Dereham,” he whispered. She knew he meant it. He did mean it. But they were both too young to realise it would never be enough to withstand the coming storm.