"There you go Jodie, that's all done for you" I say as I hand over the bag filled to the brim with baked treats and coffees. I give the elderly woman a warm smile and she returns it with a frail "thank you dear" as she takes the heavy bag from me. Determined as she is, she manages to heave the bag of goodies from the shop and down the road. I turn back around the counter and begin my next task as there are no new customers to serve at the moment. The small bell rings and the shop door is pushed open, but I don't turn around to see who it is. Instead, I continue to pack the small white cake boxes with lilac tissue paper. I am however interrupted by a chuckle from the other side of the counter as I drop a sheet of tissue paper. I don't bother to turn around though, I know that laugh anywhere.
"You enjoying the show?" I ask as I pick up the sheet of tissue paper and turn around to face the customer. I am met with my oldest and bestest friend Taron. His bright eyes instantly find his way to mine, as if they were opposite ends of a magnet and he chuckles again. "Yeah. Good view as well" he teases as his eyes move up and down my body. He winks and I roll my eyes. "Ha ha" I say as I look down at my flour covered apron and tighten my ponytail. "Your usual?" I ask and he nods his head. As I turn around to begin his order I feel his eyes trail down my body once again, a burning feeling, as if his eyes were lasers scanning my curves, but this time it is cut short as I quickly turn around to face him, raising a finger as I do and pointing at him. "Oi you, eyes up here" I say and he raises his hands in defence, causing a laugh to escape my lips.
Pointing to a table, I signal that his order will be a few minutes. He smiles and turns away from the counter as he makes his way to the table, pulling out his phone in the process.
Taron and I had been best friends since we were 7 years old. I was alone on the school playground and he approached me, noticing that I was lonely. He asked if I wanted to join his game of hide and seek and we have been inseparable ever since. However, now it is much different. He is now a famous movie star, travelling around the world, meaning that I hardly get to see him, while I am stuck working behind a till in a small coffee shop in Aberystwyth. Oh how our lives are the complete opposite.
I bring his food and tea to his table and take a seat opposite him. "Anything exciting coming up?" I ask as I watch him bring the mug of tea to his lips. He nods his head while taking a sip of his tea. "Yes actually. I have a premiere for my new movie next week in London but I've had a few days off recently so decided to come back home to spend some time with my family". His smile grows wide at the mention of his family. Oh how I love how family orientated Taron is. His family is super sweet and loving too so no wonder he tries his hardest to see them whenever he can.
"How's your mum?" I ask and he smiles. "She is good thanks. You should come over for dinner tonight, apparently mum and the girls have missed you". My smile grows wider. "Really? I would love to! It's been a while since I last saw them all". He smiles and looks at his phone that has just lit up on the table. He takes a bit of his chocolate cake and grabs his things briskly. "Great! See you at 7?" He says as he stands. I nod my head and he flashes me a bright smile and a wink before leaving the shop. I sit there for a moment longer and smile to myself, thinking about the evening ahead, before getting up and returning to my spot behind the till.
As I take my place behind the till, my colleague Millie pops her head out from the back door and smirks at me. "Was that the one you told me about?" She asks and I nod my head. I had told Millie about Taron and our childhood that we shared. She was a fan of his so wanted to know everything about what he was like. She often gushed over him, making me laugh. I know he is a handsome movie star and is famous and rich, but at the end of the day he is just Taron; the Taron I knew when I was young.
"Yeah he invited me to dinner with his family tonight" I reply as I continue to pack the boxes, a job was interrupted around 15 minutes ago now. "I see" she starts. "I heard you both flirting with each other when he first walked in". I turn my head at the statement, unaware of what had just happened. I shake my head in response. "Flirting? Oh no, we were just messing about" I say as I begin twisting the end pieces of my ponytail (an action I do when I am nervous or flustered). Taron. Flirting with me? Out of all people?
"Oh y/n it's so obvious! He likes you WAY more than just as a friend!" I swallow hard at this statement. Does he? "You need to say something to him. Tonight" she says, brushing her shoulder against mine as she comes out from behind the door and stands next to me, her arms folded. I shake my head again as I finish packing the boxes. "Nope. We are good how we are and I'm not letting anything ruin what we already have. Anyway, you could be wrong, he may not like me like that".
She laughs at my comment. "Y/n you're crazy! Have you seen the way he looks at you! Honey let me tell you that isnt a look of friendship." She stops me before I could make my way past her. "Y/n what if this works out good. What if I'm right and he loves you. What if you get married and have children together. Oh my god can I be godmother?!" She clasps her hands together and let's put an excited squeal. I roll my eyes and continue to walk past her. "Not gonna happen!" I call out as I walk out to the back of the shop and close the door behind me.
