Katie's Cafe

24

Tom greets me when he walks into the cafe, with a suspiciously huge grin on his face around an hour after Damien left with the backpack. I was happy to see him because it would take my mind off of that situation for a while.

"Good morning, beautiful".

"Good morning, handsome. Coffee?"

"Please".

I was still a bit spaced out with the stress from Hannah already playing on my mind, and now with Damien having the laptop as well. My brain felt like it had the consistency of scrambled eggs.

"I have a surprise for you".

"Oh, really?"

He had definitely peaked my interest, because I always did love surprises.

"It's a little spontaneous, I know, but I was wondering if you wanted to go away with me for a couple of days?"

"I'll definitely be needing a few more details than that I'm afraid," I laugh.

"It's just for one weekend next month. What do you say?"

"I'll have to make sure I have enough cover first, and that Hannah will be alright running the cafe by herself before I can give you an answer".

"Well let me know what you decide and I'll book it".

He looks like a giddy little kid right now. I'd feel bad if I had to say no to him.

"So what's brought all this on then?" I had to wonder.

"Is it wrong for me to want to spend time alone with my girlfriend?"

I can't believe he actually just called me his girlfriend for the first time, but I liked it how it sounded.

"Is that what I am to you now?"

"Yes".

"I suppose that makes you my boyfriend then?"

"I do hope so," he replies so sincerely.

"Are you free after work today?"

"Sorry, I've got an appointment after work today, but I can do tomorrow?"

"Good, because I have a little surprise of my own, just for you".

"Any hints?"

"Not a chance".

"I'll be looking forward to it".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After I get home that day, me and Hannah sit down to eat dinner together in an awkward silence. We don't argue often, but when we do, I'm normally the one to apologise first.

I have to get through to her somehow and get her to see things from more than just her own stubborn, teenage point of view.

"So, are you going to talk to me at some point or are you practicing your long sullen silences?"

"Well that depends. Are you going to stop me from seeing Kian if he does ask me out?"

"I didn't say I would do that, did I?"

"You might as well have".

"Look, it's not that I don't want you dating anybody, I'm just saying you should be careful. Don't go off and do something you'll regret later when there's only three months left before you go off to better things".

"I'm not going to have sex with him, if that's what you're worried about?"

"Oddly enough, I said the exact same thing about the first lad I ever went out with. I ended up losing my virginity to him in the back of a Renault Clio. It's wasn't even his car, it was his mates car," I laugh at how dumb I was back then.

"Seriously?"

I realise that I'd never told her that story before, so this could be an opportunity to teach her about how boys can be. Even though I was sixteen when I lost my virginity, she could still learn from it.

"It was pretty horrible, and I definitely wasn't ready to have sex. I felt completely stupid afterwards because I'd let him talk me into doing it".

"What happened to him?"

"Exactly what you'd expect. He dumped me the next day when I told him I didn't want to do it again until I was ready. He even went around school telling all his mates that I was a crap shag".

"Sounds like a complete wanker".

"It's wasn't so bad. Your sister saw to him for me," I smirk at the memories.

"What did she do?"

"She pretended to fancy him, then convinced him to send her loads of naked pictures of himself. The next day, she printed out hundreds of copies and she spent a whole day plastering them all around town".

"For fuck's sake," she laughs hysterically.

"Needless to say she got in a lot of trouble for doing it, but it definitely made sure no girls at school would ever touch his tiny knob again".

"That is some seriously evil genius right there," she continues laughing.

The tension seems to have eased between us now, thank God. We sit and watch a film together when I remember what Tom asked me earlier in the day.

"I'm probably staying at Tom's house again tomorrow night".

"Again? You horny little devil".

"He's asked me to go away with him for the weekend sometime next month as well. I'm not really sure I should go though".

"Why not? When was the last time you went away and had fun? I promise I'll be fine here on my lonesome for a couple of days".

"Are you positive?"

"Yes, you should go".

The thought of being away from her for that long made me sad. I suppose it's something I'll inevitably have to get used to when she leaves in September.

"I won't stop you from dating Kian if that's what you really want," I sigh.

"Thank you".

It always brings us closer together when I share old memories of Sara with her. I had the opportunity to grow up with her sister, and Hannah never got the chance to do that.

That being said, I was still worried about her flirting with Kian, and that wouldn't stop anytime soon. I know all too well what it means when men give you the 'look' that I'd seen in his eyes.

It had always been a deal breaker for me when I used to do what I did for a living. The second they looked at me that way, I knew I wouldn't sleep with them for all the money in the world.

Honestly, I found it dehumanising. Just because I sold sex for money didn't mean I couldn't have standards in order to protect myself from potentially, unsavoury future clients.

I hated being looked at like I was a piece of meat rather than an actual person. Those were the type of men that I wouldn't even give the time of day to, let alone have sex with.