Coffee and Books 3

Chapter 17

How do you go to work, waitressing, after a bombshell like that? Well, I guess you just do. It's only an afternoon shift anyway; a couple of hours in which I try to remember people's drink orders and try not to muck up by bringing the wrong order to the wrong table.

"What's gotten into you today?" Thomas whispers urgently when I almost flood the counter because I didn't place a cup under the coffee machine.

What's gotten into me? Well, Loki, in more than one way. And apparently the friggin' Allmother herself at some point in history. "Nothing," I tell Thomas. "I'm just distracted."

"Well, pull it together, girl! Day ain't over yet!" he answers, doing a rather spot-on impression of my aunt Yvonne. "By the way, Tova came in this morning. Another coffee date with Lotta."

"Oh! Too bad I missed them!" I try again at making lattés for one of my corner tables, this time including a cup. I've had my head up my ass for the past few weeks, it's time to start paying attention to my friends again. "I'll see them for Yule, later this week," I think out loud. "You're still coming, aren't you?"

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't want to miss it for the world!" Thomas promises me.

Guess I already knew that answer. Thor said I could bring my family to the Yule festivities and my American family includes Thomas. He literally squealed when I invited him, even more so when he heard he could bring Holden too.

"Is there a dress code, by the way?" he asks before I take my order over to the table.

I shake my head. "But dress warm, we'll be outside the whole time."

Thinking about Yule gets my mind off this morning's events for a bit. I can remember celebrating Yule when I was little, when it was just me and my mom and Robert wasn't in the picture yet. Leaving a carrot in my shoe for Sleipnir got me some sweets in return, the morning after the shortest day of the year. It's not something that's commonly done in Norway, but it's a little tradition that runs in my father's family. Lisa used to do it too when she was little. The tradition is similar to what the Dutch do for their 'Sinterklaas' holiday, kind of the Dutch Santa Claus, and before long I wasn't offering Sleipnir a carrot, but Sinterklaas his white steed. Made sense to me at the time, as all the other kids at school did it too. And when my mom started to date Robert and I gained a step-brother, we became more and more Dutch anyway.

So I'm looking forward to celebrating Yule with Loki and the other Asgardians. Most of the traditions are very similar to Christmas; I know my aunt and uncle just celebrate Christmas these days. Aunt Yvonne has a Catholic background anyway.

I'm curious to find out what Yule is for Asgard. All I know is to dress warm, because it's gonna be held in the yard at the apartment complex in Queens. Oh, and to expect lots of food: according to Tova and Astera it's pretty much an 'all you can eat' thing.

With Christmas around the corner, most of our guests order 'wintery' drinks, one of the favourites being a spicy hot chocolate. It has red peppers in it: hot cocoa with a kick.
At the end of the day there is just enough left in the large thermos dispenser to pour Thomas and myself a treat. I put the mug for him on the counter while he locks the door. It was pretty quiet the last hour, so I've done a lot of cleaning already, with Thomas manning the tables.
My friend and coworker hops on a barstool and contentedly closes his hands around the warm cup of cocoa. I do the same, leaning against the counter. "How's Holden?" Thomas immediately breaks a smile at the mention of the guy's name. "That good, huh?"

He grins even wider. "He's totally adorable." I can almost see the hearts in his eyes. "His mother has invited me over for Christmas. She hasn't even met me yet!"