Dear Reader...

Chapter Four

~Noah~

I'm stuck. In a rut of never-ending making coffee and pastries and having old women rant at me about the 'youth of today'. But not me. I'm exempt apparently. They always tell me I'm 'not like everyone else my age' and I'm not sure how that is supposed to be a compliment exactly but they always say it like it is.

"Morning." I drop my bag off my shoulder for another glorious early October shift. Chris lifted his head from his usual stool behind the stool, watching something on the laptop I wasn't even going to pretend to care about. He's a great boss. More of a friend than anything really. I was definitely overpaid for what I did here, purely down to the family history I think. I couldn't complain. It meant I had a decent amount in savings alongside dad's money and just as soon as I decided what I wanted to do, I'd be using it to get comfortable wherever life throws me. "How's it going?"

"Pretty quiet. How was Ally's show?"

"Oh, she was great," I pulled my apron on and looked around the spotlessly clean counter. Nothing to do. "Not a step out of place. Mum cried. Made her take a million photos after. Nothing out of the ordinary. Thanks for giving me the weekend off though."

"Don't worry about it. Familys important. I'm gonna go do a stock take upstairs and put some orders in. You good here?"

"Oh, I don't know. It's manic." Chris rolled his eyes, smiling as he grabbed his stuff. "I'll be fine."

"I know you will be. Oh. The Canadian- What's her name- gah-"

"That's it! She's around the back, said she needed somewhere to work because she can't focus on home. I said I'd keep an eye on her drinks, keep her supplied. Just the Lattes with oat milk."

"How long's she been here?"

"Since we opened."

"At 6?" He nodded. "It's 12."

"Yeah. She's currently got papers proper laid out across the table with some earphones in."

"What work is she doing?"

"Not a clue. She didn't say." Oh, well now I'm just intrigued. "Give us a shout if you need me."

"Will do." I waited until he was upstairs and the door clicked closed to venture around the corner and watch her for a few minutes.

The blonde had popped up in my thoughts randomly over the past 2 weeks since I last saw her and gave her my number that she still hasn't used. I mean, I can't really blame her. I wasn't exactly Mr. Smooth operator around her. I don't know what it was. Talking to girls didn't affect me. Not usually. But it was alien with Juliette. I felt like I was second guessing everything that stumbled out of my mouth. My brain couldn't process anything before my mouth was speaking and when I caught up she had those stunning eyes blinking at me and her head was tipped so I had a perfect shot at a slender neck I so desperately wanted to sink my teeth into.

There she was. Golden hour sun flooding through the back windows as it always did and she was literally glowing. Sat cross legged on a chair with her hand buried into her hair, looking over what must be 3 dozen multi coloured post it notes in front of her. She sat up, scrunched her perfect little nose, and shifted them about. Her lips tightened before pulling the bottom one between her teeth.

I don't know what she's doing. If she knows I'm leaning against the huge archway just watching her from right here. But I am mesmerized. She reached over for her coffee cup, scowling and putting it back down. She needs another.

Somehow I pulled myself out of the trance, making her another drink at the front, trying to win her over with some stupid design Chris taught me years ago. Grabbed an almond croissant from the display case, reckoning she could do with eating something if she's been at this for 6 hours already, hoping I could tempt some conversation out of her without embarrassing myself this time. Her accent drives me crazy.