Old Porters: Burning Eden

Chapter Two

Two

The air was still warm, even though the sky was a little overcast. It was not quite a summer day, but not yet an autumn one. It was the kind of day where you picked up your winter coat before leaving the house, then regretted it for the rest of the day. Or at least that was how Roger felt.

Standing opposite a branch of Bean Here coffee, with a cinnamon latte that cost over half an hour's wages in hand, Roger gazed along the river Acheron, his elbows resting on the iron railings which ran along the river side, his coat tight around his shoulders. The waves lapped gently at the muddy banks as a small, grubby, white police boat, bobbed along the river. The words Suspect it? Report it! Were written on the side of the boat in bold black letters.

A pair of arms wrapped around the vigilante, causing him to jump. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts, mostly about the woman in red last night and the silver dragon's head graffiti, that he had not noticed anyone around him. Not even someone close enough to grab him. For someone in his lines of work A) vigilante in a never ending battle with the criminal element and B) convenience store clerk, that was a dangerous and probably one day fatal thing to do.

"Happy birthday," Kate said as Roger turned around to face her. "And before you start I know it was yesterday but I didn't get to say it in person."

"Well thank you," he replied, hoping she had not seen how startled he was. When ever he looked jumpy, she rolled out the same old speech which asking Do you really have to run around fighting crime in tights? He did. For reasons he could not explain he did. He imagined it was the same reason smokers, who knew that cigarettes were bad for them, continued to spark up.

Kate looked up at Roger. She was sure that he was either getting bigger, or she was getting smaller. It had been months since she had seen him in his winter coat but she was certain it had not looked so tight on him before. She noticed a look in his eye, one that she had seen often. He was pre occupied with something, and knowing him it was probably something dangerous that he had stuck his nose into for no good reason. She could read him like a book, even if he thought he was mysterious.

If you asked practically anyone they knew, Roger was sure that they would describe Kate as classically beautiful. Curves in all the right places, bright blue eyes and golden hair. She had looks, brains and a good metabolism going for her, but what she did not have was a poker face. Roger could see the cogs going around in her head. She was going to ask what was wrong with him and he was going to explain that he thought something fishy was going on with the dragon graffiti. Then they would have a disagreement over what he should do about the situation and it would be awkward for the rest of the day. Unless he did his best to deflect the conversation. "Did you buy me a pony like I asked for?"

"They were all out at the pet shop," the blonde replied. Sometimes he was so weird. "So instead I decided to get you something only I could give you." She stood on his tip toes and kissed him. Even though he looked bigger, he appeared to be the same height as ever.

"Literally any human with a mouth and probably a number of apes could have got me that," he said. All thoughts of Urban Viking underground art contests flew from his mind as he wrapped his left arm around Kate's waist. He was half tempted to set his coffee down on the railings and give her a proper hug, but he knew that he would end up spilling the latte. "But I appreciate the effort. I mean it's not like I got you a silver necklace with our names inscribed on it I got you for your birthday or anything but its still nice. Cheap but nice."

"I am not cheap," Kate said as she punched him in the arm ever so slightly harder than playful. "The kiss was a bonus." She looked around, then said with her voice low, "I made you another jacket."