Vague Love

CHAPTER ELEVEN: At The Vintage Cafe

At The Vintage Cafe

Time check, five o'clock in the morning. It is still too early but I need to go now in the shop. Ten cakes? It is not a joke. It needs a lot of effort and time. I yawned one last time before I stand up and go to the bathroom.

Dim lights. Cold wind. Swaying trees. Flying birds. Moving cars. Moving bicycles. Walking street dogs. Running street cats. The walkers. The joggers. Walking alone in the street while the moon is about to move out and while the sun is about to come out. It is somehow gives of a warmhearted feelings on my heart. I embraced myself when the wind blows through my direction. I can feel that the cold breeze goes around my whole body. I feel shiver. Luckily, I did wear a jacket on top of my beige-colored dress and a scarf on my neck. It, somehow, will help me to lessen the cold brought by the wind.

I suddenly stopped from walking, few meters away from my shop. I saw a man outside the Vintage Cafe. He is standing near the door. He is leaning on it. He is shivering in cold. His both hands are on his both of pockets of his jacket. I can't see his face since the hood of his jacket is on his head. But, I recognize him. His built. I sighed. Why he is here? This guy!

"Why are you here?" I shouted to him.

I saw his head is slowly turning up and his eyes look into me.

"H-h-hi! G-g-good m-m-morning!" His voice is shaking. Then he smiled a bit.

"Why are you here?" I asked him again.

"Will you please open the cafe first before I will answer your question? Any moment, I will become an Iceman if I will stay longer here." He said and smiled a bit.

I raised my right eyebrow and walked near the door to open it.

"Get inside." I said upon opening the door.

He entered the shop.

"Whew! Thanks, God!" He said upon entering the Cafe. He removed his hood and walk directly to the kitchen.

I followed him. I removed my scarf and walk through the kitchen.

"Can we please have a cup of coffee first before we begin? Please?" He said.

"Okay." I said and started to make a two cups of coffee.

"Who said that you will go here at this early?" I asked him upon giving the cup of coffee to him. "I said that I will be here at six o'clock of morning."

"I know. My instinct just said that I should be here earlier than six. And I'm right. Haha! I know you, Hannah!" He said while sipping on his cup of coffee.

"You-. Arg!" I started pulling the materials and ingredients from the storage. "What are you waiting, Benedict?" I said to him.

"Wait. For awhile. One last drink." He said then he drank the remaining coffee on his cup. "Whew! I feel refresh now! Let's start."

We started in making the cakes.

"Beat the eggs, mix it with the flour, milk and sugar." I said to him.

"Alright. Here's the flour." He said and he poured it in the bowl same with the other ingredients.

Beating. Mixing. Flours. Milks. Eggs. Baking sodas. Flavorings. Oven. Pan. We did it with finesse on hands.

"Hannah?" said by Benedict.

"Yes?" I answered.

"How's Derrick?" He asked.

"How's he?" I asked back.

"You, two, are always together, right?" He said.

I stopped from what I'm doing and look into him. What is it?

"WE ARE NOT ALWAYS TOGETHER. NOT!" I said to him. "Besides, he's busy with Kathleen. He's always with her."

"Why do I feel something fishy here? A jealous thing, maybe?" He teased me.

I raised my right eyebrow.

"I'm not jealous. I was just answering your question. And besides, who am I to feel jealous? Ha? Ha? Ha?" I said to him.

"Alright. You're not jealous. Keep calm." He said while laughing.

He became serious in a while.

"Know what? I'm thinking, if you will act that same way to me if I'm on his shoe." He said while he continue in mixing the ingredients. His look is on the mixing bowl.

"What are you talking about?" I said to him.

"Nothing. Forget it." He just said. And I heard him sighed.

Silence.

An awkward aura suddenly surrounds the whole kitchen. Yeah! I felt uneasy. I suddenly felt that the cold brought by the airconditioner gets low. I suddenly feel the heat. It's like any moment, my sweat will flow down through my face, through my whole body. I can feel that my cheeks turns to red. I can feel the heat on my both cheeks. Yeah! I'm blushing. And I don't know, if this is because of embarrassment or anything else.

Two hours passed. Time check, it is already eight o'clock in the morning. We were silent in the passed hours. Haha! Funny! It's like we don't know each other.

Finally, we are done on baking the cakes. We are now on the last part. Icing.

I turned my look on him. I saw him that he is holding the icing tube. He pinched the icing tube but it did not work out. He tried it again but it didn't. He tried to pinch it again with both of his hands and it work out. Yeah! It really work out. The icing tube is working because the icing is now on my face. Yeah! My face is full of icing. He did not notice that the hole part of the tube is pointing on my direction.

"BENEDICT!" I shouted to him.

"Oooppss. Sorry!" He said while smiling a bit at me.

My God! I rolled my eyes and sighed. I was about to throw a hand of flour to him when the door chimes rings. We looked both on that direction. I run through the door to see who opened the door.

The Cafe is still close.

It was Millie.

She looks surprised upon seeing us here.

"Hi, Ma'am Hannah! Hi, Sir Benedict! Good morning!" She said.

I did not notice that Benedict followed me.

Then, another one entered the Cafe. It was Mike.

"Good morning, Ma'am Hannah! Good morning, Sir Benedict!" He surprisingly said.

"You're here." I said then wiped the icing on my face. "You're too early."

"Ah.. Ma'am, it is only ten minutes before 8:30 A.M., the opening of the Vintage Cafe."Millie explained.

My eyes widened.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Please prepare for the opening of the Cafe. We still have to finished the cakes. I will help you later. Thank you!" I said.

They nodded.

I walked back to the kitchen upon seeing their nods.

"Yeah! She's right." Benedict said.

"Benedict!" I called him in a hard tone. This guy! He's so childish sometimes. Well, not sometimes, as always.

We continue from where we stop. A little more sprinkles and they are ready to serve. You know what? I always felt that I am a fairy whenever I'm on this part of preparing cakes. How my hands is sprinkling the magic on the cakes? It is like a shining, glittering and shimmering crystals came from my hands that sprinkles the magic that surrounds the whole cake. Bon Apetit!