Soundtrack

Chapter Eight - Taken

“Harry! Up front!” Barbara called into the back over the sound of the water splashing into his mop bucket.

“Coming.” He responded dutifully as he plopped his mop into the sudsy mixture. He rolled the contraption to the side and reached into the sink to pull the plug before making his way towards the front of the store.

It had been an unusually slow afternoon so he was glad for the break from his menial duties of mopping and sweeping and refilling the flour tins. He prefered interacting with people and refilling coffee to being stuck in the back alone all day-- something that did cut down on his closing checklist, but didn’t help his observational time. Not that it had mattered because she wouldn’t be in that day. Just Tuesdays and Thursdays, and sometimes a random Saturday. But not a boring, rainy Wednesday, so he figured if he had to be stuck in the back all day, that day was as good as any.

He wiped his hands on a towel as he shouldered through the swinging door. The bakery was more silent than usual, though the faint sound of the cliche French album they always played on rainy days still drifted around the nearly empty cafe. He slid the towel onto the counter beside him as he pushed his employee ID number into the register.

“Hii, I’m Harry, welcome to Barbara’s Bakery, how can I help..” He started rattling confidently, but then trailed as he looked up to the customer. “.. you..”

The girl smiled briefly at his awkwardness, and he couldn’t help but pop a dimple in return, his own embarrassment making him laugh a little too.

“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting to see you today. I mean-- it’s not that-- I mean, it’s just so rainy out there that there haven’t been many people in today and, you know, usually it’s the same people at the same time anyway so it’s just, um.. would you like a pastry?” He raised his shoulders cheekily, then smiled wide knowing his awkward was showing through and there was nothing he could do about it. He knew he’d stuck his foot in his mouth already, and also probably hadn’t made any sense at all trying to cover. Thankfully, she laughed.

“It’s okay, my 4 o’clock class was cancelled. I’m not usually in here, except for on Tuesdays and Th--”

“Thursdays. And sometimes Saturdays. Yeah, I know.” He grinned a laugh, and so did she.

“I guess I’m pretty predictable then.” She shrugged and giggled shortly.

“Nah, just consistent.” He shook his head and looked down, his own embarrassment surprising him. Girls didn’t usually make him so nervous. He paused for a moment and fiddled with the pen beside the register, trying to calm himself and regain composure. He felt rather silly being so flustered over just taking her order.

“Um, anyway.. I’d like an apple turnover and a caffe latte, please.” She piped politely.

“Oh right, sure.” He nodded and avoided looking at her eyes again, his pruney fingers gliding over the keys of the register.

“For here or to-go?” He asked as he finished typing in her order.

“Um, to-go today, I think.” She half smiled and he nodded as he picked up a paper cup from the top of the stack beside the register.

“Better for me anyway.” He said, his voice holding a hint of sass. Her eyebrows raised in response. “Less washing!” His face lit up in a dimpled grin, unable to keep the sarcasm of his joke. 

She chuckled and nodded her head. “Oh, okay. Right.”

“Name?” He asked, sharpie in hand. She looked around the bakery, then back at him with a questioning eye, clearly suspicious of his need to mark her drink.