To Love And Be Loved

Chapter 4

Song: Cold War Love - Married To The Sea

Cass stood by the counter with a poetry book opened in front of her. Martha, the cleaner was leaving and had handed over the keys to her. She seemed like a nice woman, even though Cass didn't understand half of the Pidgin English she spoke.

"Ehen," Martha had said. "Oga say make you keep the coffee machine for the store when you wan close."

(The boss said you should keep the coffee maker in the store before you close.)

"Okay, I will..."

"Oga say the cake pesin go come oo, make you no forget."

(The boss said the cake delivery guy is going to come, don't forget.)

"When will that be?"

"Around that kind twelve-thirty. Hin name na Ifeanyi. Ifeanyi", she held her ear to exercise her point "Ifeanyi, make you no forget."

(By twelve thirty, his name is Ifeanyi. Ifeanyi, don't forget.)

Cass nodded and smiled.

"Ehen, fine girl." Martha smiled, showing stained yellow teeth. Before packing her things, taking her umbrella by the door and heading outside.

The sky was dark and the rain was beginning to drizzle. There were very few cars in the street outside and the few passersby were walking briskly, shoulders hunched under umbrellas.

Cass was the second staff to have arrived after Martha, she doubted anyone else would come. The sky was going to empty itself. Her first day at work and it was going to be as boring as hell.

She turned her head back to her book and lost herself in the words.

"Let me not to the
marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when its alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove
O no! It is an ever - fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken"

The sound of the bells chiming at the doors; announcing the arrival of a customer, drew her out of the book. She groaned inwardly when she saw black boots that left muddy footprints on the floor.

The customer wore blue jeans, a black shirt and a black hoodie that hid his face. The hoodie was half wet. She met his eyes and quickly looked away.

Her heart was thundering in her chest. She didn't know what had happened. More like her heart stopped beating than she forgot how to breath.

He slid the hoodie off his head and looked at her, a slight frown on his face.

She closed the book with a snap. "Welcome to...Sammy...Sammy's Snacks." She had been practising that line a hundred time in front of a mirror. But all she could get past her throat now was just a croak.
Her hands were trembling. She had never felt like this before.

The guy was still staring at her with that confused expression on his face, as if waiting for her to do something.

He had the most beautiful face she had ever seen. He had tangled black dreadlocks and lashes a girl could kill for. He had thick sensuous lips and elegant cheekbones. His face was all sharp, brutal angles, making him look like a 14th century depiction of a Greek god. His eyes were dark and unyielding like coal and when he spoke, his voice was pleasant, deep, almost a baritone.