The Tomato and The Fox

An Artists love

One of the perks of being an artist is an excuse to frequent cafes. The most ideal work environment includes a cute yet curious barista whose friendliness exceeds professional courtesy.

•••

Nathanael walked into the cafe, the bell jingling behind him as he made his way to the counter.

Then Lila turned to greet him with her usual smile and a hot red blush crept up his face.

“Welcome back Nathanael!”

Nathanael gulped forgetting entirely how to form a sentence as he stared into those eyes of green.

“Here—I mean H-Hi” he stuttered. ‘Nice save...’

Lila ignored his mess up entirely used to the artist's strange behaviour around her. “I like your sweater,” she said, glancing over his purple and white striped sweater.

“T-thank you...” he stammered.

“So you want the usual latte?”  She asked.

“Y-yes please! and um...a garden bagel...extra tomato,” Nathanael said. Actually managing to form a proper sentence in front of the girl he was madly in love with. He felt pride swell in his chest.

Lila nodded “Okay, the latte is coming up but the bagel will be a minute, is that all for here?” she questioned.

Nathanael nodded with a reddened face “Yes, thank you!”

Lila smiled and quickly made his latte which she handed over placing on the counter. She looked to Nathanael with twinkling eyes that made Nathanael's heart go ‘Ba-dump’ in his chest.

She put her head in the palm of hands leaning on the counter “So Picasso what have you been drawing lately?”

Nathanael blushed at the nickname “Oh–Well...I'm n-not sur–you probably wouldn't like it...just some silly comics” he rubbed the nape of his neck as he anxiously chuckled.

“Show me,” Lila grinned.

Nathanael froze and racked his brain for what was in his sketchbook, he was sure that every page was drawings of Lila, doodles of his future dream life with Lila and then some more Lila!

But Lila was standing there staring at him with sparkling round green eyes and a gentle smile on her lips and he couldn't say No to her no matter how much his inner sense yelled at him too.

He shakily flicked open the sketchbook that he had been clutching in his hands making sure to keep the pages out of her view as he desperately prayed to whatever God existed that he would come across something-anything that didn't let out his secret crush on Lila, not that he was any good at keeping it secret with his current behaviour.

He let out a relieved sigh as he saw a comic he had been working on but had left forgotten. It was about two heroes in an alternate space world. He showed it to Lila with a beating heart making sure to keep a tight clutch on the book.

“It-it’s no-not fin-finished and...um...not the best so-”

Lila cut him off “It looks great, Nathanael, I can't wait to see the finished product!” she smiled kindly at him and Nathanael felt his body turn so hot it was a wonder he didn't melt then and there.

So then to escape and embarrassment Nathanael took his latte and made his way to his usual seat at the cosy Parisian cafe, it was in a perfect place so that he could observe Lila while he drew in his sketchbook, without her noticing of course!

He put his sketchbook out on the table flicking to a clean page as he began to sketch out a small comic on it. Art was Nathanael's second love after Lila.