If it's fate

Part 21: job

I get to the coffee shop and I don't see Leo. I go and sit down in the exact spot we were at last time. Next to the window. I look out the window and I see Leo walking towards the window. He sees me. He waves his hands at me. I wave back, awkwardly. He comes into the shop. Everyone in the shop paused to look at him. He walks towards the table.
"You're early, I thought I would beat you." He says.
I don't say anything and just smile.

"Sit down," I say pointing to the chair.
He sits down and puts down his keys.
"You want something to eat? Drink?" He asks.
"I saw a sign outside that they have fruit cake and it's new and it's good. We should try it."
"Okay, anything else?" He asks.
I shake my head.
Leo gets up and walks over to the cashier.
It's a perfect day. Not too cold or hot. Leo then comes back and sets down a slice of fruit cake and drinks.
"Here you go, the cake comes with these drinks." He says, sitting down.

I look at the cake and it really is good just by the looks of it. I take the drinks off the tray.
"One for you, one for me," I say giving him his drink and giving myself one.

"Last time we came with the twins." He says. "We didn't really get to speak, get to know each other."
I'm still hovering my eyes on the cake and not listening to what Leo is saying. I just nod here and there. Leo moves the cake out of my eyesight and away from me. He lifts my chin.
"Candy I'm speaking to you." He says.
"Huh, yeah. Go ahead." I say looking into his eyes.
"Well last time, we came here, I wanted to get to know you a little bit more. But we couldn't do that so..."
"So. Oh ok, I get what you're saying okay." I say, still looking at him.

He looks at me and smiles.
"So what questions should we start with?" He asks letting go of my chin.
"How about family?" I suggest.
"Okay." He says.
"So how many siblings do you have?" I ask.
"Well, I have two younger siblings. Stephanie and Will. He says. "You?"
"There is Marco, who's the twin's dad, Ella, and Mark, my younger brother, the guy you thought I was cheating with. Haha, you're funny." I say giggling.
"Well, I didn't know. Plus..."
"Plus, nothing else okay, next question, oh can I eat cake now?" I say pointing to the cake.
Leo pushes the cake back to me. I dig in. "Mmmm, this is good." (Cough cough*)
" Slow down, you're going to choke," Leo says wiping my mouth.
"Thanks," I say, pushing the cake aside.

I pause for a minute to think about our relationship. How it is so fast-paced. "I barely know anything about him. I want to ask him what he does but I don't have the courage... should I just ask him? It wouldn't harm nobody right?"
"Candy, you want to ask something?" he then asks.

"Well, I don't know what you do, like what's your occupation, well..." I say trying to make the question sound okay.
Leo looks at me for a while and moves his index finger forward. Telling me to come closer. I get close to him and wait, wait for what he's going to say.
"Actually, I'm not trying to keep it from you but..."
Leo grabs my cheeks and pulls them.
"Your cheeks are so fluffy." He says.
"You won't tell me? Why?" I tell him to come closer. "Are you a gangster?" I say quietly.

Leo looks at me and can't believe what I said. He starts laughing.
"Candy, good guess but no."
"If you're not a gangster, what do you do?" I say more quietly.
"When the time comes you will know, I don't want to keep it away from you, but for now I'll keep it a secret... you can keep guessing." try to think of other possible occupations.

"What other occupations? last time I heard gun shots being shot, and when we were at the beach, you were running away from someone. Hey, if you're not a gangster, are you a mafia?" I say at last.

"Candy, you're so funny. Do you want me to be bad?" He says giggling.
"So it's a no, I won't give up," I say eating more of the cake.
"What does your family do?" I ask.
"Lots of things," he says.
"We're not getting anywhere, you ask me questions?" I say, eating more cake.

He looks at me and smiles.

"Will you marry me?" He then asks.
I freeze for a second and look at him. I almost choke on the cake.
"Are you serious? Leo, we haven't been together for a week yet." I say
"You didn't say no," he says smirking.
"No, not now," I say eating more cake.
"Okay, we will have lots of cake for our wedding if you like." He says.
"Leo, You want to ask anything else, like what I like and what I don't?" I say.
"I like whatever you like." He says.
"Good gracious. okay, I'll ask you questions." I say. "When's your birthday?"
"August 3rd." He says. "You?"
"It's March 10," I say.

I literally asked one question and I can't think of more.
"Ummm. You have questions?" I ask Leo.
"No." He says.
"Well, I think we can ask questions when we think of one," I say

I look at the half-eaten cake slice.
"You don't want some?"
Leo looks at the cake slice and back at me.
"It's fine," he says giggling.
He grabs another tissue and wipes my face.
"You are so messy when it comes to cake."
I don't say anything but just grin.

"Actually I called you here for a reason," Leo says.
He looks serious now. I finish the last piece of the cake and look at him. Waiting to hear what he's going to say.
"I'm not going to be here for a month, starting from tomorrow."
I just try to function what he just said.
"Wait, you're going somewhere? Why?" I ask.
"It's for work, Training." He then says.
"That's a long time," I say.
"I know you will miss you very much, it's okay I'll be here," he says pointing to my heart.
"Wait, you can call and text me, right?" I say.
"No, the training is Phone free for a month."
"What," I say.

He is going to be gone for a month. He's not going to text and call for a month. I feel sad and speechless.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner," I ask.
"I didn't know how to." He says "don't cheat on me." He says to lighten the mood.
"Ssh, I will," I say jokingly.
He takes his hands out and reaches for mine across the table.
"I'll miss you," he says.
I look at him and suddenly I feel teary.
"I won't," I say, wiping my eyes. "Where are you going?" I then ask.
"Out of town." He says.
"Ohh," I say letting go of his hands and looking out at the sky.
"You okay? I'll be back soon. Don't worry." He says.
I look back at him. And just smile. I couldn't be dramatic or tell him to not go. It was his work.
"I know," I finally say in the end.