Thou Hath Fallen

Bows and Roses~8

Bodies pressing against each other while they waited for their order to be taken.A small coffee shop but they never got the memo.No complaints there as it meant good business.Kendra was particularly happy that Monday morning as she served the get to go coffees for the 'workabees'.
Mrs James had called in sick and that meant she was in charge.

Taking charge.Being in control.

She was caught in between wanting control and leaving it all to the passing wind but her twenty five years reminded her endlessly that she was no kid.Adding salt and pepper to the injury,she had a kid of her own.

The day went on perfectly-too perfectly.Her mobility remained as graceful as ever as she attended to smiling couples,broody loners, peaceful grandpas,rude impatient women and then him.He simply stood out as the dark swoosh on his head.Too refined to be sitting in a small coffeeshop.His aura screamed power and if he dared talk,Kendra knew she would cower at the same time curl her toes in delight.
Attraction?Nope just these stupid hormones.They kept on reminding her how rusty she was down there.

"Ma'am,if you could stop staring I would like earl grey tea"

Dang it!His voice was too refined.The kind of voice that made you believe in knights and desperate damsels.The kind of voice that you would put on repeat endlessly.

"Cat got your tongue?"He asked as a smirk creeped upon his well sculpted jaw.A drool worthy jaw.

"No your majesty....I mean sir."Words tripped over each other as she mentally facepalmed her deliriously shaky voice.

"My order please?"He said amid chuckles

"Right up!"She said as she scurried out of his presence.Her tummy eased up on the knots as her breathing steadied.

Kendra was one practical person and she quickly termed her melting over as hormonal induced.Trying to remember his order,she growled.Who ordered an earl grey tea or whatever kind of tea in a coffee shop.Did this mean she had to go back and...talk to him?
Ignoring him for a little while longer,she served a cute cuddly baby girl a cupcake.She was around four and her now creamy face made Kendra giggle.

"Where is mummy young lady."Hands on her small waist and an attempt to look stern made the girl gulp loudly.

"Am here with daddy."She said as tears threatened to fall of her big innocent eyes.

All thanks to that hot stranger her ability to communicate was a byegone now.Daring not utter another world,she stretched her arms to the now scared girl.Surprisingly,she agreed and Kendra started tickling smiles out of her.

"Da.......stop...that tickles."She said amid giggles.

"Am I forgiven baby?"

"Yeeeeees and am a big girl.Take me to daddy."

"Where is he?"

As the little girl pointed,Kendra felt dread consuming and burning at the edge of her apron.It was baby pink with a smiling cup of coffee-warm enough to brighten any grumpy customer.That was  what Mrs James said but right now, that was farthest from the truth.

He was staring.
He was assessing and deciding he did or did not like what he saw,he walked towards them.Kendra swore he was fleeting rather dancing his way towards them.His eyes never leaving hers as he closed the distance between them.

"Daddy is  grumpy."The little girl whispered in Kendra's ear as she held on for her dear life.

"Where is my order?"He whisper shouted sending shivers up and down her frame.

"We serve no tea in a coffee shop mister."Throwing politeness outside the window,she countered.

"Oh! then make me a cup of whatever you sell around here."He said disgust lacing his words.

She made a move to give the child back to him and he raised an eyebrow.Confused,Kendra looked into the child's toothy grin and found no answer until she spoke up.

"Daddy is behind this scary man."She pointed to a man whose anger looked harmless compared to the self proclaimed 'god' of the planet.

"Anna honey,come here it's running late."Jumping out of Kendra's arms into her father's waiting arms,she waved goodbye as she chattered away with her horrified dad.Cute!

"My coffee?"

"Coming right up sir."

With that,she went to the espresso machine hoping the task would distract her from his glaring.She liked her coffee bittersweet.The two extremes fighting for control of her taste buds was something that made her feel heady.

Rosy cheeks
Stormy eyes
A perfect  cuppa blend

As she handed him the coffee,she decided she hated him.Cupid zero,Kendra two.
He was too brawny,too cocky,too dominating for her liking.And even if he was to magically sprout into her type,she would not spare him a second glance.
Why then the long explanations?

"Too sweet."He complained but still drank wondering whether it was poison or an elixir to his boring life.

"How much for the coffee?"

"Consider it on the house."

"She has manners after all.Good job in winning a regular customer."

Satisfied with the horrid look on her face,he walked out of the shop.The trail of his cologne mixed with cinnamon,honey and spring made Kendra's girl needy.She liked that she would be ogling him daily but Kendra hated the fact that she would tolerating him every dusk-hopefully not dawn.

A stranger is all he was.A customer like any other.No Eros or Cupid had shot her with an arrow and that was that.

Serving the last of her customers,Kenny decided to call it a night earlier than usual.She needed to sleep it off and hopefully it was just her coetus deprived self calling unto any man(him included) like some siren.Tonight,she would cook for Danny.Mission nail being a mum was on and Kendra second guessed herself not.

Danny ran when he spotted her.The Whites were too kind to look after him during the day but she would enroll him to a daycare when he turned three.They went inside and as she prepared mashed potatoes for Danny,he told her of how Mr White had been teaching him archery.

"But you are a baby love.."

"Momma I did not touch the bow."

"Kala"

His speech always astounded her.He learnt words too fast.Her Danny was a genius.
The door was knocked and she wondered who it was.She poured Danny his mashed potatoes with extra cream and went to get the door.

"Delivery for Kendra Caesar."

"Am her."She said as she was handed a bouquet of white roses.

"Please do sign here."

She did and as she closed the door,she hoped the stranger did not send her flowers.He knew not where she lived and that comforted her but then who sent them?

Amid the white roses was one red rose.Its colour so dark like that of blood.
Sinister but romantic

As she opened the velvety card, fear creeped in for the  note read,

Daughter of sun
Have sunny thoughts

"Momma, yum."Danny said as he stuffed his face full but she heard him not.Her thoughts so far away.

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