The sunlight filtered warmly through the large stained glass window, sending brightly coloured shafts bouncing across the warm parquet floor. The smell of strong coffee and all things delicious percolated in the air and the regular hum of the Button Box Cafe washed soothingly over her. Ironically enough, Summer always loved this time of year; autumn had well and truly heralded its arrival with cold winds, richly coloured leaves blown from tall dark branches and crisp sunny mornings, mornings like this!
“Early start?”
Summers head bobbed off her hand.
“What?” she looked bemusedly up at Jay, his lopsided grin sweeping over his face
“I wasn’t asleep”
“I didn’t say a word” he held his hands up in defence, “I’ve just been waiting for ages to take your order”
“Of course you have!” she rolled her eyes but as he smiled mischievously to himself she patted her bun uncertainly and smoothed down her shirt “Really?”
“Summer I’m joking, you look fine, not a hair out of place, in fact” his eyes scanned over her usually loose copper curls tied sleekly into a side bun, emerald green shirt, navy cigarette trousers, nothing too different there but his eyebrows shot up at the sight of her green stilettos “In fact your looking very nice, I love the shoes, they look very...comfortable!” Jay couldn’t help himself and the sarcasm wasn’t lost. The bait had been cast and Summer took it with relish.
She smiled sweetly and folded her hands on the table, “I love your pinny!”
He took a step back and gestured to the apron, “I’ll have you know this is what all the waiters in all the fashionable establishments are wearing!”
She tried to stifle a giggle “Yes but you must have done something really aweful for Sarah to make you wear that fancy piece”
Jay looked hurt ”You mean to say you don’t like the pink frill or the specially embroidered primrose?”
“Look can I just order already, honestly the service in this place!”
”And yet you keep coming back” Jay smiled, “The usual?”
“Yes please, you know me, nothing ever changes”
“Oh I’m not so sure, no converse today remember!”
“That’s true but between you and me, they’re in my bag, I don’t think I’ll last the day in these!” she tappedthe bag with her foot
“Wise woman, rest assured your secret’s safe with me” Jay winked at her and headed for the kitchen waving to Fred who had just come shivering through the door. Summer tried to get into her book again, it was an autobiography by some big wig business tycoon whom she’d never heard of. So, why was she reading this literary brick you might ask. Well that’s a good question, it was a recommendation by her sort of boyfriend Marcus and truth be told it was boring as hell!
“The key to any business proposition is to remember, it’s business, not personal. Don’t allow yourself to become side-tracked by sentimentality or whims of....”
“Oh for goodness sake” Summer rolled her eyes and shut the brick.
“Mornin’ Summer, cold out there today” Fred took his usual seat and started to spread out the morning paper.
“Hi Fred, I know, how are the streets today”
“Lined wi gold girl, lined wi gold!” he cooed
“Don’t tell me he’s boasting about how much he’s found today Summer” Sarah smiled as she put his pot of tea on the table.
“Oh no need, its a pot of tea today not a mug” Summer bent down to pick up her bag but couldn’t find the strap
“And a breakfast” Sarah winked at Summer as Fred started to blush
“You may laugh, but you two don’t do too badly out of this road sweeper do you!”
They laughed and Sarah kissed him on the cheek “No we don’t”
“Aah” he waved her off the redness deepening on his balding head.
“You ok Sum?”
“Yeh fine I just cant find, oh its ok got it” as she tugged the bag strap it yanked from under her chair and threw all the contents rolling about on the floor
“Oh botheration!”
“So how many times is that today?” Jay laughed as he put his tray down to grab the mascara rolling under Mavis’ table
“Apologies Mrs Travis”
“I think that girl has troubles” she paused “She needs a man to keep her...”
“I can hear you Mrs Travis I’m right next to you” Summer stood up shoving a spare pair of tights back in the side compartment.
Mavis and Jay smiled knowingly at each other
“Oh I know dear, I was just saying that’s all, besides at least this time your lady things aren’t falling all over the place.”
Jay stood up, cleared his throat and smiled encouragingly at Summer who was turning a not so subtle shade of pink.
“That was months ago and I haven’t dropped my bag in weeks”
Mavis was just about to respond but Sarah jumped into the breach with another cup of tea for everyone’s favourite OAP with her purple hair, elegantly long limbs that proclaimed a dancer in younger years and daring red lips.
As Summer fell back into her comfy chair with a sigh her eyes alighted on the Mocha “Am I that predictable! Bag spillages and Mochas is this what our friendship has come to!” Jay was laughing when she suddenly reddened as she realised what she’d just said, “Well our acquaintance, Oh” Jay smiled and pushed the Mocha towards her “I’m honoured, now drink this and calm down. Hello Mr M, I’ll be right with you” he flashed another warm smile at her and went over to the counter.
This was really fun to read. I noticed just one typo - she tappedthe bag with her foot tapped the bag... Nice introductions to the characters too.