Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
S udden downpours of rain meant one of two things for the Waterfront Café. The first thing that could happen was that everybody who had been outside, enjoying the view and walking their dogs, would make a dash for the nearest place undercover where they could wait out half an hour with a cup of coffee. On such occasions, the Waterfront Café would become rammed. Gemma and Sophie would inevitably be run off their feet until the rain stopped and the people dispersed en masse. The other option was that everyone headed for their cars or directly home, in which case, the café would be absolutely dead. And that was what happened that afternoon. Rain pelted down outside, and heavy droplets fell so densely that they blocked the view between the café and the waterfront. They hammered on the roof like hailstones.
“It’s going to be dead all afternoon now,” Sophie said.
“Not necessarily,” Kent replied. “I’m sure people will want to come out and stretch their legs when the rain stops. The shower is only meant to last a couple of hours.”
After receiving no orders for over twenty minutes, he had come out of the kitchen, wondering what was going on. Now, he was simply sitting at a table, staring outside with Sophie.
“I guess, in restaurants, people still come out; they’ve made bookings,” she said. “But here, it’ll be dead. It’s only really the dog walkers that will come out. None of the parents want their children splashing in all the puddles and getting crazily muddy. Plus, the paths here get quite slippery because of the hills, so none of the old folk like walking down when it’s really wet. Trust me, it’s going to be dead.”
“Why are you still here, anyway?” Gemma said before realising just how rude her question sounded. “I just mean, well, you’re done for the day. We stop serving hot meals now, you know that. Your day finishes at three.”
“I know,” Kent said, “but I wanted to see what a full day was like. And it’s not like I’ve got anywhere better to be.”
At his comment, Sophie shot Gemma a look that involved both a raised eyebrow and a smirk. However, Gemma masterfully ignored the expression entirely. She had enough matchmaking going on in her life. Sophie sticking her nose in when it definitely wasn’t wanted was the last thing Gemma was in the mood for. Still, at 3:30, with only one customer, Gemma made a decision.
“You go home, Sophie,” she said. “There’s no point in us both hanging around here when there’s no one to serve.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind staying. Although Graham has got this new board game he wants us to play tonight, and by the look of the rulebooks, I really think I could do it by watching a few online videos just so I know what we’re doing before we start. It’s annoying; he thinks I’m naturally good at these games now. At some point, I’m going to have to confess that I’ve been watching how-to tutorials online.”
Somehow, Gemma suspected Graham already knew this about Sophie, but it was very sweet how hard they worked to keep each other happy.
“You go home, watch your YouTube videos,” Gemma said.
“And I’ll tell you what, I can always come in early tomorrow, you know if you turn out to have a really good night and want to stay out a little later.”
“You have exciting plans later then, Gemma?”
Gemma turned around to find Kent standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He had gone back in there shortly after that discussion about the effects of rain, and from all the clattering, Gemma assumed he had been sorting out the cupboards to his liking. But now he was looking straight at her, with an intensity that caused her stomach to flutter nervously, although why, she wasn’t sure. Probably because she didn’t want him knowing anything about her personal life. Yes, that made sense.
“Nothing too exciting,” she lied. “Just going out for some drinks with friends. That’s all.”
“Well, that sounds exciting to me,” he said before turning his attention to Sophie. “I agree with Gemma, by the way. You might as well go home. I’ll stay here just in case there’s a sudden rush.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Gemma replied.
“I know,” he said. “I want to.”
And just like that, the fluttering in her stomach kicked up a whole new notch.