Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
L evi
I carry the last of the boxes from the delivery van into the shop and place it with the others. It’s not that different from lugging around crates at the pub, but this time I’m not getting paid for it and I couldn’t be happier.
“Thanks Levi, you did that in record time,” Alex says, coming over from the counter where he’d been setting out everything to hand by the coffee machine. “Can I get your help every time we have a delivery? I can pay you in coffee.” His smile is genuine and I find myself grinning back.
“Sure, if I’m free, I’ll gladly help.”
This last week, ever since the movie night up at the farm, in my spare time, I’ve been helping Josh and Alex prepare for the opening of their coffee shop, Perks and Pastries. They mentioned they still had a lot to get ready so I offered to help. The others have been helping as well during the week, but as today is my day off again I’ve been able to put in several hours of moving supplies ready for their grand opening tomorrow.
“I’m joking,” he says. “Though I would never refuse an offer of help. Now, about that coffee. I’m about to test the machine, would you like one?”
“Yes please.” I haven’t had a decent coffee since moving out of the pub where I could access their machine whenever I liked, so the smell that emanates from the machine when Alex starts it up makes me give an appreciative hum.
“I know, right?” Josh says, emerging from the kitchen behind the counter. “Isn’t that the best smell in the world?”
“I can’t argue with that,” I agree. I tip my head towards the stack of boxes I’ve created in the middle of the shop. “Where do you want me to put these?”
“I’ll show you the storeroom in a minute, but take a break first.” Josh sits at one of the tables, indicating the chair opposite in invitation. I’m glad of the rest, and only a minute later Alex appears at the table with a tray and takes one of the chairs himself. He distributes a mug to each of us and then I remember he didn’t ask what I wanted. I’m never going to refuse a free coffee, but it feels odd when he has a fancy-pants machine that makes everything, but then I catch Josh’s smirk. He must have seen me hesitate.
“Taste it,” he says, and I pick up the cup. It looks like a flat white, which is all to the good.
I get the first taste of the milk and the coffee—damn good coffee—then a nut flavour which balances it perfectly. I’ve never added hazelnut syrup to my coffee before, opting occasionally for caramel or pumpkin spice. But it tastes so good. It could quickly become my new favourite coffee.
“That’s incredible,” I say. “How do you do that? How do you know? I didn’t even know I liked it?”
Alex grins and gives a self-effacing shrug. “You just strike me as a nutty guy.”
Josh laughs and my chest catches, tightness preventing words from forming. They’re treating me like a friend, happy to spend time with me and notice me enough to even think I might like something. I still can’t speak, so I take another mouthful of the delicious coffee, letting the warm flavours ease the lump in my throat.
“Are you sure you can’t come to the opening tomorrow?” Alex asks, as we finish up our break and Josh shows me the storeroom so I can stack the boxes away.
“Sorry, Darla has me working the whole shift tomorrow.” Pubs open from eleven in the morning until eleven at night, which means I start work at ten thirty, and I’m usually still there close to midnight depending on how busy we’ve been. I can work an early or a late shift, but at least a couple of times a week I have to do the full shift. I don’t mind, though, as it’s good money, and that’s what I’m after to build up my savings.
“We’ll be opening at nine, so if you have time before, we’d be happy if you could make it.”
“Okay then, I’ll be here,” I say, lifting a box to hide my grin from him. It’s a small thing, just a casual invitation, but to me it’s huge and it makes me feel ridiculously happy.
I return from helping Alex and Josh late in the afternoon, after staying with them for as long as I could be useful and until Alex was completely satisfied they were ready. He has an attention to cleanliness which borders on the manic, but I get it. I’ve worked in catering; it’s important. I take a long shower, letting the hot water ease the muscles I’ve been using today. A tattoo on my inner forearm catches my eye, of a sword entwined with roses. It was my first tattoo. I had it done as soon as I was old enough to get one because I wanted to cover a scar I got in a knife fight. I didn’t want a reminder of who I was back then. Of course, the universe didn’t work like that, and despite me saying juvie was enough, I ended up back inside. When I got out of prison, as soon as I could scrape enough money together I had a phoenix tattooed on my back. A statement to myself that I could change my future and that bouncing in and out of prison didn’t have to be my life. It didn’t have to define me. I was naive enough to believe that others wouldn’t define me by it either. That tattoo and all the others that followed it were my response to every time life kicked me down. I’ve used them as therapy, as a way of saying I’m stronger. It’s happened so many times that my arms, legs, and torso are mostly covered in ink. There are few spaces left.
I rest my forehead against the tiles, the water playing over my head and down my body. I’m tired of fighting against the world. I just want a rest from having to go over and above to prove myself. Today showed me a glimpse of that future, and a fluttering of hope builds inside my core.
This feeling is new to me, this warm glow that I’m not totally alone in this world. I have friends—Marina who looks after me, Darla who gave me a chance at this life when I first stumbled into this strange village. I like it, and somehow I’d like to build a life here.