A Quaint Sun Dappled Café

The midday sun cast a golden hue over everything as we weaved our way through the jam packed parking lot to make our way to the sidewalk that lined the shops and restaurants. The light transformed the quaint middle American plaza into a canvas of light and shadow, where every corner, every store, seems to hold a particular fond memory to Emma as she led me down the sidewalk pointing things out. I couldn't help but feel warmed and welcomed as the air itself seemed to be alive with the promise of something more than our previous relationship. A sense of anticipation quickened my pulse as the sudden gust of wind carried on a chorus of inviting smells and flavours. The scent was a complex symphony of an ensemble of my favourite foods, the savoury whispers of buttery flaky pastries, still warm from the oven, mingled with the sweetness of something fruity, rich deep notes of coffee that promised warmth and awakening. But the strongest jolt was the soft voice of Emma and the simple gesture of a proffered hand and an earnest smile that promised to welcome me into a new life with none of its usual deviousness.

I reached out and grabbed her hand, her fingers intertwining with mine and I felt her give me a light squeeze accompanied by a warm welcoming grin as she led me onwards to the enticing smells. For the first time in my life I finally understood the jokes and memes about the lewdness of holding a loved one's hand. So very warm and soft, softer than I thought was imaginable. It seemed every step Emma took was accompanied by a slight squeeze that sent twinges down my arms. I desperately hoped my body wouldn't respond, but my palms grew sweaty, my knees weak, my arms heavy. We were only holding hands for God's sake. If this was what it was like now what would it be like in bed with Emma? My mind wandered and my eyes followed and escaped from her hand to ass and unbidden images of Owen slamming into her came fast and vivid. What would it be like to hold her hand while someone savours her pleasures, would her hand tighten against mine as they thrust into her, would she clench down on my hand as she came against their bodies, would it still be as satisfying then?

My body and mind yearned for her despite the warmth of her hand. Her smile was enchanting but most of all it was the fantasies that danced in my mind that drew me closer to her. All the same, I returned her smile with one of my own as we walked hand in hand even as I lagged behind lost in my thoughts. Emma's brow raised quizzically seeing my slow pace, she let my hand drop for a moment to my dismay only to give my arm a tug. I stumbled trying to match her stride but she steadied with her arm.

"Just so you don't get lost" Emma said in a conspiratorial whisper as she looped her arm into mine.

"Afraid I'll wander off?" I asked in mock indignation, trying to distract myself from the feeling of her warm softness pushing against my arm, "You know I'm not completely helpless in the scary outside"

"No, I'm afraid you might start staring at my ass again. Not that you ever really stopped," Emma teased, I could hear the smile in her voice, "We can't have that now can we?"

"I thought you liked me looking at your material"

"Let's not do this," Emma's face fell at once, "No material. No quests. No other guys. Just us. Only us. " She gave me a pained smile as she pulled me close, she bounced up onto her toes, kissed my cheek before pulling away and giving my hand a tug, "C'mon."

In no time at all, we were surrounded by the sounds of a happy crowd enjoying a late brunch, clinking cutlery against plates and giggling as throngs of people interacted with one another and carried through the sounds of passing cars. Emma's pace quickened as the sounds grew, and with it she began giving me quick darting glances filled with excitement, the earlier gaffe was forgotten but underneath it all I swore she still held that familiar mischief hint of a secret plot. My senses were ensnared by the scent of something heavenly as we walked along the sidewalk that seemed to capture the essence of Parisian bakeries. The sidewalk soon gave way to a pathway of cobbled stone, dappled with the shadows of overhead trees. The scents guided us as if by magic to the sight of a small café that sat unassumingly in a sunny square. It was a quaint older building contrasting to the modern plaza, small and intimate, but the patio was expansive and framed by large maple trees and by a low black metal fence made ornately filigreed with leafy designs.

As I neared Emma I was suddenly struck by the hustle and bustle of the patio before us. Happy couples and families galore, all buzzing and chattering in the midday light finishing up their late brunch meals. We slowly weaved our way past the stream of satisfied brunchers and made our way to the threshold. I felt a tinge of anxiety at the scene but my feet carried forth borne by Emma's insistent tug. God that was a lot of people. Amidst the thinning crowd of tables, leaning against the fence, sat a young woman with blonde hair tucked under a baseball cap playing with the remnants of a brunch meal lazily with her fork. Even with an apron it did nothing to hide her bust which spilled over the edge of the table as she hunched over to take a sip of orange juice from her cup. Slowly and methodically she collected the errant slices of partially eaten french toast with a stabbing motion as she speared each one before mopping up the pools of brown syrup.

That heavenly smell was strong in the air, chocolate, dark yet inviting and warm. As we drew closer I finally saw the source of my desires, it was the remnants of simple pain au chocolate, but executed exquisitely with its flaky layers hiding molten hearts of richness that beckon with sinful promise just like Emma's mischveious smile. My stomach rumbled as the chocolate oozed out onto the plate and I felt myself yanked along with Emma as she waved a hand towards the woman. The lady's head popped up to see the commotion and a bright smile bloomed on her face as she popped the last of the morsels into her mouth. The chair clattered loudly as she motioned to get up and Emma rushed forward to wrap her arms around her friend. I heard a muffled squeak of protest from the woman as she teetered in Emma's hug as she squeezed the air out of her lungs. Blonde bangs fell from within her baseball cap framing her face as she struggled in Emma's grasp before she caught sight of me. A look of surprise came over her as she looked at me up and down, her eyebrows flew up in surprise and shock.

"Isaac!" She exclaimed as she extricated herself from Emma's affections, the eagerness on her face was palpable as she practically skipped over to me, her hands clapped together in excitement as she came to rest in front of me.

"Oh uh hi," I stared back at her, taken aback by her excitement, but for the life of me I couldn't place her. I looked over to Emma who was grinning ear to ear with an amused look on her face.

"You don't remember who I am, do you?" Her face fell as she stared at me, her head drooped and I felt a pain of regret in my chest as if I had accidentally trodden on an excitable puppy's tail.

"Yeah! Yeah I do, it's uh..." My voice trailed off as I racked my brain. There was something familiar about her, her body language, her face, but the details escaped me, and I knew I didn't have a moment to spare before Emma would begin her relentless teasing.

"It's Nina," Emma began with a mock sigh, "You know it's really quite remarkable how you keep forgetting her. I literally showed Isaac a picture of you last night Nina." She remarked dryly, "Most guys can't keep away from her."

Nina shrugged, "It's a nice change I guess."

I let out a nervous laugh and a shrug, "Sorry Nina, it's been awhile."

Nina gave me a playful pout as she crossed her arms across her ample chest, "No worries, it's not like we spent hours and hours together," She said with a hint of sarcasm.

"...Have we..." I trailed off uncertainly

"We spent an entire week studying together for Mrs. Caldwell’s test." They glanced at each other and both stared at me blankly, before Nina spoke again, "During lunch? For the math test?"

"I have no memory of this" I replied flatly.

"To be fair you just kinda sat there all stoic muttering under your breath scribbling away in your notes," Nina shrugged as she turned around and picked up her plate," You didn't say much, but the notes you gave us, it got us through that test."

"Huh." I could feel a blush forming on my cheeks, "I really did that? I don't remember that at all."

"Finals are coming up soon," Nina mused to herself before she gave a despondent sigh. Emma smiled knowingly and leaned in for a quick but reassuring hug, "So what are you guys studying today?"

Emma grinned as her shoulders bounced up with a little jig before she whispered out in a conspiratorial tone "We're actually on a date"

Nina blinked blankly for a moment before a flurry of emotions crossed her face, "Emma? Emma Wright. The Emma Wright on a date?" She exclaimed as she turned to me , her face lit up with incredulity and surprise, before musing to herself, "I saw the chat this morning, but I thought Sarah was just messing with me." She paused for a beat before her lips curled in annoyance and her eyes narrowed in suspicion at Emma who awkwardly shrugged "A real date?"

"Uh, yea I think so" I said confusedly, at the standoff. I shrugged with a wry chuckle, "Can't really believe it myself either"

"Emma" Nina exclaimed in a cross tone, "Don't scam food from Isaac"

"What, No- I'm not scamming Isaac for food, "Emma said indignantly as she glared at Nina, "Ok I did steal hot chocolate from him one time"

"My heart was broken. I laboured for hours for that drink at my part time job" I said with a grin, enjoying Emma quail under Nina's pressure.

"Emma, what the fuck?" Nina shook her head in disbelief.

"OK first of all, his first of all his parents are rich- "

"That doesn't mean its ok- "Nina said with her hands on her hips glaring at Emma.

"Second of all, we actually are dating" Emma said, her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the shit eating grin on my face," And most importantly - he's lying"

"Booo" I said with a mock frown, "I'll have you know I spent ages waiting in line for that hot chocolate. I had to brave the walk home in the dead of winter with nothing to ease the chill in my bones"

Nina turned her glare on the both of us equally, "Ok so you're dating -" Nina stopped as a look of realization came over her" - Wait does this mean you won't be coming on Friday's"

"What happens on Fridays?" I said innocently.

Emma and Nina exchanged a glance, but before Emma could respond Nina said, "Bowling."

"I didn't know you guys bowled still"

"Emma loves bowling" Nina said to Emma with narrowed eyes, "Won't having a boyfriend interrupt our bowling" Nina said drawing quotes in the air.

"He knows remember," Emma said simply

"He knows!" Nina repeated incredulous, her head tilted to one side and peered out at me inquisitively, "How much does he know?

"Pretty much all of it," Emma shrugged, "He's picture guy"

"I mean Friday's are tame, but does he know about the parties at Ryan's?" Nina said, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I mean, I can guess from all the rumours" I shrugged.

"Rumours, what rumours, oh my god," Nina turned to Emma as realization crossed her face and morphed into one of horror, "What if Noah knows?"

Emma opened her mouth to answer but a shadow loomed over her, and she quickly snapped her mouth shut as an older taller woman with the spitting image of Nina strode up to us a glass of orange juice in hand. She tucked a stray bang out of her eyes as she met Emma's greeting with a wide grin before a cautious appraising look came over her as she looked at me up and down. "Who's this Em, your brother or something?" She said took a sip from the cup of orange juice peering out from the rim of the glass.

I bristled slightly in response but Emma just smiled and said firmly, "No, he's my boyfriend, this is Isaac."

"Ah new one, really?" She shook her head in exasperation as she stared at Emma, "Emma, if you want free food just ask, don't scam your friends for free meals"

"Oh my god," Emma bristled, rolling her eyes before exclaiming, "That was one time, and Ryan offered to pay."

"Pretty sure there was more," Nina said counting off on her hands, "Yup, there was Ryan, Grant, Colin and who was the last guy," Nina mused tapping on a finger on her palm, with clear judgement in her eyes, before the woman hushed her with a hand as she took in my expression mistaking it for distress.

"Oh I'm so sorry honey, I had no idea" She said soothingly as she patted me on the arm, "You didn't need to hear that" She finished awkwardly

"It's fine." I shrugged, "I'm... aware"

"Anyways," The woman coughed awkwardly before holding out a hand, "I'm Nina's aunt by the way. You can call me Mia if you want. Welcome I guess, it's a little busy right now, but it should be getting a bit quieter soon, I can clear out a table for you in a moment"

"They can have my table, "Nina shrugged as she began clearing the table, "My break's almost over anyways"

Nina's aunt narrowed her eyes and looked me over with an amused glance as she took a sip of orange juice, "You like em scruffy huh?" Her mouth was hidden behind her cup but I could see the mischief gleaming her eyes. God, not another one.

Before I could answer Emma piped up, eager to distract, "He has a certain charm, it's endearing, but you'd have thought he would have put some effort in for a girl he fancied," Emma said flatly and stared at me with mock disapproval, "Sweats and a t-shirt - can you believe it on a brunch date. The horror."

"Oh yeah, he's a real heartbreaker this one." Mia snorted into her cup. I bit down on my lip as Mia suddenly began fussing over me like a cat would its kittens, patting down invisible wrinkles on my shirt and comb appeared out of thin air to smooth over the wild tufts of my bed head. I glanced at Emma for help, but she just shook her head, her eyes twinkling with barely contained mirth, the traitor. Mia chuckled lightly as the comb caught a particularly matted tuft of hair, "Don't you let her bully you Isaac, Em's just a big softie when you get to know her"

"Oh yes, the softest and sweetest," I said, nodding solemnly. Emma glared at me in response, a scowl twisting her pretty face as her hands flew to her hips. Mia gave me a quick once over before letting out a shrug, "He cleans up nicely though"

"Oh but he likes it when girls are mean to him" Emma purred and ran a finger down my back, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin, "Isn't that right, Isaac?"

"In my defence, I didn't think you'd show up at my door that early," I said, mustering a smile, ignoring her jibe.

"So you dressed in the dark and threw on the first things you could find?" Emma said with a smile. "You should be glad you have a girl that appreciates you, despite your best efforts." She yelped as Nina's aunt swatted her playfully.

"Don't be mean Emma," Nina's Aunt said with a disapproving look, "Don't mind her we keep it casual here"

"Yeah, not like it's fine dining here," Nina piped up as she began gathering up the mess strewn about the patio tables, "We're all just a bunch of dorks. Emma's the only one that thinks she's cool"

"Kidding, kidding," Emma nudged me with an elbow seeing my expression, "Aww don't pout, I thought you looked rather charming, well, maybe not but at least your clothes were clean." My eyes glazed over as they indulged in idle talk, exchanging smiles, pleasantries, jokes at my expense. I picked up fragments of their conversation but just shrugged it off. Clearly they were making use of my temporary lack of faculties.

"Isaac, " A voice called out, accompanied by a sharp poke to my left side woke me from the stupor, a pair of brown and blue eyes stared at me curiously, "Do you want the patio or the booth inside," The Nina said gesturing with an armful of plates to the shaded patio and a dark table tucked away in the corner shaded by the leaves of an old august maple tree.

"Patio, in the shadows, perfect spot for his surly personality" Emma grinned giving me another nudge with her elbow, I hesitated for a moment, it was quieter now, but there was still a crowd lingering indulging in idle talk. I could feel my anxiety rise at the thought, but Nina perhaps seeing my anxiety found our arms and tugged us along past the cluttered half empty patio into a haze of welcoming smells and sounds.

Author's Note:

Oh so many rewrites... sigh. Vox contributed a fair amount of advice for this one. Horny times will resume "soon" after the pesky floof, slice of life and "revelations" of the previous night.