by Sammi Franks
She released a flat laugh. “Right. Because I’m Indian, it must be my rice. Is that it?”
I frowned. “Actually, I was thinking because it’s a café and you might actually serve rice, that had to be it. Why else would there be rice here?”
“How about because of the wedding you had last night at your damn bar?” Her brows rose. “Did you ever think about that?”
Throwing my hands up in the air, I grumbled, “Obviously not. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have said what I did.” I huffed. “Gimme the broom. My family. Their mess. I’ll clean it up.” I moved to take the metal from her hands, but she snatched it back.
“Get your own broom. This one’s mine. If I lend it to you, I’ll probably never see it again.” Her eyes narrowed.
“What have I done to make you think so little of me?” I groaned as I raked a hand through my hair. From the corner of my eye, I could see her shoulders droop slightly.
Norah averted her gaze, staring into her empty café. “Nothing. You wouldn’t understand.” She shook her head and walked away. “My lunch rush should be starting soon. I’d appreciate it if you could handle this mess before someone breaks their neck.”
I frowned. “On rice?”
“Yes. On rice.” She rolled her eyes then another thought seemed to pop into her head. “This is bad for the birds too.”
This time I nodded. “You’re right. I’ve heard that. I’ll get this done right away.” A grin spread across my face.
“What?” she asked with more than a hint of annoyance in her voice.
I shrugged. “I think it’s nice that you care about birds and people.” She finally met my eyes. “Even if you do hate me.”
“Did I say I hate you?” Her brows rose. “I just don’t like you very much.”
I laughed. “I don’t know why. I like you a whole lot.”
4
Norah
* * *
Lunch rush was exactly that: a rush. There were moments I almost hated it, even though it was my most profitable time, because it was practically impossible to do by myself. I got yelled at, snapped at, messes were everywhere, people didn’t pick up after themselves. I got complaints that drinks were too hot or they were too cold. The food tasted weird. I got looks regarding what I looked like from people who had never been to this café before.
The good thing about lunch rush, however, was that it went by so fast that I didn’t have to worry about everything that happened. It was all forgotten until the next day.
In fact, I didn’t even think about the man next door and the rice scattered everywhere until he casually popped in just after one, when my café was empty.
I stopped sweeping the floor and furrowed my brow. “Can I help you with something?” I asked. My words were clipped - until I realized he wasn’t alone.
A girl, no more than eight years old, stood next to him. She had pale skin and big green eyes. She didn’t look anything like Bodhi but I had seen children belong to parents without any sort of resemblance before. I felt myself soften when I watched him look at her - like she was his everything.
“Yeah,” he said. He gestured at the girl next to him. “This is tator tot, but I think her real name is...” He let his voice trail off and placed his fingers on his chin, pretending to think for a moment.
She giggled. “It’s Penelope,” she said.
“That’s a lovely name.” I didn’t know why I felt the need to intrude on what looked like an inside joke, but I did.
She looked at me and smiled. I could see how easy it was for her to win over Bodhi. I didn’t like the guy, but she was a treasure, and if she liked him...maybe he wasn’t as bad as I initially assumed.
“This is my new niece,” he said. “Her mother married my brother last night and while they’re on their honeymoon, my sister and I are in charge of this one. She said she wanted a hot chocolate and I figured this would be the best place to get one of those.”
He caught my gaze and seemed to be communicating with his eyes. I didn’t know him well enough to read him just yet, but I could see the peace offering there. I could admit that perhaps I was a bit cold with how quickly I judged him. I took my broom and walked around the counter, placing it in the back first. I washed my hands and, as I dried them off on my apron, I turned around to look at Bodhi.
“What size?” I asked him. My voice came out low, raw, thanks to how much I had used it the past few hours.
“A kid’s size is fine,” he said. He looked at Penelope. “Oh, do you mean for her? I’ll take the kid’s size, she’ll have a small. Please.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. I worked on autopilot as I maneuvered around the machinery. It took only a few minutes before I was pouring two hot chocolates.
“Whipped cream?” I asked.
“Whipped cream, she asks,” Bodhi said, shaking his head and nudging Penelope. His dark eyes sparkled with happiness. “Yes, definitely. Whipped cream. Of course whipped cream.” He watched as I added the whipped cream to the two drinks. “Would you like one?”
I glanced up, a curious expression on my face. “What do you mean?” I asked. I placed the plastic lids on both cups, smashing down the whipped cream before sliding the sleeves onto the cups.
“Can I buy you a hot chocolate so you can join us?” he asked.
He seemed sincere in his offer and yet, I could not help but bristle. Did he not realize I owned this café? That I could get my own hot chocolate without any money? I didn’t need his charity. I didn’t need his pity. My business was doing just fine and I didn’t need him to improve it.
I glanced over at the girl - Penelope. My defensive thoughts weren’t helping the situation. Just because Mark had treated me like I was an incompetent fool did not mean that Bodhi was. And Penelope seemed excited at the prospect - which was strange unto itself. She did not know me, and yet, it felt as though maybe she wanted to...
At that moment, my door popped open and the bell clattered against the door handle, alerting me to a new customer. I smiled genuinely.
“Unfortunately, not this time.” I was speaking to Penelope, the only reason why my voice was so sweet. “It would seem I have a customer.”
However, when I glanced at the person who walked through my door, my face fell. Speak of the devil, even internally, and he shall appear.
“Norah,” Mark said with his Hollywood smile and his slicked back black hair. “So, good to see you here. Some things never change.”
Already condescending and I had not even spoken yet. Typical.
“What is it you want, Mark?” I asked, placing a hand on a cocked hip. “I was just about to close up shop for an hour and take my lunch.
“Perfect,” he said, his dimples popping. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Sorry,” I said briskly, flipping my ponytail over my shoulder. “I have plans. Now, if you’ll excuse me...”
For a fraction of a second, I saw Mark’s face drop and I saw the real person underneath, the boy who threw a tantrum when someone told him no.
“It’s important, Norah,” he insisted.
“I understand,” I said. “But I told you that if you wanted to make plans with me, you would actually have to make plans. You can’t just breeze on in and think I’m going to drop everything for you. Now, please leave. If you want to come back, plan to come back when I reopen - at two thirty.”
Mark nodded once, muttering under his breath, before spinning around and all but stomping out of the café.
I turned back to Bodhi and Penelope. “Hot chocolate, you say?” I asked.
5
Bodhi
* * *
My eyes narrowed at the guy for the way he was talking to Norah. I didn’t like it. And she obviously didn’t either. I don’t know what I thought I was going to do about it. As a surfer, I wasn’t exactly the throw-down type. That’s why we had Hawk. Of course, Hawk wasn’t working yet and I was the only one here. Then I watched Norah in action. She was
as fierce as she was beautiful. I could feel myself relaxing as she managed this douche all on her own.
Then I started thinking about it. Maybe I was supposed to do something. Maybe I was supposed to step in. I glanced down at tater tot. No way could I misbehave in front of her. I wasn’t sure who I’d hate facing more…my brother or her mother. I shuddered at the thought.
“You cold?” Norah asked, her brow furrowed. “I didn’t realize it was so chilly out.”
“It’s not.” Penelope giggled. “He looks like that sometimes when he’s thinking about Max.” Her head tilted. “Or could be my mom. Which is it, Uncle Bodhi?”
I chuckled. “You got me, tater tot. It’s both.” I glanced at Norah. “I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t there for you, but he looked like he could be the violent type. And if you knew Max…”
“Or my mom.” Penelope grinned. “She’d skin him alive.”
Norah’s eyes widened.
“It’s an expression. But she does run a really tight ship.” I shrugged.
“Think the yacht made it to Hawaii yet?” Penelope asked quietly.
I ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t know, but I do know they promised to call tonight. Remember, Isla will be picking you up in a few hours. Let’s sit and we can practice all the nice things you’re going to say to her to keep me out of trouble.” I winked at Norah conspiratorially. “You can try them out on Norah. She said she’d join us.”
“This sounds like we may need more than hot chocolate,” Norah teased. “Have you two eaten lunch?”
“I had donuts earlier.” Penelope hopped slightly in excitement.
“And the sugar is still strong in this one.” Norah shook her head. “Okay, so you’re eating in courses today. Let’s try something healthy.”
I leaned on the counter with one elbow so I could eye both of them. “And what’s wrong with donuts?”
Norah licked her lips and I sensed she was trying not to snap at me. “She needs something besides sweets all day. What about some homemade chicken tenders and a salad?”
Penelope moved closer and rested her chin on the counter. “How about homemade chicken tenders and French fries?”
With a smirk, Norah eyed her tiny patron. “I see you like to negotiate.” She glanced at me. “Future lawyer?”
I laughed. “Probably. Keep going. I’m learning a lot from this exchange.”
Nodding, Norah turned her attention back to Penelope. “Three homemade tenders, a small order of fries, and a fruit cup. That’s my final offer.”
A smile spread across Penelope’s face. She held out a hand. “Deal.”
Both of Norah’s brows rose. “We’re shaking on lunch now?”
“No. Max says in business you shake when you make a deal. I said ‘deal.’ Now we shake.” She waved her hand a few times.
“Okay.” Norah laughed. “It’s a deal.” Then she shook. A second later she turned to me, but I was still mesmerized by the sound of her laughter. Her joy was contagious and no doubt I was wearing some goofy look on my face.
Why did I even care? This woman was so far out of my league, I wasn’t even good enough to wipe her tables. I sighed.
“Now you,” Norah murmured.
“Oh, I don’t know. Those donuts were pretty filling and I have to work at this figure, you know.” I stood and slid my hands down my sides. Then I faced her. “If I eat again already, I’ll have a food baby.”
“Salad then.” She tapped her lips. “And half a roast beef sandwich on ciabatta bread. Want it toasted?”
Clearly, it was no use. I sighed. “Okay, but I pay for it. All of it. Including yours. In case you haven’t picked up on it, money isn’t a problem.”
She blew out a breath. “Oh, I picked right up on it.”
“It was the fancy clothes, right?” I snickered as I gestured to my jeans and t-shirt.
“Or it could be the yacht,” Penelope suggested.
I reached for my wallet. “So, here.” I passed her my card.
Norah reluctantly reached for it. “Okay, but you should know I own this place.”
My heart sank. We were even farther apart than I imagined. I swallowed hard. “That’s great. It’s a nice place.” I nodded nervously a few times.
“Why don’t you take the hot chocolates and pick a seat? I’ll grab the food and come out to join you in a few minutes.” Norah pushed the drinks toward us.
“Tater tot, you choose,” I urged as we made our way to the tables and Norah disappeared into the kitchen.
We hadn’t been sitting for more than a few seconds when I took my first sip of hot chocolate. I was determined to relax. I set my drink down and ran my damp palms down my thighs.
Penelope smiled at me before leaning in and whispering loudly, “You like her!”
“Let’s just eat,” I grumbled.
“We don’t have food yet. Let’s talk about Norah.” She leaned back and folded her hands in her lap. “Did you like her the minute you met, like with Mommy and Max?”
I stared out the café window, suddenly wishing I was on the other side.
“Did you?” Penelope reached out to tug on my shirt.
I frowned. “Maybe.”
“Then why are you sad?” The little girl frowned at me.
“She hates me.” I sighed.
“Not possible, Uncle Bodhi. You’re awesome.” She grinned. “She just doesn’t know it yet.”
I turned to look at Penelope and tried to remember the last time I’d felt that kind of optimism. Dang, I couldn’t even remember the last time I thought I was awesome. Maybe I’d hit the waves in the morning before picking up Penelope for my shift. Life had me completely off balance at the moment. Liking Norah wasn’t helping me at all.
6
Norah
* * *
“So,” Bodhi said, stretching out his legs under the small table and placing his hands behind his head. “Who was that guy? You know, the one who seemed so angry, especially when you kicked him out.”
“Oh.” I glanced down at my hands and started fiddling with my fingers. I didn’t like to talk about my past if I could help it. “My ex-boyfriend.”
“Really?” He seemed surprised.
“What, that I dated a white guy?” I clenched my fingers into tight balls. I didn’t like thinking about Mark if I could help it.
He made a face. “No,” he said. “Actually, I was going to say I’m surprised that you dated someone as volatile as he seemed to be.” He looked at me for a long moment. I hoped he couldn’t see my blush. It was rare when I wished I didn’t wear my hair in a ponytail, but this was one of those times. My hair was long and jet-black and I loved using it to shield my face when I was embarrassed or uncomfortable. “You know, you seem to jump on my case about racial stereotypes.”
I didn’t respond. He was right.
“Is there a reason you’re so defensive?” he continued. I was surprised by how gentle his voice was when it really didn’t have to be. This was the second time I’d made an assumption and, like the last time, it blew up in my face.
“I’ve dealt with it all,” I said quickly. I was glad Penelope was on her iPad, in the corner of the room. She made a big scene about how she couldn’t be at the same table as we were. Bodhi seemed to have some sort of idea what was going on, but I definitely didn’t and I didn’t want to ask. “It’s just easier to assume the worst, rather than the best.” I finally picked my eyes up to look at him. “That doesn’t make it right. I know.”
“The thing is,” Bodhi said, “if you just gave me a chance, I could show that I’m really not that sort of guy.”
“Listen, I barely know you,” I said. “I’m not keen on getting to know you…”
“Based on your judgment of me?” he asked, raising his brow. I knew he was trying to make a point and I let out a huff.
“One dinner.” He bent his knees and leaned forward, resting his arms on the surface of the table. “One dinner. At the bar. Let me at least introduce m
yself and let me show you we can be civil neighbors. I feel we started out on the wrong foot. Maybe you think I might poach some of your customers, but I’m not trying to do that. Truth be told, I didn’t even want to run the bar.”
My brows furrowed upon hearing this. I took a sip of my nearly-full hot chocolate. It was starting to get cold. The drink was too sweet for my preferences.
“You didn’t?” I asked. I could not help but be intrusive after this bit of information. I didn’t want to ask but I felt compelled to. There was something about Bodhi that made me more curious about him than I should be. “Someone put a gun to your head and forced it on you, then?”
He gave me a level look. “Obviously not,” he said, a wry smile on his face. My heart fluttered when I saw it, and I was annoyed at my reaction. I did not need him fluttering my heart or anything of the sort. “My dad owns his own company, okay? He wanted me to follow in his footsteps and do the whole nine-to-five, suit and tie thing. That’s really not my vibe.”
“I got that.” I felt my lips quirk up despite themselves. “Surfer, right?”
He smiled. “Right.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I came down here for a surfing competition. I think I ended up sixth out of the fifty competitors? I don’t know. But I liked it down here more than I expected. It’s peaceful. Not tons of people and the weather is decent.”
I nodded my head even though he hadn’t asked me a question. I was surprised to find myself actually agreeing with what he said.
“When my dad found out, he sent my brother to fetch me,” Bodhi said. I could hear the derision in his voice clearly. “Max came down, reminded me I still needed to do something with my life even if I refused to come back. He bought me the bar…okay, bought the bar for me to run, I should say - and even he’s coming down to live here. And that’s the end of my sordid life story.” He picked his head up and forced a smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “What about you?”
