Page 19 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
Until he had looked down to where her hand was on his. Her stomach flipped as she had followed his gaze to see her own hand covering his, her thumb pressed against the pulse of his wrist. Her hand had looked so small against his.
And then he pulled away.
Even after he had gone, her heart rate took some time to calm down.
There were brief moments such as those scattered throughoutthe week that left her desperately wanting more, but he was only ever there for a moment, gone in the next. She was irritated he never stuck around. He was such a grump and a bore.
It made her be more affectionate with Sparky, so Sparky did not notice the fact that his rider could not even be bothered about showing up, let alone bonding with his dragon.
In a selfish way, Saphira enjoyed having Sparky all to herself. She was having a great deal of fun with him. Even though she was exhausted by the evenings, it was really exciting and just plain lovely to have Sparky around. He was a lively little creature. And, for a while, she could pretend that she really did have a dragon of her own.
She either trained him in the cafe after closing, or they went for walks, Sparky fluttering and hopping beside her. Sparky really liked her, and she could see he was doing his best to be a good little draggo.
Before Sparky, her evenings were usually spent in her quiet cafe, or her quiet apartment. She was used to the silence ever since Nani-Ma passed away, but Sparky brought both places back to life. It was nice not being alone.
Almosttoonice, she worried. She might have been getting too attached. Perhaps she needed a second opinion.
Saphira finished up setting the tables that morning, then grabbed her strawberry lychee refresher and went to find Lavinia.
Her coworker/bestie was in the kitchen, prepping some vegetables for sandwich orders that might come in through the day.
The kitchen was in the back, and it was a small bit of space, just enough to cater to the needs of the cafe-goer’s orders ofsmall meals that needed to be thrown together, not fully cooked or baked.
“Lavinia,” Saphira said, taking a sip of her drink, then offering it to her friend to try it. Lavinia took a hands-free sip, since she was busy cutting up a tomato.
“That’s good,” Lavinia said. It was sunny and warm out today, and the drink was refreshing. Lavinia had her own—though slightly modified with basil—version of the drink on the counter. “What’s up?”
“Do you think I’m getting too attached to Sparky?” Saphira asked, leaning against the counter.
Lavinia thought about it, setting the tomato slices aside. “Hmm, I mean, it’s been two weeks, right? How attached could you be?”
“I would die for him,” Saphira said, only partially joking. Saphira always felt things very intensely—something Nani-Ma would both laugh and lament about.
“Mm, okay,” Lavinia said. “So maybe that is a bit extreme.”
Saphira groaned, burying her face in her cold hands. “He’s just so precious! And I’ve always wanted a baby dragon, you know that.”
Lavinia set the last of the tomato slices aside. “Yes, but he isn’t yours, you do rememberthat, right?” She went to wash her hands, and Saphira followed her, only slightly moping. “Not trying to be a bitch about it, just a reality check,” Lavinia added.
“Ugh, I know,” Saphira said. “But Sparky’s actual rider is never here! What choice do I have?”
Before Lavinia could respond, there was a knock on the side door. They both checked the clock.
“Must be Theo,” Saphira said, going to answer the bakerydelivery. Lavinia grabbed her refresher from the counter and trailed behind her out of the kitchen.
Saphira opened the side door to let Theo in, and felt a warm breeze as she did.
“Good morning, ladies,” Theo said, giving them a smile.
“Morning, Theo,” they chorused.
Saphira took some of the boxes, while Lavinia closed the door behind him. The baked goods smelled heavenly, and she allowed the scent of dough and sugar to calm her.
She and Theo set the boxes down on the bar, from where they would be placed into the display case, the extra going to the kitchen until it was time for refills.
After they had set the boxes down, Theo gave Lavinia a side hug, then came to give Saphira a kiss on the cheek.
“What’s the special?” Saphira asked, excited to see. Theo opened one of the boxes to show her little shooters of milky cake.
