Page 20 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
“Ras malai tres leches,” Theo said. “It’s a cardamom and rose-flavored twist on the regular dessert.”
“Ooh, yum!” Lavinia swiped a shooter.
“Hey!” Theo protested.
“Quality check, duh!” Lavinia grabbed three little spoons, then passed them around. They all took a bite; the cold cake was particularly refreshing on this warm morning.
“Divine,” Saphira said.
“Seriously so good,” Lavinia said, humming with delight. Theo’s cheeks went pink, and he looked at his shoes shyly. Saphira wondered if it was because of the compliment, or Lavinia.
“Back to what you were saying …” Saphira started, but she was distracted by another bite of the dessert, and howdelicious it was. “Theo, this is just too good. I’m going to eat them all myself!”
Theo smiled, pleased. Lavinia rolled her eyes.
“Don’t gas him up too much,” she said. “One compliment was more than enough.”
Lavinia had to be the pesky best friend since she and Theo had known each other since they were little kids.
“What were you guys talking about?” Theo asked.
“Sparky and his sexy rider,” Lavinia said, giggling to herself.
Saphira made an affronted face. “I do not remember even once referring to Sparky’s rider as sexy!”
“You didn’t have to,” Lavinia said. “It was implied by your dreamy sighs and fluttering eyelashes.” Lavinia clutched her hands to her chest, batting her eyelashes like she was going to have a seizure.
“My eyelashes do not flutter!” Saphira protested. “And nor do I dreamily sigh! This is slander!” Her cheeks felt hot.
Theo laughed. “Aww, she’s blushing, too!” He squeezed her cheek, and she swatted him away, trying to glare, which only made him and Lavinia giggle.
“Saphira has a crush!” Lavinia chanted, and soon Theo joined her. “Saphira has a crush! Saphira has a crush!”
“Children, please behave.” Saphira took the cake away from them. “That’s enough sugar for today.”
She was adequately embarrassed by then, but it was alright—it was only Lavinia and Theo, after all.
“Okay but seriously,” Lavinia said, turning to Theo to catch him up to speed. “Saph is worried she’s getting too attached to Sparky-Poo.”
“Thoughts?” Saphira asked.
Theo considered it for a second, taking a sip from Lavinia’s refresher.
“Loving too much is never a bad thing,” he said, shrugging as if it was that simple. And maybe it was.
“Aww,” Saphira said. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. He made a choking sound to let her know she was suffocating him.
“Well except maybe like right now, I can’t breathe.”
She released him, and they laughed.
“Okay, now I gotta bounce before I test Suki’s patience,” Theo said, referencing his boss. He took a final sip from Lavinia’s refresher, and she walked him out. As Saphira filled the display case with the baked goods, she heard Theo and Lavinia chatting for about ten minutes by the door, saying goodbye.
When the clock neared eight o’clock, Saphira went to the front door and switched the door sign to OPEN. Almost immediately, customers arrived for their early morning fixes. Saphira stood behind the bar, working her new (gorgeous) espresso machine, which was perfect.
Things were going well. Later in the day, Saphira watched as a new pairing entered the cafe. She had seen the artsy teenage boy before with his parents, but today he was here with a girl. He’d brought a baby dragon with him—one of his family member’s, since he was too young to have his own—and was attempting to impress his date. It looked to be working, too.
The baby dragon—a red-scaled garneta—peacefully rested in its little bed, drinking some karela juice from a bowl that Saphira had brought over. Dragons loved bitter and spicy tastes, and the garneta was content in his little bed, while the teenagers seemed to be equally delighted in each other’s company.
