Page 21 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
Saphira loved watching the people in her cafe, their relationships, their humanity. It was a busy day, but even so, she caught these moments in between: a husband wiping cream off his wife’s chin; a mother splitting a muffin with her daughter; friends laughing so hard their eyes filled with tears; an old man reading quietly and contentedly on his own.
The sights made Saphira’s chest swell with adoration. She wished she could wrap her arms around everyone—around her whole cafe!—and give them all a big hug.
Because the weather was warmer, she served a lot more iced chais and refreshers, but the old ladies still wanted their hot drinks, and Saphira always loved brewing a fresh batch of karak chai. She served the baby dragons their little treats, earning an affectionate singe at the end of her skirt, which was simply part of her style now.
Aiden paid her at the end of each week, which was good because she could use it for little repairs here and there. She knew she needed to sit down and do some sort of proper financial planning, to really optimize her funds, instead of constantly putting out little fires here and there, but she didn’t have the time nor the brain space to tackle such a project.
Saphira hated math. Why couldn’t she just run her cute little cafe without having to do any math at all? It seemed unfair.
Theo had offered to help her out with the numbers once because he had a business degree, but she refused because he was already so busy with the bakery, and she couldn’t afford to pay him for such an arduous role.
But she was thankful for the exorbitant amount Aiden was paying her, even if she was a little upset that she only sawAiden for a minute each day when he dropped Sparky off, then another minute when he picked Sparky up.
Each time, Saphira asked if he would stay, and he always said no—but there was something about it she couldn’t place: like he wanted to stay but was saying no for a reason she couldn’t understand.
Saphira did not know him well enough to ask, but she was still annoyed he would not try to bond with Sparky at all. And perhaps she was a bit annoyed that he didn’t seem to want anything to do withher, either.
As Saphira wiped down the bar, she did not think it was healthy for someone to be that alone—that isolated.
Her line of thought was interrupted by a customer coming up to place an order. She blinked at the good-looking stranger.
He was not one of the usuals—he must have been from the next town over. Starshine Valley had a few towns, each with their own magical creature: dragons, chimeras, griffins, or phoenixes. This man was handsome in an angular, model kind of way, and quite a few of Saphira’s patrons turned their heads to stare at him as he walked up to the counter.
People that attractive always stressed Saphira out a little bit. He was tall with dark brown skin and shiny black hair. He had a clean-shaved face with a lethal jawline and high cheekbones, and his eyes were a deep, rich brown, framed by long lashes. He wore an all-black suit, sans tie, and had rings on almost every finger of his hands.
“Lovely cafe you’ve got here,” he said, smiling at her. “I’ll have a flat white to go, please.”
“Thank you.” Her face felt warm. “And got it—coming right up.”
He paid, then moved a bit to the side, watching as she made the drink. She glanced over at him, and he gave her a charming smile.
“I’ve heard your dragon roast is superb.”
“Oh, thank you,” she said, smiling broadly as she finished off his drink. She slid it over to him in the to-go cup, but he made no move to take it.
“Where do you get your coffee from?” He leaned his elbows on the counter, giving her a private smile. “Let me guess, Inferno?”
It was the name of Emmeline Sterling’s dragon-roasted coffee company.
“Yes, that’s the one,” she replied, wondering why he was asking when he so obviously already knew the answer.
The Baby Dragon Cafe’s specialty, after all, was their dragon-roasted coffee. Since the beans were roasted for longer than light, medium, and even dark roasts, the beans held a special decadent flavor.
Emmeline Sterling’s small coffee-roasting company was taking off lately; almost half the coffee shops in town sourced from her.
“What if I told you I could get you a coffee that had an even better roast?” he asked, eyes glittering. “Not as dark as dragon-roasted coffee, but with a deeper flavor profile.”
“Um …”
He pulled a card out of his pocket and slid it to her. On it read TEMPEST, and beneath that, Luke Hayward.
“I own a chimera-roasted coffee company,” the man—Luke—told her. He must have been from down by Bayview, then, where all the chimera and chimera-owning families were.“We’re just starting out, so I’m sure I can get you a better deal than the one you have now.”
“Oh, that’s alright, thank you,” Saphira said, sliding the card back his way. “I’m happy with Inferno, but I do appreciate the offer.”
Luke only gave her an easy smile. “In case you change your mind,” he said, sliding the card back to her. He picked up his drink, then winked at her and was on his way. She watched him go until he made it to the door, just as someone else was walking in.
It was Emmeline Sterling. She cut an unmistakable figure, and the moment she saw Luke, she snapped something at him. Saphira couldn’t hear what was being said, but she knew enough to tell Emmeline looked severely pissed off, while Luke just looked amused. He took a long sip of his drink while still looking at Emmeline over the cup.
