Page 14 of To Crave Madly
“And for your… friend?” She looked over my shoulder and I had almost forgotten that Torsten was there. He moved with such silence, and he kept himself so inconspicuous that I had momentarily thought I was on my own.
Torsten was currently eyeballing the menu with confusion. If I had to guess, I’d have thought he’d never been in a coffee shop before.
“Perhaps you should just surprise him with something,” I whispered to the girl.
“I can do that. I think I know just what he will enjoy. I’m Indigo by the way, but everyone calls me Indie. I’ve got a feeling after you’ve tried this chocolate cake you’re going to become a regular.”
I returned her smile. “I’m Lori, and this is Torsten.”
“So,you’rethe Sin Reaper?” she asked excitedly whilst making a start on our drinks. Aromas of coffee, caramel and chili permeated the air.
“Yep. That’s me. You sure you want to keep making me a coffee?”
She laughed. “I’m a fae and a natural empath. If you meant to do me harm, I’d be able to tell. Go grab a table and I’ll bring your drinks over.”
“Thanks.” I genuinely meant it. She was one of the first people that I had come across that didn’t stare at me in fear, or whisper behind their hands at me. I picked a table in the corner by the window overlooking the square. Torsten chose the table behind me, and I was grateful he was giving me at least the appearance of solitude. He still looked lost. I could see his eyes darting around the shop as he drank everything in; perhaps he really hadn’t seen anything like this before. I was about to ask but Indie appeared with our drinks and the biggest slice of chocolate cake I’d ever seen.
“One chili chocolate and a slice of the Devil’s indulgence for you and a caramel cappuccino for Torsten.”
Devil’s indulgence? Wasn’t that a little bit on the nose? Judging by the mischievous glint her eyes, she knew exactly how on the nose it was. I immediately liked this girl. She was my kind of girl and I could see a friend in the making, which was a nice thought to have after the threatening interlude with Cassian this morning. That guy had the insane ability to make my blood boil. But I wasn’t going to think about him now. I didn’t want thoughts of him to ruin my orgasmic slice of cake.
Indie placed the cake in front of me and my mouth instantly watered. God, that looked good. It was all gooey and moist and chocolatey goodness piled onto a plate. I caught a glance of Torsten eyeing his drink warily, like he couldn’t decide whether it was going to kill him or not.
I chuckled at him. “You drink it, Torsten. I promise it won’t kill you.”
He picked up the mug and took a cautious sip. His eyes went wide before he took another equally cautious sip and then the biggest grin spread across his face. “What is this magic?”
Indie laughed. “It’s not magic, it’s coffee.”
“It’s wonderful,” Torsten replied before eagerly taking another gulp. “I’ve never tasted anything like it.”
“You should try the cake,” Indie mused, and I looked back down at the plate in front of me.
I picked up my fork and tucked in… Holy Mother of chocolate cream donuts.
“Oh, god… oh my…” I couldn’t even form words to express how good this cake was.
“Told you it was good,” Indie gloated while Torsten stared at me bemusedly.
“Indie? Why does it sound like someone’s getting off in the middle of your coffee shop?” Rae’s voice carried across the shop as she walked towards where I was sat moaning my mouth off from the glory that was Indie’s cake.
Rae’s glance landed on my face and understanding dawned in her green eyes. “No wonder you’ve got so many men fawning all over you, Lori. If you keep making noises like that, you’re gonna turnmeon.”
I grinned around my huge mouthful of cake. I could always count on Rae to make me feel better; she was always a balm to my soul when I needed it the most.
“Want your usual, Rae?” Indie asked as she headed back towards the front of the shop.
“Yes please, babe. With an extra shot if you don’t mind?”
“Coming right up.”
I finished my slice of cake during their little interchange and smiled like an idiot as I let the sugar settle warmly in my stomach. Damn, that cake was good.
“You look like shit, Lori.” Straight to the point. That was my Rae and I loved her for it.
“Jeez, way to make a girl feel great.” I laughed. Her words were harsh, but it did feel good to laugh after the last few days and the disaster that was this morning.
“First things first. Who is the guy behind you and why is he eyeballing me like a threat?”
