BLACK PEPPER

BLACK PEPPER XD

1.

Zayn was manning the till on a wet Monday morning. Opening and closing it while he waited for customers to stroll in for their morning coffee. Central park was usually packed with people drinking coffee while having morning meetings or just going through the free newspaper. The most ironic part is that the Newspaper cost less than coffee. Zayn wondered why the coffee shop was still booming. It had been his mother’s idea, she had two other Coffee shops in Lusaka and one in Livingstone.

As an only child of a single mother, it was expected that he would be interested in one day taking over the business. Zayn did not disappoint her. He liked the coffee shop in town because it was close to school.

It was raining outside again, the motion censored doors opened and three customers walked in, their umbrellas dripping. He closed the till and smiled as he took the first order meanwhile Martha took their umbrellas to the sink at the back.

“Good morning,” the lady greeted as she looked for something in her handbag that was hanging from her shoulder but perched on a bended knee so she could search.

“Good morning,” he responded with a smile. Her hair was slightly wet but he liked the dark kinky curls of it. She pushed it out of her face and finally looked up from her digging. Zayn always found it amusing the things women carried in their handbags.

The lady on the other side of the counter barked her order without even looking up at him as she looked for her purse in her bag. When she finally found it she sighed and handed him a few kwacha notes.

He had to calculate her change and master her order, all the while keeping in mind he had muffins in the oven in the kitchen. This was why Zayn hated working the till and the kitchen at the same time. He parroted the order and typed the codes onto the computer that would feed the small printing machine in the kitchen for the Chef to work on. Zayn hoped the chef would get it right and not mess up the orders without him there to guide him in the kitchen. The Barrister behind him had already started on the Americanos. She put two shots of espresso in the recyclable paper cup. And then poured boiling water, no milk, no sugar.

He stole a glance at the time he had three hours till his next class before he could leave. He hoped Mule would come anytime soon. Mule was their cashier and his friend. Her father had been their Chef for many years before he passed away. Mule’s brother Kapembwa managed the Coffee shop and Book café at the Airport. Zayn’s mom had sent him to University for Library Studies. It was a tight-knit family business.

“Can I get you anything else?” Zayn smiled despite his worries.

It was the customer's turn to look up at the sound of his rich accent, laced by a very disturbing baritone. He looked at her to hand her the receipt and her change. Her phone nearly slipping out of her hands while their fingers brushed.

Hello good looking.

Vasha thought as she got her till roll without glancing at the figure on the receipt nor counting through the change. She knew the cost of two Americanos she came here every day. The change was not very significant.

Why was she only seeing this handsome guy today? Was he new? Where was Mule? Was she late because of the rain? The guy had a good head of black shiny hair and he was light in complexion. From over the counter, she caught a whiff of the scent, a mix of vanilla, wood, and something very much like coffee. He was not in the company regalia so he was maybe the owner? Too young. She knew the owner, had seen her a couple of times.

Owners son? Vasha mused as she turned away.

Just then Mule the usual teller/waitress rushed slightly soaked into the Café. The rain outside had now slowed to a drizzle. Mule said good morning to Vasha and the other two regulars then went behind the counter next to good looking. They exchanged a friendly greeting and swapped places.

“Thank you Zayn,” Mule said rushing to take her place behind the till.

Zayn. A befitting name for a good-looking guy.

Vasha repeated the guy’s name in her head. Watching him pick up an apron as he walked to the kitchen. He said something to Mule who rolled her eyes and smiled.

Zayn strode off in his black jeans that hang snuggly on his hips, a crisp white t-shirt with a small Zedali print logo and boots. She looked at him as he walked to the kitchen sighing quietly. It was not every day a guy caught her attention like that.

Mule had an amused smile when Vasha looked at her, mortified Vasha smiled Mule was now taking the next customers order but she winked knowingly at Vasha.

Vasha just smiled picked up the newspaper and sat down to wait for her coffee. She leafed through the paper occasionally looking up at the guy in the kitchen. He emerged from the kitchen with a tray of sweet-smelling cookies and muffins. He packed them nicely on the wooden display set and carefully placed it behind the glass on the display counter. Next to the cookies and muffins was the sinful chocolate fudge.

Mule brought Vasha two Americanos and the usual complimentary cookies, nicely packaged.

“New guy?” Vasha asked getting her parcel and nodding towards Zayn’s retreating back.

“No he is usually here, he is the one who bakes those muffins you like,” she smiled.

“How come I am only seeing him now?” Vasha asked. Blowing out an exaggerated breath.

“How’s your boss?” Mule smiled teasingly.

Vasha’s boss was a young entrepreneur. Shepherd Saileti the guy whose Americana she had been buying every morning for the last three years.

“He is alive and well,” she laughed walking away. Not wanting to tell mule anything about Shepherd. It was tiring when everyone just wanted a minute of his time or to hang onto anything about him. His likes and dislikes, what time he would be free, or if he likes Music.

Vasha walked to the office quickly, she had spotted Shepherd’s BMW parked in its usual spot.

She opted for the stairs taking two at a time. She knew he was probably already sending her messages flooding her skype with messages the way only he would.

The first would be asking for one Large Americana without sugar to soothe his weekend hangover.

The second would ask for a screenshot of his account balances. Having spent the weekend partying he wanted to know how broke he was.

The third would be something about his house. Maybe his maid or the security guard didn’t show up.

Number four was a polite summon.

Shepherd skipped the three and peeped out of his office just as she was walking in.

“Vasha, just a minute,” he said. His polite summon registered as she placed her coffee and cookies on the table. She picked up her writing pad and his coffee leaving hers to obviously get cold. Then she hurried into his office.

XD