Bonnie, Clyde and Cake

Three hours. That’s how long Aemi had sat on her couch, staring at the 10 digits making up her handsome stranger’s phone number. She’d had a crush on him since the first day he came in for coffee and she took his order. He was gorgeous with chestnut brown skin, cropped black hair and thick muscles. Earlier, he’d left in a hurry leaving a little black notebook behind, but Aemi was wrapped up in the bliss of winning a $20,000 graduate scholarship she’d forgotten she applied for. It was a blessing and a curse. She’d chased after him, but he was faster than she anticipated. Her co-worker Violette had found his number in the front of the book and drilled in Aemi’s mind that this was her chance. Too bad she didn’t know him or his name. After clocking out at the end of her shift, she promised Violette she would call him. Now here she sat, palms sweaty, her heart racing, and her romantic future staring her in the face. She looked up at the clock and blanched. If she didn’t call now, the hour would be inappropriate, almost ensuring that he wouldn’t answer. 9:30 wasn’t that late, but the man could already be in bed. Frustrated, she leaned her head back against the couch.

“Get a grip, girl,” she muttered to herself.

Taking a shaky breath she grabbed her phone and punched in the number before she could chicken out. On speaker, the phone rang, the sound barely audible over her own pulse rushing through her ears. The moments ticked by as she waited and waited. It rang a few more times before going to voicemail and a man’s smooth voice came through.

“You’ve reached Rob’s phone. You know what to do.”

At the beep, Aemi hung up and sighed. His name was Rob. At least she knew that much. She smiled. Hooray for small victories.

More confident, she dialed the number again. This time it went to voicemail almost too fast. He’d purposely ignored her call. More shocked than irritated, she almost missed the part where it was time for her to leave a message. Clearing her throat she spoke at the tone.

“Hi! This is, um, Aemi from The Coffee Bean. Uh, I got your number from your notebook. You forgot it on the table when you left. I tried calling after you, but you were in a hurry and--” BEEP!

Aemi fought the urge to scream when the automated voice started the answering machine spiel. Going through the motions again, at the beep, she spoke too fast, determined to get everything she needed to say out.

“Hey, this is Aemi, from The Coffee Bean. I got your number from your notebook, which you left at the shop today. I’m off tomorrow, but if you want to come by the day after to pick it up, my shift is from noon to six.”

There. After setting her phone down and waiting the nerves out, she got curious. What was in the notebook anyway? No, she couldn’t flip through it. That wouldn’t be right. He was a person and needed his privacy just like she did. What if it was a diary? She wouldn’t want anyone reading her diary. Then again. . .

Aemi leaned over to pick up the book that lay closed on her coffee table. Just a little peek wouldn’t hurt anyone. The moment her finger touched the cover, the table vibrated with the ringing of her phone. Her catchy ringtone wasn’t enough to mask her yelp. That had to be him! A quick glance at the caller ID had her replacing her elation with irritation. Sliding the little green button right to answer the call, the person on the other line started talking before she could mutter ‘hello’.

“You call him yet?” Violette asked through a mouth full of food, chewing loudly in Aemi’s ear. She put the call on speaker and set the phone down.

“Yeah, I called him.” Aemi couldn’t stop the smile formingl on her lips at Violette’s cheering on the other end of the line. “But don’t get too excited. Went straight to voicemail.”

“Better than nothing. His name?”

“Rob.”

“Sounds fitting. You crack it open yet?”

Sometimes she was sure Violette was psychic. Not to be tempted, she slid the notebook further away with her toe and sank further into the sofa cushions.

“Nope.”

“Ugh, why not? Don’t you want to know what he’s always scribbling about?” Violette gasped. “There could be deal-breakers in there! Save your relationship and open it!”

“You mean my non-existent relationship?”

“Speak of things as though they are, Aemi.”

Aemi looked at the notebook with more temptation than she had before. Violette was right, even if she didn’t want to admit it. She flipped through the notebook, filling in Violette along the way. It wasn’t a diary, thank goodness, and Rob’s handwriting was surprisingly neat; not the chicken scratch he used on the backs of napkins. On each page, four pieces of information were organized into neat columns like in a leger.

“Damn.”

“Ooo! Girl, what is it?”

“I think Rob’s into some...things...”

“Weird things?” Violette asked, apprehensive.

Aemi fought to get the words out through the pit in her stomach. “Looks like drugs or something. This notebook is full of names, days, numbers that look like weights, and monetary amounts. In the thousands.”

Aemi could hear the rustling of Violette sitting up and putting the plate of whatever she was eating down. “That explains a lot and you won’t need that twenty grand in scholarship money you just won. He can pay for your master’s degree”

“I wouldn’t ask him to do that!”

“Whatever. What I want to know is, are you ready to be the Bonnie to his Clyde?”

“Goodnight, Violette.”

“Wait! You didn’t ans--”

#

Aemi woke up the day of her shift, determined. She wore one of her old work t-shirts that had shrunken a little in the wash and her most figure hugging jeans. The ones that made her butt look great and that she reserved for night’s out. Her makeup was simple and accentuated her full lips, large brown eyes, and high cheekbones. It was possible he might not show. The mass of curls on top of her head were a larger feat and took twenty minutes to be pulled into a slicked back bun.

At the shop and with her half apron on, she got to work taking orders and making drinks with one eye on the door in case Rob showed. He hadn’t called her back and didn’t send a text either. Aemi had asked Violette, who worked the previous day, if Rob had come in but she hadn’t seen him. Aemi didn’t let that deter her and put out into the universe that Rob was going to come into the shop today like he normally did.

The hours ticked by and still no Rob. On her break, Aemi sat in the breakroom and gave herself a pep talk. She looked at her reflection in her phone camera and told herself to woman up. There was still hope. If not today, then tomorrow. While checking her appearance, her phone vibrated with a text message. It was from Violette, in all caps.

HE’S HERE! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE *NOW*!

Aemi’s heart kicked into overdrive, the blood rushing through her ears. It was now or never. She hurried out to the front of the shop, making sure that the little book was still secure in the pocket of her apron. Bursting through the swinging door, she searched the small room for him but he wasn’t in his usual spot.

“He’s at the end,” Violette whispered, nodding her head in his direction and smiling down at Aemi as she breezed past on her way to the espresso machine. Aemi smiled and wiped the sweat forming on her palms on the sides of her jeans. She could do this. After washing her hands and donning a pair of gloves, she selected a fresh butter croissant from the display. While it warmed, she poured a cup of coffee and set it on a saucer. Rob’s order complete, she walked over and set it in front of him, clearing her throat to get his attention.

“One butter croissant and one cup of black coffee.”

Rob looked up from his phone and smiled at her. If she wasn’t leaning on the counter, she would have staggered backwards. He had smiled at her before, but being almost eye level and having him stare at her was a different story.

“Thanks…” He started, waiting for her to fill in the blank with her name.

“Aemi.”

“Aemi. I’m Rob. Sad that you’re my favorite server and I don’t know your name.”

Aemi felt a flush creeping up her neck and toward her cheeks. Thank God for brown skin. He was flirting with her. “It’s okay. I’m usually only ever at your table for a few seconds anyway.”

“I didn’t see you and figured you weren’t here. I was going to get my order to go until Violette said you were in the back.”

She’d have to thank Violette later. Reaching into her apron pocket, Aemi pulled out the black notebook and sat it in front of him. “You left this the other day I kept it safe.” She didn’t bring up the voicemail. Too embarrassing.

Rob’s eyes lit up at the sight of the book and Aemi couldn’t help but smile, even if the contents held information about his illicit deals. He picked it up, his smile growing wider.

“Thanks so much! I have a cake to make for a wedding this weekend, and I would be lost without my client notes! .”

Aemi sat up straighter and cocked her head to the side, the smile falling from her lips. Her brows creased as her mind tried to put two and two together. “Huh?”

“A wedding cake,” he said slowly, “I own a bakery.”

Aemi blinked, stunned. “Oh.”

A cinnamon roll. Her hunky, possibly drug dealing, Clyde to her Bonnie was actually a wedding cake baking cinnamon roll. Everything clicked at once. It took everything in her to keep the laugh down, but she couldn’t stop the involuntary shaking of her shoulders. A snort followed and he looked at her with wide eyes. Unable to stop herself, she laughed in his face. It lasted a few seconds before she stopped, covering her mouth, mortified. She finally got a chance to talk to him longer than a second and she laughed in his face. Delightful.

Aemi covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at your job, I just thought…”

He nodded, smiling at her amusement, “ Don’t worry, I get that a lot. Big beefy guy doesn’t equate to baker.” There was a moment of silence, then he looked up at her, smiling. “Hey, would you like to grab coffee with me? When you’re not working, I mean.”

Aemi could have been knocked over with a feather. Silently, she thanked the universe. “Sure. I’m off this weekend.”

“Great! I have to deliver a cake Saturday morning, but I’m free the rest of the day. I’ll meet you here, say noon?”

“Works for me.”.

#

“So?” Violette asked at the end of the day, wiping down the counter.

“I’m meeting him for coffee on Saturday!”

They squealed together, as quietly as possible, giving each other high fives.

“And, did you find out about the stuff?”

Aemi stared at her friend, confused. “What stuff?”

Violette’s eyes widened and she stretched her neck, cocking her head to the side. “You know, the illegal stuff.”

“Oh! Turns out the only powder he’s dealing is confectioner’s sugar and all-purpose flour,” Aemi said, unable to hold it together.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“No drugs, just baked goods and wedding cakes.”

“Wow,” Violette said, dragging out the word. “Guess you gotta keep your scholarship now.”

Aemi playfully shoved her friend, rolling her eyes. “Shut up!”