Chapter Text
It had all started after a failed second date, and all Colin had wanted was to find somewhere to eat cake and feel sorry for himself; and the quaint little cafe adorned with roses and a lot of pink wouldn’t be his usual choice, but it was the closest and he needed to get out of his head as quickly as possible. And, as the novels so often say, ‘the rest is history.’
———
3 months later.
“Good morning!” Colin greets with a smile, wandering through the door like he does every Tuesday. His brothers think he has a crush — specifically Benedict. This is why he’s never ever telling them where the cafe is. Ever.
He makes his way to the counter, greeted by the owner, Penelope, and her usual bright smile. She has one of those special smiles — one that lights up the room, and could brighten even his darkest days. Her hair is bright too, and he promises that it sparkles in the sunlight; strawberry blonde, that’s the colour. Not to mention her eyes. They show her smile and mirror her happiness, and they’re the prettiest shade of blue.
“Colin?” A voice snaps him out of his daydream, and he clears his throat. “Your usual coffee order?” She giggles, and it may quite possibly be the most adorable sound he’s ever heard. And, he’s heard a lot of sounds.
“Yes, please.” He smiles, feeling himself blush a little out of embarrassment; thankful for her attention being directed on preparing his coffee. “What cakes are you recommending today?” Another usual question that leaves his lips.
“Well,” Penelope begins, turning back around again. “I tried something new with the brownies — triple chocolate, or there’s salted caramel. But, the cream cakes are good, too! Strawberries are my favourite.”
He places a hand upon his chin, deep in thought and barely noticing her continue to make his iced coffee. After a few minutes, the coffee is prepared, and so is his choice.
“I’ll take a cream cake and a salted caramel brownie for later, please.” Colin hums, looking up at her with a smile.
She nods, fetching them for him as he reaches for his wallet and pays. They converse a little, like usual, before he takes a seat at one of the nearby tables. It’s nice here. . . There’s a calming sense of familiarity, and he never feels bothered by the world upon one of these pink seats. It’s his little escape. And, of course the cake is delicious — he really ought to work up the courage to write a food blog, or ask her about it, but for some reason after every single blog he’s ever written, he just can’t bring himself to do it here. Maybe he doesn’t want her to think he’s bragging about the numbers he gets, or maybe he’s just worried that something could change after he writes it. Maybe he just wants to keep this place to himself.
Because here. . Here he can be Colin.
As he sips on his oat iced latte and begins to scroll through his phone, Penelope glances over at him. He’s been coming to her cafe — her little cafe — for three months now, and she’d be lying if she said she didn’t look forward to every single Tuesday. Seeing him made her day better, and experiencing his kindness and that handsome smile was her favourite part of the day.
Of course, when he’d walked in and spoken to her for a few minutes the first time she’d met him, Penelope had recognised him from various social media pages — the Bridgertons are quite popular amongst the media, famous for their Mother being a celebrity lawyer. But, he’d seemed so upset when he first walked in that she didn’t think of name dropping him. Knowing her luck, she’d pronounce it wrong anyway and end up making a complete fool of herself.
Since then, she’s been pleasantly surprised to have him become a regular. Sometimes he’ll work on his laptop, or listen to music, and some days they chat more than others. Is it strange that she thinks of their interactions so much? Silly that she just wants to stare into his baby blues all day? Probably. But, he likes her cakes and Penelope can only hope he likes her. Would he even consider her a friend? Doubtful. But, either way, she’ll cherish every Tuesday that she can.
———