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Pandora didn’t even like coffee, so it was rather difficult to explain to her friends why she returned to this specific coffee shop at 7:15 on the dot, two mornings a week, every week. Especially considering she spent an absurd amount of money on a cup of tea every Monday and Friday, only to abandon it half-finished.
They were even further confused when she brought a book or magazine along with her, just to summarily ignore it. Her standard excuses were, “I’m admiring the flowers” or “It’s just a guilty pleasure.”
I doubt they believe me, but what am I supposed to say? I’m obsessed with a mum?
It started innocently enough. A month ago, Pandora spotted a curvy redhead with an impossibly cute toddler on her hip walking into this shop. She followed curiously, intending to say “hello” and possibly ask for her number.
My mummy kink is clearly still going strong.
After showing up at this same time every day over the next week, she determined the redhead’s schedule. Internally, Pandora acknowledged it was slightly unhinged behaviour. She could have approached any one of those days, but couldn’t bring herself to interrupt their adorable mummy/son dates.
Then, he showed up.
Pandora sat in her usual seat, fuming. She hadn’t even tasted her lavender and cinnamon concoction yet. Instead, she assuaged her disappointment with a pastry.
Even though the redhead didn’t wear a ring, she should have assumed she was seeing someone already. No one as pretty as her stayed single for long. Her only consolation was with how much the little boy favoured him, he had to be his dad. She hadn’t missed her chance, there wasn’t one.
“Panda? What’s wrong?” Dorcas asked, sliding into the booth next to her and slipping her arm around Pandora’s shoulders.
Pandora forced a smile, then stopped when Dorcas just stared back at her. “All the pretty girls are either taken, straight, or both.”
“Preaching to the choir, doll. Who are we glaring at?”
“See the redhead?” Pandora asked, nodding subtly. “She comes in here twice a week at the same time, so I do too. I was working up the courage to ask for her number, but…well.”
Dorcas eyed the couple thoughtfully, then shrugged. “No rings. Maybe they’re exes?”
“Don’t get my hopes up, Cas.”
“Do you want me to scope them out?” she offered.
Pandora turned to face Dorcas fully with her arms crossed over her chest. “Are you mad? No, I don’t want you to annoy a perfectly normal—”
The front door of the coffee shop slammed shut, cutting Pandora off. Suddenly, Dorcas laughed as if she’d said something hysterically funny. Startled, Pandora didn’t even get a word out before a blonde mullet in combat boots stomped over to their table.
“What the fuck, Cas?” the woman hissed. She kicked the leg of a chair and when it popped out from the table, she flipped it around and sat on it backwards. Propping her arms on the chair’s back, she glared at Dorcas, then Pandora. “Who are you?”
Dorcas smirked. “This is Pandora. Sweetest little thing I’ve ever met.”
When she didn’t introduce the woman, Pandora rolled her eyes and held out her hand. “Pleasure to meet you. I didn’t catch your name?”
“Marlene.”
“Hey Marls, what’s up?” a deep voice asked. It was
him. The goddess's...possible husband.
Marlene scowled up at him. “I don’t need your help, James. I’m perfectly capable of confronting my girlfriend without back-up."
“G-Girlfriend?” Pandora choked out. She swatted Dorcas’s hip when she regained control of herself. “You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!”
“That’s because I don’t. McKinnon here is just a clinger. The one-off that won’t leave.”
“One-off? We’ve been on three dates! In lesbian, we’re practically engaged.” Marlene pounded a fist on the table in protest, upsetting Pandora's cup and spilling it on the floor. “Oh shite! I’ll buy you another one.”
“Nice one, Marls.” James tossed serviettes at the spill and started cleaning it up. “I’m James, by the way. Her—”
“My future step-son,” Marlene snarked.
James sighed. “Don’t ask.”
Pandora exchanged curious glances with Dorcas, then shrugged. “Alright then. Pandora.”
Marlene opened her mouth to speak and was promptly interrupted by James. He plopped on the seat beside Pandora and asked, “Nice to meet you, Pandora. Can I borrow your phone?”
“Why?”
“I’ll be real quick. Just need to text someone,” James insisted. “I’ll give it right back.”
Distracted, Pandora reluctantly unlocked the phone and handed it to him. “Fine.”
He tapped at the screen eagerly for all of thirty seconds before giving it back. “Thanks!”
She glanced at her texts, but didn’t see any new messages sent to unknown numbers. Before she could ask, a cup was held out in front of her face. Attached to that cup was a small child with an eerily familiar grin, and by extension, his mother.
“Oh, thank you,” Pandora said, her voice embarrassingly breathless.
The redhead smiled and Pandora’s heart thudded wildly in her chest. Everything else faded away, as though they existed in a space and time all their own. She’d seen that smile from afar, but up close, it was radiant! A sparkling jewel amidst a pile of stones.
“Lavender chai tea with cinnamon, right?” the woman asked.
“Yes! How did you know?”
“You order the same thing every time you come in.” Her freckled face was even prettier with a slight blush. She adjusted her son on her hip and ruffled his unruly curls. “I’m Lily, by the way, and this is Harry. I noticed your drink hadn’t been replaced after Marlene’s tantrum.”
“I’m Pandora. Nice to—”
Dorcas snorted a laugh. “Tantrum is right. She thinks if she pouts prettily enough, I’ll give in.”
“That’s because you do,” Pandora deadpanned.
Marlene rolled her eyes, but was once again interrupted before she could speak. A blur of dark hair rushed into the shop at a full sprint, nearly colliding with Lily and Harry. Pandora flinched, but James lunged forward and caught him. It wasn’t until he settled back into the booth with Regulus in his lap that she registered who it was.
“Reg?” Dorcas said.
Regulus scowled. “Don’t look so surprised. You just texted me, Panda.”
Pandora pulled out her phone and checked. Sure enough, James had texted Regulus from her phone. Your not-so-secret boyfriend is at the coffee shop with his ex.
“Ah, that’s why you borrowed my phone,” she said, shaking her head.
“That was you?!” he huffed incredulously, swatting James’s shoulder.
James buried his grin in Regulus’s hair. “I missed you. Besides, your friend was staring daggers into the back of my head.”
Pandora turned to defend herself, but Lily was gone. Her heart sank in her chest. I lost my chance.
“Why?” Regulus asked.
“She has a crush on Lily,” Dorcas answered.
James chuckled, then reached out to turn Pandora’s cup around. “That’s convenient.”
Written in loopy cursive were four words, “Same time next week?” followed by a phone number. Lily asked her on a coffee date! Pandora quickly added the number to her phone and texted, Yes! I’d love to have coffee with you and Harry.
“Wait, so you’re not—” Marlene said, sitting up straight.
“No, she’s a friend. You threw a fit for no reason,” Dorcas taunted, looking awfully pleased with herself as Marlene all but crawled in her lap. “Jealous twat.”
Boxed in by the couples on either side of her, Pandora focused on her phone as three little dots danced across the scene. When the response came through, she nearly melted on the spot. We can’t wait. 😘