Page 16 of The Rescue

I need a distraction, and I know exactly the person who will take my mind off the past. I finally have a moment to step out of the kitchen and into the front of the cafe, it’s after lunch, and it’s finally slowing down. The cafe is pretty much empty except for a couple of tables.

I find her sitting at her usual table, she has that cute little frown on her face when she’s trying to concentrate on her laptop. I have the urge to rub my thumb over the crease between her eyes and ease some of the tension. She looks tired, a pang of sympathy runs through me. I have the overwhelming need to look after her.

I grab a teapot from the shelf and make a pot of tea, and load the tray with milk, sugar and shortbread biscuits. She finally looks up from her laptop as I walk over to the table, and I can see how exhausted she looks.

“Are you okay,mo beag?”

I don’t know why I spoke to her in Gaelic, it just slipped out. But the frown between her eyes has gone, and she’s blinking up at me in surprise.

“I brought you some tea, and shortbread.” I place the tray on the table as she closes her laptop.

“Thank you, I could use a break,” she sighs.

I sit down across from her, and pour her a cup while she watches me intently.

“I didn’t know you could speak Gaelic, I thought it was a dying language.”

“Aye, only a few of us left in the village can speak it. We don’t speak it often, it just kinda slipped out.” I feel the heat rise up my face.

“You should speak it more often. It sounds lovely.” Her feline shaped eyes look less tired now.

I hand her the cup of tea, and she grabs it from me, our hands linger too long. A zip of energy runs through me.

“How are you getting on?” I ask, trying to break the weird tension between.

“Yeah, it’s going fine. I didn’t expect to be this tired. Over the next couple of days, I would love to take some photos for the website. Just of you working in the kitchen, and some of your baked goods that you sell,” she takes a sip of her tea, and her shoulders relax an inch.

“Pictures of me?” I suddenly feel apprehensive.

“You’re the business owner, it would be good for the website. It would make it more personal, but only if you’re okay with it.”

I feel slightly uncomfortable with the idea of my picture being taken, I don’t have any pictures of me when I was a baby or a wee lad. I only have memories of my picture being taken at school and later on in life as an adult. I don’t exactly scream confidence.

“Er, yeah, that should be okay.” I try to not sound anxious, but Crystal sees straight through me.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take candid ones, you won’t even notice I’m taking pictures. It won’t be awkward, I promise,” she reassures me.

“Thanks.” I smile at her.

She lets out a soft, low yawn, and her cute little crease between her eyes is back. The nurturer in me wants to make her feel comfortable and happy. I’m trying my hardest to keep it strictly business, or at least platonic between us. But seeing her this tired and not her usual self has me feeling guilty.

“I hope you don’t find this weird and you can say no if you don’t feel comfortable. But I have a spare room in my flat above the cafe and I know you’re not sleeping great at Thistle Down Farm. You’re welcome to stay with me until you finish the website.”

Crystal blinks at me, and I can’t quite read the look on her face. It looks like a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

“Hold on a second. You’re telling me you’ve had a spare room this whole time whilst I’ve been sleeping on a blow up air bed and listening to my best friend have sex every night?”

I think the sleep deprivation has kicked in as she looks at me with a crazed look.

“Sorry, I should’ve said something earlier, but I thought you would want to stay with Dylan, and not a random guy you’d just met,” I shrug.

She starts to laugh, and I worry she’s gone completely mad from the lack of sleep.

“I would ditch Dylan in a heartbeat if it meant I would get to sleep in a comfy bed, and not have to listen to my friend go at it like a rabbit,” she laughs, and takes a sip of tea.

“So, is that a yes?” I ask, feeling nervous.

“Only if you don’t mind, I promise I’m a clean andquietroommate,” she puts the emphasis on the word quiet as shesmirks at me. The tired look has completely gone from her soft face.

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