Coffee and Books 1

Chapter 15

Later that week, in the coffee shop, Thomas bumps my shoulder when we are both behind the counter. "I heard the prince is taking you to the ball!"

"It's not a ball, it's a gala. For political and publicity reasons even, so you don't have to make a fuss about it," I mutter.

"There will be music, food, drinks, fancy dressed people. Sure sounds like a ball to me!" He grins. "You've got yourself a date with a prince, girl!"

"Alright, alright, keep it down!" I shush.

"Do you have a dress?"

I tell Thomas about my visit to the Asgardian seamstress and his excitement is catching. I am actually a little nervous about the gala: I've never been to a big event like that. Though Thomas is reminding me of the fun of it all; I get to wear a beautiful dress to a big party with lots of important people. And I get to go with a prince, that too.

A ruckus outside draws our attention. I count about ten photographers, pointing their lenses to Thor and Loki who are making their way to the coffee shop. Loki is the first through the door, his face like thunder. The actual God of Thunder comes in behind him, shoving a pushy photographer to the side.
Aunt Yvonne happens to be close to the door, talking to some customers in a window seat. She puts her big body in front of the photographers crowding before the entrance. "Nothing to see here, people! Come on, get going. I can't have you scaring away my customers."
"I see you, Chad!" she calls after him, when she spots Chad among the reluctantly departing paparazzi.

The gods take a seat at the counter and the peace returns. I make sure all my customers are satisfied, then I join aunt Yvonne behind the counter. "What was that all about?" I ask Thor and Loki.

"Pesky humans..." Loki says under his breath, glaring at his cup of tea on the counter.

"Loki!" I reprimand him with a little smile. He snorts in return.

Thor explains how the press has been all over them since yesterday.
"Is it because of that Denise? It was all over Twitter," Thomas asks, coming up behind the counter.

"I believe that is her name, yes," Thor nods.
Thomas laughs, but stops when Loki gives him a dark look. Aunt Yvonne and I still look puzzled, so Thor explains how this Denise was not pleased - to say the least of it - with Loki at the opening of the exhibition. And she took her disgruntlement to social media, where the press soon picked up on it.

"So as I hear it, you called this on yourself?" aunt Yvonne says tauntingly, raising her brows at Loki. The God of Mischief says nothing, just flicks his eyes up at Yvonne and then back to stare at this cup of tea.

Thor slaps his brother on the shoulder. "Don't be such a grump, dear brother. Cheer up! We are in the company of your favourite lady human, I would think that would lift your spirit."

Loki tenses up and for a second I'm afraid he will lash out. But he just stands up, nostrils flared, and takes off for the bookstore in a few long strides.

Thor chuckles and asks for a refill of his coffee. Yvonne fills his mug and they start talking about the gala. Yvonne wants to know all about the important guests, even though Thor can't tell her much about them, not knowing most of them himself. Thomas pitches in with his celebrity knowledge.

I do another round of tables, meanwhile keeping an eye on Loki in the bookstore. He's browsing the poetry section, taking up a book every now and then to read a few pages. I figure it's best to leave him to himself. Proud prince Loki.

"Lady Ylva, I almost forgot. I've got a letter for you," Thor says, handing me a folded letter.

It's from Lady Eir, asking me to come to Stark Tower at 3 pm at the day of the gala. In her curly handwriting it says there will be a 'casual dinner party' before the gala and I'm told to bring a change of clothes and toiletries. I already guessed the preparations for the gala would take some time, so I have arranged for Emilia to take over my shifts that day and the day after.
"Can you tell Lady Eir I will be there, as she requested?" I ask Thor and tuck the letter in my apron.

"Of course, my lady. She told me Brunnhyld is making you a dress; she used to be my mother's seamstress and was famous in all of Asgard for her skills."

"I'm very honored I get to wear a dress that is specially made for me! All the more so because she used to dress the queen," I say sincerely. "But I do feel a bit put on the spot because I am not paying for the dress."

"You are my guest, I told you it would be arranged." Loki's voice comes from close behind me. His deep voice gives me goosebumps.

"And I am grateful, really, I am," I say, turning to Loki. I try to ignore the fact that he is standing so close I have to look up to him. "Maybe I'm just too much of a feminist to feel at ease when a man is paying my clothes for me."

Of course both Thor and Loki have no idea what a feminist is and I don't really feel like explaining that right now. So I just ignore their puzzled looks and express my gratitude again, especially because I think a dress like the one I'm getting is way above my paygrade.
"Did you find something you like?" I ask Loki, pointing at the book he is holding.

"Your uncle suggested I start with this," he answers, holding up an anthology of famous poems from English authors.

"That's a great place to start indeed," I answer. "This book has a nice mix of old and modern poets. I wonder which ones you like better."

"You know this book?" he asks curiously.

I nod. "I read it on the plane to the States. I wasn't too familiar with English poetry and I thought an 8 hour plane ride was a nice opportunity to remedy that."

"What's your favorite poem?" Loki is looking at me most attentively,
I would almost forget I am working. It's like the rest of the world fades out when you are at the centre of his attention. It's just you and him, nothing else. Wonderful, but not when you're on the job.

"My favourites are not English, they're Dutch. I like the poets Hans Andreus and K. Schippers. However, I also like Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe, they are both in there," I tell Loki, tapping the book he is holding.

"Then I guess you'll have to read me your favorite poems some time." The God of Mischief smiles at me and to my embaressment I can feel my cheeks heat up.

"Alright, I will. But right now I'm working," I tell him quickly, more as a reminder to myself. And I turn my words into deeds, bussing tables.

At the end of the day, when Thomas and I are cleaning up, he starts singing. "Ylva and Loki are sitting in a tree... K I S S I N G!"
I throw a dish rag at his head, but he just laughs at me. "What? Don't tell me you wouldn't like that, kissing prince Loki!" Thomas says with a big grin.

"You don't have to be so childish about it," I grumble.

"Oh come on, Ylva. It's just a joke," Thomas soothes. "But I see the way you look at him. And if I'm not mistaken, Loki has a serious soft spot for you too."

I'd like to think Thomas is right, though a relationship with Loki would be very complicated to say the least. My feelings for him are complicated too. I really like being with him, talking to him. And when he is with me, I forget about all the horrible things he has done. Only when he is not around I remember what he did here on Earth. Yet when I see him again, it is hard to believe he did those things. Maybe he was right and he really did evolve into another person over the past few years. On the other hand, I've also seen him get mad on several occasions and then it's not so hard to imagine him being capable of terrible things.

"We're just friends, Thomas," I tell him. "Besides, I don't think Loki is boyfriend material. He is not even from this world!"

"Ha! That wouldn't stop me," Thomas quips. "He doesn't seem alien. He's very good looking, if you like dark, tall and broody. It's not like he has tentacles or anything!"

The idea of squid Loki gives me the giggles and Thomas happily joins in.