Coffee and Books 1

Chapter 36

At work the next day, I am surprised to see Tova and Astera coming in for coffee and cake.
"We have a free day," Astera tells me when I get over to take their order. It's a quiet monday morning, so when I bring their cakes and coffee I take a seat with them.

They are very excited to show me they both have a smartphone now. The girls have bought covers too, a lucid one with pink glitters for Tova and one in the shape of a teddy bear for Astera. We exchange numbers and I help them install Whatsapp.

"Let's make a selfie!" The girls look at me in wonder. I can almost see the cogs turning in their heads, looking for a translation of the new word. "A picture of ourselves, a selfie," I explain and I take my phone out of my pocket to show them how it's done. It takes a couple of shots to get one where we are all smiling and looking in the same direction.

New customers come in, so I leave the girls with their new phones. They are having lots of fun taking selfies, even more when they discover they can edit the photos.
When they leave an hour later, I promise to come over the next weekend with my laptop and camera. Tova is interested in opening up a webshop after I suggested it last time. Now she has a smartphone with an internet connection, she can set up a little business.

After lunch, Mrs. Willow comes in. She is not her usual cheery self and when I ask her what's the matter, she tells me her only brother passed away that morning. I signal Thomas, who has come in for the afternoon shift, that I'll take a break to sit with our neighbour. I give Mrs. Willow a cup of tea and listen to her stories about her brother. Luckily she had visited him just last week, in the nursing home upstate. When she gets too emotional from talking about him, I hold her hand until she feels better again.

"Thanks, dear. At my age you know the end is near, but it still hurts." 

She asks if I can look after Mr. Whiskers when she leaves the city for a couple of days for the funeral. "Sure Mrs. Willow, no problem! Just leave your key at the coffee shop when you go and I'll take care of your cat."

When I get back to work Mrs. Willow thanks me again for my time and attention. "My pleasure, Mrs. Willow," I smile at the old lady. And it really is, I'm very fond of our elderly neighbour and I'm glad I could help her feel a little bit better.

My heart jumps in my chest when I see Loki coming through the door, a little before closing time. He is dressed in black, his jacket hanging over his shoulder and his sleeves rolled up. The black bracelets go with his outfit. He takes a seat at the bar, putting his phone with earbuds on the bar. On the screen I can see he was listening to the Bobby Hebb song from my playlist. He greets me with a warm smile, watching me fill up a cup for him. When I put it in front of him, he briefly takes my hand and puts a kiss on it. My cheeks start glowing immediately.
Turning back to complete the rest of the order I was working on, Thomas catches my eyes and wiggles his eyebrows while blowing me a kiss. I make a face at him, but I don't care about him teasing. I'm glowing at the prospect of an evening with my gorgeous man in black.

I clean tables and help the last customers, while Loki patiently waits for me to finish up. When I go to the kitchen with a tray of empty cups and other dishes, aunt Yvonne is just done cleaning her workspace. Walking back to the counter with me, she looks from me to Loki, a little frown on her face. 

"What's with the puppy eyes?" she asks me half serious, half mockingly. I fluster and avert my eyes. "Ah, it's like that, isn't it?" my aunt says, rolling her eyes. She puts her hands flat on the counter, right across from the God of Lies. "Well Mister, I see you're back."

Loki inclines his head in acknowledgement, looking as innocent as possible. The sparkle in his eyes gives him away though, I'm surprised he can keep a straight face.

"And what are your plans with my niece?" Yvonne uses her big body well and she is looking fierce.

"I plan to take her to dinner, Mrs. Frederikson."

My aunt huffs. "You better get her home on time."

"Yvonne, I'm not 16 anymore!" I protest, but she shuts me up with one look.

"I'll take good care of her, I promise," Loki says to my aunt, winking at me behind her back.

"Alright. Ylva, if you take the trash out back, you can go change for your date. You kids have fun."

"Thanks, Yvonne!" I kiss her cheek and tell Loki I'll be right back. I'm not gonna enlighten her on the fact that Loki is certainly no kid, considering his real age.

I grab the garbage bags from the kitchen and take them to the container in the alley. When I close the lid and turn around, I startle. "Jeez, you scared me, Gary!"

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent apologizes for that and then he asks me to come with him.
"What, right now? Why?"

"I need to bring you in for questioning. Please follow me to the car."

"No."

Agent Wilde slightly opens one side of his jacket, showing me the holstered gun underneath. "I'm not asking nicely again, Miss Frederikson. Now follow me to the car."

And before I really register what is happening, he takes me by the arm and walks me quickly to a car that is waiting a little further down the alley. Another agent holds the door and Wilde makes me get in the backseat. In the same movement, he takes my phone from my back pocket. I turn to protest, but he just closes the door in my face.

In the car I panic, finally remembering to scream for help. Agent Wilde turns around to me. "Calm down, Miss Frederikson. If you cooperate, this will all be over soon."

"Over?! You are kidnapping me!" I scream in his face.

"Ylva!" he says sternly. "Get a hold of yourself!"
When I'm silent, my jaw clenched, he nods approvingly. "We bring you in for questioning. Answer the questions and we bring you home again. Don't make this hard for yourself. Now, buckle your seatbelt."

There is nothing I can do, the car doors are locked, so I just glare at him angrily and put on my seatbelt. We drive out of the city and after a while I recognise where we are going. Just as we make the turn to the long driveway to the big concrete building, my phone rings. Agent Wilde pulls it from his pocket and unceremoniously swipes the call away. He shuts off my phone and puts it back in his pocket. "You can listen to your voicemail when we are done."

Looking at my watch, I realise it's probably Loki or my family who are trying to get a hold of me. They must be really worried. "My family will call the police if they can't find me."

"Maybe. But you'll be home before the police starts an investigation," Wilde replies airily.

Author's note:
Oops... now what?!