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Eva quickly took a step back. Claire also retreated a polite distance from the counter, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
An awkward moment passed before Michael recovered himself. "Oops, sorry to interrupt!" His eyes glinted with barely contained curiosity that Eva knew she'd have to address later. "I'll just, uh, check on those cupcake liners myself."
He disappeared back into the kitchen, the door swinging slowly. Alone again, Eva cleared her throat, willing her scarlet cheeks to cool. She met Claire's eyes tentatively.
"Well, I should probably let you get back to work," Claire said, though she sounded almost reluctant. "Thanks for the coffee, cookie, and chat."
Eva just nodded, pulse still racing. As Claire pushed open the door with a final friendly wave, Eva sighed, already eager for their next encounter, and wishing Claire hadn't had to go now.
She had a feeling she'd be seeing more of the charming and beautiful woman. Eva had a sinking feeling in her gut though, the kind that told her that her growing crush on the new neighbor would likely come to no fruition.
It was a shame.
She sighed. There were worse things in life than a harmless crush on a beautiful woman.
The bell above the door jingled and Eva looked up with a smile, hoping it was Claire again, but a middle aged woman approached the counter instead.
"Hello, how can I help you today?" Eva greeted, slipping back into customer service mode.
The woman frowned slightly as she peered into the display case, as if searching for something that wasn't there.
"You don't have any strawberry scones left?" she finally asked, sounding almost accusatory.
"Oh, no," Eva said apologetically. "They're a seasonal item. We won't have them again until the spring."
The woman let out a huff, clearly disappointed. "Fine. I'll take a blueberry muffin then."
"Excellent choice," Eva replied, reaching for a paper sleeve. "Did you want it warmed up?"
The woman shook her head, pursing her lips. "No, that's not necessary."
Eva handed over the muffin, hoping this interaction would be a quick one. "That'll be three dollars and fifty cents, please."
"Here." The woman pulled a five dollar bill out of her wallet and thrust it at Eva.
Eva accepted the money, trying not to show her irritation at the woman's rudeness. Too bad all of their customers couldn't be like Claire. "Here's your change." She set the coins on the counter and pushed them toward the woman.
"Thank you," the woman said, gathering up her muffin and change. "Have a nice day."
"You too," Eva replied, watching as the woman made her way to the door. She shook her head. Some people could be so rude.
The bell above the door jingled, signaling the woman's departure.
"Wow, what a grump," Michael said, coming up beside her. "But Claire was here." He bumped her shoulder playfully.
Eva blushed deeply. "It was nothing."
Michael laughed. "No it wasn't, but I'm not going to tease you anymore about it."
"Thank you," Eva said.
"She is really pretty. If I wasn't gay..."
"Yeah," Eva agreed. "She is. I can't help but feel drawn to her. She comes in and I feel like a teenager again. Like I did before Liz. Before I got jaded and heartbroken."
"Aw." Michael put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. "Proud of you. You're finally moving on from toxicity."
She was trying to at least.
