Sarah walked through the storeroom into the kitchen, into the wave of noise sweeping in from the open door to the shop. Sarah drew in a great lungful of air and blew it out slowly, feeling the happiness in her flood through her body.
Going out into the coffee house, she grinned at Molly in greeting, trying to hide her joy. Molly wasn’t fooled for a second.
“What’s up? You look weird.”
Always the silver tongue. Sarah smiled despite herself.
“Weird is right. There’s a new man in my life.”
Molly’s eyes lit up. “My brother finally did the decent thing and left the witch?”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Will you ever stop trying to fix me and Finn up?
“Not ever,” Molly smiled, a wicked grin. “Oh, I know…”
Sarah waited.
“Is it that guy? The computer dude?”
Sarah gaped at her. “Am I the only one who didn’t recognize him?”
Molly sighed dramatically. “And you such a geek, as well. Shame on you. So…?”
It was Sarah’s turn to grin. “Oh look, customers.”
Sarah went to serve the new customers as Molly grinned to herself. Sarah looked out of the window. She saw Finn, dressed in his cop’s uniform, walking out of his front door with Caroline at his heels. Caroline was smiling. More like a rictus, Sarah thought. She saw Molly looking at them too. She grimaced
“Ignore her, she’s a hideous troll.”
“What does he see in her?” Sarah slammed the register with a little too much force. A stand of muffins fell off the counter. She went round to pick them up. Molly leaned over to watch her.
“Well, what did you get up to with Mr Robot then?”
Sarah stood, hands full of ruined cakes and dumped them in the trash. Despite herself, she was enjoying tormenting the ever curious Molly.
“We, um, connected.”
Molly’s mouth was hanging open. “You slept with him?”
Sarah leaned on the counter. “A lot. A lot, a lot.” She grinned at her friend’s astonished face and knew what she was thinking. Sarah didn’t have affairs or flings or whatever. Not until now.
Molly started to smile. “Well, hallelujah. Was it good?”
“Yup.”
“Wow. Wow.”
Sarah nodded. “Mols, honestly, I never knew…well, let’s just say it was never like this with Dan. That’s not to say it was bad,” she added hurriedly, “Just with Isaac… well.”
Molly came around the counter and hugged her. “I’m so pleased. I’m so, so delighted for you, Sars. You deserve to be happy.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you tell him about Dan?”
Sarah felt her chest hurt. “Not yet. I don’t know where this is going yet and I’m not ready to see that look in his eyes, the one I always get when I tell someone Dan disappeared.”
Molly rubbed her friend’s arm in sympathy. “I understand, honey.”
Sarah was quiet. Molly gave her a minute and went to clear some tables. Sarah looked out of the window, over to Finn’s house. Now Caroline was yelling at a departing Finn and his face was set in a grim line as he walked into the coffee house “Hey.”
Sarah rolled her eyes at him sympathetically. “Hey, dude.”
“Hey girl.” He said, his eyes softening. Molly might want Finn and Sarah to be together but both of them knew that was never on the cards. They were too close friends now to ever cross that line.
“Yo, bro.” Molly slapped. “What did the dragon yell at you today for?”
Finn shrugged. “Who cares?”
“Why the hell are you still with her?” Molly asked the question Sarah was thinking.
“Fuck knows. My shift doesn’t start for an hour but I just had to get out of there.”
Sarah tugged one of his blonde curls. “Stay and chill out with us, dude. We’ll feed you all the basic food groups – sugar, coffee, butter.”
Finn grinned at his friend. “You make it sound so good and so dirty at the same time.”
Molly cleared her throat and nodded at her boss.
“Talking of which… Sarah’s had an interesting twenty-four hours.”
Sarah blushed and Finn raised his eyebrows at her. Sarah half-smiled, feeling strange at telling her old friend about the new man in her life.
“I’m seeing someone. Sort of.”
“She means she got laid. Properly laid.” Molly’s grin was wide and wicked.
Finn choked on his coffee as Sarah laughed in shock at Molly’s pronouncement
A half hour later and with the coffee shop empty, the three of them sat at one of the tables. The heat outside had become oppressive and stormy.
“Well.” Finn pulled his tie down.
“Yeah.”
Finn took a slug of coffee. “I think I should meet him. You know, for security. Make sure he’s not a con artist.”
Molly grinned into her coffee. Sarah raised her eyebrows at him.
“And how will you ascertain that, Colombo?”
“I shall say… are you a con artist? From his answer, I shall make a judgment call.”
“You mean if he says yes, then…”
“Exactly.” Finn tried not to grin. Sarah started laughing.
“Our tax dollars hard at work.” She got up, squeezing his shoulder. “Thank you, though, you’re sweet to think of it.” She moved away to the kitchen. She called back over her shoulder. “Anyway, you’ll meet him tonight if you’re still here about eight. He’s picking me, we’re going to George’s.”
He nodded and stood up. “I’ll try and come back and meet…what’s his name again?”
“Isaac. Isaac Quinn.”
“Got it.”
Sarah smiled at him.
“Later then?”
“You bet.”
“That woman is very unpleasant.” Isaac turned back from staring at Caroline. Sarah looked over at Finn – he looked so unhappy that she ached for him. She felt Isaac watching her and turned back to him with a smile.
“Sorry.”
They were seated at dinner across the restaurant from Finn and his wife. George’s restaurant was full to capacity and the room was buzzing with conversation. Above it all was Caroline’s nasal screech, arguing with a morose Finn. Caroline shot daggers over at Sarah who responded with the cheesiest of grins, making Isaac chuckle.
“Not friends then?” He asked after a particularly poisonous glare.
Sarah grinned. “Nope.”
Caroline suddenly stood up, scraping her chair against the stone floor.
“Fuck you, Finn!” She stormed out. Finn buried his head in his hands. Sarah’s hands tightened on her napkin. Isaac was watching the redhead cross the street and slam into her house. Sarah sighed.
“You’re right, Isaac. She is unpleasant. And Finn is one of my best friends, he deserves better.”
Isaac covered her hand with his. “Let’s change the subject. You look breath-taking.”
Sarah grinned, embarrassed. “It’s the dress, not me. How are you settling into the hotel?”
“Very well. I travel pretty light so I didn’t have to bring much.”
“A Nomad.”
“Yes. Something like that.”
She cleared her throat softly. “You know, you don’t have to stay at the hotel.”
Isaac smiled. “Is it wrong that I’ve been sitting here wishing you might say something like that?” He leaned over to kiss her, his lips brushing along hers in a way that made her head swim.
Trying to calm herself – and the frantic quiver between her legs - she studied the menu. “I can never decide what to have in here.”
He laughed. “Surely you must have worked your way through the entire menu by now. For our next date, I’ll take you to the city and take you to my apartment.”
She smiled. “Our next date?”
“And the many, many more to follow.”
“Well, how-de-doo.” George sang his greeting and Sarah giggled at Isaac’s surprised face. She stood and embraced the newcomer.
“Hello George. Isaac, this is George, my pops for intents and purposes. George, this is Isaac Quinn.”
“How are you, Isaac?” George offered Isaac his hand. “How are you liking our little island?”
“Hoping to see a little more of it, if Sarah will be kind enough to show me around.”
She smiled and nodded. “George, won’t you join us?” She looked over to Isaac, who nodded enthusiastically.
“Ha, no, sweet girl, I just came to say hello. Great to meet you, Isaac. I’m sure we’ll see you again soon.” George patted her shoulder and moved away. Isaac smiled at Sarah.
“Your father?”
Sarah nodded. “Sort of. Very long story and one for another time. He’s the only family I have except for Mols and Finn. They’re my adopted siblings.”
Isaac looked over at Finn, who was still sitting at the bar. “You know, we could ask Finn to join us. He looks like he could do with a friend.”
Sarah was touched. “That’s sweet of you but I know Finn, he’d just be embarrassed.”
As if on cue, Finn slid from the bar stool and moved to the door, disappearing into the night, without glancing back to see them. Isaac turned back to Sarah.
“Can I ask? Why did you and Finn never… um… I’m presuming here, of course, but growing up together, it never crossed your mind that it could be more?”
Sarah shook her head. “No, really, it didn’t. I mean, I love Finn of course, but a relationship? It would feel weird.”
Isaac smiled. “So, I don’t have to be worried about the competition then?” His tone was light but there was something beneath that she couldn’t fathom.
“Definitely not.”
“Good.”
She smiled. “Are you ready to go? I told Molly we’d stop by the coffee house.”