Page 16 of The Secret Stalker
Within a few minutes I’ve made Tye’s coffee and am carrying it over with a biscotti balanced on hissaucer. “Enjoy,” I say cheerily as I carefully place Tye’s coffee down in front of him where he’s seated overlooking the golf plains.
“Do you ever play golf?” asks Tye as I straighten.
“Oh no, I don’t even know how to.”
“Really? Isn’t that part of the rules of working here?”
“Oh no, we have different rules here, didn’t you know?” I say playfully, knowing he got my innuendo perfectly.
“Ah, yes,” he laughs as a red blush begins to creep up his cheek. He doesn’t look like he’s going to say any more so I turn as he blurts out, “I could teach you if you’d ever like to learn.”
I spin back to look at him, my eyebrows pulling in as I try and work out if I just heard him correctly. The pink flush is now a brilliant red across his cheeks, his embarrassment is adorable. “I haven’t been asked before,” I say honestly. “I don’t think I’d be very good.”
Tye clears his throat. “I am actually not that good,” he admits, which makes us both laugh. “But if you don’t mind a less than perfect teacher, I can show you the ropes?”
“That’s very sweet of you to ask, I guess I do wonder what all the fuss is about. I’ve been here for a few years now and have never hit a golf ball.”
“Let me show you,” requests Tye earnestly, which makes me feel bad saying no.
“I-I don’t want to take up your time.”
“You wouldn’t, it would be my pleasure,” he beams back at me.Oh, what harm can one lesson be?I wonder to myself.
“Oh go on then, I am interested even if I do not hold any of the skills.”
“Excellent. How about before your work shift starts? 8am?”An hour, I can do an hour,I think to myself.
“8am works,” I nod thinking about my timetable.
“Tomorrow?” he suggests, which makes me laugh.
“Oh yep, I can make tomorrow. Worried I might talk myself out of the lesson?”
“Something like that,” he replies warily.
“Okey dokey, let’s do this. One way or another, we are going to find out if I possess any of the skills needed to hit the ball. Maybe come wearing all that cricket padding or something. Sandy would kill me if I injured you in any way. Which is not what I’m suggesting I am going to do, but also, it’s a long stick and balls. And my god what am I talking about? I need to get back to work. Enjoy your coffee and have a nice day Tye. See you tomorrow,” I say, flustered and red faced.
“What was that all about?” enquires Casey as I walk back around the register.
“Oh god I just said long stick and balls. I think I am due a coffee myself,” I say as I slap my forehead with the palm of my hand.
“His?” asks Casey amused.
“No, but it did sound like that and I just made a twit of myself and now I need a coffee.”
“One coffee coming right up.”
An hour later, I put my hand in my pocket to pull out the keys to the locked supplies room but I realise I’ve left them in my handbag. “I’m just going to grab my keys,” I tell Casey as I quickly make my way into the locker room. I check my bag and no keys. Odd, I’m pretty sure I checked I had them as I was leaving my apartment. I search all the pockets but nope. Maybe they fell out in the car? I take my car keys out and go out to my car, look on my passenger seat, on the floor, down the sides and no keys. I do remember checking my bag when I was leaving, but I concede that maybe that was another day’s past memory. I walk back into the building.
“Hey Ches, could you open the supplies room for me, I apparently forgot my keys today,” I ask, bemused at myself. Notonly can I not get into the supplies room, I am also locked out of my apartment now. Lucky for me Mrs Mangle keeps my spare key so I won’t need to get a locksmith in at least.
“No problem Sophie, let’s go,” replies Chester, relieved he is not telling me off right now. But he wouldn’t do that anyway, he’s always sweet to me. I pocket my car key and walk with Chester back into the cafe and around the side to the supplies room. “Would you like me to carry anything out for you?” Chester asks helpfully.
“Yes please, we need more coffee and the mini biscottis need restocking. Want a coffee for your help?”
“No thanks, I had my one cup a day already. Here let me carry those.” He lifts the two bags I’ve picked up and starts making his way out of the room with me following with a tin of biscuits behind him.
We go behind the counter and Chester helps me put away the coffee.
