At Rose’s Cafe

A chance meeting...

Photo by: Natali N (@nattie_nn) | Unsplash Photo Community

Prompt by: Roseneath Writer’s Circle

Prompt: Write a story in the style of the Hallmark franchise

Rose Moon heard the tinkle of the doorbell in her cafe. “I’ll be right with you,” she said without looking up from the new menu she was trying to put together on her laptop.

“Take your time Moonie,” a voice she couldn’t place said.

She looked up quickly. “No one calls me Moonie anymore,” she tossed out a bit grumpily. “Oh shit,” she said as she fought for a moment of composure. “What are you doing here?” she said with a touch of negativity.

“Still the same old Moonie,” came the reply back. “Is that anyway to greet an old friend?”

Rose put on her cafe shop owner’s face. “You are correct,” she quickly said. “Welcome to Rose’s Cafe. How can I help you? Would you like a table?”

“Thanks, but I already have a table. What would I do with another?” he quipped using his best Groucho imitation. He saw the look on her face. “My Groucho imitation was a step too far?”

“Ross, why are you in my cafe?”

“I came back home for the holidays. My mom mentioned you owned the cafe. I was hungry so I thought I would stop in and say hello while you fed me.”

“Typical,” replied Rose. “Feeding you was always something you wanted.”

He smiled as he held back another Groucho statement. “It seemed too good to be true.”

“What?” asked Rose.

“I had heard that you had changed. That you had seen forgiveness as a part of your mantra these days. I guess I heard wrong.” he started to turn.

“Wait!” Rose called out. “You are a customer in my Cafe. Please take a seat and I will be right with you.” She hurried through the door into the kitchen. The door flapped shut behind her as she walked to the back of the kitchen, stopping to look out the back door.

“Who is that guy?” asked Ingrid, the short order cook. “I’ve never seen you like this before. You are looking like a train wreck. What does he have on you? Do I need to go and toss him out on his ear?” Ingrid asked as she picked up her meat cleaver.

Rose laughed. “Save the meat cleaver for someone important. He is a nothing guy I went to high school with.”

“That’s Ross Johnston?” a shocked Ingrid asked picking up her meat clever again. “He is the low life who stood you up at the prom and then disappeared? The guy no one would talk about?”

“One and the same,” replied Rose as she eased the meat cleaver from Ingrids’s hand and set it in the washing water. Ingrid gave Rose a long look.

“And someone still has feelings.”

“It’s fifteen years later. And I do not.”

“Un huh. Then why are you in here rather than out there asking him to leave?”

Rose had wondered the same thing.

“I asked him to have a seat. I need to bring a water glass and a menu.”

“We are going to feed him?” hissed Ingrid.

“Yes. And it will be the best food we can prepare because it is our business.”

Ingird mumbled quietly.

“What was that?” asked Rose.

“It will be the best meal he has ever eaten.”

Rose turned and walked back through the door.

“If he orders take out I may have to fix it special for him,” Ingrid said with a crooked smile to the back of the door.

“Here is your water,” said Rose as she placed the glass on the table along with the silverware wrapped in a napkin. She noticed the open menu. “What would you like to order?”

Ross looked around the cafe. “Would you be able to sit down? I would like to talk with you.”

“If you place your order Ingrid can start working on it,” Rose said as she glanced toward the doorway where Ingrid stood holding a meat cleaver.

Ross followed her line of sight. “Now that is interesting,” Ross said. “A meat cleaver? I hope that’s not for me.”

Rose turned back to Ross. “She is a little overprotective. She cares for our business and my happiness, sometimes a little too much.”

“She’s a partner?”

Rose looked quizzical. “Who would blame me after you abandoned me? “4 years and then poof,” Rose flicked her fingers to emphasize the disappearance.” She felt good about this one. “But no. She is my cook. A damn good one too.” Rose waved Ingrid back into the kitchen. “How is your mom? I see her around town. She never speaks when she sees me.”

Ross blanched a bit at this statement. “Speaking of being overprotective, that would be my mom.” he paused. “A bit annoying at times, really.”

“That’s quite a change,” reflected Rose.

“What do you mean?”

“You were always so protective of her, getting upset at any little hint that something might be amiss.”

Ross looked a little bit sheepish. “Well we all mature don’t we?”

“You asked me to sit. Is there something you would like to talk about?

Ross put both hands on the table and clasped them. “First, I wanted to see for myself how you were doing. From what I can see you are not only doing well but prospering greatly.”

Rose felt awkward. “I’m not sure that I would call it prospering but we do ok.”

“Other than working, what happens in your free time?”

“Why did you not go to the prom with me like you promised? Why did you end our relationship without a word?” Rose inquired angrily. She stopped and looked around. “It seems that old feelings never die,” she thought as she collected herself. “Why did you disappear? No one would tell me anything.”

“Rose,” began Ross. “I…” he paused, not knowing where to start.

“If you don’t want to tell me…”

“No Rose. I want to tell you. That night, the night of the prom, my dad got a phone call. I…. I had done some things I am not proud of now and was about to be arrested. My family shipped me off to boarding school, stopped the legal proceedings and warned me not to tell anyone.They encouraged me to stay far away from here.”

“Seriously?” intoned Rose. “You expect me to believe that?”

“Rose, it’s the truth. I kept my nose clean. I got my education. I completed university. I founded a tech company that has grown immensely. I got everything I ever wanted, except for one thing.”

“And what is that?”

“Well, you.”

Rose looked stunned.

“Rose, I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for any of these things to happen. But they did and I paid some prices I never expected. But all that time I never stopped thinking about you.”

“Interesting story Ross. But it is just that. A Story.”

“Company, Goodacres. School, Briar Private School in Denver, University, Berkeley. You can look them up.”

“It’s been 15 years, Ross. Why now?”

“I thought about you, often. I followed my family’s warnings and stayed away to avoid arrest. I put my life together. I was focused on details. In short my family kept me at bay because I was an embarrassment. Now that my dad had passed on and my mom wanted to see me on her terms I came back. So here I am.”

“And what? I am supposed to just forget the past and let you into my life?”

“I don’t expect that. All I would like is to take you out to dinner, have some discussions and see what happens.”

Rose stood up abruptly. “I’ll be right back,” she said as hustled to the kitchen door pushing her way through.

“Well?” asked Ingrid.

“Give me a minute.” Rose worked her mind with all the possible outcomes she could see. It was a short internal debate.

“You shouldn’t do it,” said Ingrid intuitively. “How can you trust him?”

Rose walked over to the counter where the tablet sat waiting for an order to be placed on it. She typed furiously for a few minutes, eying the results carefully.

Rose stood up and smiled.

“Rose, I know that look. Don’t do it.”

Rose pushed her way through the door, walked to the table and sat down.

“Your reviews are quite good.”

“I am glad to hear that.”

“Your community involvement is exemplary.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Naming your charity arm “Rose’s Place” was an intriguing touch.”

“I thought so. Dinner?”

“It is a place to start.”

Ross smiled. “I will have the Prime Rib Sandwich with the brussel sprouts.”

“Coming right up,” she smiled. “But we are going somewhere nice for dinner?”

“Rose’s Cafe isn’t good enough?” Ross deadpanned.

“I want something more personal. We have much to discuss.”

Ross smiled as Rose walked through the kitchen doors. “It’s a start,” he thought. “It’s a start.”