Chapter 27

On Wednesday, Coffee Tales opened after four days of complete closure. And it was bustling with customers which only reiterated that I had made the right decision by listening to my mind and not my heart. 

Thankfully, I had started baking again since yesterday evening which ensured that we had just enough items to serve the customers today. But it also meant that I was extremely busy today. It would take many baking days to catch up with all the work. 

The kitchen door was left open today as Zuri and Jace kept coming in and going out. They were handling all the customers while I baked. Elisha and Stefan were also helping out today since much of Zuri's time was being taken up in explaining everything to Jace: how things worked, what was the process, what needed to be done, etc. etc. 

Stefan was helping out with the customers while Elisha was assisting me in baking. 

"Oh my goodness, it's a mad rush outside," said Stefan, coming in, "We need Elisha to help us out for a bit."

I gave Elisha the nod to leave the cream cheese and go help Stefan out.

"I've never seen this place so crowded before. It has always been so calm here," said Elisha, before going out. 

She was absolutely right. 

"Thank you for everything," I called out after them. 

Zuri rushed in.

"Ira, we have a stock of tissues, don't we?" she asked, as she hunched down to check the cabinets. 

I nodded, as I carefully measured out the flour. "I restocked only two weeks ago—" 

"What is this list?" asked a voice from right behind me. 

I jumped and turned around at the sudden sound, unintentionally applying excessive pressure on the packet of flour that I was holding. The flour flew everywhere, a little at me but mostly on the person who had given me a jump scare. 

"Oh crap!" My eyes travelled up and down the flour covered person who was coughing and trying to protect his eyes and face from the flour that was still suspended in the air around him.

Jace.

Of course, it was him. 

Only he could get himself in a situation like this. 

"Wh-What are you trying to do?" Another bout of cough captured him. 

I snapped out of my shock and turned to keep the packet of flour safely on the counter before anymore accidents happened. 

"What happened?" Zuri asked from across the kitchen, as she stood staring at us with her mouth open. "This has to be the first kitchen accident that I've seen here, no matter how teeny tiny it is."

I gave her an I-know-right look and said, "It's his fault."

Jace, who had managed to get rid of the flour on his face and seemed more composed now, gaped at me. "How can you say that? You literally drowned me in flour." 

I looked at his ruined apron and clothes and sighed. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. But it's still your fault." 

"How is it my fault?" He looked horrified. "I'm innocent." 

I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. "You came up behind me suddenly and spoke out of the blue. How else did you expect me to react? And when did you come in, anyway?" 

"When you were talking about tissues," he said, trying to dust the flour off his apron. 

I coughed, as the particles left him and instead tried to cover me. "Jace, stop!" 

"Oh, my Lord, I didn't realize." He stopped dusting. "Sorry."

I cleared my throat, trying to swat away the remaining flour that was still suspended in the air. "You should have seen what I was doing before trying to scare me. What if I was dealing with hot liquids? That would have been dangerous."

"I was not trying to scare you," he said, appalled at my interpretation of his actions. "I came to ask you a simple question and I did see what you were doing before I interrupted. I'm not a fool." 

Oh, but you are. 

Realizing that this was wasting our time and that there was a lot of other important work that needed our attention, I changed the topic. 

"What did you have to ask?" I raised an eyebrow. 

Zuri was still on the scene, clearly enjoying what she was seeing, judging by the huge grin on her face. 

"This," he said, holding up a sheet of paper. 

"Oh." I glanced at the familiar sheet of paper. "What about it?"

"It's a list of some sorts and I found in my apron pocket. It says 'For Jace' on the top," he said, looking confused. "Did you write this?"

I gave him an are-you-serious look. "Yes, I did. Why do you look so confused?" 

"Because it literally says the same things that you told me last evening and again this morning." He frowned. "I'm not a five-year-old who needs constant reminding, Ira." 

I shrugged. "Just in case." 

"What do you mean?" he asked. 

The oven's timer went off and I was saved from answering that question. 

"When did you put it in my pocket, though?" he muttered. 

I had already turned away from him and walked over to the ovens. But I still turned around and rolled my eyes at him. "Don't give me that narrow-eyed look like as if I'm some creep. I put it in there this morning before I gave you the apron."

I heard him sigh loudly and ask Zuri, "does she treat you like this too?" 

I switched off the oven and glanced at Zuri who shook her head and grinned at Jace. 

"Only you," she said, then left the kitchen with a few packet of tissues. 

"Brilliant." Jace sighed again. 

Chuckling to myself, I opened the oven. 

"Perfectly done," I murmured and reached out to take the muffin tray. 

My fingers had just grazed the tray when the realization hit me. But it was already too late.

A searing pain shot though the tips of my fingers. 

My hand immediately withdrew as a small cry escaped my lips. 

"Ira!" Jace instantly rushed over. "What happened?" 

I held my affected hand in a tight grip just distal to where the tips of my fingers had touched the tray. My teeth clenched as I attempted to bite back the pain. 

"Did you burn your hand?" Jace was frantic. "Hold it under the water, come here."

He took hold of my other hand and dragged me to the sink. Then he opened the tap and held my hand under the water. 

As soon as the cold water touched my skin, the burning stopped.

I closed my eyes, reveling in the temporary relief. 

When are you going to learn, Ira? 

"Is it bad? Where's the first aid kit? Is it still burning? How did you burn yourself?" Jace ranted on. 

I opened my eyes again. "Jace, stop. I'm all right. It's just a minor burn. I forgot to wear my mitten before opening the oven." 

Jace stared at me with wide eyes. "It's my fault that you forgot. I distracted you. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry—"

"Jace," I said, but he did not hear me and continued his chant of sorries. 

"Jace," I said, a bit more loudly this time. 

He heard me and stopped. 

"It's okay. I should have been more attentive." I smiled at him. "Besides, this is nothing. I've burned myself way worse before and I'm used to all these minor grazes."

He did not look convinced and was about to say something, but his attention got diverted. A frown deepened on his forehead as his eyes focused on something behind me. 

I turned around, following his gaze, just in time to see Zuri hurriedly close the door behind her and then even lock it. 

What's wrong?

I closed the tap. "Zuri?" 

She seemed to have not heard me. 

She stood still for a few seconds and then slid to the floor, her hand flying to her mouth to stop the cries that shook her body. 

"Zuri!" I rushed towards her with Jace right behind me. 

"What happened? Why are you crying?" I pulled her towards me and wrapped my arms around her. "Zuri?" 

She let me hold her and rub her back as she trembled with each sob. 

"Did something happen?" I asked softly. "Why are you so scared?" 

She cried harder and I realized that she needed to let out the tears before she was in a position to speak. 

Jace's eyes met mine and they mirrored my own horror. 

What had happened to Zuri? 

"Do you want me to go and check outside?" asked Jace. 

Before I could reply, Zuri pulled away from me. 

"No, no," she said, "don't go… go there."

"What happened, Zuri?" I asked, my mouth going dry. 

Her eyes were wide and filled with terror as she grabbed hold of my hands in a death grip. "It's over." 

I was at a loss of words. What was over? 

"H-He's here." Tears rushed down her cheeks and she gasped for every breath. "He found me; he found me. And now… now he'll kill me."