He stopped, finding his path blocked and pulled himself to his full height. Dani paled at the sight in her mirrors. The man had a good foot and a half over the brave gal; he towered over Evelyn. God, she was going to get herself killed. Dani reached to unbuckle her own seatbelt.
Suddenly, the drunk slumped his shoulders. As Dani turned around to get a better look, all the rage seemed to have fled him and instead, he bowed his head. “Sorry ma’am,” he mumbled and slunk away, back to his seat.
“How did you do that?” Dani whispered in awe only for Evelyn to turn back around and give her the now familiar toothless grin.
“You just have to let them know you mean business.” With a firm nod, she eased herself back into her seat.
“I guess.” She checked to make sure the man was still sitting before she closed the doors and pulled out of the stop. It wasn’t until two stops later when he stumbled off the bus that she let out a sigh of relief.
“Are you all right?” Evelyn asked.
Dani nodded, only to realize Evelyn could not see the gesture, so she spoke instead. “Yeah. That wasn’t so bad. I’ve had worse.” She let out a shaky laugh. “Some days, I wonder why I haven’t made a job change.”
“Why haven’t you then?” Evelyn was sounding more and more like her inner voice.
The natural answer would have been inertia. Dani was too tired working day to day to think about job hunting again and she couldn’t afford to quit without something else lined up. But when she opened her mouth, that was not the answer that came out. “I enjoy being outside, seeing the city, helping people get from place to place. I like talking to people and—” Dani smiled ruefully to herself “I like hearing their stories. It makes the city feel a little less lonely.”
“You’re lonely?”
Her questions were getting more personal, but it surprised Dani to find that she didn’t mind so much. Something about Evelyn’s soothing voice drew her confidence. Besides, Evelyn was her hero, at least for the night. “I guess I am a bit. My family’s all pretty far away. This job doesn’t leave much time for making friends either.”
“What about a nice boyfriend? Or girlfriend?”
Dani wished Evelyn would move to another seat where she could see her face a little better, but Dani heard the playfulness. She laughed at the question, loving how progressive Evelyn was despite being born in a conservative time. “No, no time for dating either.”
“Ah, but there must be someone that has caught your eye?”
For the first time in Evelyn’s presence, Dani flushed as her mind brought up the image of Hiro with his black short sleeve t-shirt that showed off his toned arms and the barista apron that hugged his built figure tighter than any apron had the right to. And there was that smile.
“Ah ha! So, there is someone!”
“Maybe,” Dani replied at last. “But it’s nothing. I mean, I just see him in passing sometimes.”
“Tell me about him.”
Dani let out a slow breath. “His name’s Hiro and he owns a coffee shop close to where I live.”
“Tell me more about him.”
Her cheeks remained warm. Dani had told no one about Hiro, not even her mother, whom she dutifully called every two weeks. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened before she forced herself to relax with a long exhale. “There’s not much to tell. I don’t know him very well.”
“Well, tell me what you can.” There was a grin behind Evelyn’s words. Dani could hear it.
It was easier to talk without having to maintain eye contact or to see Evelyn’s expression. “Well, he’s tall, has black hair and blue eyes. Toned. It looks like he works out though I don’t know when since he always seems to be working at the coffee shop. But I think what I respect the most is his kindness.”
“Oh?”
Dani nodded to herself. “I know he packs everything that doesn’t sell and gives it to the food bank. I’ve seen him offer coffee and food to the homeless, give them a space to sit in his cafe.”
“And?”
“He’s a wonderful dad. I’ve seen him with his two-and-a-half-year-old, and she adores him. He’s had her in the toddler carrier while he was working a few times when his childcare bailed.” It was more than what Dani thought she would tell Evelyn. But alone in the carriage with Evelyn, it was as if they were two best friends gossiping over coffee, despite the age difference. It felt...nice. Human. Dani pulled into another stop and checked her watch. Ahead of schedule, she opened the doors and kept them open while she waited.
“A father! Is he a married man?”
Dani shook her head as she turned toward Evelyn. “Nah. Pepper is just one of the girls that work at the cafe, and she told me that his wife ran off not long after their kid was born.”
“Oh, that’s sad.”
“Yeah.”
“So,” Evelyn leaned forward, putting weight in her cane as she peered at Dani. “Do you think he’s interested in you?”
“Well, he always makes my coffee, even if he’s not the barista on duty.” Dani chewed her lip and let her gaze wander. Anywhere but meeting Evelyn’s. He was interested. Once.
“So how come you haven’t done anything about it?”
Dani looked up at last. The elder woman’s face was gentle, kind.
“I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t sure when I would have time for a date. And the moment’s kind of passed. Two months back, he slipped me his phone number in the back of my receipt, but I never called or made a move. He’s probably moved on.”
There was understanding in Evelyn’s eyes as she nodded. “How do you know if you don’t ask?”
Dani opened her mouth, then shut it again with a shrug. “I guess.” Another glance at her watch told her it was time to move on. She shifted in her seat, closed the doors and pulled out of the stop. Evelyn didn’t follow up with a reply, as if she sensed that Dani needed space. The carriage grew quiet once more until Dani pulled into the last stop.
“Evelyn?” Dani looked back over her shoulder.
“Yes. Oh, right.” Evelyn startled as if she had fallen asleep before she looked behind her out the window. With more slowness than the previous night, she rose with her cane’s support. “Think about it, my dear. It doesn’t have to be a boyfriend but don’t let your job consume your life.” With that said, she stepped off the bus and walked off without giving a chance for Dani to reply.
“Quad shot Americano.”
Dani looked up from her phone just in time to catch Hiro’s gorgeous smile, and her heart skipped a beat even as she tucked the phone back in her pocket. Evelyn’s words from last night echoed in her mind. Perhaps it was time to cut back on the number of shifts. She had been too willing to take on overtime and was getting run down.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
A flush crept up her cheeks and she shook her head clear. “Sorry. Thanks, Hiro.”
“Are you okay?”
Damn him and those beautiful eyes that seemed to see right through a person. Too tongue-tied to speak, she gave a single nod. Meanwhile, her heart only seemed to speed up more, pounding in her chest as if begging for escape.