A Hidden Destiny

Slice of heaven

“I take it that you found the ATM?” Patty said, more like a statement, as I handed her the cash I owed her. “I did” I grinned, “I also found a place to live while I’m staying here.” I said proudly, but quickly regretted it. I didn’t want her to know too much about me. I was leaving eventually anyway. “Is that so?” she asked and continued, “I bet you met Janet then?” I remembered she told me yesterday, that everybody knows everyone around here. “I did. Is she a friend of yours?” she smiled as I looked at her curiously. “Well, she’s actually my daughter, so I wouldn’t know if the term ‘friend’ is one she would use to describe our relationship” she giggled while refilling the mugs on the tables with utensils. “She’s got my eyes and stubbornness, but other than that she looks just like her father” she added when she returned to the bar.

I heard a group of men discussing something by the fireplace and glanced their way. They seemed to be arguing, but in a friendly kind of way. One of them got up from his seat and headed towards the bar. He seemed familiar in a way. Wait a minute. He was the guy I bumped into yesterday when I turned into Main Street! Before I could turn away, he looked right at me and the recognition was clear in his face. “Hey, it’s you! Did you bump into any strangers today?” he joked and nudged me on my upper arm with his elbow. “Uhm, no” was all I managed to say. I bet I looked like a huge moron, just standing there, my mouth slightly open. He was actually quite handsome. A mischievous smile. Scratch that, a mischievous smirk on his lips. His hair was black and he sported a nicely trimmed beard. Why is he so goddamn tall? I felt like a midget here. A moron midget apparently.

“You need a refill, Liam?” Patty asked the guy, making me snap out of my thoughts. So his name was Liam. “Actually I just wanted to pay for our table, but not without ordering your signature apple pie, Patty” he said with a smile, and turned his gaze toward me, “you should try it, if you haven’t already!” It felt like a blush crept onto my cheeks under his intense gaze. I smiled back at him and turned towards Patty and ordered myself some apple pie. Who am I to turn down an opportunity to celebrate my new place? Patty disappeared into the kitchen and we were left standing at the bar. None of us said anything. It was awfully awkward. “So you’re Liam,” I stated rather than asked. “I am,” he said while nodding. More silence. Why didn’t I just leave when I had paid my debt to Patty? “And you are…?” he inquired. “Oh, I’m Maddie, or well Madeleine, but everyone just calls me Maddie” I said, talking way too fast for my own good. I looked down at the counter, trying to hide my embarrassment. ‘Chill down, Maddie’, I thought to myself. I took a deep breath. “Well, Maddie, welcome to Hillcrest,” he said, reaching out to shake my hand. “How long are you staying?” he asked. A question I didn’t have an answer to. “It depends,” I answered curtly while shrugging my shoulders. He gave me another one of his weird looks. Like the one he gave me yesterday when we bumped into each other.

Patty returned with four servings of apple pie and, I must admit, it looked delicious. She placed one of the servings in front of me and gave me a napkin and a spoon. Then she followed Liam, with three pieces of pie on a tray, and went back towards the tables near the fireplace. I heard them praising Patty and her delicious apple pie and decided to dig right into my own piece. It tasted heavenly. The crump was perfectly crisp. The filling was rich with flavors of vanilla and cinnamon, complimented by the bitterness of the apples. On the top was a scoop of some type of cream. It was sweet, a bit dense but at the same time smooth in my mouth. A small moan of appreciation escaped my lips as I took another bite. Oh God, so good.

This was definitely the best way to celebrate my new apartment. Just me alone, with a slice of heaven. My phone vibrated on the counter and I glanced at the screen.

Unknown number: ‘Did you just leave without saying goodbye?’

I accidentally dropped my spoon on the plate.