Crossroads Café

Chapter 3 : A place to stay

"What do you mean by a tricky situation, Old Al'"asked worried Bianca.

The old man just made a sound with his throat. "It's late… very late… I think you and Rosy need a good night's sleep. "

Bianca nodded briefly. "Yes. Is there a place you could show me… no, wait!" She started to check in panic her jeans pockets, then Alpha's words finally sunk.

I have all her belongings in my pack, and she will have to come by herself to have them back.

She raised her head and watched Old Al' and Mat with despair.

Old Al' took a glance at Mat. The young man took Rosy in his arms. "It's ok, Bianca, you can sleep upstairs tonight. There's a bedroom with a private bathroom. There will be just the two of you, though. What do you think?"

Bianca was conflicted. These two people kept helping her, and she had no way to repay them at the moment.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Old Al' gently tapped Bianca's shoulder. "It's ok… it's a crazy night, and you are a good one. No one is going to mess with you in this place. If you want to repay us, you could help a little in the café tomorrow morning. A lot of people will come for breakfast, and more hands are always welcome here… don't you agree, Mat?"

Mat gave his signature smile, "Of course. There's a Luna ceremony tomorrow ! Lots of packs will use this road to join the Crescent Moon Territory ! I hope to make tons of money thanks to that ! Urgh...," he couldn't continue to talk as Old Al' elbowed him in the ribs.

Luna ceremony? Packs? Crescent Moon Territory? It must be American traditions, thought Bianca vaguely. Maybe I'll ask later. "I'm in a position where I can't refuse help and…." She looked at Rosy, who was sleeping in Mat's arms in peace, "We really need a place to rest. I'll help you tomorrow morning. Just tell me when you need me to be ready, and I'll be there."

The light bulbs had a slight variation, and a gentle warm breeze seemed to bless the café.

Old Al' and Mat both closed their eyes and nodded to no one.

When Mat opened his eyes, they seemed to shine a light golden glow. "Deal! Look at me, Old Al', I already have a woman and a baby girl all for me !" joked Mat. He started to climb the stairs. "And you know Bianca, if you need a place to stay… I mean, a place you could call home. I could rent you the second floor of Crossroad Café. I could even give you a job here… you could start as a waitress or as the barista for all I care!"

Bianca paused and looked at him as if he had just grown a second head. "Really? I mean, are you sure? You don't even know me. I could be a fugitive or… a murderer?"

Mat laughed with mischief. "Bianca, you drank my coffee… everyone will tell you I'm the best poisoner in town! If you try to kill me, I'll make you drink my deadly espresso!"

"Even Death doesn't want your espresso !" said Old Al' from far away. He did not follow them and was now seated at the bar, drinking a whisky. He was waiting for Mat to show Bianca and Rosy their room.

Bianca could not refrain from a small laugh. "Thank you for your help Mat. I think I'll help for a little bit…just to get the time to know the place and get my stuff back from Alpha… then we will go. I would hate to impose on you… you have done so much for us already."

Mat got all stiff when the word Alpha got pronounced. "Eeeh, well… let's do things slowly… step by step, you know? I mean, do you need your stuff that much?"

She looked at him, amused. "What do you mean if I really need my stuff that much? He got my passport, my laptop and more importantly my phone !… And I need Rosy's baby bag too!"

"Oh, you can trust me. He did not touch Rosy's bag. Or maybe yes. But that would mean he is crazier than we all thought, and he took the whole car with him! … and who needs a phone and a laptop nowadays? Buy a smartphone, and BOOM. You get the best of both worlds! Magic!"

"Seriously, I need my stuff back, Mat," answered Bianca. "Also, what is wrong with Alpha? Like he saw an abandoned car, and he took my stuff! And now, I have to go to see him to be able to get MY stuff back?"

"You said stuff a lot in a short period, you know ?" joked Mat.

Bianca's cheeks became red like a tomato. "That, monsieur, is because my level of English is not that good. If I had my laptop back, I'd be able to work on my vocabulary and give you all the synonyms of the word stuff…."

They both stared at each other before trying their best to giggle as silently as possible. They reached the second floor, and Mat opened a massive wood-carved door with a key. Then, he turned and gave it to Bianca. "You'll find blankets in the closet. There are towels and a hairdryer in the bathroom. I know for sure there are soap and shampoo in here too. If something is missing, just tell me, and I'll bring you what you need." Mat went to the bed and put Rosy right in the middle of it. He then placed pillows around her to ensure she wouldn't roll and fall.

"It's ok, Mat. I'll see Alpha tomorrow and get my stuff back… I don't want to impose on you like that…" she started to say.

"Well, I would not recommend seeing this Alpha by yourself. The best move would be to tell him to come to you and not the other way around… and I mean, it's not as if he could say no to you…."

"Hein? Why could he not say no to me? I'm not his boss or something?" Mat's words managed to spark Bianca's curiosity. "And why would he take my car in the first place?"

Mat now seemed uncomfortable, and the light bulbs acted funny again. "Damn it… ok, apparently I should tell you… I think you might be his mate… and he might have taken your car because of your scent."