“Will you let go—?”

“I will not.”

“Kate, listen—“

“Nope.”

“I get it, Kate! I’m going!”

“Damn right, you are.”

Still being led by the hand through the store, Remy found her attention finally being able to shift from her fear, though it was really only exchanging one for another. The brief moment of being pulled by Kate rather than pushing herself gave her just enough time to reflect on her situation—and notice just how much attention she suddenly had on her. Kate was well known for being the life of the party, so it wasn’t at all unusual for anyone to take notice of her antics. Remy, on the other hand, was equally skilled when it came to being invisible. The moment’s reprieve from her thoughts quickly made her aware that, in spite of the fact that Kate was the cause of the spectacle, she had somehow become the center of attention. Being dragged off had gone from benefit to detriment in an instant, but no amount of protesting on her part seemed to have any effect. Kate was determined to see to it that Remy arrived at the intended destination, stopping only long enough to dust as much of the creamer as she could off of her clothes and out of her hair. Her concern wasn’t for nothing. Remy couldn’t honestly say that she wouldn’t have put her talent for disappearing into thin air to use if she’d found an opportunity.

Kate proved to be conveniently oblivious to the attention, still smiling and casually greeting customers even as she gave occasional threats to hoist Remy onto her shoulder and carry her if she didn’t keep up. Knowing better than to think it was an idle threat, Remy sighed and increased her pace with reluctant appreciation for Kate’s taking such a strong interest in her happiness. It wasn’t that she didn’t recognize the fact that Kate was acting in her best interests; it was a core aspect of Kate’s personality to care about others, so it was all but impossible to not notice, especially given how much time they’d spent together since she was promoted.

Initially, Remy assumed that Kate’s constantly checking in on her and asking how she was doing was merely an attempt to prevent losing another general manager. The previous manager hadn’t left under ideal conditions, largely amicable but too sudden to not draw attention to the fact that it was coming right behind the last straw. Always quick to dismiss an attempt to form any sort of connection with her with a rational explanation, Remy came to the conclusion that it was nothing more than an attempt to ensure job satisfaction. Kate was nothing if not relentless, however, and Remy could only live under her assumptions for so long before being forced to admit that Kate’s care was too consistent to be a matter of human resource management. As they spent more time together and Kate’s concern gradually went from professional matters to personal ones, it became increasingly difficult to deny that it was entirely genuine. As much as Remy appreciated Kate, however, it was difficult in moments when Kate simply wouldn’t take no for an answer. They were rare, but they always resulted in some sort of embarrassment. They always resulted in a positive outcome as well, though, so Remy tended to worry about it as little as she could manage. The discomfort was temporary, but the benefit was lasting.

She couldn’t help momentarily questioning the logic, however, when she was reminded of what Kate had in mind for her as they passed a familiar face. Hearing a gently lilting voice in the midst of an excited conversation that she couldn’t entirely understand, Remy looked up to see Lily approaching and walking in the opposite direction, her phone to her ear and looking excited about something as she happily bounced with each step. Even more distinct than the voice and the occasionally incomprehensible speech was her appearance, the wavy blonde long bob, crisp white blouse, short taupe skirt and lavender apron that were synonymous with her café. Though they’d only come across each other briefly on several occasions when Allison had enticed her to visit with testing new menu items or a cup of Earl Grey, Remy would recognize her anywhere. Not unlike Kate, Lily seemed to have a talent for drawing eyes to herself. All but dancing as she pushed her shopping cart, she was surprisingly animated, even for her.

“Today is the day! J’ai des papillons dans l’estomac—“

They were nearly standing next to each other before Lily noticed Remy, something that Remy noticed had apparently caused some level of distress. Lily suddenly went silent and turned red, apparently unaware that Remy had no hope of following the conversation. Though she normally greeted Remy warmly, she instead gave a nervous smile and a quick wave before rushing off without a word. Being distracted herself, Remy only nodded politely before turning her attention back to the task at hand.

In that moment, Remy decided that there was too much out of place all at once to write it all off as coincidence. That Kate was excited enough to drag her through the store in front of customers wasn’t typical, but it wasn’t exactly out of character, either. What was unusual was that she was so stern in insisting. Seeing Lily so excited caught Remy’s attention, but it could be explained away by the fact that she was in the midst of a conversation about something and apparently happy about it. Harder to dismiss was the fact that Lily was there at all; when Remy thought about it, it was the first time she’d seen her in the store. The one thing the two events had in common aside from being strange enough to be noteworthy was Allison. Remy knew that they were all connected, but she couldn’t see how. All that could be said with any certainty was that something significant was taking place, and she seemed to be the only one that didn’t know what.

Just as Remy was working up the courage to demand an explanation from Kate, all thought evaporated from her mind as she was pulled toward the customer service counter and Allison came into view. Remy’s recognition was instant, something so familiar that she needed no time to process the sight. The short-sleeved lavender chef coat, taupe pants and lavender ballet flats were as reminiscent of the café as Lily’s uniform. The pastel reverse ombré hair, however, a pale aqua gently fading into a deep teal and pulled back into a chignon, was entirely her own. Equally unique were her delicate features and small frame, something that always caused Remy’s heart to skip a beat and repress an urge to reach out and hug her. Being looked up at with sparkling aquamarine eyes did nothing to make it any easier.

Seeing her was always enough to make the rest of the world fade away for a moment, and even Remy’s own confusion and fear lost their significance as her heart began to hammer away in her chest. As always, she had to make a conscious effort to collect herself, this time thankful that she had time to do so before she’d been noticed. It briefly brought to mind something else that was out of place about this visit: She had never been called before. Allison usually found her, something that she had a surprising talent for doing. This was followed by more confusion as Remy noticed that Allison looked deeply troubled by something, a fact that immediately made Remy uneasy. Allison rarely came across as anything other than composed and confident, all but impervious to being bothered by anything. It was underscored by the fact that, for some reason, she had a roll of paper towels in a death grip and was squeezing it as if she was trying to wring its nonexistent neck. Remy was almost grateful for the added confusion. Attempting to unravel the mystery was just enough to keep her distracted from gnawing fear.

The reprieve from worry came to an abrupt end when, instead of being pulled, Remy felt hands on her back gently pushing her forward. Before she could protest, she found herself mere feet away from Allison and the world faded away again, taking her complaint with it. Again grateful for the rare brief moment to collect her thoughts without having to explain her awkwardness, she took a deep breath and readied herself for another rarity. It was a sign of her true desire that she was at all willing to be the one to initiate a conversation.

“H—hello, Allison.”

In the midst of cursing herself for the noticeable cracking of her voice, Remy briefly wondered how she could be so unskilled in conversation as to already have managed to do something wrong. Allison jumped in surprise, her face going pale as she looked up at Remy as though just noticing that she was there.

“Remy! I…I mean…Remy!” Allison looked inexplicably frustrated with herself as she closed her eyes and inhaled sharply, her complexion quickly turning a rapidly deepening pink. When her eyes opened again, her usual bright smile was slowly returning. “It’s a fine day with you around.”

Though still confused by the reaction, Remy couldn’t keep focused on it as her heart began to flutter. As with nearly everything that Allison did, it made Remy feel lighter to hear what had become a standard greeting ever since she’d unintentionally convinced Allison to play one of her favorite games. Adding to the effect was seeing how quickly Allison composed herself, something that reminded Remy of the first time they’d met. As rare as it was to see her out of sorts, it was even more unusual to see it last long. No matter what flustered her, it never took long for her to get it under control. It was an ability that Remy envied, especially as she found herself struggling to say anything remotely close to being as charming.

“Likewise, as always. I heard you needed something?” Reminded of who’d brought her here under threat of being forced into submission, Remy began to turn behind her. “Oh, I don’t know if you’ve met, but this is the own—“

As Remy turned, she found herself making an introduction to absolutely no one. Though it was likely a result of just how distracted she was, it was still jarring to see that Kate appeared to have learned her technique for vanishing without a trace. She sighed loudly and began pushing down rising emotions again, ignoring both embarrassment and the disorienting combination of frustration and appreciation that always came with dealing with Kate for any significant length of time. She only spared the time to glare at Jade on the other side of the customer service desk, causing her to quickly stifle her giggling. Remy chose to ignore the fact that it was continuing in silence.

Close enough. “I’ll…introduce you another time. Anyway, you needed something?”

Allison momentarily looked like a deer caught in headlights. Seeing her again lost for words, Remy’s confusion led her to quietly search for context to make sense of what was happening. Tearing her gaze from Allison’s face with no small amount of effort, her eyes eventually trailed down to the roll of paper towels in her hands. By that point, it had been squeezed to the point that it had largely been torn free of its plastic wrapper. Remy’s look of confusion seemed to pull Allison from her thoughts and, following her gaze, she looked down at the mangled paper towel roll in her hands as though just realizing she was holding it. The pink tint to her cheeks became a deep crimson as she looked back up at Remy apologetically.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“I—I’ll pay for this.” Stammering the response seemed to trigger something in her memory, causing her to all but shout, “Panko!” Following Remy’s raised eyebrow, she took another breath before calmly adding, “I need panko. Any idea where it is?”

Feeling as though she still understood nothing about what was happening but relieved that the conversation seemed to finally be moving forward, Remy decided to let it go. “Aisle seven, toward the middle, just past the flour.” Just as she was congratulating herself for finally giving a normal response, Remy noticed that the silence was going on just a little too long. Allison was giving a hard stare in the direction of aisle seven, looking both amused and irritated. Before Remy could ask, she heard Jade loudly clear her throat. Remy looked up with the intent of silencing her again, but saw Jade returning a murderous glare of her own before tilting her head in the direction of aisle seven. It didn’t take Remy long to understand.

Of course she’s in on it. “This way…I’ll show you.”

Allison suddenly looked excited, making Remy wonder what had caused her mood to shift again. Grateful that it at least seemed to be something positive, she decided against questioning it and adding to her growing list of unsolvable mysteries for the morning. Allison followed in silence for a moment, something else that was out of character for her. Again deciding that it was better to not ask, Remy scrambled for anything else to fill the silence.

“Panko is pretty specific. New recipe?”

“Hmm? Oh, right!” Allison fidgeted nervously, giving Remy the distinct impression of someone looking out of a plane and trying to convince themselves to jump. “I had another idea. Summer is pretty much here, and I was thinking that…well…it seems like a perfect time for a picnic.”

Remy was briefly curious as to why Allison’s cheeks again gained noticeable color when mentioning it, but she instead turned her attention elsewhere. “Oh…trying to catch the tourists? That’s a good idea, actually.”

Allison beamed with pride. “I know, right? Who doesn’t love a picnic? I was thinking about comfort food, and it just kind of…hit me. People love going on vacation and trying new things, but what always happens before you can get home?”

As desperately as Remy wanted to have the right answer, she hadn’t been on a vacation since her mother had dragged her to one along with the luggage. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind before immediately regretting it.

“Wanting to be there already?”

Allison laughed cheerfully, the sound hitting Remy’s ears and making her think vaguely of musical bells. “No, you insufferable grump. Well…actually, in this case, kinda.”

Holy crap, that worked.

Remy was confused as to how she’d managed to stumble onto the right answer, but she chose to not dwell on it for fear of missing the opportunity that she’d somehow created to be somewhat charismatic.

Just roll with it. “So, where does the panko come in?”

Allison’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Well, I was thinking about it and, when you’re on vacation, you always want to try new things that you can’t get at home. Sooner or later, though, you end up missing home a little and wanting something familiar. That’s when I started thinking about comfort foods and then picnics—traditional American picnic dishes, but with a little something extra that brings them closer to our regular menu. Tourists can get something with our unique signature, but still familiar. Better than going to the nearest fast food place, right? The main draw will be the fried chicken. I can’t imagine that there’s anyone that would complain about that. I want it to be crispy and light, though, and I’m thinking that replacing the normal flour breading with panko will give it that little something to bring it closer to the rest of our menu. Light, but still comforting, you know?”

For a moment, Remy could only nod in agreement. She didn’t have any energy to spare for searching for the right words again as she was too busy trying to keep a lid on her emotions. There were few things that made her as happy as hearing Allison talk passionately about something, motioning with her hands and smiling as if the finished dish was already sitting in front of her. It was another thing that made Remy fight back an urge to hug her, something she only managed by remembering to avoid another noticeable silence as they reached the end of aisle seven.

“Sounds pretty good.”

“Right? Actually…” Allison went quiet, looking down at the tattered paper towels in her hands and looking uneasy. “Well, I was thinking…I could use a little help with this recipe.”

Having again had the feeling that Allison was bracing herself ahead of something she’d rather not be doing, a request shattered Remy’s expectations of what she was about to say. “Sure…I guess. I don’t know how much help I can be, but fire away.”

Allison smiled nervously, her eyes staring down the aisle and away from Remy. “It’s not a question, exactly. I…” There was a brief pause and a sharp inhale before she continued. “I was thinking, well…given what I’m experimenting with and the fact that I was raised by vegans, I could use the opinion of a good Southern girl about how to fry a chicken. Maybe you could give the results a once-over and let me know what you think?”

Remy froze in place. It wasn’t unusual for Allison to offer an invitation to join her somewhere outside of the grocery store, but Remy usually found an excuse to decline. As badly as she wanted to believe anything else, it seemed difficult to imagine that Allison was doing anything other than being polite. It was an understatement to call her the social type, so it made much more sense to Remy that this was something Allison was in the habit of doing casually. It was difficult enough to come across as normal just in their short conversations; the last thing Remy wanted was to give her a reason to change her mind about her visits. It felt like an inevitability. Still, she’d visited the café more than once to try a new recipe, and busying herself with chewing had proven to be the perfect justification for long pauses. Getting to listen to Allison fill the silences was an added bonus. Still, there was something about the situation that felt too different to ignore, causing Remy to struggle to blindly accept.

“I…I mean, I—what the hell?”

Remy turned around furiously just after feeling something make contact with the back of her head. Seeing nothing but several confused expressions from shoppers, she looked around and saw a package of napkins on the floor that she was certain hadn’t been there a moment ago. Her eyes swept her surroundings again, eventually falling on two long shadows coming from around the corner of the next aisle, right where the disposable dinnerware should be. It didn’t take long to guess who was casting them. Knowing that more would be coming if she didn’t get on with it, she didn’t bother complaining or even explaining to Allison, who looked thoroughly confused.

“Uh…never mind. Yeah, I can help with that. When do you want me there? After closing again?”

Allison had apparently set aside her confusion, though she still looked a bit tense. “I was…well…I was thinking that…” Allison turned her eyes down the aisle and away from Remy again, her hands now destroying what was left of the paper towels with a slightly concerning amount of strength. “Instead of the café, how about meeting me in the Square on Friday after work? At seven—” Allison was interrupted by a loud sound from the next aisle over, an almost musical “ahem” that caused her to flinch and pause for a moment. “Eight…I mean eight.”

Taking her turn to be utterly perplexed, Remy completely forgot her earlier hesitation. The distraction and fear of more flying dinnerware were just enough to bring her focus to the fact that, beneath the fear and desperation to convince herself of what any of it did or didn’t mean, she wanted nothing more than to accept. Her own words took too long to reach her ears, as though someone else had spoken them.

“Yeah, I…yeah. Friday at eight in the Square. I’ll see you then.”

Allison turned to Remy and smiled, bouncing in place several times and letting out a breath that Remy was surprised she’d been holding. In an instant, she was her usual cheerful and excited self again, waving the mangled paper towel roll as she backed away and rounded a corner. Remy returned the wave with a weak one of her own, the reality of what she’d just done slowly beginning to press down on her. Her chest began to tighten, making it difficult to breathe. Just as she was realizing what was happening, she felt a gentle touch on her back.

“Easy now, sweetie. Slow, deep breath. In, two, three, four…hold, two, three, four, five, six, seven…out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.”

Satisfied that Allison was gone and couldn’t see, Remy tuned out the rest of the world and focused all of her attention on Kate’s voice. It only took two cycles of the pattern for her to regain control of her senses. When she looked up, Kate was standing in front of her, smiling kindly.

“I knew you could do it.”

Remy huffed as she straightened her stance, habit pushing her immediately toward denial. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything. She just wants help, that’s all.“

Her kind expression turning into a hard stare, Kate struggled to keep the corners of her mouth from twitching upward. “Nice try, Remy, but you’re just gonna have to face the facts. You. Have. A. Date.”

Remy took a moment to absorb the words, initially struggling to make sense of them. She understood them all, but it was almost as if they were from a language she didn’t speak. No matter how much sense they made on their own, their meaning was lost on her when she was the intended context.

“I…I don’t know anything about dates! Where would I take her? What would I talk to her about? I don’t have the first clue what—“

Kate placed a hand on Remy’s chest, reminding her to calm herself and slow her breathing. “Well, the good news is that she seems to have thought about what to do and where to go already. As for talking, well…she’s probably got that covered, too. Just be yourself.” Laughing at Remy’s sour expression, she added, “Well, it’s been working for you this long, hasn’t it? It got you a date with her, so you must be doing something right.”

Remy opened her mouth to argue, but closed it wordlessly as she was forced to admit that there was some logic to what she was hearing. Searching her memory, she found countless examples of fears of boring Allison with her short responses and quiet contemplation but, thinking about it for the first time, she couldn’t think of an example of having any of those fears confirmed. Desperate for a counterargument, she uttered the first concern that occurred to her.

“I don’t know what to wear.”

Much to Remy’s surprise, Kate responded with more laughter. “It’s a good thing you’ve got me, then. Call me Friday before you leave for the day and I’ll meet you at your place. We should have plenty of time if you don’t have to be there until sev—eight. Do you need me to bring anything in particular?”

Remy sighed, frustrated with herself and the situation. As much as she wanted it, she couldn’t quite let go of the feeling that she should be resisting. Unable to summon the energy or the desire to do so, she put the thought aside in favor of the subtle reminder that Kate had been listening from around the corner. Remy almost wanted to be angry; it was a much more familiar feeling. She was exhausted, and anger was something that wouldn’t take any effort on her part. Looking down at the package of napkins of the floor, though, she immediately gave up on the thought. It simply wasn’t possible. Kate knew her too well to stray too far just in case she needed her and, the moment she did, she was there before Remy could think to resist calling out to her. There was simply no failing to appreciate that. She bent forward and picked up the napkins, now in increasingly good spirits in spite of herself. She took a moment to consider Kate’s question but, at a complete loss as to what was ahead of her, she couldn’t think of anything to ask for…nothing to legitimately ask for, at least. Grabbing the napkins, she stood with a smirk.

“Some ibuprofen, maybe?”