Blaznavac was a luxury coffeehouse facing Malory towers. Sandwiched between two skyscrapers, it was a two-storeyed cafe that looked like an establishment from the Renaissance period. Owned by Serbian entrepreneurs, it offered an exotic getaway for caffeine addicts from the grind of the corporate world.
As Ashley stepped inside, the opening of the door tinkled a bell to signal the arrival of a customer.
The interior seemed aged half-century, in stark contrast to the wall street world outside.
A tall, handsome attendant in a sleeveless coat approached her.
"Miss Palmer, good afternoon," he began with a Serbian accent. "The luksuzni is vacant presently, just the way you like it."
The joint had two levels. The obican, at the lower level, had over twenty tables and a hundred seats. There was a bustle, and waiters rushed around serving customers. The luksuzni, the upper level, was for exclusive members. Ashley had a lifetime membership and was a regular at Blaznavac. She took the stairs to the exclusive area.
It was a quarter past 5 PM. Corporate employees from different buildings rushed into the cafe to secure seats. Services of luksuzni, however, were pricey. Only vice presidents and above frequented the upper level. It was never crowded and practically empty until 6 PM.
Ashley reached the upper landing. By the entrance, a piano had been set up. A middle-aged artist played a low, melodious tune. Personally, Ashley was a fan of Kitschme and Jovanovic, the Belgradian music. However, at the moment, the artist was playing a faster Joksimovic on his violin. It was more of a haunting melody than a cheerful tune.
"Nice to hear something new for a change," she remarked. The artist nodded in acknowledgment.
The luksuzni was an oblong room with a mini library at the far end. People say that Serbs and literature do not mix. But then, those folks had never visited Blaznavac. The East European ambiance made you crave a classic Dostoevsky after a few sips of native coffee. From Jane Austen to George Orwell. From Mark Twain to H. P. Lovecraft. All the classics in the racks were limited library editions.
The room was furnished with divans, patterned tables, and rich woven rugs. Wooden panels and the dim lights, along with an alfresco area, made you experience an old era of hospitality.
The menu was exotic but delectable- dishes as outlandish as fried octopus, beef tartare, and suckling pig. Ashley had never developed a taste for such foods. She was here for the native coffee and desserts. Decadent chocolate croissants, Nutella dumplings, jaffa cake, and walnut crepes were the attractions.
The Olivier salad was a special dish on the menu, which combined salmon with black cod, baked in a bamboo leaf. She had never ordered the special. American food was also available on request.
Ashley settled on a divan chair by one of the tall French windows.
A barista approached her as soon as she sat down.
"Hello, Miss Palmer. I am Milan. What would you like to have?"
Ashley took a scan of the Serb. He was certainly not older than twenty. Tall. Slender. Wide shoulders. Clean-shaven. A narrow face with angular jawlines.
Yummy.
'Why are desirable men falling out of the sky today when I am so horny?' Ashley wondered.
She had a sexual encounter with Jake in the morning, but she had to cut it short. 'Damn, why did I stop him? Oh, wait! Because I had to save Tessa! Great! Now I am horny and mad at myself! Maybe I should spend the night with Jake. Let him have me for the last time before we get engaged? Who knows what he will be like after?'
Ashley crossed her legs as if the barista would read her thoughts otherwise.
"I have never seen you here before? Where is Andrej?" she posed.
Exclusive members had dedicated baristas of their choosing. The manager put up the usual orders on the ledger to have no gap in service if the dedicated barista was absent. However, all baristas of Blaznavac were made thorough with the names and faces of exclusive members.
"It is his wedding today, ma'am," Milan informed.
'Oh damn! It completely slipped my mind!' Ashley cursed herself. She had even received an invitation from her barista. Andrej was marrying an American woman five years older than him. The couple was in love, or the barista was doing it for a green card.
Ashley made a mental note to do that early the next day. Of course, she would not attend a barista's wedding. It would cause a media nightmare. Her conscience told her at least she could have a gift sent to him. Andrej had served her well.
"What would you like to have, ma'am? The usual?" Milan asked politely, bringing Ashley back to reality.
Her usual at Blaznavac was skimmed milk coffee with lentil waffles.
The day had been so bizarre that she felt she should change her usual.
"What do you have in today's special, please?" she asked.
"We have Srbija coffee with mini cinnamon-raisin bagels."
"Sounds perfect."
The barista offered a nod and a smile and left to process her order.
Ashley began checking her messages.
[6 messages from JAKE GRAYSON]
~Glad you are all right ~
~ Do not forget we are getting engaged tomorrow (winking face emoji)~
The rest of the messages were mostly photos.
@Jake having lunch by himself at Benihana@
@Jake's selfie with a young waitress who was a fan of his@
He never missed a chance to make her jealous.
@Jake holding up Ashley's panties in a picture when no one was around@
He had retrieved them during their brief sexual adventure in the Mercedes. Ashley shook her head. 'Jeez! Put that away!'
His last message was-
~Miss you~
The couple had already rehearsed their engagement ceremony a week back. The event was organized by Firefly Marvels, one of the most expensive wedding organizers in the state. Based in Los Angeles, the team had to fly to Norwich for the occasion. Even though their services on specific dates were expensive, the Graysons had outbid the engagement date by an overwhelming advance.
Ashley had a parlor appointment in the morning. To be followed by a visit to her designer in the afternoon. The engagement party was to begin at 6'o'clock in the evening.
Guiscard would arrive early in the morning the following day. Tessa had hired him for two weeks.
Everything was going hunky-dory. No trouble at all.
Speaking of trouble, Ashley scrolled through the rest of her messages.
Greetings and RSVPs from friends and relatives. Confirmations of appointments. A few texts from Firefly Marvels.
And there they were. Looming on her screen like omens.
[6 calls, 15 messages from SCARLET]