When the weather feels just right

 

"You really are such a good friend," Stu knew this much. Although, he really wished Mia wouldn't think so hard to make the bookshop such a success. After all, it was the heart of autumn and everyone had places ago in this sweater weather. "But you've got me working too much."

He went back to the snack bar and took a look at the freshness of the day-old muffins and pastries. Was she really expecting people to stay here for a while when they dropped in? But the smell of fresh coffee was divine. 

"Oh, it's payback time for you," Mia crossed her arms as she was looking over the autumn displays of nonfiction and reads that might inspire a holiday along the way.

Stu only gave her a sigh of slight frustration. He wanted to be anywhere but here, but since he was staying with her these days it seemed appropriate to be here. Yes, it was a give-and-take situation, and it did have it's blissful undertones even if he didn't want to admit it.

"What were you thinking getting poor Odin on a bender before his travels?" She tilted her head ever so seriously as if she were the teacher and he some random pet of hers.

"Just a bit of fun," he shrugged and then smirked. "Boys just want to have fun."

"Oh, is that it?" She came closer and he poured her some steaming coffee. The shop was open for business but of course, no takers quite yet.

"Well, he's down to serious business, you know," Stu summed it up. "Marriage on the way. I gather."

Mia nodded as if they might be both misfits after all. As if it would never happen for them.

"He's a bit silly for it to be, don't you think?" Mia didn't see it happening in the near future for their dear Shelly.

"Oh, he's serious all right." Stu nodded as if he didn't think that way about his best mate.

"He definitely needs some balls," Mia squeezed in before a customer arrived. She went to work then asking of their needs and getting them situated with a brew or a coffee. Before long Stu was serving them a fudge or two while they thumbed through a cheap magazine. Of course, nothing was cheap these days.

Mia rang them up a good thirty bucks before they left. 

"See, we can do this," she looked at him as if they were a team. Perhaps a better one than marriage would ever give them.