8.

“Good evening, Mr Adams.”

“Good evening. Can you inform Miss Ayesha Hansely that I am here, please?”

“One moment.” The receptionist placed the call. “She will be right down.”

“Thanks.”

He found a comfortable place to sit and wait for Ayesha. While he waited, he checked up on the latest news. A few eyes wandered his way now and then, but he kept his head down and eyes glued on the article he read. 

Thankfully, only a few people seemed to recognise who he was, and the attention he received wasn’t as much as when he lived here before. Many claimed he changed a lot in appearance. He didn’t see it, but he was grateful they thought that way. 

One thing he wanted to avoid for as long as possible was being the centre of attention. So, it worked out for him that he was practically unrecognisable to most people. 

Even more why he was endeared to Ayesha. She was new in town, so his name meant nothing to her. When he introduced himself using his full name, he expected that she would make a quick connection. Nothing appeared to click. To her, he was another person living in the same town as she was. 

It wouldn’t last long. She was new, but she would soon get ingrained into the daily workings of the town. She will learn who is who, and his name will pop up at some point. 

“Dimitri?” He looked up at Ayesha, smiling brightly at him. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. Do you want to take my car or walk to a nearby café?”

He internally hoped she wouldn't pick the latter. 

“Anyone you think is best.”

“Come on then.”

They got into his car and drove to a café a good distance from her apartment. There were various cafes in the area, each within breathing distance of the other. Though he wasn’t one to frequent cafes, he had his preferences. 

“How’s pottery class going?”

“Still the same as last time we met, but I am getting better at it. Hopefully.”

“Found any more classes?”

“Jewellery making.” She replied with excitement. “I am not sure if I’d take it yet. I am weighing my options in terms of time and availability. As much as I want to learn new things, I don’t want to stretch myself too thin.”

“That sounds wise. Also, you don't have to fill your spare time with classes. You could do something recreational, like going to the pool or having a picnic once in a while. There are a few clubs here and there; you can get a membership."

"I don't think clubs are within my price range."

The club membership he had with his family was a high-end one. Dimitri couldn't remember any other good clubs with decent pay that were inclusive for all classes. He liked the clubs because they offered different things in one place. There was swimming, golf, tennis, and basketball.

"I wouldn't know which club would fit your budget, but you can take some time to look into it. They are nice. At least from my point of view."

“Is that what you do to pass the time while you're back? Last time, you mentioned taking a break from work and doing other things."

“Yes. The club is a small part of that for me. But I will admit that I have not gone there since I returned. What I decided to do was take up hiking.”

“Hiking?”

“The town has some good spots for that. It feels good being around nature, enjoying the scenery, basically just something to get my mind active, but it's also relaxing.”

“And what was it you did before?”

"Before what?"

"Coming back. Your job."

“I work in the agricultural sector.” He turned and noticed her looking at him. She was giving him her full attention, listening raptly to his answers. “I run a few farms here and there.”

“That’s neat. Do you produce various products or just one?”

“Various. Some of my farms are set to produce only one crop, but most of them have different products growing on them.”

“To be honest, of everything I thought you might work in agriculture was the farthest from my mind.”

Dimitri laughed. “Why?”

“I don’t know.” She laughed along with him. “I don’t know. It just never came to my mind. What do you produce?”

“Rice, various vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and the like.”

“Do you use your own products?” 

“Sometimes.”

“Sometimes? How can you use them sometimes?”

“If you were in my position, would you use your products all the time?”

“Definitely. When I get better at throwing clay, you can bet every dollar you own on the fact that I am making my own utensils. I will make my cups, I will make the plates, bowls. Everything in my apartment will be something I made.”

He pulled the car to a stop and shut it down before turning to her. “You don’t think that will be a little… I don’t know narcissistic?”

“Absolutely not.” She chuckled, grabbing her bag and stepping down from the car. 

Dimitri noticed it was the same one she had on when they met. A smile played on his lips as he walked around the front of the car.

“Think of it as a fashion designer.” He continued while they walked to the door. “Fashion designers wouldn’t only wear their own designs.” 

“Hmm, I guess you have a point, but I still don’t think it’s narcissistic. I’ll call it taking pride in my own work.” 

Ayesha thanked him when he held the door open, and they chose a seat by the window. He settled for iced tea and some biscuits. Ayesha agreed with the biscuits but opted for a fresh shake to go with them. 

It was one of the places he enjoyed eating at. They served everything he liked, and as someone who was mostly too lazy to cook for himself, they were his lifesavers. 

It was warmer inside the café, so Ayesha stripped off her coat after their orders were taken. The bright lights seemed to add extra value to Ayesha’s brown hair. She had put them into braids for the night. Dimitri didn’t know what the style was called. The hair was parted in two, but instead of being braided to the tip, it was braided halfway. It left some curls to run down her back. 

“You come here often?”

“Yes. They have some good things on their menu. Do you have any nice places that you frequent to eat?”

The waiter returned, and Ayesha dropped her hands from the table so he could set their orders down. 

“As of now, no. Aside from a restaurant down the street, I haven’t had time to check those places out.”

She took a bite of the biscuits and a long drag from her shake. “Good?”

“Mouth-watering.” She managed to reply before drinking up some more. “Okay, this is amazing. Ever tried making a shake by yourself before?” He shook his head, stirring his iced tea with a straw. “I have, and no matter how many recipes I try, can’t get it to taste half as good as this.”

He chuckled and took a bite of his own food. “I shy away from making my own drinks, shakes or otherwise. What kind of baked treats do you like?”

“Cookies.” She replied almost immediately. “I love all and any type of cookies. Sugar, chocolate chip, gingerbread. You give it to me, and I’ll eat it.”

“Do you like cakes?”

“Depends on how it’s made.” She lowered her eyes to her glass, pushing the straw in and out of the shake. “If the cake is made with icing, the strong and well-frozen kind, I’ll eat it. I am not into cakes that are too soft or mushy. I have a sweet tooth, so the icing must be sweet for me to enjoy the cake. I am also not into chocolate cakes.”

“No,” he dragged. 

“Yeah.” 

“You were doing so well.” He feigned disappointment. 

She laughed, reaching across the table to slap his hand playfully. “Hey, I am not saying I don’t like chocolate. I love chocolate drinks, chocolate bars, and cookies, but I just can't take chocolate cakes.”

“You’d be the first person I have met who doesn’t like chocolate cake.”

“They are the only kind of cakes I can’t stand. Any other cake is fine, as long as it’s sweet.”

He made a face, taking a long drag from his glass. “Chocolate cakes are the only cakes I like. Not much into icing. Even worse when they are too sweet.”

“Really?”

“Not that much into sweet things. I indulge once in a while, but that’s on rare occasions. I try to avoid sugars as much as I can.”

She looked down at his drink. “Don’t tell me that’s…”

“It is," Dimitri confirmed. "Unsweetened.” He took a long drag, and she groaned with amusement.

“You were doing so well.”

He chuckled and took another long drag of his drink. Ayesha laughed again before doing the same.