~ Chapter Two ~

A sinking feeling in her gut, Lotte raced back out into the lobby, ready to break the plate in her hands over some random stranger's head. This wouldn’t be the first time that a crazy man followed her aunt from the club, or that extreme measures needed to be taken… For Romy, that was actually a regular ‘Tuesday’. The only difference was that this time it was not the lunatic showing up at their dingy apartment door, demanding compensation for her Aunt’s bar tab. Now it was here… at Lottie’s work… at Julian’s bakery. Gritting her teeth, the young woman marched right up to her Aunt’s table and readied her ceramic ‘weapon’. 

… Then Charlotte was spotted. “Oh,” The man blinked, pulling away from Romy’s neck where his focus had clearly been. However, his lips were nowhere near the area. Thrown back, Lotte observed how the man’s fingers were gently massaging around the darkened area, minding not to touch it directly. “You must be the amazing niece that Romy was telling me about last night.”

Lotte gaped, from the soft tone of the stranger's voice to the immaculate, ironed shirt he was wearing; this was so far from Romy’s type that it was almost entirely out of the stratosphere of planet Earth. “Um… Um… Um…” 

Jullian suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was now at Lottie’s side. “Hey folks, are we getting everything we need?” Her kind eyes focused on the plate of scones that had yet to make it onto the table top. “Hunnie, you having some kind of stroke?” 

Romy immediately perked up, “David can help with that! He is a Doctor.” 

Though David, a middle-aged man with a smile that was making Lotte’s knees tremble, looked proud of being recognized, his tone was all formal as he stood up. “That may be true; however, if Lottie is, in fact, having a stroke, we may need help from more equipped hands.” Minding where he touched, the stranger guided Lotte into the free chair across from him and began looking her over with concern. 

All Lottie could do was continue to blink like an idiot. It wasn’t until Julian placed a firm hand on her shoulder that the girl realized how absolutely ridiculous she was being. Giving her head a shake, Charlotte finally let go of the pastries, placing them directly in front of Romy. Mission finally accomplished, she turned her attention to the stranger - David - and glared. “And how did the two of you meet?” 

This made Romy look even more puffed up. “He came to my rescue last night when some handsy punk tried to bite my neck off…” 

David sighed, sliding back into his seat as he confirmed. “It took some strong words, but I was able to rescue your aunt before there was too much damage done.” 

Charlotte’s hazel eyes went back and forth between Romy’s neck and David’s slender hands. Still a bit in daze over seeing her Aunt with someone who didn’t look like they had spent a holiday in a jail cell, Lotte took a deep breath and offered, “Scone?” 

David reached out to retrieve one from the plate, his mouth opening with excitement. This, of course, made Julian all the happier. The older woman loved seeing hungry people eat. “Let me get a fresh pot of coffee going,” the owner cheered. 

Left alone with David and Romy, Lotte had a chance to observe the two in an ‘unfiltered’ lens. Their knees were touching under the table, his free hand had curved around the woman’s bare back from a crop top, and the older woman was leaning into his shoulder as if it were some kind of pillow. Having only met just last night, Lotte was stunned by how quickly these two looked as if they belonged together. 

“So you want to be a baker?” David swept the conversation up, having returned the rest of the scone to the plate he was sharing with Romy. Now, with another free hand, he reached it across the table and straight for Lotte’s, a firm squeeze following. This immediately turned the girl’s stomach into goo.

“Yes,” was all she could manage. Julian returned with the coffee and gave Lotte’s back a pat.

“Take your lunch,” The boss ordered, “You have been on your feet all morning.” 

This made David’s smile grow, “Excellent! Then, how about we three go find somewhere to eat. I have a feeling that your Aunt only barely pipped the surface when it came to you… The two of you are very close, aren’t you?” 

Lotte almost snorted - That was an understatement. She had only been two when her mother was shot after getting caught in the middle of a rival gang gun show. She was home with a sitter when Romy came bursting into the apartment, and they took off into the night. There was no funeral. Charlotte barely even remembered her mother outside of the fact that she wanted to be a baker. In fact, the first two years of Lotte’s life were a major blur. 

Nodding, the girl rose slowly and followed the others out. Their limbs were practically entwined as they made their way to the exit of the bakery. Moving as if with one mind, one body… one soul. Lotte continued to gape right out to the sidewalk where David’s car was waiting. It was nice. Very obviously a Doctor’s car… but what was a Doctor even doing in Ronchest, California? Or with Romy?