Page 16 of The Baby Dragon Cafe (The Baby Dragon #1)

Chapter 16

S aphira took it easy with the baby dragon training over the next few days, building her strength back up. Every time Aiden came over, he brought her some sort of healthy snack, like nuts or fruit or date bark.

He seemed to be on a mission to ensure she was being taken care of, even if it meant he had to do it himself, which was really sweet. Saphira had been on her own since Nani-Ma died, and she knew she was tough, that she could handle it—be an independent woman and business owner and all that—but it was nice to have someone to lean on, too.

She interviewed and hired two more staff—a dishwasher and a cook—which made a massive difference; she could never have imagined having so much assistance when she’d first opened. She had figured out how to make the finances work, though it meant delaying paying off the rest of the mortgage, which had been her original plan. She was a little disappointed to deprioritize that, because she knew paying it off would make life easier in the long term, rather than this short-term solution, but it truly was no longer sustainable to work without help, as evidenced by her fainting spell. She had never fainted before in her life, and it was frightening that she had pushed herself that hard.

It was a mistake she was determined not to repeat, and the two new staff helped with that wonderfully. Now, she felt like she had so much energy and free time!

She had a moment to herself at the cafe now. The dishwasher and cook were in the kitchen, and Calahan was at the espresso machine, handling the drink orders. He had dark skin and short hair in tight curls and was in graduate school studying Folklore and Mythology, studying to be a professor.

He had enough practice with the drinks now that she trusted him to handle the orders, and he was a nice guy. Saphira had been hesitant to hire new people and let them into the comfortable bubble she and Lavinia had created at her cafe, but Calahan was amiable and had a good disposition, even if he was a bit quiet.

Since she had a spare moment, Saphira went out from the side door, heading for the garden. As she opened the garden door, she heard a voice calling her name from inside the cafe.

“Saphira, wait up!” Theo said, jogging over. She stopped in the entrance. Aiden was working in the garden, and she felt his gaze turn to her.

“What’s up?” she asked Theo.

He looked worried, running a hand through his floppy hair. “I’m afraid Lavinia is working too much,” he said. Aw, she thought to herself. He was a concerned bestie. What a cutie-pie.

“Don’t worry,” Saphira reassured him. “I’ve hired more staff, and the other part-timer is much more adjusted now, so Lavinia’s shifts shouldn’t be as tiring, and I put her down for fewer shifts, as well. I just finalized the schedule today, and it’ll go into effect next week, so she can focus on the Animal Hospital more.”

“Phew.” Theo looked relieved. “Okay, perfect, that’s great news.”

Saphira smiled, squeezing his arm.

Then all of a sudden, Aiden was there, standing at her side. He looked straight ahead at Theo, glaring, a grumpy expression on his face.

“Hi,” Aiden barked out at Theo.

“Hey, man,” Theo said, smiling his boyish smile. He held out a hand, which Aiden looked at for a beat through slitted eyes. Then he took Theo’s hand. He must have been shaking it a bit too hard because Theo yelped in surprise.

Then Sparky was at Saphira’s other side, growling at Theo as well. Saphira was confused and concerned. What had gotten into these two?

“Saphira, I want to show you something,” Aiden said, trying to get her attention.

“I was just leaving,” Theo said, retracting his hand and flexing his fingers. He gave Aiden a strange look. “Bye, Saphira.”

Saphira reached over and gave him a quick hug. Sparky tugged at the end of her skirt, trying to pull her away, and she laughed.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she said. “Bye, Theo.”

She waved, and he left through the cafe. When she turned back, she saw Aiden was stewing.

“This way,” Aiden said, taking her to the part of the garden that ran alongside the building. She saw neat rows of dirt with little green plants sprouting from the ground.

“It’s a vegetable and herb garden,” Aiden explained.

“Oh!”

“It’ll cut down on your grocery costs, and it’ll taste fresher, too,” he said, smiling at her when she turned back to look at him. Sunlight illuminated his skin, and she was hit with a wave of fondness for him. “And this way you can eat more vegetables. Now you don’t have an excuse.”

“I love it,” she said, beaming.

Sparky trotted through the grass. It was late May, and everything was green and lush thanks to all the rain last month. The garden was now mostly cleaned up and Aiden had planted flower bushes to make it pretty.

“Truly. Thank you.”

He smiled, pleased. But then a dark expression crossed his face.

“Who was that?” he asked, frowning.

“You haven’t met Theo before?” she asked, surprised.

“No.”

She could have sworn she had introduced them at some point, since Theo was always in and out, but maybe she hadn’t.

“Theo is Lavinia’s best friend,” Saphira said. “I’m really fond of him.” Aiden scowled. “Like a little brother,” she added, and the expression on Aiden’s face immediately changed.

“Oh!”

Saphira bit back a laugh. Had he been jealous? Of Theo? He had been equally grumpy when his cousin Oliver (who was also a child) had tried hanging out with her at his family’s dinner, so maybe … Saphira was quite tickled by the idea.

She was additionally amused by Sparky, trying to pull her away from Theo on Aiden’s behalf when he had picked up on his rider’s discontent. Her possessive boys.

Saphira glanced at Sparky, who was much happier now that it was just the three of them again. He was rolling around in the grass, making little flame balls dance in the air. He was well-adjusted now, well trained to stick close and not cause too much chaos, which was convenient for Aiden whilst he was working.

But it also meant that it was time for the next phase of Sparky’s training: socializing. He needed to learn to be good around other people as well, something he was decidedly not practiced at, if his earlier behavior with Theo was any indication.

The baby dragon especially needed to learn how to interact with other dragons. Dragons had their own way of communicating and bonding between themselves, and Sparky would need to learn to be comfortable with his own kind, not only with humans. And not only with dragons from within his family—the basalta dragons he interacted with at the Sterling estate—but with all dragons.

Saphira discussed as much with Aiden, and he scratched his cheek, considering it.

“You’re right,” he said. “So whatever you think the best way is to proceed, I’m game.”

“The cafe isn’t too packed right now,” Saphira replied. “Perhaps it’s a good time to start?”

Aiden nodded, following her lead. He scooped Sparky up into his arms, following Saphira inside.

“Maybe you can get a table in the middle,” Saphira suggested. There were a few tables occupied with baby dragons and their riders and an empty one in the center.

Aiden nodded, going to set Sparky down, but the baby dragon let out a little growl. He enjoyed being held.

“I think he’s used to being in the cafe when it’s empty,” Aiden said. They were usually here when everyone had gone for the evening. “I don’t think he likes all these people in what he imagines to be his space.”

“You’ve brought him inside a few times,” Saphira said.

“But Spark usually stays in a little nook then, or a sleeping bed,” Aiden replied. He frowned. “That isn’t good. I don’t want him to be reclusive like me, I want him to be brave. Like you.”

“Aw.” She didn’t know what else to say, but she was touched that he saw her that way.

Despite the baby’s protests, Aiden let Sparky down, walking toward an empty table in the middle of the cafe, gesturing for Sparky to follow. The little draggo stayed rooted in place and instead began whimpering. Dragons did not cry, but they did wail if severely injured. Otherwise, they simply got restless and scratched at their face, which was what Sparky was doing now.

“Tch, Sparky, no,” Aiden said, voice stern, which usually did the trick, but Sparky was being moody today. Aiden’s strong tone made him more upset, and he scratched at his face more aggressively, snarling.

“Aw, it’s okay, baby,” Saphira said, tone coaxing. She reached down and picked Sparky up, soothing him in her arms as she walked over to Aiden.

Suddenly, she felt heads turning to watch her, and she realized how odd it might look.

Usually, solely a rider trained their dragon, but it wasn’t uncommon for a couple to train a dragon together. But she and Aiden weren’t a couple. Everyone’s staring made her hyper-aware of that fact.

She became self-conscious, nervous.

“Here,” Saphira said, handing Sparky off to Aiden. She cleared her throat. “I just need to go check on … the kitchen.”

“Okay, I’ll work on Sparky in the meanwhile,” Aiden said, not seeming to notice the attention Saphira had gotten. He was singular in the way he paid attention to her, his gaze trained solely on her.

Saphira went to the kitchen, feeling people looking over at her as she walked. She could practically feel them wondering what she was doing with Sparky, with Aiden. Why he would have asked someone like her to help train his baby dragon, when she wasn’t even from a Drakkon family.

In the kitchen, Saphira caught her breath. She was perhaps a bit too sensitive to other people’s perceptions of her, but it was hard not to be. Especially if many of those same people knew how her mother had died, whilst racing on a poached dragon.

The funny thing was, training with Sparky, Saphira understood her mother on a deeper level than she ever had before: the desperate desire to be around dragons that would have led her to acquiring one off the black market, to have one of her own.

Seeing Saphira with Sparky now, would people think that she was like her mother? Pushing in somewhere she did not belong, and never would?

Saphira tried to push the thoughts from her mind before she spiraled. Saphira recalled Aiden saying he wanted Sparky to be brave—like her.

She mustered up the courage and went out again, holding her back straight. Aiden was at the same table in the middle, sitting down now with Sparky by his feet. There were a few other baby dragons similarly at their riders’ feet nearby, but Sparky wasn’t interacting with them. He appeared to be shy, trying to hide behind Aiden’s legs.

The baby dragon looked for Saphira, and when he spotted her, she gave him a reassuring smile. He would warm up slowly, she knew he would. But it was hard for him to socialize like this, and she could tell that Aiden wasn’t quite up for it, either. Usually baby dragons socialized with dragons they were already familiar with, which ordinarily occurred when the riders were already friends—but Aiden didn’t seem to have any such friends.

If only there was an easier way for the baby dragons to mingle. When Saphira had picked Sparky up from the babysitting area at the Starshine Public Gardens, he had looked like he was fine with the other baby dragons because they had all been playing together.

Oh! Saphira was struck with a realization. She should make an area for the baby dragons to play in—perhaps the garden would be good for that? She could turn it into a playpen for the babies.

Saphira was pleased by the idea; she would suggest it to Aiden later. At the moment, she watched as Aiden tried to coax Sparky to mingle, not just linger by Aiden’s feet.

Aiden wanted Sparky to be friendly, but he himself was not the friendliest person with strangers, which made Saphira look on with amusement for a moment before stepping in. The moment he saw her, Sparky jumped up, fluttering into her arms.

She held him, even though he was getting a bit big for that, now. Because she had the new cook and dishwasher, and Calahan was handling the drinks, there wasn’t much that she needed to do, just serve the orders.

So Saphira held Sparky with one arm, delivering orders with her other hand. She picked up an order of an almond milk latte and brought it over to a table, where one of her regular customers was sitting with her baby dragon.

“Sparky, say hi to Rex,” Saphira cajoled, setting Sparky down. Rex was a red-eyed garneta dragon. They both regarded each other: Rex curious, and Sparky shy. She nudged Sparky forward with her foot and he sniffed around Rex, looking less hesitant.

“Enjoy your latte, Mari,” Saphira told the customer with a smile. Then, she walked away, Sparky sticking close to her feet as he trotted alongside her.

In between orders, Saphira walked Sparky around, introducing him to the other baby dragons.

Slowly, Sparky began warming up. Saphira glanced over at Aiden, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs-up. He gave her a thumbs-up back, looking relieved to not be in her position. He had changed tables and was at one all the way in the corner, practically hiding out with a cup of chamomile tea.

Things progressed smoothly, and Saphira was happy to have Sparky by her side. Until she went to introduce Sparky to Mrs. Cartwright, who was there with her baby opala dragon, Thorn. Mrs. Cartwright looked intrigued, glancing at Saphira curiously.

“What are you doing with this little angel?” Mrs. Cartwright asked, petting Sparky. “He can’t belong to you.”

There was something in her tone of voice that made Saphira feel strange.

“Um, no—I’m training him for the Sterling family,” Saphira replied, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat. Mrs. Cartwright made a puzzled face, which was disconcerting.

Mrs. Cartwright liked Saphira—but perhaps she only liked Saphira as long as Saphira knew her place. And parading around with a baby dragon of her own was evidently not Saphira’s place.

“But why would they ask you?” Mrs. Cartwright asked, blinking.

Saphira’s face got hot. “I don’t know,” she replied. Then she cleared her throat and forced a smile. “Anyway, enjoy!”

Saphira left, walking away, Sparky trotting closely by her side. As she did, she felt other patrons of her cafe wondering the same thing, their questioning glances making her bristle. The cafe was small; those who were listening would have heard the exchange.

Aiden, thank goodness, hadn’t, since he was off in the opposite corner. She didn’t want him doubting her credibility, too.

But what were her credentials, exactly? She wasn’t from a Drakkon family. It was strange that Aiden had asked her to train Sparky. This wasn’t a task for her.

As if sensing something was off, Sparky pawed at her leg, making a little sound. When she looked down, he lifted his arms, wanting her to hold him. She picked him up, and he licked her face, nuzzling against her neck until she smiled.

Going forward, Saphira tried to ignore the looks and little comments as best as she could, focusing instead on what was important, which was Sparky.

She kept trying to help the baby dragon socialize, Aiden helping when he could.

There were a couple of small mishaps, when the dragon tried to steal another baby’s food, or started growling, or puffed smoke at another baby, but after a few days of practice, Sparky got better at socializing. It was just about repeated exposure to other dragons.

Lavinia wasn’t at the cafe as much, because of her shifts at the Animal Hospital, but when she was there, she spent the entire time giggling, poking and pinching Saphira’s side, and making the occasional kissy face at Saphira when Aiden’s back was turned.

Behind the counter, Saphira pinched Lavinia’s side, and Lavinia yelped.

“Ow!”

“Stop being silly,” Saphira said.

“I didn’t even say anything!” Lavinia protested.

“You don’t need to, I can read it all over your face.”

“If you’re reading something on my face, that’s not my fault.”

“It most certainly is! You know this is why I didn’t tell you …” Saphira trailed off, wanting to enjoy tormenting Lavinia. The payoff was worth it. Lavinia’s eyes went wide.

“Tell me what?!”

“Nothing.”

“ Saphira .” Lavinia grabbed Saphira’s shoulders, shaking her. “Tell me!”

“Mm, I’ll think about it.”

“ Please .” Lavinia seized Saphira’s arm, pulling her to the back. Saphira laughed at the desperate expression on Lavinia’s face.

“Okay, okay, don’t be dramatic about it, but I think you were right.”

“I often am right, but about what specifically?”

“I think I do like …” Saphira trailed off, this time unwillingly. She couldn’t say his name.

Saphira covered her face with her hands. God! She was acting like a preteen with a crush!

Lavinia gasped, immediately understanding. “Oh my god, this is so exciting. I love this development. So what’s the plan?”

“Plan?” Saphira looked at her friend, gobsmacked. “There is no plan! I don’t even know if he likes me!”

“Are you crazy?” Now it was Lavinia’s turn to look astonished. “Of course he does!”

“Well, if he does like me, then he has to do something about it,” Saphira replied, with more bravado than she necessarily felt. Lavinia pouted.

“Boo!”

Saphira held up her hands. “I’m sorry, but my feminism only goes so far. I will simply not be making the first move.”

“Okay fair,” Lavinia conceded. “Fair.”

They both giggled. Saphira felt giddy. They took another moment to squeal, then went back to the front, where a few people were waiting to place their orders. Saphira and Lavinia handled it, working together. Until Aiden arrived, and Lavinia disappeared to the kitchen, but not before giving Saphira a wink.

“Hey,” Saphira said to Aiden, heart beating quickly.

“Hiya,” he said, ordering a cup of jasmine green tea. He hung out while she made his order, leaning across the counter. She relished the simple intimacy of being near him, inhaling the scent of mint on his skin, so sweet she wanted to lick his neck and taste it.

Saphira handed over his drink and gave Sparky a snack, smiling to herself when she saw Aiden heading straight for the corner to grab a table. While she had been teaching Sparky social skills these past few days, she thought it was time she made Aiden try his hand at them as well.

Saphira went over with a to-go cup, and he looked up, surprised. “Am I getting thrown out?” he asked, confused. She grinned, shaking her head.

“No, silly.” She poured his drink into the to-go cup, then handed it to him. “This way it’ll be easier for you to walk around. You need to be better at socializing, too, or what are you teaching Sparky?”

He released a long breath. “Ugh, I know you’re right.” He stood up, rolling his shoulders. “Alright, I’ll try.”

She was glad that he listened to her so readily, even if she was telling him to do something he wasn’t comfortable with. It was so different from the beginning of their partnership, when she would ask again and again for him to stay for Sparky’s training and he wouldn’t. He was so different now. She felt she could ask him anything, and he wouldn’t refuse her, which pleased her greatly.

“Good.” She squeezed his arm, then retreated back to the counter.

The rest of the day, Saphira watched as Aiden attempted to walk around with Sparky in tow. He was hesitant, awkward, but most of the people in the cafe already knew Aiden, so it was just a matter of saying hello to start off a little bit of small talk.

He got better at it as the hour went by, and she could see it was having a positive effect on Sparky to watch Aiden putting himself out there. Saphira was proud of him.

After everyone had gone, Aiden looked around, checking to ensure there were no patrons left before he let out a big sigh.

“Thank god,” he said, sitting down at the bar. He bowed his head, being dramatic, and Saphira laughed.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” she asked.

“It really was,” he replied, looking up at her. “I don’t like being around people.”

“Oh, come on,” she said. “You’re perfectly fine around me.”

He paused, eyes growing intense as he regarded her. Her skin felt warm as his dark gaze continued to pierce through her. Something stirred low in her stomach.

“You’re not people,” he said, voice ragged. “You’re … you.”