Page 6 of The Baby Dragon Cafe (The Baby Dragon #1)

Chapter 6

I t had been two weeks of training Sparky, and Saphira thought she was doing quite well, actually. She spent the first week familiarizing herself with Sparky, getting him to feel safe and comfortable with her before getting into proper training.

Training a dragon was quite delicate because you had to do it while the dragon was still a baby. By the time they grew up, they were too chaotic and difficult to control and refused to learn anything. So the early days were crucial.

Saphira had slowly gotten Sparky to not be so hyperactive, to be a bit calmer. He did not need to be continually jumping off of surfaces and biting things, or be in constant motion. She spent a lot of time playing with him, using treats to reward good behavior, and Sparky seemed to be responding well to her commands.

Saphira had also tried to make Sparky mellow out a bit with Aiden, to not growl or bite so much each time Aiden came to pick Sparky up, but that was difficult with Aiden still refusing to attend training with Sparky.

Aiden had complimented her for her attempts last night. When he had come to pick Sparky up, Sparky had gone to Aiden willingly, with no hisses or scowls, and no scratches or bites, either.

Aiden had been hesitant, waiting for something to go wrong, but Saphira gave Sparky a stern warning glance, and Sparky had settled calmly by Aiden’s leg.

She had breathed a sigh of relief while Aiden had been impressed. “You’ve tamed the little monster,” Aiden said. Sparky remained well-behaved, a sight which made Saphira’s chest swell with pride.

“My little goglu is such a good boy!” Saphira said, petting Sparky. She scratched the black scales under his chin, and Sparky cooed.

“Are you sure?” Aiden had asked. “Maybe he’s just tired.”

“No, he’s not tired. He really is good!” Saphira had said, indignant on Sparky’s behalf.

“Why don’t I try and provoke him, just to be sure?” Aiden had asked, dark eyes lit with amusement.

“No!” Saphira had grabbed Aiden’s hand before he could poke the bear, and Aiden had stopped mid-motion. Too late, she had realized he had been teasing her. The corner of his mouth had been tilted.

Until he had looked down to where her hand was on his. Her stomach flipped as she had followed his gaze to see her own hand covering his, her thumb pressed against the pulse of his wrist. Her hand had looked so small against his.

And then he pulled away.

Even after he had gone, her heart rate took some time to calm down.

There were brief moments such as those scattered throughout the week that left her desperately wanting more, but he was only ever there for a moment, gone in the next. She was irritated he never stuck around. He was such a grump and a bore.

It made her be more affectionate with Sparky, so Sparky did not notice the fact that his rider could not even be bothered about showing up, let alone bonding with his dragon.

In a selfish way, Saphira enjoyed having Sparky all to herself. She was having a great deal of fun with him. Even though she was exhausted by the evenings, it was really exciting and just plain lovely to have Sparky around. He was a lively little creature. And, for a while, she could pretend that she really did have a dragon of her own.

She either trained him in the cafe after closing, or they went for walks, Sparky fluttering and hopping beside her. Sparky really liked her, and she could see he was doing his best to be a good little draggo.

Before Sparky, her evenings were usually spent in her quiet cafe, or her quiet apartment. She was used to the silence ever since Nani-Ma passed away, but Sparky brought both places back to life. It was nice not being alone.

Almost too nice, she worried. She might have been getting too attached. Perhaps she needed a second opinion.

Saphira finished up setting the tables that morning, then grabbed her strawberry lychee refresher and went to find Lavinia.

Her coworker/bestie was in the kitchen, prepping some vegetables for sandwich orders that might come in through the day.

The kitchen was in the back, and it was a small bit of space, just enough to cater to the needs of the cafe-goer’s orders of small meals that needed to be thrown together, not fully cooked or baked.

“Lavinia,” Saphira said, taking a sip of her drink, then offering it to her friend to try it. Lavinia took a hands-free sip, since she was busy cutting up a tomato.

“That’s good,” Lavinia said. It was sunny and warm out today, and the drink was refreshing. Lavinia had her own—though slightly modified with basil—version of the drink on the counter. “What’s up?”

“Do you think I’m getting too attached to Sparky?” Saphira asked, leaning against the counter.

Lavinia thought about it, setting the tomato slices aside. “Hmm, I mean, it’s been two weeks, right? How attached could you be?”

“I would die for him,” Saphira said, only partially joking. Saphira always felt things very intensely—something Nani-Ma would both laugh and lament about.

“Mm, okay,” Lavinia said. “So maybe that is a bit extreme.”

Saphira groaned, burying her face in her cold hands. “He’s just so precious! And I’ve always wanted a baby dragon, you know that.”

Lavinia set the last of the tomato slices aside. “Yes, but he isn’t yours, you do remember that , right?” She went to wash her hands, and Saphira followed her, only slightly moping. “Not trying to be a bitch about it, just a reality check,” Lavinia added.

“Ugh, I know,” Saphira said. “But Sparky’s actual rider is never here! What choice do I have?”

Before Lavinia could respond, there was a knock on the side door. They both checked the clock.

“Must be Theo,” Saphira said, going to answer the bakery delivery. Lavinia grabbed her refresher from the counter and trailed behind her out of the kitchen.

Saphira opened the side door to let Theo in, and felt a warm breeze as she did.

“Good morning, ladies,” Theo said, giving them a smile.

“Morning, Theo,” they chorused.

Saphira took some of the boxes, while Lavinia closed the door behind him. The baked goods smelled heavenly, and she allowed the scent of dough and sugar to calm her.

She and Theo set the boxes down on the bar, from where they would be placed into the display case, the extra going to the kitchen until it was time for refills.

After they had set the boxes down, Theo gave Lavinia a side hug, then came to give Saphira a kiss on the cheek.

“What’s the special?” Saphira asked, excited to see. Theo opened one of the boxes to show her little shooters of milky cake.

“Ras malai tres leches,” Theo said. “It’s a cardamom and rose-flavored twist on the regular dessert.”

“Ooh, yum!” Lavinia swiped a shooter.

“Hey!” Theo protested.

“Quality check, duh!” Lavinia grabbed three little spoons, then passed them around. They all took a bite; the cold cake was particularly refreshing on this warm morning.

“Divine,” Saphira said.

“Seriously so good,” Lavinia said, humming with delight. Theo’s cheeks went pink, and he looked at his shoes shyly. Saphira wondered if it was because of the compliment, or Lavinia.

“Back to what you were saying …” Saphira started, but she was distracted by another bite of the dessert, and how delicious it was. “Theo, this is just too good. I’m going to eat them all myself!”

Theo smiled, pleased. Lavinia rolled her eyes.

“Don’t gas him up too much,” she said. “One compliment was more than enough.”

Lavinia had to be the pesky best friend since she and Theo had known each other since they were little kids.

“What were you guys talking about?” Theo asked.

“Sparky and his sexy rider,” Lavinia said, giggling to herself.

Saphira made an affronted face. “I do not remember even once referring to Sparky’s rider as sexy!”

“You didn’t have to,” Lavinia said. “It was implied by your dreamy sighs and fluttering eyelashes.” Lavinia clutched her hands to her chest, batting her eyelashes like she was going to have a seizure.

“My eyelashes do not flutter!” Saphira protested. “And nor do I dreamily sigh! This is slander!” Her cheeks felt hot.

Theo laughed. “Aww, she’s blushing, too!” He squeezed her cheek, and she swatted him away, trying to glare, which only made him and Lavinia giggle.

“Saphira has a crush!” Lavinia chanted, and soon Theo joined her. “Saphira has a crush! Saphira has a crush!”

“Children, please behave.” Saphira took the cake away from them. “That’s enough sugar for today.”

She was adequately embarrassed by then, but it was alright—it was only Lavinia and Theo, after all.

“Okay but seriously,” Lavinia said, turning to Theo to catch him up to speed. “Saph is worried she’s getting too attached to Sparky-Poo.”

“Thoughts?” Saphira asked.

Theo considered it for a second, taking a sip from Lavinia’s refresher.

“Loving too much is never a bad thing,” he said, shrugging as if it was that simple. And maybe it was.

“Aww,” Saphira said. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. He made a choking sound to let her know she was suffocating him.

“Well except maybe like right now, I can’t breathe.”

She released him, and they laughed.

“Okay, now I gotta bounce before I test Suki’s patience,” Theo said, referencing his boss. He took a final sip from Lavinia’s refresher, and she walked him out. As Saphira filled the display case with the baked goods, she heard Theo and Lavinia chatting for about ten minutes by the door, saying goodbye.

When the clock neared eight o’clock, Saphira went to the front door and switched the door sign to OPEN. Almost immediately, customers arrived for their early morning fixes. Saphira stood behind the bar, working her new (gorgeous) espresso machine, which was perfect.

Things were going well. Later in the day, Saphira watched as a new pairing entered the cafe. She had seen the artsy teenage boy before with his parents, but today he was here with a girl. He’d brought a baby dragon with him—one of his family member’s, since he was too young to have his own—and was attempting to impress his date. It looked to be working, too.

The baby dragon—a red-scaled garneta—peacefully rested in its little bed, drinking some karela juice from a bowl that Saphira had brought over. Dragons loved bitter and spicy tastes, and the garneta was content in his little bed, while the teenagers seemed to be equally delighted in each other’s company.

Saphira loved watching the people in her cafe, their relationships, their humanity. It was a busy day, but even so, she caught these moments in between: a husband wiping cream off his wife’s chin; a mother splitting a muffin with her daughter; friends laughing so hard their eyes filled with tears; an old man reading quietly and contentedly on his own.

The sights made Saphira’s chest swell with adoration. She wished she could wrap her arms around everyone—around her whole cafe!—and give them all a big hug.

Because the weather was warmer, she served a lot more iced chais and refreshers, but the old ladies still wanted their hot drinks, and Saphira always loved brewing a fresh batch of karak chai. She served the baby dragons their little treats, earning an affectionate singe at the end of her skirt, which was simply part of her style now.

Aiden paid her at the end of each week, which was good because she could use it for little repairs here and there. She knew she needed to sit down and do some sort of proper financial planning, to really optimize her funds, instead of constantly putting out little fires here and there, but she didn’t have the time nor the brain space to tackle such a project.

Saphira hated math. Why couldn’t she just run her cute little cafe without having to do any math at all? It seemed unfair.

Theo had offered to help her out with the numbers once because he had a business degree, but she refused because he was already so busy with the bakery, and she couldn’t afford to pay him for such an arduous role.

But she was thankful for the exorbitant amount Aiden was paying her, even if she was a little upset that she only saw Aiden for a minute each day when he dropped Sparky off, then another minute when he picked Sparky up.

Each time, Saphira asked if he would stay, and he always said no—but there was something about it she couldn’t place: like he wanted to stay but was saying no for a reason she couldn’t understand.

Saphira did not know him well enough to ask, but she was still annoyed he would not try to bond with Sparky at all. And perhaps she was a bit annoyed that he didn’t seem to want anything to do with her , either.

As Saphira wiped down the bar, she did not think it was healthy for someone to be that alone—that isolated.

Her line of thought was interrupted by a customer coming up to place an order. She blinked at the good-looking stranger.

He was not one of the usuals—he must have been from the next town over. Starshine Valley had a few towns, each with their own magical creature: dragons, chimeras, griffins, or phoenixes. This man was handsome in an angular, model kind of way, and quite a few of Saphira’s patrons turned their heads to stare at him as he walked up to the counter.

People that attractive always stressed Saphira out a little bit. He was tall with dark brown skin and shiny black hair. He had a clean-shaved face with a lethal jawline and high cheekbones, and his eyes were a deep, rich brown, framed by long lashes. He wore an all-black suit, sans tie, and had rings on almost every finger of his hands.

“Lovely cafe you’ve got here,” he said, smiling at her. “I’ll have a flat white to go, please.”

“Thank you.” Her face felt warm. “And got it—coming right up.”

He paid, then moved a bit to the side, watching as she made the drink. She glanced over at him, and he gave her a charming smile.

“I’ve heard your dragon roast is superb.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said, smiling broadly as she finished off his drink. She slid it over to him in the to-go cup, but he made no move to take it.

“Where do you get your coffee from?” He leaned his elbows on the counter, giving her a private smile. “Let me guess, Inferno?”

It was the name of Emmeline Sterling’s dragon-roasted coffee company.

“Yes, that’s the one,” she replied, wondering why he was asking when he so obviously already knew the answer.

The Baby Dragon Cafe’s specialty, after all, was their dragon-roasted coffee. Since the beans were roasted for longer than light, medium, and even dark roasts, the beans held a special decadent flavor.

Emmeline Sterling’s small coffee-roasting company was taking off lately; almost half the coffee shops in town sourced from her.

“What if I told you I could get you a coffee that had an even better roast?” he asked, eyes glittering. “Not as dark as dragon-roasted coffee, but with a deeper flavor profile.”

“Um …”

He pulled a card out of his pocket and slid it to her. On it read TEMPEST, and beneath that, Luke Hayward.

“I own a chimera-roasted coffee company,” the man—Luke—told her. He must have been from down by Bayview, then, where all the chimera and chimera-owning families were. “We’re just starting out, so I’m sure I can get you a better deal than the one you have now.”

“Oh, that’s alright, thank you,” Saphira said, sliding the card back his way. “I’m happy with Inferno, but I do appreciate the offer.”

Luke only gave her an easy smile. “In case you change your mind,” he said, sliding the card back to her. He picked up his drink, then winked at her and was on his way. She watched him go until he made it to the door, just as someone else was walking in.

It was Emmeline Sterling. She cut an unmistakable figure, and the moment she saw Luke, she snapped something at him. Saphira couldn’t hear what was being said, but she knew enough to tell Emmeline looked severely pissed off, while Luke just looked amused. He took a long sip of his drink while still looking at Emmeline over the cup.

Then he left, and Emmeline stalked to the counter, her heels clicking angrily on the floor. When she made it to Saphira, she was out of breath, her left eye twitching behind all the smoked-out kajal.

“Everything okay?” Saphira asked, intrigued to see the always calm and collected Emmeline so frazzled.

With shiny, sleek clothes, massive heels, and perfect lipstick, Emmeline was supermodel gorgeous. Saphira had been working with her since the cafe opened, and knew Emmeline from before a bit, as well, from around town.

“Ugh, that asshole ,” Emmeline huffed. Along with her killer looks was a striking personality that could be intimidating, but Emmeline was always friendly and kind with Saphira. She was social with just about everyone, but Saphira could tell Emmeline truly liked her, and they were friends.

“I told him I was loyal to you,” Saphira said, raising her hands in defense. “So I hope you aren’t worried about him poaching business from me.”

“Don’t worry, babe, I know you would never go behind my back like that,” Emmeline said. “And I also know you aren’t stupid enough to go into business with him—but it’s the principle of the thing.”

Emmeline scrunched her nose, where she had an elaborate nose ring pierced on one side. It was something only Emmeline could pull off. Saphira stuck to a simple nose pin for her piercing.

“The audacity of him to show up here! An intentional provocation!”

“So I gather you two know each other, then?” Saphira asked, slightly amused to see the usually so professional Emmeline so riled up.

Emmeline made a disgusted sound. “ Know is a bit of a stretch. Hate would be more accurate.”

“Okay, let’s take a deep breath,” Saphira said, forcing Emmeline to breathe with her. They took a deep inhale, then released a long breath. Saphira then got to work making Emmeline’s usual—a strong karak chai—and gave her the drink with one of the ras malai tres leches shooters. That seemed to cool Emmeline off a bit.

“So, how’s training going?” Emmeline asked, back to her usual self. She even looked a bit … giggly. “Aiden told me about your little arrangement.” Something glinted in her eyes, but Saphira did not understand it, so she didn’t question it.

“It’s going well,” Saphira said, smiling to think of the baby dragon. “Sparky is such an adorable little munchkin, I love him so much.”

“Isn’t he? I love the little monster.”

“He’s not a monster!” Saphira protested. “He’s my angel!”

Emmeline laughed. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just what Aiden always calls him.”

Some of Saphira’s smile faded, and Emmeline raised a quizzical brow. Saphira sighed. “Your cousin refuses to show up to any training sessions. Doesn’t he want to bond with Sparky? It’s weird.”

Emmeline made a thoughtful noise, taking a sip of her chai, and Saphira continued, “Sparky is doing so well! I only want Aiden to see that, and I can’t understand why he doesn’t care.”

She nibbled on her lower lip. What if Aiden was staying away because he didn’t trust Saphira was doing a good job? And he didn’t want to see her being a disaster and embarrassing herself? It was a bit of a far-fetched thought, but that was the point she was at in trying to comprehend Aiden’s distance.

“A word to the wise about my cousin,” Emmeline said. “I love him to bits, but he can be impossible sometimes. Very closed off. And Danny’s death didn’t help matters at all. Even though it’s been two years, still, it’s like ever since then, he’s become even more closed off—a locked treasure chest, if you will.”

“I get that,” Saphira said. She truly did. After losing Nani-Ma, all Saphira wanted was to close herself away from the world, to just disappear. “But it isn’t healthy to be so isolated. I try to get him to stay but he doesn’t want to. Maybe he hates me.”

Emmeline’s lip twitched. “I don’t think he hates you—he would have never come up with the idea for you to train Sparky if he did. And I know he doesn’t show it, but he does really love Sparky. He wouldn’t entrust him to just anyone .”

“Oh.” Saphira’s cheeks felt warm.

“Yeah.” Something curious glinted in her eyes. “You know, I was actually surprised when I heard he had hired you to train Sparky. It was an uncharacteristic move on his part.”

“Well, he could clearly use the help,” Saphira said, voice high.

“I suppose.” Emmeline made a thoughtful sound. “But I have never known my cousin to be so easily accepting of help …”

“Well, maybe he saw that I needed help, as well,” Saphira argued. “My espresso machine was a complete disaster, and I can’t exactly run a cafe without one.”

Emmeline smiled. “I’ve never known my cousin to be so altruistic, either.”

Saphira didn’t know how to respond to that, but her heart was beating uncommonly fast for some strange reason. “He is a bit reserved …”

“He’s at the Starshine Public Gardens today, lost between shrubbery,” Emmeline said, taking a bite of her cake. An idea turned in Saphira’s mind.

“What about Sparky?” Saphira asked.

“Probably being babysat against his will,” Emmeline replied. Public town spaces like the gardens often had a babysitting area for baby dragons which—much like human toddlers—they did not enjoy.

Saphira looked under the counter and grabbed her purse. “Lavinia!” she called. Lavinia popped her head out of the kitchen, where she had been taking a break.

“What’s up?”

“Can you cover closing for me?” Saphira asked. There was only half an hour left before the cafe closed.

“Of course, but where are you going?” Lavinia asked, arching a curious brow. She stepped out of the kitchen, giving Saphira a close look.

“I’m going to prove to Aiden that he’s missing out on not being there for Sparky’s training,” Saphira said, lifting her chin. She sounded a lot more confident than she felt, but it was time to take matters into her own hands. She wouldn’t keep waiting around for Aiden to be there, and Sparky needed him.

“Oooh, I love this,” Lavinia said, looking inordinately pleased for reasons Saphira could not decipher.

“Me too,” Emmeline added, looking equally pleased.

Taking a deep breath, Saphira stepped out from behind the counter, and went for the door. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and found Emmeline and Lavinia whispering and giggling to each other. Saphira narrowed her eyes at them. They waved, giving her innocent smiles.

Saphira didn’t have time to pry into exactly what they were giggling about.

“Emmy—do you know where in the gardens he’ll be?” Saphira called.

“I think the rose garden!” Emmeline called back.

“Thanks!” Saphira straightened her back, steeling herself.

She was a woman on a mission.