LAYLA ABRAHAM

"I see you've got your man working for you. Nice touch."

Layla glanced over her shoulder at her friend. "What?" She continued icing some cupcakes which a customer would be coming to collect just before closing. "What do you mean?"

"Alejandro's waiting tables."

"Again?" She asked, no longer surprised.

Hailey nodded enthusiastically, clearly impressed.

She sighed and wiped her hands on a dish towel. "I told him he didn't need to do that."

"Why are you stopping him?" Her friend asked, her voice filled with mirth as she followed Layla out of the kitchen. Despite her question, she was eager to watch the spectacle.

She huffed. "Because that's not his job."

"No, but he's doing my job for me so I'm not complaining."

Layla scoffed and sent a pointed look towards her friend, giving her a light shove to return to her position behind the counter as a couple of customers were stepping into the bakery.

"Of course, you're not." She laughed slightly.

They were easing out of lunch hour so the bakery had quietened down a considerable amount, but there were still customers coming in for a late lunch. Alejandro had jumped up to help once the tables got full and the orders started coming in, but she had forcibly pushed him back in his booth and all but commanded him to stay, because waiting tables wasn't part of his job description. He must have jumped back on his feet as soon as she headed into the kitchen.

Layla should have known better than to think that he would have listened. She approached him from behind when he was wiping down a table.

"I thought I told you to sit down."

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "I didn't say that I was going to listen."

"This isn't part of your job." She crossed her arms and frowned.

He shrugged and finished wiping the table clean, ready for a new customer before he turned around and headed into the kitchen. She followed closely behind him.

Alejandro walked up the sink and turned on the tap to wash his hands. "You're understaffed and I was just sitting there. I've got some free time so I wanted to help. It's not a big deal."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around him from behind, locking her arms around his waist. "You didn't have to do that, but thank you. I really appreciate it." She mumbled against his strong, lean back and rested her cheek against it as she spoke.

Just being around him made her feel so safe and content.

He turned off the sink and wiped his hands on a dish towel before he turning around to wrap his arms around her.

"You're very welcome." He bowed his head and mumbled the words into her hair, pressing a soft kiss against the crown of her head. "Have dinner with me tonight."

She sent him a weird look. "We always have dinner together. Isn't that part of your job description?"

A barely-there smile played on his lips. "I mean, go to dinner with me."

"Is this you taking me out on a date?"

Alejandro answered with a soft kiss against her lips. "Yes." He whispered against her mouth. "So, what do you say?"

"If we're going to do this, then I want to do this properly."

"Dinner isn't going to cut it?"

She shook her head and held back a giggle. "You're going to have to do better than that."

"I'll make it worth your while." The promise behind his words were clear, but she wasn't falling for that.

"Oh, I'm sure you will."

He sealed the deal with a firm kiss against her mouth, a small taste of what the rest of tonight would ensue.

When Chris and Louis arrived later that afternoon after the bakery had closed and bar opened up, she waited around until the first batch of party-goers arrived before she slipped on her jacket and met Alejandro out front.

"You ready?" He asked, slipping his hand in hers as they made their way towards his car.

She nodded eagerly. "What do you have planned?"

"Want to catch a movie with me?"

She was surprised at that having not been taking out for a movie as a date since college, but the idea was far from unwelcome.

"Depends what we're watching."

"Your choice."

"And I get to pick the movie? What a gentleman."

"Only for you." He winked as he closed the door once she got into the car.

She watched as he jogged to the other side and slipped in before starting up the engine and driving out of the car park. It wasn't long before they walked into the cinema. She got some sugary candy and a large slush for herself while he opted for a soda instead and got a large portion of buttery popcorn for them both to share.

Approximately 2 and a half hours later, they walked out of the movie theatre, their fingers interlocked as she still sipped at her slush. She had forgotten to drink it during the movie as she had been so engrossed in watching the big screen – and was now determined to finish it before it melted even more. When she struggled to do so due to brain freeze, he was more than happy to help her out with it.

Once they both were unable to defeat the large cup of melted slush, both victims of the treacherous villain that was brain freeze, they dumped the little that remained in the nearest garbage can as they continued their evening stroll down the street. His car was still parked in the parking lot of the movie theatre and they were currently heading in the opposite direction which suggested that their date wasn't quite over.

That made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"I know this isn't the most exciting date, but I know you'd appreciate a quiet dinner and a good movie instead of something fancier."

Layla had been on far more extravagant dates than this one, but she didn't care. This was more than she could have asked for. She's had a few serious boyfriends before Kevin, but he had been the most serious and she had actually pictured spending the rest of her life with him; though quickly learnt otherwise which she was immensely thankful for now.

She'd been taken on all sorts of fancy dates from picnics in the parks to private candle-lit dinners, but she had never enjoyed them as much as she was enjoying this one. And if she were to plan a date, it usually consisted of ordering food and having a movie night in. On the rare occasion she would enjoy going out dancing, drinking and clubbing, but she didn't quite class that as a date.

Alejandro knew her well enough that she preferred the simpler things in life and frankly, that meant much more to her than any fancy date he could have taken her on. All that mattered was that she was with Alejandro, and she couldn't imagine a better way to spend her evening.

"It's perfect." She smiled at him.

You're perfect, is what she really wanted to say but held herself back.

"Come on," he grinned and grabbed her hand. "Let's go get some food in you. Any requests?"

"I'm in the mood for some meat."

He wiggled his eyebrows at that, his mind travelling straight into the gutter as he turned her simple sentence into yet another innuendo.

"Not your meat. Not right now, anyway." She whispered the last part to herself.

"There's a diner a little away from here that does these great turkey sandwiches." He suggested.

"I think I know which one you're talking about and it sounds great." She smiled and tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the diner; their chosen dinner date for the evening.

After working all day and consuming only some sweet snacks during the movie, she had worked up quite the appetite.

The bell chimed softly as Layla and Alejandro stepped foot into the diner, about half-full.

A spotty teenaged male greeted them at the door before ushering them into a booth by the window, as per their request. He handed them some menus and placed 2 glasses of refreshing cold water on the table.

"I'll be back in a little while to take your order." He smiled before heading to tend to some other customers.

Her eyes scanned the menu even though she already knew what she was going to get.

Alejandro glanced at her from over his menu. "You see any meat you like?" Another innuendo.

She smirked and crossed her legs at the sound of his words. This time, she was sure to fire a shot back. "Since we're in public, I think I'll stick to what's on the menu."

"Too bad."

When their waiter returned, Layla ordered a turkey sandwich and a diet coke to wash it down whereas Alejandro went for a double chicken and lamb sandwich with a portion of fries and a coke. He had gotten the fries more for her sake, in case she was still hungry after the sandwich. If she wasn't, then he was more than happy to throw them back.

They shared light chatter filled with small bouts of silence as they waited for their food to arrive, and then it continued once the waiter returned with their meals.

"You want to try my sandwich?"

She pursed her lips and eyed the said sandwich which he held in his hands. The idea of lamb and chicken together in a saucy marinade sounded interesting but didn't quiet appeal to her.

"I think I'll pass." Her nose scrunched up slightly, the action subconscious on her part but cute to him.

Alejandro smiled softly and cut her a small piece, placing it on her plate. "Don't knock it till you try it."

Layla grinned and did the same with hers. They both tried each other's sandwiches first and while the turkey was great, as expected, she was surprised that she enjoyed his as much as she had. While she still struggled to move past the mixed texture of both meats, the taste was more than pleasant.

"You've got something on your face."

He glanced up at her and put down his sandwich before grabbing a napkin. He wiped at his mouth but managed to miss the spot intentionally.

She held back a smile as she reached forward and swiped her thumb across the corner of his mouth, cleaning him up and wiping away the mess.

"All gone." She forced the words out as she found her throat suddenly feeling very dry. Her breath hitched in her throat and her eyes zeroed in on his mouth and deliciously plump lips as his tongue slithered out and wiped the sauce from her fingers. The feel of his tongue against her thumb went straight down to her core, forcing herself to uncross and cross her legs again, squeezing her thighs in attempt to tame the burn that resonated from deep within but to no luck.

The man was seriously sex on legs.

"Layla? Alejandro?" A voice called out to them, pulling them out of the intimate moment they were sharing.

Tearing their eyes away from each other, they both glanced up to find their favourite detective staring down at them in confusion and mild suspicious along with a woman who appeared to be his wife.

Layla retracted her arm and returned it to her side.

Alejandro coughed to divert his attention. "Detective Hardy. What a pleasure seeing you here." His words were sweet but his tone, not so much.

"I could say the same about you. My wife and I were just grabbing a bite to eat. I didn't expect to see you two." He smiled warmly at the woman on his arm, and they both returned the smiles as she introduced herself before excusing herself to use the bathroom before they had to go.

Layla wished she could follow the woman as Hardy sent knowing looks between the pair.

Alejandro took reign of the conversation and for that, she was glad. She had never been very good at lying.

"We were just doing the same thing."

"There are other restaurants and diners much closer to the bakery than this one." The detective pointed out, not missing a beat.

"Layla was in the mood for a sandwich and I said I knew just the place." He shrugged, holding up a nonchalant act.

Detective Hardy hummed but didn't have the opportunity to comment further on the matter as his wife had returned. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys soon." He greeted them before excusing himself and his wife.

Layla watched as the couple stepped out of the diner, and it was only then that she released the breath she hadn't even realised she was holding in.

"Do you think he knows?"

Alejandro rubbed a hand down his jaw. "I think he suspects it, but he can't prove anything based just on what he saw now."

She gnawed on her bottom lip. "Are you going to lose your job?"

"Let's finish off here and we'll head back to your place. I'll whip up a fresh batch of churros, just for you." He comforted her with a barely-there smile. When she frowned, clear indication that she wasn't falling for his whimsical words of distraction, his mouth twitched at the sides. "Everything will be fine. If anything comes up, I'll deal with it." He promised and reached over to place his hand over hers, squeezing it gently in a reassuring manner.

Layla offered him a small smile and tried to finish her sandwich, but she wasn't able to eat more than half of it despite how hungry she was not even ten minutes ago.

Seeing detective Hardy tonight had put a bitter taste in her mouth that no amount of coke – diet or otherwise – could wash away.

-

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Layla Knight

29.05.2020