"He's back." Ruby sighed and rolled her eyes at Annie. "Why is it we continually attract the city's entire set of weirdos. You'd think being situated where we are we'd draw more of the upper business class trade."

Annie laughed and studied her short dark-skinned boss. "Well, the weirdos deserve a place to fit in just as much as the rest of us. As for the upper class, some of them are even stranger." She paused and picked up her order book. "Maybe if you painted the place and freshened up the sign outside. You know, give it a new look you'd change the sort of clientele who come in. No rich snob is gonna frequent the place while it looks old fashioned and tired."

Ruby rolled her eyes again and looked around at the green vinyl booth seats and red laminated tables. They gave the café a fifties, sixties feel. The black and white chequered floor tiles were old but serviceable. She grinned and cocked her head. "No rich customers, honey, no raising the prices, therefore no money. No money, no upgrades. No upgrades, no rich customers. Looks like we're stuck with the weirdos."

Laughing some more, Annie made her way to where the tall man with the stunning green eyes sat shaking his leg. He wore the same faded tatty jumper as the day before. She wondered if he lived on the streets.

"Hi. Glad to see you back." She smiled as he flicked his eyes anxiously towards her. "It means you must have liked your coffee and steak sandwich," Annie added brightly.

He jerked his head as if in agreement, shook his leg faster and focused on the menu.

Annie gave him a minute and held her pencil ready. "What will it be today?"

Rohan swallowed the lump in his throat and wished he could get out of the habit of shaking his leg. He knew it was one of the reasons that drew people's attention towards him.

Especially women.

It was when confronted by women that he shook it more. He glanced at her again. She was pretty. Why did she have to be pretty? Though she was friendly he knew the sort of things she'd be thinking about him. "Coffee, black, and a steak sandwich. Please."

"Did you want barbecue sauce like yesterday?"

He held his money out towards her. His tongue and gums felt like fuzz stuck to a sticky palm. "Yeah."

Annie remained sunny and wished he'd look at her again. She wanted see the colour of his eyes better. "Okay, won't be long."

Rohan followed her movement as she walked away. She was small, five three at most and had a nice shape. He focused on her backside as she squatted to pick up a dirty serviette from the floor. Rohan shook his leg harder, rested his elbows on the table and covered his eyes with the heels of his hands. Just because he was different didn't mean he didn't have the same urges as any other man. The memory of Sally's breasts surging to the top of her blouse caused him to groan. If she knew how it affected him, he'd never live it down.

He breathed in and exhaled at the memory of his only experience with a woman. One hundred and fifty dollars he had paid her to laugh in his face.

She said it was a shame a man built like him couldn't last. She had climbed off of him, gotten dressed, shoved his money in her bra, chuckled some more, and then patted him on the cheek saying, "Honey, you should just jerk-off in future and save yourself some cash. Men like you don't change."

He'd actually cried when she left. Had been hoping the experience would make him more confident. Instead, it had the opposite effect.

"Here you go."

He jerked backwards in alarm and removed his elbows from the table. Rohan caught the curious look on the girl's face while she poured coffee into his mug.

"Sandwich won't be long."

Rohan nodded and looked at her long enough to see her blue eyes soften. Yes, she was pretty. More than pretty with her long fair wavy ponytail and dark lashes. He focused on her full lips and moved uncomfortably as he felt his body react. Rohan drew in a breath and began to sweat. His leg pumped so hard his knee hit the underneath of the table. He forced himself to stop and gripped his fingers together.

"Are you okay? You don't look well. Maybe you should take that hot jumper off."

Her hand reached towards him. Rohan silently prayed. 'Don't touch me, please don't touch me.'

Annie's fingers continued their forward movement. "Maybe you have a fever and you need to see a doctor."

He lifted his forearm to deflect her and slid along the bench seat before she could connect. "I'm okay. Just let me drink my coffee." Rohan watched as she frowned, dropped her hand and looked confused by his reaction. He ignored it. She'd get over it and treat him like everyone else did next time.

Even though he liked the feel of anonymity and the safety of the booth set up this place offered, Rohan knew there wouldn't be a next time.

He wouldn't be back to give her the chance.

*

"What's the matter with you?" Ruby studied Annie's face as she looked up from where she was wiping down the counter.

Annie shook her head and shrugged. "Oh, it's nothing really. Green eyes looked really sick. He broke out in a sweat. When I tried to touch him to see if he had a fever, he backed up like I was going to hit him."

"Green eyes? You're giving them names now?" Ruby chuckled and widened her eyes in question.

"No... just him." Annie looked forlornly back at the strange man. "He's got me curious."

Ruby followed Annie's gaze. "You should forget about him. There's something not right there. Look at the way his leg shakes. If you're too friendly you might find yourself in a situation you don't want to be in."

Sighing, Annie put her elbows on the counter. "I think his leg shakes when he's nervous. He looks intimidated when you look him in the eye." She chuckled, looked at Ruby and added, "Like a scared puppy that needs a cuddle."

"Oh. My. God. You sure it's not you that's got the fever, girl?" Ruby smirked and shook her head as she watched the man take a bite of his sandwich. "You stay away from him, Annie. He could be a serial killer for all we know."

Annie hooted. She straightened up and noticed him glance in her direction. His leg jerked like a jack hammer. "It's not like I'm going to follow him home or anything."

Ruby raised her eyebrows and tweaked her head. "No... but he just might follow you home."

Photo - Dreamtime.com