Rohan couldn't make it to Ruby's the next day due to an influx of swabs being taken for patients presenting with Swine Flu symptoms. Most had given negative results but the lab was run off its feet trying to keep up with these and all the other tests of a normal day.

Annie went home with a heavy heart thinking the worst. When she lay in her bed with thoughts of Rohan and Sally being together, she couldn't believe it. There was no way he could have faked his shyness and why would such a good-looking man need to pull such a stunt in the first place. He'd just have to dress nice and smile. Women would fall at his feet.

The more she thought about Rohan's behaviour and the way he had been when they went to the movies, she was sure Sally had lied. No man who wasn't genuine would wait as long or look as dejected like he did while leaning on the wall rocking backwards and forwards.

Rohan was shy and lacked self-confidence. He had definitely been intimidated by Sally and her friend the day they had come into the café.

*

Annie woke up feeling convinced Sally had lied but she did wonder why Rohan had gone with her.

She was serving another customer when he came in. Annie saw him in her peripheral vision as he sat down at his usual booth and watched her. She resisted the urge to look at him. When she headed back to the counter with the order Annie made sure she stayed turned away from him so she couldn't make eye contact. She didn't know what she was going to say and was worried how it would come out.

As she rung up the money in the register Annie lifted her eyes to meet his. He smiled but the instant their eyes met he frowned and looked down at his menu. Annie noticed Rohan's leg bounce a couple of times. A surge of grief rushed through her because she knew it was her body language which had made him nervous and she hadn't wanted to intimidate him.

She lifted the pot of coffee, returned to the table she had served with their change and filled up their cups. Annie then moved to Rohan's table and turned his cup over to fill it saying, "Hello, Rohan."

His mouth quavered in an attempt to smile. Rohan flashed his eyes up at her then flicked them back to look at the menu, and then up again to rest on her face once more as he said, "Hello, Annie."

"You didn't come in yesterday or the day before." Annie knew her tone was short. She was sorry for that because she hadn't meant it to be.

"No... we were busy. At work."

"So, are you planning on trying something different today?"

"Ah... no... why?" Rohan asked with a frown.

"You're reading the menu and there's really no point unless you're going to order something different." The instant she spoke Annie regretted it. Rohan's leg bounced harder. His face seemed to close in on him. Damn she was stupid; was being really stupid. Annie wanted to apologise but she turned and went to write up his order and put it on the spike. She busied herself with clearing a few empty tables.

When she went to fill up Sid and Harry's coffee they whispered, "Have you sorted it yet? He doesn't look happy."

"No. Not yet and you pair butt out of it," she whispered back. Annie glanced at Rohan and caught him peering at her. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and jerked his leg. She could tell he was trying to stop it from shaking.

Everything had been moving along nicely until that cow had come in two days ago. Even though Annie was sure she had been lying, the seed of doubt had been planted.

"Order up!" Gus held up the plate of food, and then put it on the servery. Annie picked it up. It was Rohan's sandwich. She took it and put it in front of him. He looked warily up at her and handed her ten dollars. Annie didn't say anything but took the money and went to the register.

*

Rohan had no idea what was going on but he could tell Annie was angry. At first, he thought it might have had something to do with the customers she had been serving. He knew now it had something to do with him.

A familiar heavy sensation pressed against his chest. He had grown up with this feeling constantly within him. Rohan glanced at Annie again. He didn't understand why she was angry with him. Maybe it was because he hadn't come in and she had wanted to see him like he had wanted to see her. Maybe she thought he didn't want to see her.

Rohan didn't like the feelings of anxiety which were consuming him. They had eased off since getting to know Annie and he liked not having to live with them constantly. He took a deep breath. If he wanted the feeling to go away, he would have to ask her what was wrong.

He watched her move towards him with his change. Rohan forced himself to look her in the eye and when she put his change on the table he said, "Annie are you mad at me?"

"No. Yes. A little." Annie was taken aback because he had asked. She knew she must have sounded dumb. She saw a look of amusement, and then confusion flash across his face. She sighed and looked around the café calling out, "Ruby! I'm taking ten minutes okay."

Ruby nodded so Annie slid onto the seat facing Rohan. She fiddled with her fingers and studied his worried face.

"Did I do something wrong?"

The look he gave her made Annie want to reach out and touch him but she controlled the urge and instead said, "Your friend came in here on Wednesday."

"My friend?"

Rohan looked so confused Annie was sure he couldn't have faked it.

"That woman from your work. Sally."

"Sally? She's not my friend, Annie. Did she say she was my friend?"

"No." Annie inhaled and thought she'd just come straight out with it. "She said she was your girlfriend."

Rohan's face went completely still. His eyes blanked, and then his jaw muscles contracted.

Annie watched his hands slowly close, and then open to close once more. His leg didn't jerk like she thought it would if he was lying.

"She's not my girlfriend, Annie." The rage Rohan felt was so strong. He concentrated on breathing steadily in and out while he waited for the feeling to recede. "When did she come in here?"

"On Wednesday just before one o'clock. She said..." Annie wavered. She didn't know how to repeat what Sally had said without looking silly so she worded it differently, "Rohan are you with her? She said you were and you were conning me because you were trying to have an affair with me. That you'd done it before; pretended you were shy and tricked a girl into having sex with you."

His eyes opened so wide in shock they looked like head lights, and then he burst into laughter. Rohan laughed so hard it was a relief because of the anger he had felt.

"Annie..." he chuckled. "You don't believe her? You can't possibly think it's true?" Rohan hung his head and wiped his eyes. When he looked up at her she wasn't smiling. He realised that perhaps she did think it was true and laughing hadn't been the best way to deal with it. If only she knew just how far from the truth that was, she'd have laughed too. "I'm sorry, Annie. I shouldn't have laughed but you know I'm not good with women. Talking to women." Rohan desperately wanted to tell her the truth but he couldn't. She'd think he was a real loser and he didn't want to turn her away from him. "Annie, please don't believe her," he whispered.

"Why would she say it, Rohan? I saw you talking to her across the street. She cuddled you and you put your arm around her as you walked away with her."

Rohan frowned and thought about how it must have looked to Annie. No wonder she was angry. A spark of excitement flashed in his subconscious. Annie was jealous. She was jealous of Sally talking to him. This realisation had his head pounding and his heart beating double time. He didn't want Annie to be angry with him. "She told me she had been attacked and the man had stolen her bag. There was coffee spilt all down her shirt. She asked me to walk her back to work. I did because she looked really scared and upset." Rohan paused, and then added, "I was on my way here to have lunch. I couldn't come yesterday because we were really busy."

This time Annie laughed. She hid her face and shook her head as she thought, that bitch. She said, "She didn't have a bag, Rohan. She came in and bought a cup of coffee with lots and lots of milk in it. I remember she gave me four dollars out of her pants pocket. She wanted me to see her talking to you and she must have poured the coffee on herself. Why would she do that?"

"Because of what you said to her," Rohan mused. "Sally doesn't like it if other people get the better of her. She's trying to hurt you because you told her off." He felt ashamed that because of his weakness, Annie was now being taunted by Sally. "It's because I couldn't stick up for myself," he confessed. "She's always intimidated me but since I've met you, Annie, that's changing and Sally doesn't like it."

Rohan reached out and took hold of Annie's hand. He fiddled with her fingers and waited to see if she would pull away. She didn't so he said, "Your friendship has made me stronger. It's more important to me than anything else I've ever known. Please don't believe her, Annie."

"I won't." Annie gave him a sorrowful smile as she said, "I'm sorry I got angry. I shouldn't have gotten angry. I should have just asked you but it hurt to think you might have been conning me. I had someone do that to me before and it wasn't very nice. I don't want it to happen to me again." Annie hoped he didn't think she was an idiot and added, "Your friendship means a lot to me too, Rohan."

"Annie! I need your help back here." Ruby was standing at the servery with a pile of dishes. "Sorry but the dishwasher broke down."

"Okay, Ruby." Annie looked back at Rohan. "I've got to get back to work and your sandwich is going to be cold." She pulled her hands from his grasp, stood up, and then used her thumb to indicate over her shoulder. "I have to get on with it. See ya."

Rohan smiled and nodded. He watched her go and kicked himself for not asking her out again but he thought she'd probably say no. He ate his sandwich and by the time he had finished she hadn't come back out the front so he sighed and left.

Poor Rohan has no idea what's going on.

Photo - 700hg