RP: Our daily bread

[rar_cho]

Date: Monday, May 27, 1999
Characters: Cho Chang, Anthony Goldstein
Location: The Bread Basket
Status: Private
Summary: Chang and Goldstein break bread.
Completion: Complete

Comments

[rar_anthony]

Anthony made his way downstairs, his bag on his shoulder, determined to have a warm banana nut muffin and a steaming cup of coffee before work. He didn't usually drink much coffee, but he'd not slept well the night before, and he thought it might help.

"Good morning, dear," said Mrs Marlinspike, "What'll it be this morning?" She liked Anthony (though not nearly as much as her grandson did, apparently) and was always kind to him, even when he was grouchy of a morning.

Anthony put in his order and was informed that the last banana nut muffin had just been purchased by the young lady at the sidewalk table, and would he perhaps like raisin-bran, instead? Anthony frowned as he realised exactly who the young lady was who had taken the muffin that was rightfully his, and he ordered a croissant instead.

He paid and made his way out to the sidewalk tables, looming over Cho for a moment.

"Enjoying that muffin?" He was in no mood to be trifled with today.

[rar_anthony]

"Just a guess," said Anthony with a half-smile.

Anthony eyed Marlinspike--John--as the bloke introduced himself to Cho. What was he trying to do? Anthony almost wished he and Cho were friendlier so he could put an arm around her, or something of the sort, to send his neighbour a message. He knew he wasn't supposed to be avoiding him anymore, but that didn't mean Anthony didn't still feel a little uncomfortable. Marlinspike had been his secret, and now here he was, intruding on Anthony's life like this.

Marlinspike grinned at Cho. "She'd thank you. Have you tried the almond croissants?" he asked, picking up his own pastry. "They're my favourite."

Anthony sighed and sat back in his chair, shoving the last of the croissant in his mouth so he didn't have to speak.

[rar_cho]

John was a friendly bloke and it seemed he was also a fan of the almond croissants. She grinned, “Anthony was kind enough to give me a taste of his croissant.” She broke off another piece of her muffin and pushed the rest towards Anthony, “Here, if you want, I owe you a bite of mine.”

As she looked over at Anthony, she noticed he had just shoved a huge piece of croissant into his mouth. Did he think she was going to steal another bite or something? She stared at him a moment before turning back to ask John, “So, how do you and Anthony know each other?”

[rar_anthony]

Anthony swallowed the croissant and held up a hand. "Thanks, but I'm full." He pushed the muffin back at Cho, noting that the poor pastry had had rather a rough go of things this morning, being shuttled back and forth across the table so many times.

And then Cho asked how they knew each other. Oh, no. Anthony furrowed his brow as John grinned at him. "Well, you see--" John began, but Anthony interrupted.

"We're neighbours," he explained hastily, "We both live above the bakery. John's on the second floor, I'm on the third."

"Precisely what I was going to say," said John--no, Marlinspike, dammit--and he took a long draught from his coffee cup.

"And we work together," Anthony continued. He checked his wristwatch. "And we should probably get going. Both of us." He wasn't about to leave his two "friends" alone together.

[rar_cho]

Anthony declined the remaining muffin which did look rather pathetic at this point. Although, it was a perfectly lovely muffin before he had - What exactly had Anthony done? That was a hell of a lot of drama for someone to just end up sitting down and eating their own breakfast. She sighed as she decided she should probably give up trying to figure out Anthony Goldstein