#monstermag

I got a better look at them when I shoved my glasses back on my nose. They had long hair, longer than I’d expected, in an ashy blond ponytail. Their stark white collar under a spring green apron looked charming and seemed more like a uniform that happened to fit their features than something they would have picked out. A pink polka dotted bowtie matched the socks that I had been staring through my lenses at, and their sensible brown shoes looked almost antique. Like something stepped out of a romance novel. The longer I stared, the more I noticed, until I realized I was staring and shoved the cleaning cloth back into their hands. 

Their gold rimmed glasses highlighted their freckles beautifully. 

“Thank you,” I muttered weakly again. 

Their laugh was enchanting and they took the cloth and tucked it into the apron once more. The knuckle of their first finger rose and chucked under my chin. 

“Chin up, honey,” they said gently, “you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of here. Pick a table and get settled while you wait out the storm. Cherry over there will serve you when you’re ready.” 

I looked over at Cherry. She was aptly named, or at least aptly called, with her blossom pink hair and the blush across her freckled cheeks. Her fingers were long and dainty, almost branch-like, as she waved at me. I gave her a half smile, still burning with embarrassment as I saw my way to the nearest table. 

“Well aren’t you gorgeous,” Cherry cooed as she walked around the counter and up to the table. “You want something warm to drink, hon?” 

“I almost feel like I’m back home with all of the pet names,” I smiled. “Warm would be fantastic. Do you have tea?” 

“All our teas are seasonal, we’ve got lavender, rose, and cherry blossom that we can mix in with black tea leaves or matcha if you’d prefer.” 

Something in the wink she gave me set my heart fluttering. It was intoxicating, these otherworldly beauties paying such careful attention to me. 

But I was sure that it was the job. I’d worked service industry jobs before. I remembered the faked smiles and the flirting for tips. Still… the wink would have been over the top for just the job. Right? 

“Whatever you think is best, Cherry. I’d love to try my favorite.” I tried a shy smile back and watched hers bloom into a beam of bright cheerfulness. 

“Oh I’ve got the perfect thing. Anything to eat?” 

I shook my head. The scent of cherry blossoms and honey was beginning to make me drowsy. I’d heard that Disney Land piped in scents to be immersive. Maybe this shop did that as well? 

Cherry ducked into the back, behind the counter she’d first been in, and I looked around. The person with the glasses cloth had disappeared somewhere behind a gauzy curtain, even though the shop hadn’t looked much bigger than this space from the outside. The tap of raindrops on the roof and glass was comforting, and I turned to watch raindrops race down the nearest windowpane. The wind was picking up in a bad way, trees outside bending with the force of it, but the little sanctuary of the shop remained untouched. 

“Here you go, try it,” Cherry set a tea cup on the table and sank into the seat across from me, her chin cupped in her hands. 

I lifted the cup to my lips and blew gently, watching the ripples disturb the tranquil surface of the tea. Something stirred in it, beneath the green liquid. I raised the porcelain to my lips and took a tentative sip. 

“It’s delicious. Cherry blossoms and green tea?”  I ventured. 

“And lots of honey, to make it sweet. Like you,” Cherry’s bobbed hair fell sweetly as she tilted her head to the side. 

The petals began to float to the top, their anchor of honey disturbed, and I blushed. But I didn’t look away this time. I set the tea cup on the table, my hands cupped around it for the warmth. I felt more tired than I had getting out of bed that morning. The scents, the heat, the sounds of the rain, it was all lulling my eyes closed. 

Cherry’s fingertips traipsed up my hand and then the inside of my forearm. I blinked slowly, blearily at her, as she leaned out of her seat to do it. 

She must have done. No one’s arms could be that long. 

“You sure you don’t want anything to eat?” Cherry proposed, a half tempting whine to her voice as her fingers started to wrap around my arms. 

“Sure, why not?” I shrugged. “What should I eat?” 

There was a brief moment where I thought I heard her say “me” but then it was overridden by a chorus of cherubic giggles. 

“Let me pick something. Give me your name,” Cherry said, her fingers still coiling around my arm. 

The phrasing was strange. An order instead of asking. But I was so tired. I was willing to give her anything. 

When I opened my mouth to say my name, no sound came out. Nothing. I tried again. 

“Thank you,” she whispered reverently.