Not able to stop her eyebrows from raising as they walked in, Nina stood by the door for a second and looked around at small bistro tables that were squeezed into every available space. With barely any room to move, Nina followed Robby to a table that had been indicated to him by a member of staff from the back. All around them, tall, floor-to-ceiling shelving was stacked to the brim with china, dozens of sacks of coffee, an old-fashioned glass counter ran along the back, and a pretty woman with glossy hair zipped around as if she was on wheels.
As Nina squeezed alongside a table, wedged herself on a seat and put her bag beside her feet, she looked over at the wall opposite where a young assistant in a butcher’s apron with a bouncy blonde ponytail was on a wheeled ladder loading little stacks of bowls onto shelves nearly touching the ceiling.
Nina took it all in as she sat down and realised that everyone around her had little bowls of coffee in front of them. As Robby got up to go and see what was what, the bell over the door tinkled, and she watched as a tanned man with huge biceps who was not too hard on the eye walked in. He just so happened to be wearing a wetsuit with the top rolled down, a towel around his waist and Birkenstocks on his feet and stood directly in front of Nina’s table. Nina didn’t mind earwigging as she took in the man’s Australian accent.
‘Morning. How are ya?’
‘Hey, Leo. Good thanks. How are you?’
‘Cracking.’
‘How’s the water out there today?’
‘Yeah, not bad.’
‘How are things with you? How’s work?’
The man bantered. Nina had to admit she swooned. Her chin may have dropped. ‘Busy saving lives.’
‘Ha. Right, two baskets for you?’
Nina watched as Leo took what appeared to be three white wicker baskets from under his arm, put them on the counter and took two others from the assistant. The biceps worked quite nicely, it had to be said. ‘Yeah. I need them for today’s shift. It’ll be a long one.’
Nina wondered what was in the baskets, which were lined and knotted with blue and white gingham linen, as Leo scooped two of them into his arms. The assistant handed him a coffee that, as far as Nina was concerned, he hadn’t asked for. ‘See ya then.’
‘See you tomorrow.’
‘She’ll be right.’
Nina swallowed. Darlings appeared not to just do coffee well.
She chuckled to herself as Robby came back to the table. He sat down and lowered his voice. ‘This place is packed.’
‘I know.’
‘Someone will come and take our order.’
Nina leaned forward, side-eyed and lowered her voice, ‘Everyone has bowls.’
Robby frowned and also lowered his voice, ‘What?’
Nina flicked her head to the table beside them. ‘They all have coffee in little bowls.’
Robby looked from left to right, ‘Oh yeah.’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘Strange.’
About ten minutes later, Robby and Nina were holding bowls of milky coffee. Robby took a sip and put it down. ‘So, I have some news.’
‘Oh, right, sounds ominous.’
‘While you were in that shop.’
‘Yep.’
‘Singapore.’
Nina smiled. ‘Ooh. Is it a yes?’
‘It is. We won the tender.’
