Having reached the coffee shop in a record twenty minutes, they rushed inside, hot and out of breath, and immediately felt the tension hanging in the air. No one expected a warm welcome, and indeed none followed.
- Swift! Crosby! - the voice of the owner of the coffee shop, Mr. Davis, cut through the atmosphere like a hot knife through butter. He emerged from the warehouse, flushed with anger and red, as if he had just returned from the scorching sun. - What does this even mean?! Did you see the time?
- Mr. Davis, we ... - Rava tried to start making excuses, but the words got stuck in his throat.
- Oh, and suddenly they remembered my name! - his boss interrupted him, raising his voice even louder, which made the customers involuntarily fall silent and pay attention to the unfolding scene.
The usual hum of conversation, the clink of dishes and the rich aroma of coffee reigned in the coffee shop, but now all this seemed like just a background for a small drama. The customers at the tables instantly stopped and turned their heads to the unfortunate pair of late workers.
"Where have you been?" Mr. Davis's voice suddenly softened, as if his anger had exhausted itself and given way to concern. "Did something happen to you?"
"No," Rava said quickly.
"Yes!" Blaine shouted at the same time.
They exchanged glances. Rava's eyes were filled with confusion and fear of being caught in a lie, while Blaine's face expressed absolute confidence and readiness to improvise further.
The boss narrowed his eyes, once again gaining the color of crimson anger:
"You could have at least agreed before entering!"
"But we just..." Rava muttered.
"Rava is too modest to talk about his actions!" Blaine interrupted his friend with such enthusiasm that even Rava doubted his own memory.
The coffee shop became so quiet that you could hear the sound of a dropped spoon.
- He called me on the way to work, - Blaine's voice sounded inspired and convincing, - and said that he heard kittens crying pitifully near his entrance!
- Kittens? - Mr. Davis asked in surprise, instantly softening.
- Kittens?.. - Rava repeated quietly, looking at Blaine with wide open eyes.
- Exactly! For some reason, their mother abandoned them right at the door. Can you imagine, these poor babies were freezing and terribly hungry.
- Hungry? - the boss repeated very quietly, with noticeable anxiety.
- Very hungry! - Blaine confirmed hotly. - We couldn't abandon them. We had to urgently take them to the veterinary clinic. While we were examining each one, we were so worried that we completely forgot about the time. The chief frowned, looking at both of them with suspicion:
- And what evidence do you have?
Rava froze. His heart began to beat faster, and his hands became traitorously cold. He knew perfectly well that there could be no evidence.
But Blaine did not flinch:
- Rava's cheek! Here is your evidence!
At the mention of the cheek, Rava shuddered, and the suddenly returning pain reminded him of yesterday's incident. It was as if his cheek began to throb and burn again under the intense gaze.
- He was carrying kittens in a box, got distracted while choosing a clinic, and did not notice the pole hit so hard, I thought he would lose his memory, - having finished, Blaine burst into such a loud and inappropriate laugh that Rava's entire body shrank.
- Indeed, Swift, you look terrible! - Mr. Davis muttered anxiously, having completely forgotten about his anger. - The first aid kit is in the warehouse, treat it and seal it with a bandage. Now work quickly, your clients are waiting for you!
- Yes, sir, - Rava answered quietly.
With slow and distant steps, Rava went to the warehouse, Blaine's ringing laughter was in his ears, which did not harmonize at all with yesterday's Blaine, who treated his wounds with all tenderness. This laughter stunned not only Rava, but also Iris and Ivi, who were standing nearby. After all, they saw with their own eyes how Rava choked on his tears yesterday, either from pain or from the injustice of life.
There was an uneasiness in his chest.
- What was that all about? - Rava asked quietly, approaching Blaine when the stream of customers finally died down.
He came into the kitchen, still tense and a little confused. Blaine at this time, casually settled on a chair, lazily chewing lettuce leaves, staring at the phone. There was complete imperturbability on his face.
- What are you talking about? - he said calmly, without looking up from the screen. But after a moment, his eyes widened in mock surprise, and he, slightly tilting his head to the side, asked with concern: - Wait a minute, did I offend you?
"Offended?"
Rava's heart skipped a beat, and his cheeks immediately became covered with a telltale blush. He was not prepared for this impudent directness.
- You!.. Do you even understand what you did?!" he began, waving his hands, but his voice broke almost immediately. He wanted to shout, to reproach Blaine for how shamelessly he had used his injury, this idiotic bruise on his cheek, to present him to his boss as some kind of clumsy hero of saving kittens. But the words got tangled in his throat. Along with the irritation, Rava suddenly felt a strange warmth, and his anger suddenly began to seem stupid and inappropriate.
They were silent. The silence between them grew, becoming thick and uncomfortable, and the longer it lasted, the more Rava wanted to just run away from here. Unable to find the right words and completely confused in his own feelings, he snorted dully, turned away and, clenching his fists in helplessness, went back into the hall.
Returning to the bar, Rava gradually calmed down. Here, among the pleasant hum of voices and the warming aromas of coffee, he again felt confident and comfortable. The rituals of making drinks always had a calming effect on him, pushing out any negative thoughts. He immersed himself in the pleasant monotony of the actions, and anger gradually gave way to embarrassment, and embarrassment to awareness.
"Maybe Blaine just wanted to help? If it weren't for him, we would have gotten into serious trouble. Probably, I should have thanked him, but I yelled..."
Rava sighed heavily, feeling how awkwardness and guilt for his abruptness were creeping up on his heart again.
"Okay. I'll have to apologize. At least a little," he thought, glancing briefly at the warehouse door, behind which Blaine remained.
But Blaine left before everyone else. The coffee shop was closed until tomorrow.
And then the clock struck ten o'clock in the evening.