Sweet like Chocolate

Maeve hummed a little tune that had been stuck in her head all night. Probably the result of watching drama re-runs on TV until 2:00 am.

She had crashed on the sofa and dragged herself up this morning. Thankfully the gallery was quiet today and with tomorrow being the weekend she looked on the positive side. Zhi Cuifen was busy chatting with a client about a large canvas of pretty sunflowers.

"Do sunflowers have any symbolic meaning?" the client asked. "My wife is very superstitious and she doesn't like anything with a bad meaning."

Cuifen squinted her eyes at the painting, "This is a Viktor Fulle painting," Cuifen told the man, "I recall the artist mentioning that it symbolized rebirth and fertility."

The client looked very pleased with this response, "Great, I'll take it."

Maeve smiled when she overheard the conversation. Cuifen had told the last five clients she'd met, the same exact thing, but she had such a good way of speaking with people that they ate it up.

Madame Qui had never specified that they shouldn't lie, although Maeve didn't like doing so; for Madame Qui, a sale was a sale.

"I think I'll just pop out for a coffee," Maeve whispered quietly to Cuifen while her friend was finishing up the purchase.

Zhi Cuifen nodded and flipped her hair, bringing the client's attention back to her instead of Maeve.

Maeve started on the walk to Café Beau Faire. It was her favorite spot to dip out during her break and take her mind off of life.

She sat at her usual small table in the corner of the quiet café. From here she could people-watch. Maeve liked to admire the selection of customers that frequented the establishment. From glamorous women grabbing a drink with arms full of shopping bags, to cute university couples still struggling to speak about their feelings, to the regulars; business men on their breaks or grabbing a toasted sandwich and a black Americano, it was nice and Maeve settled into her spot among them, blending in and busying herself with folding a paper napkin into the shape of a crane.

"The usual," smiled the coffee shop employee, placing Maeve's drink on the small round wooden table. He also placed a slice of chocolate cake and Maeve looked up, "Oh, I didn't order this."

"I know," he replied, "It's a new addition to our menu and I thought as a regular customer you'd like to try it... and give us your review of course."

Maeve paused, but accepted the cake.

This guy was the same guy who served her most days. He was in his mid-twenties, similar to Maeve's age and he wore a generic uniform, white shirt, jeans and a burgundy red apron with the café logo; a small white daisy flower. On his lapel was a name tag, it read 'Devon'.

"Thanks, Devon," Maeve smiled.

Devon's smile grew immensely, "Ah right," he said glancing at his name tag. My name is actually Dong Fang but here they call me Devon."

Maeve hadn't asked for a whole explanation. She was just being polite.

"Mhmm," she nodded and took a sip of her coffee.

"Maeve, I'd actually been wanting to ask you something for a while," he continued. Maeve wondered why he was still hanging around her table?

"Uh, how do you know my name?" she frowned.

Devon laughed, "We write it on your coffee cup every morning!"

"Ah, of course," Maeve laughed worriedly and felt her face become red.

The servers at the counter were beginning to stare at them and Maeve felt a little awkward.

"Well, what is it?" she spoke, a little harshly.

Devon looked awkwardly over at his colleagues, "Uh just that we've changed our recipe and I wanted to ask if you'd noticed."

Maeve looked unentertained. She stared at the coffee and back at the worried looking man. "It's a little sweeter."

"Right! Ha! Noted, I'll ermmm have them fix that then."

Devon scurried back behind the counter where a few employees were whispering to him. Maeve looked at her small gold wrist watch and saw that she was late. Break was over, so she quickly finished up her drink and took a big bite of the chocolate cake before grabbing her purse and heading out.

Madame Qui wasn't a gracious boss. If you took more than your allowed time on your break then you'd have to make up for it later which usually involved polishing some old antique items back in the store room or washing the cups in the kitchen.

Maeve rushed back and she had just stepped into the gallery when she saw the back of a tall man's figure dressed in a navy blue suit, polished brown brogues and a silver Rolex on his wrist. She couldn't get a look at him but Cuifen was blushing to the point that she'd become as red as a tomato. Maeve winced at Cuifen's loud obnoxious laugh and the way she was overly flirting with the man.

He turned around when he heard Maeve enter.

"Perfect, it's you," he smiled.

Maeve felt a wash of embarrassment come over her. It was that assistant from Zen Tower back again, except this time he was dressed up. Wearing these clothes he could almost be mistaken for a young boss.

Maeve gave a gulp before she cleared her throat and put on a professional attitude, "Is there anything I can help you with? Anything concerning the last order?"

"No," Henry stepped closer and Maeve could feel him staring hard.

"Zen investments is holding an event in a few weeks. I believe the gallery will be responsible for the auction portion of the night and I wanted to go over the details with you," he explained.

Right, the annual event at Zen. Maeve had completely forgotten. Madame Qui always relied on these kinds of events to bring in new customers and to spread the 'Gallery 40' name among the rich elites. Zen also profited greatly but it was a 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' sort of relationship.

"Of course," she nodded and gestured for him to follow her.

Maeve led Henry to a small room upstairs. It was an empty room except for a small sofa and a glass modern coffee table with piles of magazines and pamphlets for past events.

"We can discuss the details here," she smiled and held out an arm for him to enter, "Can I get you anything? Tea, coffee?"

"No thank you," he smiled and hitched up his fitted suit pants before sitting down on the sofa.

Maeve sat beside him on the two-seater sofa, feeling a little self-conscious about her short skirt. She kept her knees together and couldn't decide if she should point them towards Henry or face them away. In the end she grabbed a magazine and strategically laid it on her lap, she could swear she saw him smirk.

"So these are some of the pieces that we have in stock," she said handing him a catalogue. However we can always discuss having a collection designed by a specific artist, but that takes more time-"

Maeve stopped speaking when Henry reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled a pale blue handkerchief out, he raised the handkerchief close to her face and gestured for her to accept it.

Maeve was stunned, "What are you doing?" she frowned.

"You have something, chocolate? On your mouth."

Maeve bit her bottom lip hard and grabbed the tissue, "Sorry, excuse me-" she panicked.

Henry laughed, "It's fine," he smiled and Maeve's internal anxiety melted with his charming smile. She returned the smile and wiped her mouth.

That chocolate cake had betrayed her, but seeing him laugh had broken the tension. "Oh, ermm I've ruined your handkerchief," she said holding the cloth in her lap, "I'll have it cleaned and returned to you."

"Don't worry about it," he smiled and grabbed the dirty cloth and stuffed it back into his pocket. Maeve reached the hand over and smoothed the lapel on his suit before she caught herself and froze.

Crap, what am I doing!?

"Ha!" she laughed nervously, "You're wearing a suit today," she commented, "You listened to what I said before."

Henry nodded and tried to mask his smile, "It was good advice."

Maeve breathed a sigh and tried to wake up from this weird foggy feeling.

"How about you give me your email address and send me the options?" he suggested. Maeve liked this suggestion, sitting here with him was strangely stressful.

She had dealt with hundreds of clients before but none as handsome as this man.

Maeve scribbled her email address on the back of an old pamphlet and handed it to him.

"Sure, I'll send you everything you need. Have your boss look it over and get back to me on what you've chosen and I'll do my best to make it work."

---

Henry almost interrupted her when she said 'your boss' but it wasn't the time.

She already seemed a little wary of him and if he introduced himself as the son of the greedy Zen empire then she'd probably turn cold completely. He didn't exactly care that deeply about this event, but it was a way to annoy his cousin, and if it meant sharing the company of a pretty girl then he wasn't complaining.

"Perfect," he said.

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