Sue Brown - Mister Plum.pdf - Sue Brown - SilverWitch

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the

author‟s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,

organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either

the author or the publisher.

Mr. Plum

COLOR BOX

An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers

PO Box 2545

Round Rock, TX 78680

Cover illustration by Alessia Brio

Published with permission

ISBN: 978-1-61040-212-5

www.torquerepress.com

form whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Law. For information address

Torquere Press. Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680.

First Torquere Press Printing: April 2011

Printed in the USA

Mr. Plum

By Sue Brown

To the guys on platform 4 who save the lives of weary commuters with caffeine and a smile.

Thank you so much.

Whenever Tom told the tale of how they got together, he started with the story of the laundrette

and the boxers. Dave used to smile and pull him into a hug, but Dave never told Tom he was

wrong. Well, there are some things you sacrifice for the sake of a quiet life.

It actually started with a takeaway coffee cup two months previously. If Dave was going to be

totally accurate, he‟d point out it was because of the cardboard sleeve of the cup, the one they

used to stop your fingers burning, but then Tom would say his OCD was showing and tell him to

shut up.

***

It was the color of the sleeve that Dave noticed, a deep plum that matched the stripe on the tie

Tom was wearing. Dave always noticed things like that. He had a keen eye for detail. Dave was

green with envy; he had never been given that sleeve. Plum was by far and away his favourite

color, and yet the world and the coffee shop on the station had never seen fit to give him a plum

sleeve on Dave‟s morning drink.

He didn‟t get it this time either. His was red. It was a deep red and it wasn‟t bad, but it wasn‟t

plum and it made Dave grit his teeth in frustration. He could hardly demand that Kai, the barista

with a huge smile who made him industrial strength coffee every morning at no extra charge, hunt

through cardboard sleeves until he found a plum one. Yeah, he could just see how well that would

go down with the queue of bleary-eyed commuters behind him. So he just smiled thinly and,

clutching his coffee, followed Mr. Plum, for want of a better name, out of the tiny coffee shop on

platform four, to await the 8:50 to London Waterloo.

The lucky man wandered farther up the platform than Dave normally stood, his nose buried

deep in his Kindle. He didn‟t seem to notice the covetous glances Dave had been casting at his

coffee cup. The train arrived and they both got on, Mr. Plum in another carriage. Dave was lucky

enough to find a seat, and he sat, sipping at his coffee, with the crimson sleeve around his cup. If

the coffee tasted a little bitter to him, maybe that was just an added dash of sour grapes -- plum

colored, of course.

***

Two days later, Dave swore miserably under his breath as he staggered up the stairs to the

platform. Having been off work the previous day, enduring the torture of root canal work at the

dentist, Dave was not in the best of moods. He was grumpy and hurting like hell, despite

painkillers that the dentist had sworn would fell an ox. It had taken him a long time to get moving

that morning, his whole face and jaw aching with the pain. It was 8:48 and he was too late to get a

coffee. With the best will in the world, Kai couldn‟t move the line that quickly.

Miserably, Dave moved to his usual spot on the platform, waiting for the train to arrive. Lost

his own world, Dave wasn‟t prepared for the cup of coffee that was thrust under his nose. He

looked up to see Mr. Plum smiling at him.

“Kai thought you might be in be in need of this,” he said, holding out the cup. When Dave

didn‟t take the cup immediately, his smile started to wobble. Dave noticed that Mr. Plum had a

really nice smile, in fact he had a really gorgeous face. Warm, dark brown eyes and olive skin,

framed by a crisp, dark-red cotton shirt. The tie had a red motif the same color as his shirt. This

guy knew how to coordinate.

Mr. Plum started to withdraw the cup as the train pulled into the station. “Maybe I got the

wrong person,” he said uncertainly.

“No!” Seeing his caffeine disappearing, Dave made a grab for the cardboard cup, “I‟m sorry,

I‟m not feeling so good this morning.” Their fingers tangled briefly as he took the cup.

Having handed the coffee over to him, Mr. Plum‟s smile returned. “Kai said that. Hope you

feel better tomorrow.” He moved down the platform to his usual spot with a brief goodbye.

Dave stared after him for so long he almost forgot why he was standing on the platform and

had to make a hasty scramble to get in before the doors closed. As he sat down, clutching his

coffee in one hand and the free newspaper in the other, Dave mentally made a note to thank Kai

and settle up with him on Monday. It wasn‟t the first time Kai had given out a free coffee if Dave

felt his customer was in need, but Dave didn‟t like to take advantage of the generous barista.

He took a sip of the strong black coffee and for the first time, caught sight of the cardboard

sleeve. The plum-colored cardboard sleeve. For the first time since he‟d got up, there was a smile

curving Dave‟s mouth, as he traced his fingers over the cup.

***

It was the weekend after that with no chance of settling up with Kai, but Monday morning, he

arrived at the station bright and early to give Kai his money and maybe see Mr. Plum as well.

Kai grinned at him as he offered his money. “Good morning, sir, your usual?”

“Yes please, Kai, and I owe you for last Friday as well.”

As he poured out the coffee, Kai said, “No, you don‟t. Your friend paid for it.” As usual he was

completing several orders at once.

Confused, Dave stammered, “My... friend?”

If possible Kai‟s smile grew even broader as he handed over the takeaway cup -- a blue sleeve

this time -- to Dave and a mocha to the man behind. “Yes,” he said, “The handsome one with the

nice eyes.”

Dave went crimson. “I, oh, yes,” he stammered again, then he said, “He‟s not my friend.”

Pushing another cup toward him, Kai grinned. “Then maybe he‟d like to be. He‟s just walking

up now. Have a nice day. You can pay me tomorrow. Yes ma‟am, what would you like?” Kai

asked a woman standing behind Dave.

The woman jostled around Dave as he stared vaguely at the two cups. “Are you finished?” she

asked him brusquely.

“Er, yes,” he said stupidly and moved out of her way, aware of Kai‟s smirk following him

down the shop.

The cause of all his confusion had reached the door of the coffee shop. As Tom pushed open

the door, Dave thrust the coffee at him.

“Here, this is for you.”

The delighted look on Mr. Plum‟s face almost made the whole embarrassment worthwhile.

Almost.

“Thank you,” he said, shifting his paper under one arm so he could cup both his hands around

the hot coffee. It was chilly and Dave mirrored Mr. Plum‟s actions with his own cup. “Are you

feeling better today?”

“Much, thanks.” It was true. The pounding pain in Dave‟s jaw had decreased to a manageable

level, although it still hurt to chew anything.

The woman who had been at the counter coughed loudly. “Have you finished here as well?”

Dave looked up and blushed again as he realized they were blocking the exit. “I‟m sorry,” he

said, moving to one side.

“No problem,” she responded, her tone distinctly more amused than before. To add to Dave‟s

mortification she winked as she passed him.

Dave wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. Wildly, he contemplated never being

able to use this station again. Maybe he‟d have to get the bus to work.

The raised eyebrow on Mr. Plum‟s face didn‟t help. “Is there something I‟m missing here?”

Thank God the train arrived just as Dave shook his head. “Well, see you tomorrow,” he said,

and moved away before he could embarrass himself further. Did that sound like he was asking, or

was it just a friendly farewell?

“Wait.”

He turned to see Mr. Plum (he was really going to have to stop calling the man that) jogging up

to him. The train doors opened and to Dave‟s surprise the man got on with him, rather than

moving down to his usual carriage, sitting down next to Dave as the train pulled away. They were

lucky enough to get two seats together, a minor miracle on the commuter train. The man and

woman opposite were engrossed in their phones and didn‟t looked up as they sat down.

“So... um, my name is Tom,” the man said as they sat down together. “I thought I‟d introduce

myself as we‟re a bit like old friends now.”

Well, that was certainly better than calling the hot guy „Mr. Plum.‟

“Dave,” he responded, “I‟d shake hands but...” and he waggled his hot drink very carefully.

“Nice to meet you, Dave.” Tom was smiling again, “Thanks for the coffee. It‟s bloody cold

today.”

“Kai gave it to me,” admitted Dave, then flushed a little.

“He‟s always doing that,” agreed Tom, apparently unperturbed, taking a swallow of his coffee.

He moaned quietly.

Dave stared at him, then looked away quickly. Did Tom have any idea of the effect he was

having on Dave? God, Dave hoped not. Oblivious to Dave‟s plight Tom loosened his scarf to

reveal a dark blue shirt with a matching tie. Dave had a thing about throats. He was a guy, he

always checked out the package, but if Dave was honest with himself, it was the throat and maybe

a hint of chest hair that did it every time. Tom‟s throat looked just ready for him to bite.

“You have to dress very formally at your office,” Dave blurted out to break the silence and then

felt like a total tool.

His companion didn‟t seem to mind though, as he pulled a face. “I‟m lucky they don‟t still

expect a bowler hat and umbrella. Honestly, I swear they think dress-down Friday is undoing

your top button.”

Dave wanted to say that Tom was welcome to undo his top button and undo anything else he‟d

like to, but that was possibly a little forward on a packed commuter train.

“My office isn‟t bothered about dress code,” Dave said, indicating his jeans, “We don‟t have

any clients coming in, so we can wear what we like.”

“You‟re so lucky.” Tom looked up as more people squeezed on the train. “It‟s busy this

morning,” he observed. “I think I‟m going to have to fight to get out of here.”

“Where do you get off?” asked Dave. His coffee was almost finished and he was wishing he‟d

gotten the larger size. There wasn‟t enough caffeine in the world that could help him deal with a

gorgeous man sitting next to him.

“Clapham Junction. I usually stand a bit further back because there‟s less of a crush and when I

get off I‟m right by the exit for the stairs. I have to run for my next train, otherwise there‟s twenty

minute wait.”

Sue Brown - Mister Plum.pdf

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