CEREAL DATER (The Way To A Man's Heart)

My parents were the same way when they got married, and I am sure that this girl that they want to set me up with is meant to be nothing more than a chance for me to do my bit for the family and secure some business deal.

But maybe I have to lower my standards if I’m going to find a date for my sister’s wedding. If I don’t turn up with someone decent, then my parents are going to see it as open season for setting me up with the girl that they want for me.

I turn another corner and spot a café which is still open, even at this time of night – it's not a bar, I don’t think, but there are a handful of people outside, a couple of them smoking, all of them chatting. Hey, this looks like something. And right now, I will take anything I can get...

I head down the street towards the café, look up at the banner over the door – Bowl & Spoon. A little hipster-y joint, from everything that I can see. Hell, why not? I’ve tried everything else in this town, I might as well give this place a try, too.

I step inside, past a small crowd of people who are waiting in line for the counter, and look around – it's made up to seem like a kitschy little diner from back in the day, all bright red and checkerboard colors everywhere. It’s bustling with customers, even at this time of night, though there only seems to be one woman serving right now...

And I feel something in me freeze as I realize that the woman behind the counter is the most downright gorgeous thing that I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

I was looking for a spark, and I think I might get lucky after all.

Chapter Two

Lucky

Honey: You’re still open? Girl, you are going to fall on your face. It’s time for a day off. A night off too!!

I reread the text, knowing my best friend is right, but I have put my whole life savings into this place and I can’t let it fail.

Me: One day soon, I promise…

Honey: I can cover for you for a few nights. It’s what friends are for.

I know that Honey is right. I need to take more time off work. And she is the right person to help me out since she has been running her apple pie food truck for several years.

But how can I take time off when the place is so busy that I can’t catch a moment’s rest?

I put my phone back in my pocket, take a deep breath, and head back out to the counter to take the next set of orders. I keep that big smile on my face as I greet the woman waiting for me.

"Hey, how’s it going?" I ask her. She replies with a long string of sentences, and I have to stifle a yawn as she talks. Not because I think she’s boring, but because I need to spend at least three days in bed before I see anyone ever again.

When I opened this place three months ago, I had no idea that it was going to blow up the way that it did. Not that I’m complaining, trust me. I knew back then that opening a café that sold only cereal and drip coffee was going to be a huge risk, but I know it’s the kind of place that I would love for myself – no booze, no loud music, somewhere to hang out late at night that doesn’t revolve around alcohol or trying to get laid.

And it seems like I’m not the only one who wants a place like that in this town. It didn’t take long for word to spread about Bowl & Spoon, and soon, it was packed nearly every night – I haven’t had time to interview for staff yet, though I know that I need them, and so I’ve been stuck serving everyone who comes in here with my own fair hand.

As soon as things start to calm down, I’m going to hire someone else to come work here with me. I know I can afford it – well, I think I can. First I need to sit down and actually crunch the numbers and work out how much more I need to spend on fancy milk substitutes for the hipster crowd that comes in here. Honestly, my biggest fantasy right now is being able to take two consecutive nights off of work, and not have to worry about getting complaints from the people who have made this place their second home.

Because this place needs to succeed. I need it to work. It’s been my life ever since – well, ever since everything tipped on its head and changed earlier this year. I need all the distraction that I can get from that. I’m not going to let it slip through my fingers, even if it means working harder than I probably should.