It was just before daybreak and Tonii stood alone in the kitchen. It was the first time in as long as she could remember that she cooked breakfast only for herself.
The oatmeal simmered in the pan and she stirred without thinking. She was dressed lightly, her barely-transparent nightgown - and nothing else - clinging to her figure and cutting off around the mid-thigh. Normally at this hour, she'd be up and fully clothed, already stressed with managing the start of her three children's days. But, for the next two months, their father could take responsibility for that.
He could figure it out, or she could expect texts begging her to mediate between their bickering children. For now, the nightgown was enough; it even made her feel sexy, and she'd spent far too long not feeling that way. The soft fabric clung to her skin, reminding her how it felt to not be neglected.
It had been almost two whole years since she and her ex-husband had split apart. The divorce took a bit longer, the process lingering and drawing itself out to be almost as exhausting as their marriage itself. That was over. Now the forty-three year old had lonely mornings stirring her own pan of oats to enjoy.
She sighed. The warm steam wafted towards her face.
The spoon slowed as the oats thickened. Oatmeal was her comfort food. It reminded her of simpler times. The nutty aroma rising from the pan was just enough to make her breathe a little more deeply. Tonii wasn't a woman who demanded much. Not from life. Not of her experiences, or even of her boring marriage. She filled a bowl with the steaming porridge and added a few prunes from the container she usually kept hidden at the back of the fridge. A touch of sweet fruit was always enough to brighten her morning.
And perhaps that was why Darren, her ex-husband, had grown so disinterested in her. She wasn't unsuccessful. Her small business kept her busy and engaged. She had for the last two decades maintained her routine of jogging several times a week. If there were any flaws in her physique, whether due to age or the fact that she'd had three children, they didn't bother her; she couldn't change them anyway. Sometimes, she wished Darren was a bit of an asshole. A bit easier to hate. Other than their twice-weekly lovemaking sessions, there was hardly any sort of connection within the latter half of their marriage, however. At some point, it seemed as if he had simply stopped caring.
That only made things worse. Without him to blame for it all, Tonii was left to stew in her own thoughts. About all the things she might have done differently, the mistakes she might have repeated.
She stole a few more prunes from the plastic container on the counter and tossed them into the bowl. They weren't enough to stop her from dwelling, but the naughty indulgence did lift her spirits.
The next spoonful bit back. "Ow!" she cried. "Seedless, indeed!"****Tonii desperately wanted to be on time. She had been on only a handful of dates since she had separated. Every single time, she managed to be late. To avoid that, she had settled on a simple outfit. Jeans and a t-shirt with her jacket tied at the waist and a pair of dark, faux-leather boots instead of her fancier shoes. Though the weather had decided that for her. It was the sort of mid-afternoon drizzle and cold weather that Tonii hated.
She'd have preferred to stay home with a cup of tea but at her best friend's suggestion, Tonii started dating again. Nothing too serious, Elise had assured her. A bit of fun to make up for lost time.
Naturally, after two decades of marriage, Tonii plunged into the world of dating apps. That had been eye-opening. An aging musician for her last date, who seemed more interested in selling his dreams of success than himself; a businessman she hoped to form a connection with, yet he was half-asleep before his meal was finished. Others that were barely worth remembering. Tonii felt as though she put in the effort but got little out of these experiences. Not to mention the sex. She never thought she'd miss Darren's impersonal lovemaking.
She missed something, though. Missed it enough that she had to try again.
A mid-afternoon coffee date seemed innocent enough. Simple. She couldn't possibly be disappointed by the time her drink grew cold. Especially not in this weather. As she entered the café, the aroma of freshly-ground beans hit her, instantly overpowering her senses. She hated it.
It took only a single glance around the establishment to realize her date hadn't yet arrived. Tonii considered that a small victory. She took a seat, choosing not to order until he showed up. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long. Tonii didn't think she could handle even the thought of being stood up.
She took notice as soon as he entered. He seemed underdressed, considering the chill in the air. Inside the café was significantly warmer but she couldn't imagine walking around in nothing but a button-up shirt and a pair of jeans. He was tall. Broad shoulders with a wide chest. Features Tonii liked enough to forgive his apparent lack of fashion sense. "Been waiting long?" he asked. "I apologize if you have." He grabbed the backrest of his chair and Tonii allowed her gaze to drift as he sat down.She cleared her throat. "No, I'd only just arrived myself.""Ah," he looked around. "We should order then." His hand raised as he turned to the counter, but then he quickly turned to her once more. "Actually, I'm not exactly sure how things work around here."Tonii detected strange hint in his tone. It was as though his speech was just a bit too meticulously pronounced. There was a hint of accent in his voice. One he seemed to be trying his best to hide. That, along with his vague features, made his origin difficult to place.
"How do things work where you're from?"
"Very noisily," he chuckled. "Oh, there's a waitress!" he caught the attention of uniformed young woman standing near the counter and, soon after, the two had ordered. "That's out of the way," he said, finally focusing his attention on her. "Tonii, yes?" he gestured to himself. "Rider."
"Naturally," Tonii said. "A bit out of your element, aren't you?"
He scoffed. "I try to be. Keeps life interesting."
She studied the man closely. She already knew his name. His age, too. About ten years her junior, he would easily be the youngest she had dated. She hadn't entertained a man in his thirties since...Darren was in his thirties. In fact, she was just as curious as to why he was interested in an older woman, himself."You get bored easily?" she teased, hinting at his potential motivations. He didn't seem the playboy type. In fact, he came across as quite the opposite. He wasn't sharply dressed, nor did he project the sort of intimidating aura of someone who might have seen her as another conquest.
"Bored?" he tilted his head. His brow furrowed for just a moment. "Never," he said. "Only boring people get bored."
"Is that true?" she asked.
Once again, his eyebrows moved towards each other for just a moment. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I heard someone say it about fifteen years ago, and it stuck with me."
"Well, I can't say I'm particularly interesting myself. If you were hoping for excitement this evening..."
"You don't have to tell me that," he said as he recalled her order. "Plain black coffee. That's as far from exciting as it gets."
"Well," she scoffed playfully. "Sorry for boring you, Mister Rider. Interesting name."
"You don't have to apologize. I'm not going to hold it against you. You already feel the need to punish yourself as it stands."
The waitress returned with their orders: plain black coffee for Tonii and for her date, a tall thing with far too much whipped cream and caramel.
"So, Miss Tonii," -- his tone hovering between mockery and tease -- "what do you do? I don't imagine that meeting up with strangers for coffee is how you spend every afternoon."
"You mean for work?" she clarified.He nodded, now too occupied with the straw between his lips to answer with words.
"I run my own business." She waved her hand. "It's...not that impressive. I bake. Make chocolates. Overdesigned, with little mean messages on them instead of the usual platitudes."
"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow. "Must have one hell of a sweet tooth," he said, "if you made cake and chocolate your entire thing."
Tonii chuckled. "Actually, no," she replied. "Not really. I don't eat the stuff I make. It's far too sweet."
"Ah, okay. That makes sense."
"It does?"
"Well, no," he clarified. "What you just said makes no sense but," he gestured to her drink, "the plain coffee makes sense now. A chocolatier who doesn't have a sweet tooth makes no sense at all."
"Okay," she laughed. "Asshole."
Tonii sipped her coffee as Rider's smile painted his satisfaction with the exchange. His deep dimples caught her eye and her gaze lingered a moment. Feeling her own cheeks grow warm, she glanced away.
