The Cafe Girl - II

By Keliadom

I simply cannot believe the past few weeks. Everything has been at the same time beautiful, strange and amazing, with Zee at the centre of it all. I suppose you could say we are now friends with benefits, or some such. There was never a formal declaration or recognition, more simply: the pieces of the puzzle fell into place by themselves. First things first: after our time together in the park, I took up Zee on her offer and followed her home.

I walked by her side, and, very quickly, I realized we would be having a problem: her strides, oh boy her strides: I felt that for every twelve or so steps I took, she would take one. I had no choice but to start a light jog, despite her walking in a sort of slow motion, an obvious habit she picked up trying to go to the rhythm of smaller people. Each and every time her foot slammed down on the cement, a loud clap emanated from her sandal’s sole. The air she displaced threw her scent around, her lavender perfume titillating my senses.

“Am I slowing you down?” I asked her.

“No more than anyone else. Don’t worry about me. I’m used to walking slowly.” She told me so with such blatant casualness, devoid of emotion. A pang of sadness for her slightly weighted my mood down. We continued to walk across town, having reached a more suburban area. Houses were more sparse, with even the odd empty terrain creating space between neighbours. I kept jogging on the sidewalk, while Zee took a full lane in the empty road. “Come on! We’re almost there!” she told me.

After a few more minutes of jogging, we came upon a verdant crest, the land enclosed by an iron fence. Atop the hill stood an immense, almost manorial, house. Yet there was something off about it, just outside my grasp of understanding. 

Zee approached the main fence’s gates and effortlessly opened a door with a pinch of her fingers. “Welcome… to my humble abode!” There was a tinge of humour in her tone, considering the apparent luxury I was faced with. “After you.” Zee invited me to lead on. I started on the path to her house, with every few seconds punctuated by the soft tremors that her large feet created as she walked behind me, ever so slowly.

It was just a moment later that I finally stood in front of her home. The main door, obviously the proper height for her, looked to me as if I stood in front of some sort of heavenly gate. High above me, I could discern a large handle almost the size of my body. A long hand reached over and grabbed it, turning it down. The door’s mechanism could be heard loudly, as if its size needed more intricate machinery somehow. The door’s hinges rubbed its metal together, creating an ominous creaking sound as it opened.

I struggle to describe how immense the inside of her home was. Everything was properly proportioned for Zee. “It’s great, no? It’s graciously provided by the agency I work with.” She motioned to all the obviously ostentatious furniture around the place, as I stood there, bewildered. Every single object seemed to be just slightly too big for her. “It’s because I’m still growing.” Zee said in response as I pointed out the fact to her. She looked at her hands, closing and opening them. “I feel like I still have so much to give. If you want my opinion…” she lowered herself to my height, her index finger over her lips as if telling a secret, and continued: “This house won’t last the month!” her eyes opened up wide, her excitement barely contained. Zee laughed, her voice resonating across the massive room. “I’ll have to ask them to start building a new one!”

I reminded myself how much she had grown since the previous time I had seen her, at the cafe. The evening continued on, and after a while we ended up on her couch. That night, I felt I wanted to know everything about her. My imagination ran wild as she placed me by her side on the overtly large divan. Being surrounded by larger -things- made me feel so much smaller than when I stood by her side in the park. It felt as if she had grown since then, and no matter how fast she’s growing now, I knew that was impossible. No matter, I enjoyed the new perspective. As we talked, I leaned in more on her, my body barely coming above her seated behind. It made for an extremely comfortable armrest. Zee placed her hand over me, covering most of my right side as it warmed me up in comfort, the skin of her palm soft to my touch. I remember thinking how I wished dearly that she felt as relaxed now as I did.

The night was well advanced, and in the absence of a sudden invitation to stay, I had to depart to head back home. I was standing in the doorway, wishing her well, when Zee asked me when next we could meet. I suggested the next weekend: I would be busy the whole week with work and she told me she would be busy with some tests at the laboratory.

I would be lying to say that from that point on I was not floating on a cloud. That was when it happened: moments before leaving, Zee crouched down, trying her best to lower herself to my level. She grabbed my back with her hand, gently pushed me towards her, and kissed me. Her thick lips pressed against my chest. All I could do was sort of hug them back, while applying a kiss on them myself, my mouth pressing between a small crease of skin.

I don’t think there ever was a week so long in my life. The events of that night constantly replayed in my head. Her form and spirit had become a constant presence for my mind. I longed so much to be in her arms, to feel taken and protected by someone I had feelings for. We texted very briefly a few times, mostly to make sure everything was still on track. It was not a surprise that when Friday arrived, I ran out as fast as my feet could carry me.

I must have crossed the town in a quick half an hour, so much so that having reached her door, I had to take a breather. My palms sweaty from anticipation, I rang. The sound of musical bells echoed… and then I -felt- her. Deep, resonating footsteps came close to the door. A deep shuffle that could only be the sound of bare skin against the floor. The enormous entryway in front of me opened, and I beheld a vision of her like no other.

Zee’s hand was placed upon the top of the immense door’s ledge, as she had to bend over so that her head would not hit the tall ceiling. In lieu of a t-shirt, she wore a nightgown stretched to its limits due to the size of her torso. Her legs were covered to just the top of her knees by what must have been an almost floor-length skirt before. Her feet were naked in their splendour, her large sandals by the door now appearing much too small for them. Her hair was slightly haggard, leaving me no doubt that I had just awakened her from a nap.

“Matt! So glad to see you!” her honeyed voice had deepened. Zee placed her free hand for me on the floor, her palm side up and her thumb rose towards the ceiling. I climbed on her hand, using her raised digit as a pole to steady myself. God: it was almost taller than me now. As she brought me inside, she looked at me with an eyebrow raised, smiling at the strangeness of the situation. We, or Zee I should say, sat on her couch. Once a piece of furniture for two giants, her frame now barely fit in. The sunset bathed us in its light. I desperately held on to her thumb, struggling to find words. “This week was excruciatingly long…” she started, relieving me of the need to break the ice. “As you can see, the pace of my growth has accelerated slightly. The agency will have to move me soon.” Zee looked down as she spoke of leaving. I could not help then but rub the underside of her finger, feeling an overwhelming need to comfort her.

Abruptly, she turned around and placed me down on one end of the giant couch, while she crouched down the length opposite of me, her head almost over me. “But tonight, let us just enjoy ourselves while we can.” I did not get the full meaning of her words, oblivious as I can sometimes be, but still I nodded. Hunched over me as she was, her form imposed upon me. Looking at her, I reminisced of how svelte she had looked in the cafe. Now, though her toned proportions were the same, her being was one that looked barely contained. A gentle creature, desperately trying to keep at bay a force of untold magnitude. “So, what about your week?” She brushed rebellious hair out of her eyes as she asked.

I sat, my legs crossed, and told her a few stories. Every week, I easily accumulated quite a few of them. Not a day passed by without at least one customer acting in an unexpected way. The entire time, Zee stood there, her eyes twinkling with excitement, a sort of naive fascination about the simple job of a barista. “Are you comfortable like this?” I asked her after a while. Although her form fit pretty well on her divan sprawled out as she was with her legs hanging off the arm rest, I noticed her muscles tensing as she shifted weight left and right, in a bid to find relief.

Zee looked pensive for a moment. “I know. Come with me. There’s a nice spot in my backyard where we can hang out for a while, and the air is nice! You don’t mind me picking you up again?” I shook my head in response to her request. Her palm at my back, her massive fingers circled my chest, lifting me with all the caution she could muster. To be carried around like that felt sort of amusing, and reminded me of previous times in an amusement park. I felt so secure in her grip. Outside, the air was absolutely refreshing. There, in the centre, stood a strong oak tree, as old as the age of the hill her house stood on. I held on as she slumped against it, the strong tremors of her sitting down throwing off my balance. She cupped her palms, providing me with plenty of space, and proceeded to place them just below her navel, with her thighs raised on each side. Her skirt, much too tight in this position, dropped down slightly, revealing her majestic long, powerful legs. “Here. This is much better. Take a deep breath!”

She was right. The night air smelled so good. There was a tinge of dampness mixed with a sort of earthy smell, typical of decaying leaves. The wind picked up, and her silken hair moved about, framing perfect angles of her face. Here, with me in her palms, we chatted away as the night wore on, and the river of time fastened its flow. Before I knew it, I was curled up completely in the crease of her hand. It was absolutely not my intention, but despite my best efforts, I fell asleep.

I dreamed that night of Zee. Much like our time tonight, I was simply chatting with her. Of what? I could not have said. As we spoke, her form grew. Her palm became a field, its creases gullies and her fingers enormous constructions reaching for the sky. My heart was beating so fast. I could feel her heat around me while still she grew. I felt myself sinking as her skin expanded around me. The lifeline of her palm, now a canyon to me, became my world. Her smile occupied the blue heavens. She spoke a few words. By all accounts, the sound of her voice should have been deafening, the sound wave obliterating, yet only a soft whisper reached my ears: “I love you.”

The words were still resonating in my ears as I awoke. A heavy fabric pushed on me. My eyes, sticky with sleep, slowly adjusted to the pale morning light bathing the room. I extended my arms out and noticed the underside of Zee’s enormous forearm in front of me. Intense heat radiated from behind. I turned around on myself and came face to face with a giant black bra. I cannot express in any way how flustered I became. I looked up, only to see Zee looking down at me, a sly smile illuminating her. “Morning Matt.” She said, greeting me.

In an instant, my current predicament became clear. I was dressed only in my underwear and lay on a large mattress with Zee. “Did I sleep here?” I asked her.

“You did. You were so exhausted. I’ve never seen someone sleep as soundly as you.” She said laughing. Her hand pushed at my back, bringing me closer to her stomach, just under one of her bras that almost eclipsed me. “The night was fresh and the heating in this house is horrible. You would have been cold no matter where I put you.” Zee seemed to ponder her next words for a moment. “Do you like this?” 

I’m pretty sure I blushed. “Actually… no, I don’t.” I grabbed her skin. One of her ribs was a bit more prominent since her body pressed on her ribcage as she lay on her side. It gave me a purchase for a sort of hug. She was pleasantly warm and smelled naturally of lavender. Her palm caressed me, her finger like a soft boulder passing over my back, its indentations acting like a massage baton. “Zee, I’m really enjoying my time with you.”

I could feel the vibrations of her heartbeat increase. “So am I.” She responded with the same soft tone I perceived in my dreams. We lay in this position for quite a while longer. Eventually, obligations called and forced us to prepare our day. We sat in the middle of the living room, both of us still in our sleepwear. Zee sat cross-legged, holding a large cup of coffee, sipping it while lost in thoughts. She sat me on the arch of her left foot, appreciating the warmth it gave, as I enjoyed my own morning beverage while I listened to the sound of chirping sparrows coming from outside.

Zee could have put me anywhere else. There was no doubt in my mind that she enjoyed playing with me. Constantly she would find not so subtle ways of comparing me to her. Honestly? It kind of excited me. The bottom line, that morning, was that we were both into each other and connected mentally. I was so happy.

I absentmindedly rubbed my hand on her skin, lost in my own thoughts. How long could this last? How will we keep up as she grows? How much time will this predicament last? I had to ask her. “Zee, I….”

“Come with me!” she blurted out, cutting me off.

“Wait… what?”

“Leave the cafe, your life and this town. Come with me.” She was deadpan serious in her assertion. “I’ll be able to provide fully for you. We don’t know how long this can last.” My heart jumped. “I’ve finally found you. The one that likes me for the monster that I’m becoming.” Her fingers and toes stretched back and forth with excitement. “Think about it this week. I’ll have someone from the labs contact you.”

Still taken aback, I was not sure what to say. “Please, say yes.” She leaned towards me. “Take your time to think about it, but please say yes.”

I looked up at her eyes beaming with a light of hope and nodded. “Give me a week to reflect.”

That day, last week, I was awfully tempted to agree on the spot. To impulsively say yes. But in the end, my cynical side took over. Now, though, I think I know. My heart told me what I need, and I must listen.

I’m holding my phone. The green light of the last text message I received is illuminating my room, clad in the darkness of the night.

I write my reply and press send.