Chapter 2: A Familiar Coffee Shop

Emma Salvatore

"What do you mean by what am I doing over here? And, watch your tone, Liam. I am your maid, not your employee you can demand or shout at." Sarah snapped at Liam then looked at me over her shoulder.

"Hello, Emma. You don't mind me crashing in, right?" she asked pretending to be sweet when she was far from that.

She didn't even bother to fully turn around and talk like a normal person then again she is not a normal person but a runaway mental patient from the asylum. Well, not really but to me she is a mental person and doesn't deserve Liam. Liam deserves someone better.

"Hello, Sarah. He can ask you any way he wants on Friday because long before he even started dating you, he made it quite clear about not disturbing his Friday evening at any cost because they are booked for me. His best friend for the life. So, yeah, I do mind and want you to leave me alone with Liam. It's our day of the week and we don't like to be disturbed." I snapped, rolling my eyes.

"Liam, are you going to let her talk to me like that?" Sarah asked with a pout and fake tears in her eyes, pretending to be hurt, thinking that the trick would work on Liam but it looked like she was never going to learn this about Liam that he is not easily to be fooled around "I told you that she doesn't like me but you never believe me. I am telling you she wants you all for himself. She wants to snatch you away from me."

"Do you always act like a little girl or is this in front of Liam only?" I asked with an attitude and began to laugh " And, I want to snatch him from you? Why the hell would I want to do that? I have my own man for fucks sake that I get to call my fiancee." I announced flashing her the small rock on my ring finger.

"Liam and, we're the best friends forever. Just best friend, okay? How many times do I have to explain and make you understand the same thing again and again, Sarah, but again why would you understand because you don't have got the organ in your body that is called brain." 

"You bitch! I won't let you get away with this." Sarah shouted and approached to attack me while I stood on the ground confidently, knowing she wouldn't get the chance to even lay her finger on me because Liam wouldn't let her. That's the kind of friendship full of blind trust we share. Liam and I trust one another with closed eyes.

"That's enough, Sarah! You need to go back home, right now! We will meet tomorrow. You understand?" Liam shouts at Sarah who glares at me and then at Liam but walks away with an attitude but not before threatening me.

"I will make you pay for this. Mark my words." she threatened " Liam is mine and I won't let you snatch him away from me at any cost. You called your connection as a friendship, I call it love."

"Well, we thought you both were a couple because you both look lovely together. I guess my husband and were mistaken but what that not-so-kind lady spoke is not wrong, the connection you both share is more than just a friendship. It is love. Maybe, you both are made for one another but can't see that? Because we see something that you can't." The older woman, from earlier spoke.

"By the way I am Diana, and this is my husband Joseph, and to thank you for this painting we would like you to invite both of you for dinner at our tiny place. I know, it won't be to your standards because, by the looks at both of you, you are loaded with money, but we will try to reach your standard if you give us a chance to show us our gratitude. Please, don't say no, or we will feel hurt." Diana made the introduction and invited us for dinner.

"We would love to come for dinner at your place, only if you agree to take my business card at this five-star restaurant tonight and show this to the manager of the place." Liam spoke, as he took out his business card from his suit pocket and wrote something on the back of it "Here, have this. Consider this as your anniversary present from my side. Happy 50th anniversary."

"Wait, boy! You are the Liam Harrington?" Joseph asked shocked " I can't believe I am meeting and getting a gift from a self-made billionaire."

"Please, I am like a normal person as everyone so don't make me feel superior." Liam said reaching for me " Like, I said my friend and I would love to come if you agree to receive my gift or else I will feel hurt."  This made Diana laugh and patted Liam's cheek like a mother.

"I know what you are trying to do, son, but okay, we will accept the gift. I will expect both of you with your partners at our place for dinner. We live nearby by the coffee shop down the street." Diana said and hugged me one more time " Thank you for this gift so much. You just made our anniversary so special with this. I owe you."

"No, you don't owe me at all. Happy Anniversary." I tell her " And, we can drop you at your place since we are already heading to that coffee shop anyways and in that way, we will even see our place to come for dinner the other day."

"You sure, we don't want to give you any trouble? You have already done enough for us." Joseph asked.

"Not at all, come on," Liam said helping the couple to get into his waiting limo. His driver opened the door and helped the couple sit inside while Liam waited behind to talk to me.

"Hey, you are not upset or mad at me, right? I didn't invite Sarah over here, trust me, she showed up all by herself unannounced." Liam tried to justify himself when he didn't need to so I stopped him from speaking any further by placing my index finger on his lips.

"I know, you don't need to tell me, Liam. I know you better than you know yourself." I tell him "Now, let's get going because I am craving that slice of chocolate heaven cake." Liam laughed after this and hugged me to his chest making me feel comfortable in his arms like always.

Diana said right, that what Liam and I share is not friendship but love. At least, from my side but I can't tell Liam about it that he has been my crush for a very long time and I am deeply and madly in love with him. I waited for years, for Liam to see that I love him but he never did.

I guess my best friend doesn't know that I love him and I am scared to confess that it can ruin what we have now. It is better to have this than nothing. I need Liam close to me, and if this is the way to stay close to him then be it.

"By the slice of chocolate heaven cake, you mean the whole cake, right?" he asked " Come on, let's get you that cake before it runs out."

After that, Liam and I headed to the coffee shop, but not before dropping Diana and Joseph to their place. As we entered the coffee shop the fresh aroma hit us and we both moaned together like a little kid.

"Wow, I can happily die sniffing this amazing aroma of the coffee down my nostrils," Liam said and heard the coffee owner laugh. The coffee owner has known us for years since we are his regular so we don't need to tell him about our order because he already knows it and makes sure to always keep it ready on Friday since he knows we will be making a stopover here like every other Friday.

"Hey, Alan!" Liam greets shaking Alan's hand from the front of the counter.

"Hey, man. You both are ten minutes late today." he pointed out.

"Hey, Alan. How are you doing today we got a little occupied by an unannounced guest's presence, that's the reason for us being ten minutes late. So, is our order ready?" I asked.

"Yes, it is the usual for both of you, right?" Alan asked.

"No, instead of a slice of your signature cake, make it a full." Liam replies " We will be on our favorite spot."

By our favorite spot, he meant the table in the corner of Alan's coffee shop by the window where we spent countless hours together sipping on the coffee, sharing our secrets, including the dirty ones, making jokes, insulting one another playfully, teasing one another and so much more. That table holds our laughter and hushed tones of our deep and dirty conversations.

"So, you and Mark doing good?" Liam asked after we settled down on the table and the waiter served our order on the table.

"Yeah, he is still out on the business trip and I don't know when will he return but yeah, we are okay." I lied when it wasn't true. I wasn't happy with Mark at all because he is a self-centered and arrogant bastard who only thinks about himself only. But, sometimes he really treats me well and cherishes me.

I don't know if it is me or if is it really him. I blame myself because I couldn't manage to have one long relationship with any man since the only person I want and desire in my life is Liam. Or, maybe Mark is really not a man for me?

"Again? Didn't he return from his last business trip two days ago?" Liam asked with a frown " I am telling you that the bastard is cheating on you. If you are not counting then this is going to be his fourth business trip in one and a half months. Which is like a waving red flag that you are too blind to see. What the hell do you see in that man that you are willing to marry him and spend your whole life?"

" The same thing you see in Sarah. I know you don't like Mark but trust me he is a nice guy." I said taking a sip of my coffee "Yum! It's so delicious."

"Are you trying to convince me with those words or yourself? You don't like Sarah too either, she is a nice woman too." I knew what was Liam trying to do so I refused to respond to him.

" I am telling you to dumb that bastard before he dumps you. He doesn't deserve you." Liam tries to convince me like every other day to leave Mark.

"Sarah doesn't deserve you either. You deserve better than her. Someone like..." he spoke before I could finish the sentence.

"Someone like you?!" he asked with a smirk and dead serious tone making me spill out the coffee from my mouth after hearing his words.

"What?!" I asked shocked with my heart beating faster than normal after hearing his words.