Chapter 1

It was closing time at P**e's café; a quaint and humble space large enough to comfortably accommodate twenty-five seated customers and five more at the waitress' bar. Leather booths lined the front wall, and the large glass windows were decorated with orange, red, yellow and brown maple leaf stickers. The neon open sign which faced the street soon switched to Closing Soon. The usual strong scent of freshly grounded coffee beans had faded in the atmosphere, and blended perfectly with the soft aroma of the last baked sweets left in the store that day; vanilla with a hint of dark roast.

A couple who had shared blueberry muffins and hot cocoa in the far booth near the bathroom stood and made their exit while waiving at the waitress who stood behind the bar and wiped the counter for the umpteenth time since the start of her shift. The waitress, Stephie, a caramel-skinned girl with wild brown and blond curls and coils currently pulled back and tied at the base of her skull, wore a simple black shirt and black jeans. A white waist apron with large pockets was secured around her hips, as she vigorously tidied up the white quart countertop, freeing it from sugar granules, coffee stains and pastry crumbs.

The doorbell chimed to signal the couple's exit and under her breath, Stephie counted "3, 2, 1."

"Hey Steph, the last customer's out and the kitchen is clean, you okay to lock up?" Job, the evening lead cook expressed on cue with Stephie's count.

Smiling knowingly, with a soft chuckle and a subtle shake of her head, Stephie replied, "Go ahead. See you tomorrow."

"You're the best." Job grinned boyishly before going back into the kitchen to take his exit via the back door.

Sighing in routine, Stephie packed away the rag, then walked from behind the counter and across the café to turn off the neon sign. As she did so, a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning pierced the cafe's clear glass windows, as the running feet of the approaching rain began to trickle down the walls and street outside, and through the windows, casted slithering shadows on Stephie's cheeks.

Unbothered, Stephie sighed, "another quiet night in the rain." She muttered to herself.

Then retrieving the mop bucket from the closet near the bathroom, Stephie rose the stereo's volume, as a smooth piano ballad began to play on the overhead speakers, instead of the pop songs which had been the prime entertainment for majority of the day. Humming while swiping the thin, damp, grey mop on the greyscale tiles beneath her feet, Stephie began her evening closing routine.

The rain pelted the roof above, and drenched the street outside. As pedestrians ran for cover, and car tires splashed through the forming puddles, Stephie lost herself in the choreography of swaying from side to side, only stopping periodically to rinse the stringy cleaning cloth. It didn't occur to her that in her trance, the front door bell had jiggled to announce the arrival of a potential customer.

Carter Barlowe removed his hat and once dry black coat which now sported perfectly round water droplets on the shoulder blades. Swiping his hand on the material, Carter then hooked the coat over his left arm, and held his hat in his left hand, then he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Good evening."

Stephie turned quickly towards the voice and noticed a white-haired gentleman, tall yet fit for his age. His forehead sported three wrinkled lines, his cheeks sagging slightly and pale.

"The door was unlocked so I came in." Carter pointed.

"Yeah, sorry about that but we're closing in like five minutes." Stephie expressed while placing the mop back in the bucket.

Carter smiled slightly, though his sagging skin barely rose.

"Would it be much to request a cup of hot milk? Surely that won't take five minutes." Carter requested.

"Hot milk? Like plain milk?" Stephie wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe a dash of cinnamon, and a slight sprinkle of sugar." Carter explained.

Stephie sighed and checked the watch on her right wrist.

Carter could see that Stephie was debating what to do, for her eyes lingered on the watch, and she breathed softly.

"To be fair young lady, my name is Carter Barlowe, and as of 8:47 this evening, I've been a widower. I evaded my personal driver, and I've been wandering in the past hour."

The name struck a note in Stephie's brain, as it sounded familiar in the cavities of her ears. 

"Wait-" Stephie hummed in realization.

"The rain came, and I was led here," Carter continued even at the young lady's protest, "there is not a price you can name that I cannot pay for your troubles. So if you please, all I ask is a cup of hot milk, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of sugar."  Carter concluded, his eyes slightly glassy.

"Carter Barlowe...?" Stephie whispered to herself first, then she looked towards the senior once more.

"Carter Barlowe, as in Barlowe industries? The top architect and engineering group in the state?" Stephie wondered, with furrowed eyebrows.

"Precisely. And by the looks of your expression, I can tell that my social status won't truly affect your decision, but maybe you'd entertain the fact that I am now a widower." Carter spoke with a well paced tone, though his vocal cords faltered slightly.

Stephie gulped uncomfortably at Carter's piercing blue gaze, enhanced by the wells of unshed tears, pooling in his lower eyelids.

"Well-" Stephie began, only to be stopped by Carter's helpless plea.

"Please." he begged without losing his dignity. His words were firm.

Stephie exhaled, giving in.

"Fine. Sit anywhere you like." Stephie invited.

Carter nodded and chose a seat at the bar. He placed his hat and coat on the stool next to him.

As Stephie opened the fridge under the counter, she asked "is whole milk OK?"

"Yes that's fine." Carter replied, his arms resting on the recently-cleaned counter, his intertwined thumbs rolling against one another.

Stephie stood and retrieved an aluminum pitcher, then filled the cup with a decent amount of milk. She purged the wand of any residual liquid from earlier use. Wiping the wand clean, she then placed the aluminum pitcher beneath the wand. Submerging the wand halfway beneath the milk's surface, Stephie started the machine. While holding the cup and watching the liquid, Stephie chanced a look towards Carter.

The elderly man sat mutely. He performed a routine of tapping the back of his right fingers into the cradled form of his left fingers. He'd then rub his left thumb with the pad of his right thumb. His eyes stared into the nothingness of the white counter, and yet the tears refused to spill. His cheeks were white and pale, his brows drooping. Blinking away, Stephie refocused on the now warm and frothed liquid. Pouring it into the store's signature red and white foam cup, embellished by the café's logo, Stephie then sprinkled the cinnamon, and added the dash of sugar as requested.

Silently placing the cup next to Carter's hand, Stephie paused, and gave Carter another side glance.

"We have some muffins left over from today. Would you like one?" Stephie offered, feeling pity for the widower.

Carter closed his eyes then grabbed the cup to breathe in the blended aroma rising from the Styrofoam container. He sighed after holding in a lung-full of the hypnotizing scent . This reaction was partially earned from the heat of the beverage transferring to his old yet moisturized palms; and the other motivation sparked from the flash of memory of the first time he ever experienced such a scent. 

"Oh Maritza," Carter hummed painfully, "what have you done?" He whispered.

Feeling an awkward prick beneath the pores of her cheeks, Stephie suppressed the urge to clear her throat and instead saw to cleaning the now dirty pitcher and milk frother. 

Sip by sip, Carter drank his milk, as salt rivers moistened the landmarks of his ages cheeks.

Stephie quietly slipped him some napkins before seeing to it that she completed her cleanup for the night. By the time Stephie hung her rags and stored the mop bucket away, an hour had elapsed. By then, all machines had been properly cleaned, the trash taken out, and the floor crumb free. 

The cup now stood empty and bare before Carter. His tears had a dried, and he once again stared into nothingness. 

Stephie, uncomfortable to rush the grieving man, cleared her throat softly.

"So I really have to be out of here by ten. Boss's orders." She expressed, and Carter blinked, as if forgetting himself for a moment, then he looked at Stephie. 

"Oh yes, I-I'm sorry. Thank you for accommodating me on this late evening. I never got your name." Carter thanked, then pointed out.

"Stephanie Miller. Stephie for short." Stephie introduced herself. 

"Well Stephie, you were very kin-"

"There you are." Suddenly came a voice from the cafe's entrance. 

Both Stephanie and Carter turned to the voice. It was a man in his late 20s. He had a bushel of curls atop his head, and a low cut around the rest of his scalp. The curls were a rich dark chocolate color, his eyes a similar shade. His skin wore a natural tan, his nose handsome, his face a slight oval shape. He sported a five o-clock shadow, his lips full and brownish pink. 

"John called me worried sick." He continued, then he hurried and hugged Carter.

Stephie remained quiet.

The man pulled away, "I heard about mom, but you can't just wander off." He scolded. 

"There is no reason to talk to me as if I'm senile." Carter shrugged away from the man, "I needed a moment alone, so I went for a walk, then it began to rain, so I came here. This young lady was kind enough to keep me company." Carter explained while standing up and pointing at Stephie. 

The man gave Stephie one glance, swift and with no importance or weight. 

"That's nice. Let's go." The man urged, not caring to greet or thank Stephie for her act of hospitality. 

The man began to walk away. 

"She asked for you Jacob." Carter spoke, not moving from his spot.

The man, Jacob, stopped, but didn't look at Carter.

"Where were you?" Carter wondered still with no rush or urgency in his tone. 

Jacob sighed and put his hands on his waist. 

He wore a black suit, with a blue shirt and no tie. His shoes and belt were a matching brown.

"I had to close a deal." Jacob shrugged. 

The restaurant was silent for a moment. A taxi's tires splashed in a puddle outside, and the old clock on the far right wall of the café, which was stuck on 2:36 ticked and clicked in a consistent pattern.

"You had to close a deal?" Carter echoed with slight spite, "your mother was dying and she asked for you and all you cared about was closing a deal?" 

Jacob didn't respond right away. Instead, he pulled out his phone and brought it to his right ear. 

"Hey it's me. Yeah I found him. You can go home for the night." Jacob then hung up.

"Let's go home." He said without looking at his dad. 

"That's it then, right?" Carter wondered. 

Stephie, feeling awkward removed her apron and hung it on the rack, making sure the pockets had been emptied of her tips from the day. Then she mutely gathered her personal items, consisting of her jacket, her crossbody purse, and her phone which had been charging under the counter. 

Jacob had no answer to his father's inquiry.

Clearing her throat, Stephie spoke, "I don't mean to interrupt, but I have to lock up."

Carter stared at his son's profile a little longer before turning to Stephie. 

"Where do you live?" Carter wondered.

"I'm sorry?" Stephie frowned. 

"Well I've kept you here, it's raining and it's late. I'm assuming you'd be taking the bus." Carter pointed out his observations.

Guarded and on edge, Stephie straightened her posture, "and why would you assume that?"

Carter breathed, sensing the young lady's discomfort, "am I wrong?"

Stephie swallowed a bout of saliva and gripped the corner where her purse's strap met the body, "well no, but its still wrong of you to assume." Stephie chided. 

"You're right, and I am sorry to have offended you and caused you such retard, please allow me to make it up to you by offering you a ride home." Carter communicated.

"That's nice of you but I'm fine taking the bus." Stephie declined without wasting any time.

"Let's go dad." Jacob spoke up, finally looking at Carter again. 

Stephie chanced a glance at Jacob; he didn't even look her way, and she returned her gaze to Carter. 

"I appreciate your air of caution, but I can assure you that I have no intention on letting you go home this late on a bus; and trust me Miss Stephanie, I can be very persistent." Carter revealed. 

"Look if you're so worried about her, call up a taxi." Jacob stepped in, finally sending a second look towards Stephie. 

This time his eyes lingered on her face a little longer. Her appearance was round; she had almond-shaped eyes and chocolate brown pupils. Her nose wasn't small, nor was it too big, her nostrils ring-shaped. Her lips were plump and slightly brown. 

Jacob blinked in a disinterested manner and stared at his father. 

"Why call a taxi when you have your car?" Carter questioned. 

"Listen, I really don't mind taking the bus. I do it every day." Stephie kindly declined again.

"Well not tonight." Carter refused sternly, "Now, here's my payment for the milk. Lock up and let's go."

"The milk is on the house." Stephie quickly avoided, not wanting to waste the time to log in and collect the payment.

Carter gave another firm nod, then he turned and faced Jacob.

Stowing his phone away, Jacob rolled his eyes and walked out of the café.

Forming a thin line with her mouth, Stephie turned off the lights, and Carte, a proper gentleman, allowed her to walk out of the shop first.

"After you." He ushered.

Stephie gave a swift, closed-lip smile and walked out of the building. When Carter closed the door, Stephie punched in the code to ensure that the lock was engaged. it was still raining, and ravines of water cascaded over the edge of the lanai, which sheltered the cafe's front entrance. When Stephie faced the street, there was a sleek, maroon sedan parked in front of the café. The design was simple yet elegant, and Stephie was sure she had never seen that model before.

Carter placed on his coat and hat, then he stepped into the rain first and opened the back passenger door for Stephie. Sighing and sending one last look of caution up and down the street, Stephie entered vehicle. Carter closed the door, then slipped into the front passenger side.

"Address." Jacob requested with no ounce of kindness in his voice.

"5318 Maddox lane, Meadowbrook, 41118." Stephie spoke, though her neutral tone absorbed Jacob's bitter air.

Jacob typed in the address on the screen of his car, and pulled off down the road hastily in one swift rev. The jerk and screech of tires on the wet asphalt was enough to have Stephie hold her breath for a moment, before she clicked in her seatbelt.

The car ride was silent, and having no intent on conversing with the men, Stephie ensured that Jacob was driving in the right direction, then she dug out the wad of cash tips she received for the day and began sorting the bills. Among the cash she found a rather raunchy note accompanied by a phone number. Scoffing slightly and rolling her eyes, Stephie finished fixing the bills from five's to ones, then she counted the total. $112 exact. Seeing this, Stephie smiled softly in hope. A few more nights like these and she'd have saved enough for the olive green sedan her neighbor was selling down the street.

Smiling a little brighter at the thought, Stephie looked up and her eyes instantly locked with Jacob's gaze in the rearview mirror, while the car stood at a red light. He stared at her and didn't bother to look away when Stephie caught him.

A heat rose in the back of of Stephie's neck and pricked her skin. The rain drops tapping and splashing around the maroon frame which enveloped them, melted like dots of pain on a wall in Stephie's ears, as she found herself stuck in shock at the unexpected attention from the stoic man. Blinking, Stephie looked down and away. Feeling seen and vulnerable, like a specimen under a scope, Stephie quickly stuffed the cash back in her purse, then she checked the time on her phone and busied herself with the wet buildings outside the car's window.

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Hey guys!

Here is our pilot chapter. I hope you enjoyed.

Let me know by COMMENTING, AND SHARING!

Lots of ❤❤❤

-Tania