Chapter One

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OF WINTER IN FAIRBROOK! THEY'RE SIMPLY BORROWED FOR THE SAKE OF THIS STORY. Anything that seems similar to another's is by coincidence. And of course, please do not distribute or use this story without permission.

It was a beautiful day, today. The sun was out and blazing and the air was cool and thin, allowing the breeze to be fresh and comforting. The birds chirped as they flew high up into the blue sky. The sun's rays shined down onto the Earth and landed on a young woman. She appeared to be in her early twenties and her medium-long, auburn hair blew with the wind as she rushed to her destination. As beautiful as a day it was, however, everyone has their off-days.

The young woman continued to brush past the crowds as she inwardly cursed herself for running behind schedule. She'd thought she had more time, so she decided to grab a textbook from the library she needed for class, but it seems time wasn't in her favor. With a sigh, she hoped her boss would forgive her and hurried along. Arriving at her workplace, she didn't bother checking the time and immediately dropped off her things in her locker that was in the back-room. She tied her hair up into a high-pony tail, wrapped her apron around her waist, and moved to enter the kitchen-area, only to be startled by the figure that suddenly appeared when she turned the corner.

"Oh!" She let out and stumbled a few steps back before catching herself, her heart thumping.

"Sorry." The figure apologized with a chuckle.

"Jesus, Jade, you scared me half to death!" The young woman hissed at her best friend but a smile found its way up to her lips.

"I said 'sorry'," Jade pouted, her shoulders drooping, "Why're you so on edge anyway, Emily?"

The young woman—Emily—let out a deep sigh before shaking her head.

"You don't want to know…This day has got to be the worst day since I've arrived in California."

"Oh? Why's that?" Jade asked.

Another sigh escaped from Emily.

"I'll tell you in a minute, I've got to report to Susan that I'm here and apologize about my tardiness."

Jade raised an eyebrow.

"Tardiness?"

Emily nodded.

"Yeah, I'm late…aren't I?"

The young woman turned to look at her friend with a raised eyebrow as well. Jade shrugged.

"I don't think so…unless you were supposed to start at 2pm and not 3pm."

"But it's already—" Emily dug her hand into her pocket to take out her phone and saw that it was only 2:50, "Oh…"

Jade laughed. Emily continued to stare at the time as if it would somehow magically change, like it was just a lie to tease her but—of course—the time didn't change and she let out a, "huh".

"Well, whatever, I still have to report to Susan anyway, to tell her that I'm here." Emily said as she stuffed her phone back into her front pocket.

Jade nodded and the two were off to find Susan.

After reporting to Susan, the two women, along with the other two waitresses—Maria and Lacey—did the front-staff preparations. At 5 o'clock, the restaurant was opened for dinner. After a few rushes, Emily checked the time to see that it was already nine. Just another hour, she thought to herself as she took a sip from her water cup.

"So, are you going to tell me this horrible day of yours or not?"

Emily looked to see Jade had taken the empty seat that was next to her and turned to face her.

"It was pretty bad," Emily pursed her lips, the memories of this morning still haunting her.

"Humor me." Jade said before she took a bite into her sandwich.

"Okay, so, this morning," Emily set her cup to the side, "I saw this guy and—"

"You thought he was cute." Jade interrupted.

Emily paused but continued on.

"Yes, I did but that's not what's bad. It's what happened afterwards."

"He rejected you?"

Emily rolled her eyes as she hit Jade playfully when the woman smiled cheekily.

"No, c'mon, be serious."

"Okay, okay."

"So, anyway, I decided to grab some coffee at Starbucks really quick before heading to class and guess who I saw there?"

Jade shrugged when Emily didn't continue.

"I don't know…the guy you thought was cute?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, he was there only…" Emily's eyes trailed downwards and a pained look passed through her face.

"What?" Jade urged.

"I spilled coffee all over him."

"You what?!" Jade exclaimed and Emily shushed her; realizing how loud she must've been, she leaned in and said softly, "How'd you manage to do that?"

"I wasn't expecting him to be standing so close to me, so when I turned around…you know…" Emily winced at the memory, biting her lips.

Jade couldn't help but let out a laugh and Emily could feel the heat returning back to her cheeks.

"Don't laugh…"

"Was it his coffee or yours?"

"His…"

"So, what'd you do? You ask for his number or something to do something about the damages?"

Emily shook her head.

"Don't be silly. I did offer to buy him another coffee though, after I gave him a handkerchief."

"Oh my gosh, Emily. That's all? Seriously?"

She looked up at Jade with confused eyes.

"Well, yeah…I don't know, what should've I done?"

"I don't know, just not that." Jade shook her head, "You really do have no game."

Emily felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"W-What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing…" Jade said innocently but Emily knew exactly what she was getting at, though she decided not to linger on the topic.

"So…is that it? Is that the horrible experience?" Jade asked after a long moment of silence.

"Yes…and no."

"There's more?"

Emily nodded.

"I went to class after that, only to find out…" Emily leaned into her arms that were prompted onto the table and said meekly, "He's my teacher."

"Your teacher?! Are you serious?!" Jade widened her eyes in surprise and Emily had to shush her again, "Seriously, Emily?"

The young woman blew out a sigh as she sank deeper into her arms, hiding her face. Jade shook her head but placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry too much, I'm sure—"

"Oh my gosh, Jade! Emily!" a voice to the side exclaimed, interrupting the two girls' conversation.

Emily straightened and turned to face the other two waitresses who made their way over.

"What is it, Maria?"

The woman stood there, frozen and Emily raised a brow.

"Maria?"

"There's a really cute guy here!" She squealed, though she fought to keep her voice at a low whisper, "And he's sitting at your table!"

Emily blinked, not believing this woman. She'd thought that something bad had happened. Letting out a breath, she saw Jade step forward.

"Really? I want to see." Jade smiled and pushed her way through to the very front, glancing around the dining area.

"Wait, Jade!" Emily hissed, following after the woman.

She paused, however, once she saw the familiar figure sitting all the way at the far away window seat. Her seat. Emily had reached to stop Jade but now froze mid-way, just standing there. No way, she thought. What the hell is he doing here?!

Dreading that it was the person from earlier, she hoped to God that it wasn't…It couldn't be! Standing there—like a fool—she stared at the man when he turned his head and his eyes met with hers. Her jaw dropped as recognition hit her. Heat flushed to her cheeks and she could feel her nerves going haywire, the humiliation eating at her once more.

Before she could embarrass herself any further, Emily almost-immediately retreated from the open space and hid away behind the counter. How long she hid there, she didn't know. All she could think of was, how in the world was it possible for him to be here? Her heart pounded so hard in her chest that it hurt and she could hear her breathing become heavy and slightly uneven by how nervous she was. So deep into her thoughts, she didn't hear Jade's calling until the woman laid a hand on her arm. Emily jerked out of her thoughts with a flinch and looked up to meet Jade's brown eyes.

"Are you alright, Emily?"

Emily blinked hard as if trying to focus.

"W-What?"

"Are you okay? You're sweating."

"Am I…?" Emily reached up to wipe her forehead and realized she was sweating, "Oh…Sorry, I'm just feeling a little off."

Jade's face was plastered with worry.

"Are you sure? You were fine a second ago."

"Y-Yeah…" Emily mumbled, then paused, "Wait! Jade!

The woman let out a gasp of surprise when Emily gave her arm a tug, pulling her close.

"W-What is it?" Jade said.

"The guy! The one that Maria was fangirling about!"

"Yes...what about him?" Jade let out a hesitant breath.

"What do you mean 'what about him'? That's him! That's the guy I was talking about!"

Jade stared at Emily for a long moment before it clicked in her head.

"You mean…That's the guy you spilled coffee on and ended up being your teacher?"

Emily nodded vigorously and Jade laughed.

"Why are you laughing? It's not funny!" Emily hid further away into the counter, wanting to disappear.

Jade's laughing subsided enough for her to talk.

"I'm sorry, Emily. But it is rather entertaining."

Emily gave her a glare.

"I'm so glad I can be your source of entertainment." She said sarcastically.

Jade shook her head but gave a small laugh.

"That's not what I meant but it is ironic."

"Ironic?"

Jade nodded.

"Yeah, because he just happens to be everywhere you are. I find it kind of cute, to be honest."

Emily raised an eyebrow.

"Cute?! How is it cute?!"

The woman shrugged which only fed to Emily's frustration.

"It just is….Anyways, c'mon." Jade held out her hand to Emily and pulled her out of her dark corner, "He's at your table so you're his server."

Emily widened her eyes.

"What?! You can't be serious!" She shook her head, "No, please! Not him! Jade, can't you help him for me? Just this once!"

Jade pursed her lips.

"I can't. If Susan saw me, she'd give me an earful if I'm lucky. I'm really sorry, Emily." She hung her head but then gave a cheeky grin, "Maybe it's meant to be?"

"Oh please!" Emily rolled her eyes and snatched her notepad from Jade before making her way to her the man.

Emily could feel that every step she took closer toward the man, her heart thumped. She was pretty sure she was so stiff that she looked like robot.

Arriving at the table, Emily took a deep breath to herself and forced herself to speak.

"Hello, were you ready to place your order or would you like a few more minutes?"

"No, thank you, I'm ready." The man turned his eyes from his book and looked up at her, "I would like—"

Emily paused as their eyes locked once again and she felt her heart race—in a different way. The feeling dissipated though as she saw the recognition in his eyes and wished that she was anywhere but there. Fighting back the urge to not escape, she asked for his order.

"Um…sir? Your order?" Emily looked down toward her notepad, thinking it was the only way to avoid eye-contact.

"Oh, yes, sorry. May I have the sandwich combo number three, please? Just a glass of water is fine." He finished and gently closed the menu.

"Combo number three and a water," Emily mumbled to herself as she quickly jotted it down onto the paper and tried to grab the menu slowly, "Alright, I'll go ahead and put that in for you."

"Thank you." The man spared her a glance before going back to his book.

"You're welcome." Emily said before she turned and went to put his order in.

As she did so, Emily continued to ponder to herself if he really did recognize her. It didn't seem like it but…

Emily thought back on how they'd lock eyes before and…He definitely recognized her. There was no doubt about it. The way he looked at her and the recognition that flashed through his eyes was way too obvious for her not to think that he hadn't known who she was. Emily was thankful that he hadn't said anything throughout the entire time; well…at least he hadn't just yet. She still had to give him his check.

With a sigh, she switched to work mode and grabbed the man's bill before making her way over to his table.

"Would you like anything else for tonight?" She said in a soft, polite tone.

The man shook his head.

"No, thank you. I'm all set." He spared her a glance and turned his attention back to the book he was holding.

"Okay, I'll go ahead and set your check here and no rush on this." She gently placed the piece of paper onto the table and gave a small smile before she turned to leave but the man's voice called out and she paused.

"Yes?"

"You can actually go ahead take this with you." He said as he took out his wallet and pulled out a few bills before placing it on top of the bill, "I'm all set."

"Thank you so much, you have yourself a good night." Emily gave a genuine smile as she nodded her head.

"You as well." He gathered his things and stood to leave.

As he brushed past her, Emily let out a breath, relieved that it was over; however, the man turned back around and tapped her shoulder.

"Excuse me?"

With a slight flinch, Emily turned around.

"Y-Yes?"

She fully turned her body to face the man when he didn't answer. Feeling his eyes on her, she began to feel the humiliation once again, her cheeks heating.

"May I help you with something?" She asked hesitantly.

The man continued to stare at her for another long moment before he spoke.

"Yes…actually you can." The tiny glint in his eyes made her heart leap into her throat and she just knew he was up to something.

He took a step closer to her and slowly leaned into her space. She could feel her entire face on fire but fought the urge to retreat down and opened her mouth to speak—but he beat her to it.

"How about that free coffee?" His low, husky voice filled her eardrums and her pulse went into overdrive.

He knew she thought as her body moved away from him through instinct. She looked up at him and the cheeky smirk on his lips made it obvious that he knew exactly who she was, if the words he spoke before weren't evidence enough. She had to bite her lips to keep from screaming an apology and swallowed the sudden lump that had manifested in her throat.

"Um…About that, I'm reallysorry." She kept her eyes down due to her embarrassment, the humiliation too much for her already.

"And yet, you can't even look at me while saying that." The man said with a small sigh, "Are you really sorry or just saying it?"

"It's not that!" Emily shot her head up, looking directly into his blue eyes, "I truly am sorry! I was in a rush and I didn't think you'd be standing so close, so I—"

"So, this is my fault?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No! That's not—"

Emily cut herself short as she stared up at the man, really looking at him. The curve of his lips was no longer smiling but the glint in his eyes told her that he was amused. He was teasing her!

"Are you teasing me?" Emily said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Maybe." His smile returned and she sighed.

"Okay, now you're just being mean. I gave you my apology and even offered replacement." She pouted, her cheeks puffing slightly, "At least give me a little credit."

The man chuckled and Emily looked back up at him. He fixed his glasses back up onto his nose before he turned to meet her gaze.

"Alright, I'll accept your apology." He nodded, "And I'm sorry for teasing. I couldn't help myself."

Emily narrowed her eyes.

"No offense but you really don't look like a person who would joke around like that."

His lips curved up into a small smile, the sight causing her heart to flutter.

"I know. I get that a lot." He said, then straightened with a clear of his throat, "My name's Ryan by the way."

Emily looked down at his extended hand.

"Oh, yes, my name is—"

"Emily." The man—Ryan—interrupted with a teasing smile, "I know. You're in my class."

Emily let out a nervous laugh, along with a meek smile.

"So you noticed?"

"Of course. To be honest, you made it a little obvious with all of your fidgeting and moving to the back seat once you caught sight of me." Ryan chuckled, "You tried really hard to hide yourself. So hard that I noticed."

Emily bit her lips, looking down at the floor.

"Please don't tease me."

"I'm not, I found it rather…endearing."

She looked up at him with confused eyes.

"Endearing?"

"Yeah, it—"

He cut himself off as he stared off into the open space, as if in a daze. Emily kept her eyes on him, wondering what he was thinking. When he didn't move, she waved her hand. Suddenly, Ryan blinked before he shook his head and tightened his hold on his messenger bag, the air about him changing from a friendly one to a more professional one.

"Well, it seems to getting late so I'll leave you to your duties." Ryan said rather blandly, the joking manner from before gone, "Good night."

Before Emily could reply, the man turned and left the building. Still trying to process what just happened, Emily stood there. She pondered what was wrong because he suddenly clammed up and became so professional. The air of him changed so quickly, she didn't even have a chance to wrap her head around it. Was it because of her? Or maybe what she said? She didn't know. He was the one who had teased her, and yet she felt like she was the one who chased him away.

Shaking out of her thoughts, Emily let out a soft 'good night' before returning to her duties.

A/n Hello there! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I know Ryan seems a little OOC but I'll try to make him OOC as little as possible! As always, welcome readers! And I hope you continue to support! ^_^