Hello Lovelies! Back again with yet another update! Do you love me or what?...(cricket, cricket, cricket). Okay, I see how it is. Well I hope you love this update anyway and shoot me a review, favorite, or follow if you do!
CH. 3
Fate reveals it's hand…
Serena spent the rest of the weekend being torn between thoughts of Deemond and of her dark knight. Her time spent with her mystery man had served her well, it kept her thoughts off of her almost rape, but not enough to keep them out of her dreams. Every time she closed her eyes she would see them; first Deemond on top of her, sneering, then her dreams turned to her knight, caressing and caring for her. It created a strange concoction of feelings that had her very confused about herself and the man. She was pretty sure she was suffering from some form of PTSD. Deemonds cold eyes haunted her thoughts almost as much as the kiss with her dark knight.
She finally gave up on sleep and sat down at her piano and wrote. Monday came all too soon for her but at least it helped get her mind off of both of them. She hadn't said a word about the incidents to either Mina or Amy. It was because she didn't want to worry them but also because she knew saying it out loud would make it all too real.
Apparently, Mina had a bit more to drink than she had that night because she was still so clearly hung over it was comical. She laid across the counter, pathetically, cursing Serena.
"This doesn't even make sense?! Were you hungover at all?"
Serena giggled at her. "No, but I didn't drink nearly as much as you did!"
Springing up, Mina looked her in the eyes, "Hey, where did you go that night? Amy and I looked for you for an hour?!"
Serena looked down at her bruised wrist, unable to bear her questioning stare, as her eyes welled up with tears that she quickly tried to hide. Mina grabbed her shoulder, turned her around and caught a glimpse of her wrist.
"Serena? Oh my God, what happened to your wrist?! Are you okay?"
The conversation she'd been dreading was finally upon her. "Deemond found me that night. He was drunk...you know what? No. I will not make excuses for him. That asshole dragged me off to a private room. He tried to...he almost..."
She was trying so hard to be brave, telling herself to just get it out and over with. The tears still fell, even as she told herself that it wasn't a big deal and that she was stronger than this.
She didn't fight Mina as she pulled her into a fierce hug. "I am so sorry, Serena! I should have been there. I shouldn't have made you go! We should call the cops!"
"No, no. It's okay. It's not your fault and I'm fine...really, besides, if we call the cops, I'm afraid we would get him in trouble."
Mina pulled away at the word 'him', searching her eyes and looking as though she could read her mind and see her memories.
"A man, huh?"
Serena nodded her head and blushed, thankful to be focusing on anything other than Deemond. Lita rushed out of the kitchen, her radar tingling.
"Serena met a guy?! Aw, I miss everything!"
Mina wore a sad smile on her face. "That's okay, Lita. Amy and I missed everything, too."
Lita leaned onto the counter, settling in for girl talk. "Okay, tell us everything. What's his name? What does he look like? Are you going to see him again?"
"I...I don't know his name," her blush was threatening to burn her face off at their shocked expressions, "He has dark hair and deep blue eyes. I don't know if I'll see him again. We didn't even exchange names, let alone numbers." The two of them looked at her with confusion, she really never did things like this. "I guess we were just meant to have that one...MAGICAL moment in time."
Serena sighed wistfully at the memory while the other two sighed in disappointment at their friend's continued dry spell. All three were pulled out of their thoughts when a banging on the glass doors woke them up.
"Oops! Guess it's time to open up!" Mina gave her a pat on her shoulder, flashing her another sad but loving smile, as she left to open the doors.
Amy entered a little later, also hung-over-less, much to Mina's chagrin, and Serena began to prepare her order.
"Hey, Serena? Do you remember what you did Friday with my order?"
A laugh escaped her. "You mean save your butt?"
Amy looked uneasy. "Yes, and let me say thank you again for that...but did you do something different to the americano?"
Serena looked at her friend blankly for a second when it dawned on her, "Oh crap, I forgot the extra shots!"
"Yeah, my boss noticed. Like I said, he's nice but serious. He said if it's messed up again, you would lose his business. I really appreciate what you did for me and I really like you as a person, so that's why I'm telling you. I know how important his business is to..."
Her anger burned her throat. "Oh yeah? It's important, alright."
The nerve of this guy! Some big honcho who made poor Amy come and complain to her! She had done him a huge favor. Well, it had really been a favor for Amy, but still. She'd never received a complaint and she would be damned if she let some walking suit with a small dick desecrate all over her perfect record.
"His americano is black, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
She played innocent, hoping to calm Amy's nerves. "Oh, I just want to make absolutely sure I get it perfect this time."
Once Amy was out of eyesight, she quickly added about twenty pumps of sugar syrup, or she assumed it was twenty; she'd lost count somewhere after ten. Afterwards, she added a little note to the cup. Just a little message to sweeten it up a little more.
Darien had been trying to read one small section of a brief for the past 15 minutes and it still made no sense to him. He slammed the paper down on his desk and tried to fight off his forming headache by squeezing his temples. The blonde from Friday night had been running rampant through his mind since the moment she'd left him. Why hadn't he asked for her name or something that he could use to find her?! And, dammit, it was just one kiss! Maybe that was it, being left high and dry, along with the sheer mystery of her, was causing him to dwell on the blonde more than he should. However, he wasn't sure which was worse, that he was craving her or mystified by her because either one meant a lot more restless days and sleepless nights.
Amy had left his coffee on his desk for him but he had yet to touch it. Maybe I just need more coffee. I'm just over tired, that's all. He took a sip and then promptly spit it out across his desk. He looked closer, only to find a message carefully written on his cup.
Thanks for your important business, ASSHOLE!
"AMY!"
She entered quickly, looking worried at the sight of coffee all over his desk. "Oh no..."
He nodded his head, reading her mind and confirming her fears for her little coffee shop and its irritating barista.
"Where is that coffee shop located?"
Amy pleaded with him to let her handle it, but he didn't even hear her. He was too busy seeing red and the only thing that would calm him would be to teach this...Serena Sparrow…. a lesson.
What if he had been diabetic? Her actions could have killed him! At the very least, it could have landed him in the hospital. Hell, he wasn't diabetic but he was still reeling from the sugar high she had forced upon him. No, she needed to be punished for this for sure. Or else, she would never learn, now would she?
She didn't know what the part-time staff had done this weekend but all of her equipment was extremely dirty. The espresso machine had dried caked on milk and grinds all over it. The new investors were due to show up at any time now and if Andrew saw this, he would freak. She got a rag, grabbed a putty knife with a bowl of warm soapy water and, at the first lull of the day, she went to work.
It was a nice distraction. "Don't worry, Beatrice. I'll get you back to shining glory in no time."
Mina just stood by the counter, eating gummy bears while she watched her scrub, "I still think it's weird that you named the espresso machine."
"Well, look at her. She's so big and beautiful. She needs a name!" Mina just raised her eyebrows at her comment. "Well, she will be pretty when I get done with her."
Mina had been watching her all day, waiting for any sign of pain, trouble, or a breakdown. She was doing better now, though, and she told Mina that getting it off her chest had weakened Deemond's hold on her.
She had only just started scrubbing when she heard the sound of a man clearing his throat in an agitated manner behind her.
The place looked a lot nicer than he'd expected. It wasn't a large space, but they had made good use of it. There were deep, plush armchairs and loveseats along the walls with small tables beside them. A small stage sat in one corner across from the big tinted windows that let in just enough light but didn't let others see in from outside. There were small round tables scattered about with chairs surrounding them. The wall next to the stage was lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves that were overflowing with books. Each table had a small but fresh bouquet of flowers on them and the whole place was made up of deep colors like blues, greens, and purples.
It was comfortable and, at any other time, he would have found it appealing but he'd come here on a mission. He found the espresso machine, so that was a good start. The girl at the register just stared at him, proving herself to be unhelpful. He assumed the girl scrubbing the damn machine, ignoring him, was Serena Sparrow. He cleared his throat to get her attention but she didn't turn around.
"Are you Serena Sparrow?"
"That's me!" She answered, still engrossed in her task, as she bent over, determinedly focussed on a chunk of white that was stuck to her machine.
"You made my coffee for me this morning."
She still hadn't turned around and she either missed his tone or she ignored it.
"Oh, well, you're welcome!"
He was starting to seeth now, trying to reign in his temper as much as possible. "I don't think we've met. I'm Amy's boss."
That did it. She froze, but only for a second, and continued what she was doing. Her shoulders started to shake slightly.
"Did you enjoy your coffee this morning?"
She was laughing! He could hear it in her, arguably, lovely voice.
"You know damn well I didn't. Are you trying to lose my business?"
"I always try to chase off any customers who are complete dick-wads!"
Darien looked to the other girl behind the counter but she had defiantly crossed her arms as if to agree with this crazy woman, even though it was pretty clear she didn't know the full story. This woman, who although had an attractive figure and beautiful long, blonde hair, was exacerbating. Her tight denim capris accentuated her thick hips and thin legs while a ridiculously large, tie-dyed shirt hung provocatively off one of her lovely little shoulders.
"Do you have any clue who I am?!"
"Look, I don't care who ASSHOLES are..."
Finally, she turned around, revealing herself to him. There they were face to face, with those bright, blue eyes that had been haunting him for days staring up at him. Everything suddenly stopped.
Everything froze; herself included. Of all the coffee shops in New York….. She couldn't move, couldn't think. In a city of millions, Amy's boss was the same man who had come to her rescue a few nights ago. Nice but serious. By the looks of him, he was most definitely both. She suddenly felt the urge to rustle his perfect hair and cut off his tie. He looked so different from the night they'd met and, yet, exactly the same. It was his eyes; they were undeniable.
Everyone must have been staring at them, what with the show they had put on just a few minutes ago. Her brain began to work again but in slow motion.
"You..."
She knew she sounded stupid but she was seriously lucky to have gotten that much out. Her mind, mouth, and body had turned to mush. Andrew showed up out of nowhere and pulled her back into the kitchen.
"What are you doing?!" he yelled in as much of a whisper as he could manage.
"What?" she was still in shock, looking at him through the kitchen window as he stared right back at her.
Andrew was sweating bullets, "I know we have our unspoken 'no assholes' rule but we do not yell at potential investors!"
Her daze was starting to fade. "What are you talking about?"
Andrew calmed a little, his breathing evened and sounded somewhat healthier. "You don't know, do you?" He slapped a hand on his forehead, "Aww, dammit Serena, I forgot you were gone when their company moved into town. That man you were just yelling at is Darien Shields."
"Darien SHIELDS?"
"Yes, as in Strom's Corp Golden Boy, as in possible investor, as in our future. I don't care what you do or how you do it, but I really need you to fix this."
Andrew left the kitchen and Serena tried not to completely lose it.
"Serena? What's going on?"
Lita had a worried look on her face, "That guy out front...is Darien Shields, Amy's boss."
"As in the inconsiderate jerk that you put enough sugar into his coffee to put him into sugar coma?!"
She nodded vigorously, her nerves making her over exaggerate. "Yep. He's also Andrew's big investor."
"Oh no!" Lita's hands flew up to her face, covering her mouth.
"It gets worse," now her heart was racing. "You know that guy I told you about from the club? That's him..."
Lita's hands fell and she had a blank look on her face as if it was all just too much. "Well, I can say this. Your life is never boring, Serena."
"What do I do?!"
"What do you mean? Kill two birds with one stone. Go out there and give him a big kiss!"
"I don't date customers." But she couldn't even convince herself with that one.
Lita's hands went to her hips, starting to get annoyed with her. "That's just what you tell, De-bag. You like this guy, don't you?"
"I thought I did before I found out he is some rich jackass going around terrorizing innocent baristas!"
"Serena, you are far from innocent."
Lita took a peek out the window at him, swooning as she did. "He looks good to me. And he is still waiting for you so hurry up and get out there."
Lita unceremoniously shoved her out the door and he stared at her with a small smirk on his face. She didn't know if she wanted to smack or kiss that smug look off of his face. She took a deep breath. Time to pay the piper. The costs of her deeds scared her the most.
He wasn't sure what made him happier; that he'd found her or that she wasn't, in fact, a figment of his imagination. She walked back over to him with a calm, blank look on her face. It was adorable. She looked so different from the night he'd seen her last and it made him wonder which version was the real her. If he played his cards right, he might get to find out.
"I am very sorry, sir. Let me make whatever you want, on me."
"I don't want any coffee."
She fidgeted nervously and his heart started to pound in his chest. "Okay, what do you want then?"
It was just too easy. "I want you to go out with me."
"I don't date customers." She stated it so flatly like it was a mantra that she was trying to tell herself more than him.
"You didn't seem to mind the other night."
Fire flared in her eyes. "I didn't know who you were! YOU didn't tell me."
"Most people know who I am. Besides, I didn't really get a chance between saving you, your tongue down my throat, and you running away."
He couldn't tell if her irritation with him was for her benefit or if she really was pissed at him. Either way, he found it hot. The fire he had seen in her the other night had returned. So if he was the cause, for whatever reason, he would take it and run. She moved to clear some tables, trying to get away from him. But like hell he was going to let her slip away from him again. He sat at a table that was right in front of her station. Where else could she go? She ignored him and continued to scrub the gunk off the espresso machine, a show he enjoyed quite a bit. Finally, she turned and walked over to his table.
Her face had softened significantly and she talked in a hushed whisper, "Please don't take…," she pointed back and forth between them, "this...out on my boss. He's a really good man who works hard and really deserves this."
"Oh, I know that. I haven't changed my mind about investing."
Her face lit up, "You haven't?!"
"No, and I haven't changed my mind about you either."
She started to walk away again, but he grabbed one of her wrists before she could far. She let out a hiss of pain and he released her instantly. He hadn't grabbed her that hard, had he? He grabbed her again, this time taking her hand and pulling her wrist into the light and into view. There, on her delicate pale wrists, were angry, finger-shaped bruises. His anger boiled again, but he swallowed it, remembering her fear the last time he'd lost it in front of her. Instead, he gently kissed them and she let out a small gasp.
"He was lucky I didn't kill him."
Her hand flexed around his, "Thank you, for saving me."
Going for broke, he looked into her large blue eyes, "Go out with me. Tonight."
For a second, she looked like she might give in, "No...No I can't. Not tonight. I have plans."
"Change them. I want to see you tonight."
He still held her hand and she didn't pull away, standing before him as she ruminated over the idea.
"I don't care what we do. I just want to see you."
"You don't care huh?" She let out a sigh and he knew he'd won. "Alright. Just meet me here seven-o-clock. Don't be late!"
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Feeling very much like a winner, he placed a soft kiss on both of her hands and headed for the door. He took one last glance back at her before he lost her as he walked out the door. He'd never needed to fight for a date that hard in his life, but he needed to find out what was drawing him to her; infatuation, curiosity, more, or all of the above.
Her hands were still shaking long after he'd left, her mind still reeling over the huge mistake she had just made. She silently cursed his eyes, deep and blue, making her say whatever he wanted to hear, even after fighting them for so long. She was so preoccupied with her nervous thoughts about tonight that she didn't even notice that both Lita and Mina were staring at her as she almost ran into them.
Lita had a smirk on her lips while Mina looked upset. "What?"
"What the hell was that?"
"Serena found her dark knight!" Lita smirked.
Mina hated being left out, "What?! That was him?! Oh, Serena you weren't kidding, he is beyond gorgeous!"
"...he is Darien Shields."
"...WHAT!"
"Shhhhh...Mina! People are staring."
The blonde was almost hyperventilating, "Serena, I don't think you understand. He is one of the richest men in the world."
Her heart sank into her stomach. "Seriously? Maybe this isn't such a good idea."
"No, Serena. Neither I nor Lita will let you break this date!"
She narrowed her eyes at the two of them, "Come on, you two. A guy like that? And a girl like me? Please, this is just a hookup for him."
"So?!" Lita's outburst surprised both of them. "You need it! Seriously, Serena. If you keep this up, they will have to pry your legs apart at your next gyno visit."
Throwing her hands up over her mouth, she violently tried to hush the tall woman. "Lita! People know me here!"
Mina just laughed. "So where are you two going on this 'date'?"
It was clear that her 'date', had now turned into meaningless sex in Mina's mind. "Well, it's not really a date. I invited him to come back here."
A frustrated sigh came from the brunette. "Oh, Serena, that's not very romantic."
"What else could I do Lita? He wanted to meet tonight and it's my night." She was starting to get tired of this already. What did it matter if he was just going to try and bang her and leave?
"Oh yeah! That's right! Well, that's even better!"
Now her head was starting to pound in rhythm with her heart, "How is that better Mina?"
"Cause what man wouldn't fall in love with your beautiful voice!"
Serena clocked out at six and went into the bathroom to change. She put on a halter maxi dress with a v-neckline and a cord that she tied around her neck. It was made of a pink, blue, purple, and orange madras print on a silky material. It was one of her favorite dresses because it was bright and it made her boobs look amazing! She slipped on some purple flip-flops and took out the braid in her hair to put in up in a messy bun.
I guess this is as good as it's going to get.
Mina left to go home and change. Lita was going to come with her husband, Nick, Serena's drummer. Amy was supposed to come tonight too. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, given that her 'date' that was due to show up any minute now. With the realization that no matter how long she stared at her reflection, it was never going to change, she left the safety of the employee bathroom.
She shut the door behind her, immediately regretting her decision to leave the bathroom when she saw Deemond stomped right over to her. She was frozen, all of the fear and anxiety from that night and afterward coming back, hitting her like a ton of bricks. It was all she could do to breathe.
Without breaking his stride, he walked up and backhanded her across the face. The force across her cheekbone pushed so hard that it felt like her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. It felt as though her eardrums had burst as her ears began to ring loudly and blocked out most of the other sounds around her. The combination of her fear, the force of his hit, and the pain had her falling to the floor in front of him.
The part-timers that came in at night were stunned. They didn't know what to do as this crazed man yelled at her. A few of her fans had stumbled onto the scene but she didn't want them involved. It looked like they were going to jump him, but she managed to wave them off, her scattered brain able to comprehend that much at least.
He was towering over her, yelling something, but her ears were still buzzing from the slap. She could see, through her tear-blurred vision, that he still had a bad bruise on his chin. It made her smile to remember Darien giving him that punch. Smiling wasn't a good choice because he grabbed her shoulders and began shaking her, which was not good for the headache that was quickly beginning to form behind her injured eye. It did help her ears pop so she could finally hear what he was saying.
"You think it's funny? You think ruining me is funny, you stupid cow!?"
Everything was a stilted blur and she was only able to focus on one thing at a time. Her heart was in her throat, making it impossible to speak even if she could form words. He raised his hand to slap her again, and she prepared herself, closing her eyes and shrinking as much as possible but the hit never came. She slowly opened her eyes to see another man holding Deemond's arm, still in mid-slap. His back was to her and she couldn't quite focus enough to figure him out.
Deemond looked nervous. "Look, I just wanted to get her to explain that it was all a misunderstanding."
The hand removed itself from Deemond's wrist. 'No! Don't let him go, it wasn't a misunderstanding. Don't listen to him!' She really wished she could speak.
The man grabbed Deemond by his collar and lifted him up and towards the door just as Andrew emerged from his office and rushed to her side. He put his hands on her, causing her to jump, which was something he didn't miss either.
"Oh my God, Serena, your eye! What the hell happened!?"
"A piece of trash, that I did not properly handle last night, hit her."
Oh God, it was Darien! He was the one who had handled Deemond and he had seen the display just now. She was beyond mortified that he had to save her again.
"He did WHAT?!" Andrew stood quickly as if to go after him, but Darien stopped him and she grabbed onto Andrew to keep him from trying again. "I'm calling the cops."
"I've handled him. He shouldn't be a problem again. Plus...if you call them now...I might be arrested for assault."
Darien stooped down in front of her and tenderly inspected her cheek. "Can you stand?"
Giving him a weak nod, Darien and Andrew helped her up. Her face burned and her head throbbed, still feeling a bit out of it. Andrew looked at her again, her face fully lit now.
"Oh God, Serena. I'm going to get you some ice, okay?"
Andrew left and he helped her to a seat, crouching before her and keeping her close. She'd shut down again, the fire in her eyes a dim spark. As gently as he could, he cupped her face, the sheer act of it sending electricity down his arms. Her eyes went wide, as wide as they could given the circumstances. He lifted her face upwards towards the light. Her eye was definitely swelling and turning black. The sight of it was making it really hard for him not to go after Deemond and kill him this time. If he thought a broken nose was bad, just wait.
"How bad is it?"
He looked back into her eyes and there were tears lingering and glistening in them. They looked like cerulean pools, just like the water in the Mexican Gulf; no matter what happened, she still remained a stunning beauty.
He stared at her. He didn't know for how long but she didn't say anything or move uncomfortably. He wasn't sure whether to tell her the truth or lie.
"It's not bad," he lied, a reflex for him when it came to women.
"You're lying. I can tell."
He was surprised, since he considered himself a good liar. "How can you tell?"
"If I tell you, then you will know your tell."
She managed a mischievous smile, making his heart race at her deviousness. "You still look beautiful. Am I lying now?"
She was silent as she looked away from him, pulling her face from his grasp and trying to hide her blush. It almost blended into her bruise, but he still caught it. He was relieved when Andrew returned with ice before anything else could be said, something about this woman made him act like a fool. He busied himself by taking in the place at night. There was quite a crowd for the act tonight and he knew, from doing his research, that this place had a live show every evening. It made him wonder who was performing tonight to have gathered such a large group.
He kept his ears trained on the two blondes next to him. "Serena, I think we should cancel the show. You should go home."
"NO! No, we can't cancel. Look at all the people that are already here, Andrew. They're expecting a show."
Now he was confused. "Isn't your shift over? Why do you have to stay for the show?"
"Because, Darien, she is the show. All of these people are here for her."
Serena placed the ice on her face and hissed as it touched her burning flesh. Her eyesight was her greatest concern at the moment, as she was having trouble seeing through her right eye. Honestly, she was afraid to look at it, fearing it would make her feel worse by knowing how bad it looked. She'd already seen most of it as it had been reflected in Darien's eyes as he tried to lie. He really wasn't a very good liar.
Mina arrived and freaked out when she saw her. In the middle of explaining what had happened, Lita showed up and she had to start over. Then Amy showed up. All the while, Darien sat across the table from her, amused by her frustration.
"Darien, why don't you fill your employee in on the whole story, while I take Serena to the bathroom to freshen up." Mina pulled her up from her chair and took her to the bathroom,
"Wow, Serena. He must really like you."
She shook her head, even as Mina's words caused her heart to skip a beat. "Guys like him don't go for girls like me."
Mina grimaced, "And what kind of girl is that?"
"Disorganized, sloppy, poor, unattractive and a 'nobody'."
"Serena, you are none of those things. Okay, maybe you're a little disorganized and you're not rich but you're beautiful, amazing, and a somebody! Now keep still so I can work!"
Amy stared at him, confused and surprised. He hadn't filled her in when he'd gone back to the office earlier and she had looked worried when he'd returned smiling. She'd probably thought that he had the place shut down or had Serena fired. The memory of her calling him an asshole brought a smile to his lips and how she'd continued to fight him, made him chuckle. Amy was looking at him like he'd gone insane and it forced him to focus and fill her in.
"She called you a what?!" Amy turned pale.
He waved her off. "Yeah, it's okay. Don't worry Amy, your coffee shop is safe."
"I didn't know she had done that to your coffee. I'm so sorry, sir."
He had no doubts about that, "It's fine. Don't worry about it."
Mina had performed a cosmetic miracle. You couldn't even tell she had been hit! She actually looked better than before she was smacked. With Deemond, Darien and the emotional roller coaster she was on, she was really starting to regret her 'no drinks before a performance' rule. This was definitely the most nerve-wracking performance she'd had in a long time. It reminded her of her first time.
There were a lot of new faces in the crowd tonight, it was possible that word was getting around about her. The only new face she was really nervous about was Darien's. His presence both settled and unnerved her. She felt safe with him here, from Deemond anyways, and that calmed her significantly. Every time she glanced at him, her heart did a flip-flop and started racing. How disappointed he must be to find out she was just a poor barista with a musical obsession.
Before she was really ready, it was, quite literally, time to face the music. She'd already set up her guitar and piano and Nick was setting up his drums. All they were waiting for was Andrew, who played guitar with them. He was actually really good, which had surprised Serena. When she had originally set this all up Andrew agreed to let her play if he could play with her. To her delight, he was a fantastic guitar player. She wondered where he'd kept all that talent hidden for all of these years. Apparently, he'd been taking classical guitar lessons in secret, which meant he really knew how to move those fingers. Lita offered up her husband's services as a drummer and then everything just fell into place. The three of them fit well together, Serena just handed them the music she written and by the time they were ready to play, they'd already mastered it.
Having the other two up there with her calmed her a bit, and she slipped into her usual routine; in part, because it calmed her but also because people were expecting it.
As usual, Andrew was dragging his feet. The regulars in the crowd were used to it, a few getting excited already, knowing what to expect from her. He would always wait until the last second to put down whatever spreadsheet he was looking at and join them. One would think that he'd his lesson by now, but he must be a masochist. The faces she recognized were already laughing, knowing what was next. Serena stood in front of the mic and began Andrew's usual intro. She told stories from their childhood, stories that Andrew didn't want anyone to ever know.
Serena stepped up to the mic, the crowd quieting instantly. "Okay, folks, so you wanna hear the story about our first camping trip?"
The crowd began to shout and clap. Darien didn't get it. He looked at Mina and Lita who were already laughing their asses off. Amy looked just as confused as him.
Mina leaned over towards them. "She does this every time. Andrew always takes his time getting up there!"
Darien watched as Serena did her best to hold herself together enough to tell her story.
"Okay, okay. So it was Mina, Andrew, and me on our first camping trip. We were 8, I think? And we had decided to go on a hike. Well, halfway up Andrew disappears to go use the bathroom. Mina and I didn't think much of it till later that night. We were all in the tent together trying to sleep when Andrew would not stop wiggling around. When Mina and I had had enough we turned on our flashlights to see Andrew scratching his ass furiously. See, he had 'wiped' earlier that day with poison oak leaves...oh hello Andrew, we were just talking about you!"
Andrew appeared on the stage, a little too late to save his dignity and blushing furiously. He leaned into his mic and denied the whole thing, but when his back was turned Serena got Mina to silently collaborate her story. Darien hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. Once Serena and Andrew had settled, the concert was ready to begin. Serena sat at the piano, mic turned so she could play and sing at the same time.
"Any requests?"
A few people started to shout out names to songs that he did not recognize. When she heard one she liked, she thanked the man, by name, and her fingers began to move elegantly across the keys. Darien didn't recognize the name of the song the man had shouted out but once she began to play, he recognized the melody. It was an upbeat tune, one his maid played sometimes when she was cleaning on the weekends. He had liked the tune so he never said anything to her. Then Serena began to sing;
Who wants to be right as rain
It's better when something is wrong
You get excitement in your bones
And everything you do's a game
When night comes and you're on your own
You can say "I chose to be alone"
Who wants to be right as rain
It's harder when you're on top
'Cause when hard work don't pay off and I'm tired
There ain't no room in my bed
As far as I'm concerned
So wipe that dirty smile off
We won't be making up
I've cried my heart out
And now I've had enough of love
He hadn't expected her to be this good. Sure, he expected her to have some talent. All of these people couldn't be here just cause she was pretty. Half of them were couples! Just her playing talents alone were impressive. She made it look so easy and her fingers looked like they barely touched the keys. Her voice was clear and pure like church bells. His heart was racing and his palms began to sweat. It was like he was a teenage boy with his first porno mag or something.
He managed to pull his eyes from the angel in front of him to look around at the crowd. He wanted to see if it was just him, that his attraction to her was exaggerating her talents. The faces around the room were just as enamored by her as he was. Even Amy had a shocked look on her face as her friend poured her soul into every note and word.
The crowd continued to shout out requests, some people just shouted out names of artists and once Serena heard one she liked, she picked a song by them. Andrew and the drummer picked some songs too and even sang with Serena on a lot of the songs. The three seemed to work really well together; it was quite impressive for a coffee shop band that only played once a week. Some songs he did recognize from the maid's radio when she worked, but then about half of them he didn't. She switched back and forth from piano to guitar. When they were in between songs, he worked his way over to Mina.
"Am I really old and out of it? I only recognize about half of these songs."
She shot him a smirk, "That's cause Serena wrote half of them. That's what she does."
Just then, the drummer and Andrew got up from the stage and took a break, but Serena stayed and picked up a lonely guitar. She sat at the front of the stage and set the mic up right in front of her.
Mina became a bit giddy at the sight. "Oh see, this is when she plays her new song. She does this every time."
"Okay everybody, tell me what you think of this one!"
Before she even started, everyone began to applaud to encourage her. She looked right at him, then blushed as she began her song.
It had finally come to that time of night. The time when she revealed her new song. The only problem was that it was a song she wrote about her dark knight right after they had met; before she had "poisoned" his coffee, before she knew his name, before he knew who she was… This was going to be embarrassing but it was the only new song she had and she couldn't break tradition. Just don't look at him. Why did you look at him?! Ug, this is embarrassing! Just play, just play and get it over with! As her fingers slid over the guitar, she lost herself in the music. Music always calmed her.
Why are you so far from me?
In my arms is where you are to be
How long will you make me wait?
I don't know how much more I can take
I missed you but I haven't met you
Oh but I want to
How I do
Slowly counting down the days
Till I finally know your name
The way your hand feels round my waist
The way you laugh, the way your kisses taste
I missed you but I haven't met you
Oh but I want to
How I do
I've missed you but I haven't met you
Oh how I miss you but I haven't met you
Oh but I want to
Oh how I want to
Dear whoever you might be
I'm still waiting patiently
The song seemed to settle across the crowd. They were silent as they took in all that she gave them. Darien didn't even realize he was holding his breath and he had to force himself to breathe normally. The crowd still hadn't moved but it didn't seem to bother Serena. She just watched him, gauging his reaction. She kept her eyes on him till the crowd burst into applause. It was almost deafening after the silence. Darien looked over to see Amy had a few tears rolling down her face. So did Mina. But they were all clapping. He felt eyes on him and found her watching him again. He gave her a standing ovation.
The whole performance lasted two hours and after that Serena went around talking to her fans. It was just him, Mina, Lita, Nick the drummer, Amy, Andrew and his wife Rita at a table talking about the show and having a good time with some beer.
Amy kept looking at him in shock any time he laughed or joined in the conversation. Having only ever seen him with the people his father was always introducing him to, she had never seen him have a good time. All the people he met and the parties he was forced to go to were dry and boring. He, himself, was having trouble remembering the last time he'd had a good time like this. Having conversations about things other than mergers and acquisitions was always fun.
"Serena! Oh, you were amazing as usual!" Lita alerted him to her presences and was squeezing the poor girl to death, but quickly released her and went back to squeezing her husband.
Mina bumped her with her hip and gave her a wink, "Yeah, that new song was really great. It had Amy and me in tears. I can't help but wonder what your inspiration was for that song?"
Darien looked to see Serena was blushing again and avoiding eye contact. He could barely handle it. She was the most beautiful and captivating creature he'd ever met and he wasn't sure if he was ready for such a woman.
The group continued to drink and laugh even after the place closed for the night. Everyone started to break up and head out at around eleven, leaving Serena and Darien alone on the street together.
I didn't realize how much of a slow burn I made this. I forget those kinds of things when it is all out in front of me lol. Anyway, it heats up next chapter, I promise!
Can't wait for the heat or lemony goodness? Pop on over to Ninjette Twitch's page. She has so many options to choose from but I suggest Hot and Heavy and Hot and Heavy Chronicles, the latter featuring a guest appearance by yours truly! Not to mention a lot of other fantastic FF writers! So if you want hot and you want heavy check it out!
