Authors note; This story heads into some very grown-up territory about half way through so I thought is starting adding the warnings here.

If female/female romance isn't your thing don't read this because its a full on romance and there will be descriptive sex etc. I personally adore this story.

Chapter Two

Each day I hoped to see the angel-woman again and each time I was disappointed. Eventually I was forced to stop looking for her. It was quite literally insane to be so obsessed with a stranger. A week passed and then two, each day blending into monotony I'd sooner forget.

It was 10 am, I was now an old hand at the coffee business. I was knee deep in customers eager for their caffeine fix when an awareness trickled down my spine. I glanced up while frothing the milk for a cappuccino and my heart skipped a beat as I met a pair of startling blue eyes. She smiled at me from her place in the queue, serene and superbly confident. I went into auto pilot, desperate to get rid of the lady I was serving. There was one more customer between the angel and I.

I'd never worked faster, although I tried to appear unruffled. I watched her with my peripheral vision as I made the order. She was Boho chic today, cool and impossibly put together in a dark, leaf green maxi dress with a plunging neckline and low cut back. She wore flat sandals on her feet and carried a tiny clutch in her hand. The dress showcased her small breasts and perfect figure. I was practically drooling, she was that gorgeous. Her short hair was less messy this time, a perfectly styled bob. I didn't even know what the woman I was serving had ordered, I only hoped I was getting it right. The minutes dragged out, feeling like hours. It was as if my limbs were weighed down, my movements seemed to be in slow motion which was deeply annoying. I was frustrated by my own lack of haste. Finally it was her turn. My heartbeat suffocated me, my lips suddenly desert dry. I swiped them with my tongue super quick, before biting the lower one briefly in agitation. The angel's gaze followed the movement of my tongue and teeth with more attention than it deserved. I swallowed, feeling ridiculously awkward.

"Hi, what can I get for you today?" I asked using the greeting I used with all my clients. It seemed foolish somehow - she deserved more.

"Hi again," she smirked, in a friendly way. "I'll have my usual." It was a joke, but I liked the fact that she presumed I would remember her order.

Had our meeting been as marked for her as it had been for me? I took her payment card and tried in vain to stop staring at her like an idiot.

"It's …" she began but I cut her off.

"Black coffee." I finished for her, as I swiped her card. I handed it back wishing I had the guts to allow my fingers to brush along hers. I turned away and prepared her cup of steaming black coffee.

"You're new to this." She observed astutely while I worked.

I admittedly was dragging the short process out a lot more than I could have, I understood how it would come across as inexperience. But I didn't care how it seemed, I was desperate to speak to her. What should I say? It was after all, just conversation, wasn't it? But it felt impossible to talk to her. I laughed, partly at myself.

"Is it that obvious?"

She grinned and shook her head. "No, not at all. You just don't seem like the barista type."

I chose that exact moment to spill some of the scalding liquid I'd been pouring. I sent her a rueful smile as my actions proved her right. I wiped it up with far less speed than usual. I was sure this had been deliberate sabotage by my subconscious.

"You're right," I said with a wiry grin, gesturing to the spill, "I'm a writer."

The angel eyed my name badge pinned to the right pocket of my black uniform shirt.

"Isabella?" She asked and I nodded. "I'm Rosalie."

I felt ridiculously happy to know at least one thing about her. What a perfect name for such a gorgeous creature. It was stupid to be so caught up in a stranger. The weight of an unfriendly stare weighed heavily on me and I knew at once that it was my boss. I handed the paper cup to Rosalie faster than I'd liked.

"Thank you." She said, following the line of my sight to the aging redhead staring a hole in the back of my head. She seemed to understand my sudden urgency to get back to work.

"Bye." She said softly and then she was gone.

Again there was a bitter surge of disappointment. I wanted to run after her, although I didn't know what I'd say if I did.

I was on edge for the rest of my shift. The hours were littered with mistakes and spills. So much for being a pro at this now. I was relieved to go home, bone weary and covered in coffee. I was a wreck. I ambled slowly down the street, allowing the now familiar sounds of the city to soothe me.

A warm breeze lifted escaped tendrils of hair which framed my face and they tickled my cheeks and lips. I brushed my hair away, slowly. I was so very tired. Physically and emotionally drained. How would I ever find the job of my dreams if I was always working to survive? I felt defeated. Maybe coming here wasn't the best idea. Scott's scathing comments as I'd walked out on our fifteen year marriage ran rampant in my mind and I grimaced. Was he right? Was I an idiot for chasing my dreams? I sighed. The sun was just setting so I decided to take a detour along the beach. Venice beach was alive with people of all descriptions with a multitude of eccentricities, its energy made me feel alive and brought a smile to my face. On impulse I took off my shoes and socks. I also rolled up my trousers and then sunk my toes into the warm sand. It was blissful.

Distant waves called to me as I wandered past a skatepark filled with enthusiast's, scantily clad and practicing their moves.

The horizon had turned peach and gold, its beauty drawing me in which lulled all my insecurities to rest. My uniform felt stifling and uncomfortable. I wished I was wearing something light and airy - a pair of shorts and a top perhaps. The palm trees whispered as the breeze toyed with them. I took my hair down, sighing in relief as the weight of it fell around me to my waist. People wore what they liked here, it was all very free and easy. I loved the vibe of this city, it was electric. I wore a perfectly respectable black sport's bra beneath the heavy cotton of my uniform shirt. Looking around hesitantly, I decided no one would notice if I took my shirt off completely. My skin was dying to breathe and I couldn't resist the temptation. Once it was off I felt like a different person.

Time ceased to have meaning as I meandered along, lost in thought. Twenty minutes passed and then thirty, walking was so very cathartic. The sun dipped lower still and I realised I was on another beach, the bustle of Venice far behind. This one was far less crowded and it was definitely cleaner and felt far more sedate.

The sun was half down, leaving a puddle of crimson in its wake. It was as if the day's death was splashed out across the ocean's surface.

I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going until I walked straight into something warm and soft. With a gasp and an apology ready on my lips I lifted my head only to find that the person I'd walked into was none other than the angel from the coffee shop.

"Rosalie." I breathed, my heart instantly sprinting.