I've been doing non-linear writing thanks to Dashboard Confessional and have a few ideas of where this is going but it's a little further down the road. If you have "A Mark a Mission, a Brand, a Scar" there will be a few chapters that have songs attached. This isn't one of them lol. Mind you I don't live in New York but I've been there quite a few times so don't mind if my geography is completely off.
Chapter 1: All he wanted was a cup of coffee........
Nicole's alarm clock rang and the station ID for 98 YCR blared from the speaker. Nicole stirred from her sleep and felt for the snooze button. She swiped at air at first until she hit the alarm clock sending it crashing to the floor. Nicole groaned and rolled to her side allowing her face to be bathed in the sunlight flooding through her bedroom window.
She gazed out and the view of the busy New York City landscape full of sky scrapers. Nicole had moved to the city a year and a half ago shortly after her 19th birthday. She went to a small liberal arts college outside of the city and lived in the heart of downtown Manhattan in a loft apartment she shared with Audrey.
Nicole was a drama major and wanted to be close to all the major acting studios while Audrey was now an intern at Rolling Stone Magazine. It was definitely one of the crowning moments in Audrey's life and she wanted to live inside the city close to all of the 'action' to her job. Nicole was excited that she could possibly be taking one of the biggest steps of her career by moving to New York.
It was by chance that a friend of Audrey's brother was looking for someone to rent his loft in Manhattan. Two people came to mind and they had no idea that they existed not very far from one another in the same city. They were more than surprised to see each other. Well at least I wouldn't have to get used to someone ELSE'S bad habits. I'm already used to Audrey's. Yep it was just like being at school again. Well, except for the fact that she hardly saw her roommate who either worked in the office till dawn or spent the weekends partying or at concerts with her new boyfriend Paul.
Nicole was also very busy. She worked at a coffee house part time when she didn't have classes and spent the weekends going to auditions. "It's 8:45 a.m. on Saturday and traffic is bumper to bumper on the freeway" she heard the radio echo as she threw on her black leather ankle boots. She mentally cursed herself because she was going to be late for work the third day in a row. Nicole grabbed a copy of a script that lay on her dressing table and ran out of the apartment in a hurry.
The sounds of traffic greeted her as she walked down the crowded city sidewalk and to her job at the coffee bean. She rounded the corner of 40th and entered Mel's Coffee Bean that wasn't busy but had the usual demanding clientele. Nicole went straight to the employee office to grab her apron and order pad. "It's the middle of June and people still order coffee," Nicole said to Sophie another waitress who was talking to a customer at the counter. "Frozen coffee, beat the heat and get your coffee fix, one of the greatest inventions in the history of the world."
Sophie laughed, "Well I don't know anyone who would drink hot coffee in 100 degree weather. Speaking of 100 degrees I think it just got a lot hotter in here."
Nicole looked at Sophie strangely as to ask her what she meant but by the glazed look and the drool forming on the corner of her lip she could tell a piece of grade A beefcake model had walked through the door. Nicole laughed and shook her head going to help one of the regular customers at the counter while Sophie went to help the other customer
Two hours later, two mysterious men walked through the entrance of the coffee bean. Both were wearing Yankee baseball caps and dark tinted sunglasses so you couldn't see their faces or hair color but from every other female's perspective their muscles were what you noticed. One of the men was 6' 4" wearing blue jeans and a fitted black shirt while the other was slightly taller wearing a tight pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He chewed at a piece of chewing gum in his mouth as the searched for a place to sit.
Nicole didn't notice them because she was too busy staring at the clock. She was to get off in ten minutes to go to one of her auditions for a new play opening on Broadway. Her attention was brought away from the ticking second hand by an obnoxious ringing of the front bell. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and turned around to see Mel, a male around age forty with graying brown hair looking at her. "Nicole I suggest you go help whoever is ringing the bell, and fast." Nicole looked at the clock and noticed she only had a minute left until her shift was over. She placed a puppy dog look on her face and turned to Mel. "But I have this audition today and it's really important. I've timed it so I get there right after work. Please let me leave Mel!"
Mel laughed in response, "have some dignity Nicole, you look pitiful when you pout. Serve the last customer and then you can leave." The bell began to ring louder and louder beckoning Nicole to the impatient customer. "And I'd do it as soon as possible someone's getting a little impatient."
Nicole frowned and went toward the front counter where one of the men in a Yankees cap was standing ringing the bell. Nicole clenched her jaw in annoyance. She covered the customer's persistent hand with her own much smaller ones in an effort to cease the ringing. "May I HELP you?" she asked barely managing to force a smile. "About time someone came. Two cappuccinos QUICKLY" The customer had a masculine voice but his arrogant tone over rid anything Nicole found appealing about him.
Nicole rolled her eyes. "Sure, right away." She went to the frozen coffee machine which seemed to be pouring slower than usual. Come on, come on Nicole thought as she glanced quickly at the clock and then back at the muscular customer who still had an annoyed look on his face. She topped off the second cappuccino and placed them in front of him. "That'll be $6.50," Nicole said in a hurry to get out of the coffee bean as she read part of her script over.
"I'm not paying for this!" the customer said in a disgusted tone turning the heads of the regular patrons who were peering over their coffee mugs and at the scene that was unfolding before them.
Nicole put her script down on the counter and looked at the man face to face. "Why may I ask?" she asked mild irritation filling her voice as she glanced at the clock and back at the customer as he spoke.
"Well for one thing it's frozen."
No kidding genius she fought to hold her tongue and came up with an even better idea that brought a sincere grin to her face. "Well it is fairly hot outside and there are benefits to having frozen coffee. Here, why don't you try for yourself," Nicole said picking up one of the cappuccinos and handing it to him. As he began to sip, her smile got wider if at all possible and she undid the lid of the second lifting the open cup above him and dumping the frozen contents over his head. When the contents had been disposed of she dropped the cup and smiled. "You're right you don't have to pay for it because it's on the house, enjoy!"
Nicole took off her uniform apron and walked passed the stunned male and once again into the streets leaving Mel apologizing to the customer profusely and the customer's companion laughing at his younger friend who looked very much pissed off. "Looks like the legend killer just got cooled off. I'd be glad it wasn't scalding hot, she really did you a favor Randy."
"Ha, funny Hunter I think I should thank her by throwing a frozen coffee on her," Randy said returning to his friend in the booth by the window. "Come on, let's go before we get pelted with biscotti," Randy said getting up and walking toward the door. Hunter followed suit but not before noticing the script that Nicole had been holding. He noted an address written on the front cover and studied it. Was it her address? Maybe they could catch her before she got too far. He went up to Mel and inquired about the address. He confirmed that it was Nicole's address and Hunter politely thanked him.
"Hey Hunter are you coming?!" Randy called impatiently.
"Hey Randy I think we need to make a little stop before we go back to the hotel," he said matter-of-factly to his friend before they exited the coffee bean.
"What? Why?" Randy asked a little confused.
"I just wanted to return something" and to find out something about the mystery waitress he thought to himself. He didn't know what it was but there was something about her seemingly familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Regardless of what it was he wanted to find out.
"Where are we going?" Randy asked as they exited the coffee bean.
"You'll see," was all Hunter would say as he pulled his Yankee cap over his face as to be careful not to be recognized.
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AN:/ Yep that's the end of the official chapter 1! That took a while to write considering I've been busy with exams and stuff like that. So you'll have to wait until late January until I get to put another chapter. I have to pass my exams! I kinda gave you a clue as to who the men were in the beginning sorry if that wasn't clear but I tried!
Reviews are appreciated praise or flames
Love as always,
Iccess