A/N: Story dump mode activated. Please advise.

OOOOOOOOOO

Elias parked across the street from a coffeeshop and sat there in his truck for a moment, just looking at the place. He couldn't remember how many times he'd come to this little shop for the same drink, but he knew he would come back many more times.

He wished he could tell his friends that it was because of the coffee that he skipped out on Starbucks trips in favor of this little shop tucked between a dry cleaners and a vacuum shop and it was true that the coffee was slightly better. But he had to be honest and say that it was because of one of the baristas in the shop.

I hope she's in today, Elias thought as he killed the engine to his truck and stepped out onto the street. It is a Wednesday after all.

After a short run across the street, he pushed open the door to the shop and heard the ding of a bell over the door. Groups of people sat around tables in the shop, sipping different brews and chatting quietly. Some loners were working on their laptops or scrolling on their phones while sipping from steaming cups and eating light pastries.

His eyes turned towards the counter where a woman stood, speaking with a customer. She had caramel skin and black hair that fell in thick braids around her face. She was the reason that he came to the shop.

The woman's eyes brightened when she saw him coming to the counter after her customer moved on. "Elias," she crooned in a voice as sweet as sugar. "Sugar, will you be ordering your usual?"

"Yep," Elias said, smiling at her. He leaned against the counter. "How are you doing today, Veronica?"
Veronica smiled as she wrote his name down on his cup. "Oh, I'm doing just fine, sugar. I've been waiting for you to come around again." She passed the cup over to one of her coworkers to fill. "Are you going to tell me where you go when you're out in the world?"

"Nope," Elias said, chuckling. "I want to keep the mystery between us."

"Ah," Veronica nodded. "You're having me think that you're off with another coffeeshop, getting a different brew." She batted her lashes. "Is our coffee really that bad?"

Elias shook his head. "You have some of the best coffee in the country, Veronica. It's just that my work…boring stuff really."

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true." She pulled off her apron and set it under the counter. "Izzy, I'm going on my lunch break. Keep an eye on the register for me."

Elias moved off to get his coffee and then wandered over to an empty table. Veronica joined him a moment later and wrapped her hands around the steaming cup of coffee that she had made for herself. She smiled at him, the picture of relaxed.

"I missed seeing you around these last couple of weeks," she said softly, her eyes showing just a hint of sadness. "I really did think that you'd moved on from getting coffee here. That suddenly you'd given into the Starbucks craze and forgot about us."

"Never, cupcake," Elias said, sipping his drink. "I've just been busy with my job. It takes me all the way around the country and then some. I promise I'll always come back."

"Yeah?" Veronica ducked her head. "Well, I hate to tell you this, sugar, but this old shop won't be around for much longer…"

"What?"

"Our lease on the building is about to run out and the landlord doesn't want to renew it," Veronica explained, sighing. "The manager hasn't found any other location that compares to this one, so when our lease runs up, we're off to new jobs, all of us."

Elias stared at her. "What about your loyal customers?"

Veronica dipped her head, a few of her braids swinging forward. "They're going to have to find new coffeeshops to go to. And there are plenty of those to go around, sugar." She shook her head. "Some of us might even have them follow us to places like Starbucks."

Elias wanted to hear nothing of that. The coffeeshop was going away? That meant that Veronica was going to go somewhere else and work in a different job. Without her loyal customers. Without him.

"I don't see it happening," Elias told her, shaking his head.

"It's the sad truth, Elias. We're going away."

"Not on my watch," Elias promised, pulling out his phone. "What's your landlord's number?"

Veronica rattled off the number and watched him for a moment before the sound of something crashing in the kitchen drew her attention away. "Be back in a few," she said, hurrying away.

Elias rarely pulled the card that he was about to pull. He hated pulling the "I'm rich and famous" card, but he wasn't about to let Veronica's coffeeshop go out of business for something as stupid as a landlord being an asshole.

The landlord answered on the third ring and was gruff. Elias was pleasant as he could be and threw out a number for the man. After some brief haggling where the landlord got very few words in, they came to an agreement and Elias hung up, returning to his coffee.

Veronica came over a few minutes later, phone hung loosely in her hand and a look of awe on her face.

"That was the landlord," she said, sitting down slowly as she stared at Elias. "He said someone up and bought the deed to the coffeeshop…"

"Hmm…that was nice of them," Elias commented, taking a long sip from his coffee.

"Elias, sugar, how could you have the money to sway that greedy man's heart?" Veronica asked, placing a hand on top of his. "I know in my heart of hearts, that he wouldn't say yes to any whimsical offer."

Elias smiled at her. "I have my ways, cupcake." He turned his hand over and squeezed her fingers gently. "And you, have your coffeeshop."

Veronica laughed lightly and shook her head. "I don't know how you came up with that money, but thank the Lord Almighty that you did." Her dark eyes sparkled with life as she looked at him. "If I wasn't working today, I'd give you a kiss and take you out to dinner."

The Superstar's smile grew. "Well, how about I treat you to dinner once the shop's closed for the night? We can go anywhere you'd like."

The barista laughed as she climbed back to her feet when her coworker called for help. "Sure thing, sugar. I'll see you at closing and if you need anything in the meantime, I'll be right up front." She turned and walked away. "Izzy, the shop is staying in business!"

"Yay!"

Elias shook his head with a smile still stuck on his face as he sat there. I would do anything to make her happy…

OOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: And that should be the last of them for awhile. What'd you think? Thanks. -Scarlet