Coffee Shop

Chapter 5

Joyless Euphoria

Darien had been too preoccupied checking his breath and removing invisible pieces of lint from his black turtleneck to note the stranger that had taken his place in the seat next to his lovely blond. Peeking from behind the book shelf, he noticed him look at her and ask if he could sit down.

Great. He thought. Someone beat you to her… He hid himself behind the book shelf yet again and let out a heavy sigh. Now what am I going to do? I can't let this get in the way of me formally getting to know her. This might be my only chance! What were the odds of running into her again anyway? And in such a short time span?

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he heard a woman yelling in the bookstore.

"I am NOT going anywhere with you! Let go! I don't even know you!"

A stunned expression sheltered his handsome face as he realized he recognized that voice. Grabbing the bookshelf at his back with big hands, he pressed his body to it and looked backwards over at the table at the end of the isle through a row of books.

The man that had taken the seat next to her was suddenly at her side, grabbing her by the arm, and attempting to haul her out of the bookstore.

Over my dead body. His blood was boiling and he began to see red.

Emerging from his hideout, he began to walk with long strides towards the appalling scene.

"I said LET. ME. GO!"

Serena was terrified. Just who did this man think he was? She was going to kick him in unmentionables as soon as she got the change.

"Oh come on sweets, you know you wan-" He had no time to finish his sentence, due to a pair of strong hands that had taken hold of his shoulders and dragged him back violently, forcing him to let go of the girl.

"I believe the young lady asked you to let her go." Darien said to the man in a low growl, and stared at him with a venomous glare.

Serena stood there, stunned. It's him. Noticing that the man had let her go, she quickly moved away from him, stumbling on her heels as she did.

The man turned to look at his attacker and began to point a finger at Darien's broad chest. "Listen here pal-"

"No. You listen here" Darien interrupted, and took hold of the man's hand in a powerful grip, nearly breaking the accusing finger. "She asked you repeatedly to leave her alone, and I really don't think you understood that. I'm sure we both can agree that it would be in your best interest to get the hell out of here and make sure that she, and I for that matter, never sees you ever again." Although the anger soaring through him was very immense. Darien somehow managed to keep his voice balanced and calm. The man began to wince in pain, but Darien held on for a bit longer, slowly tightening his grip. "Do I make myself clear?" The rumbling of his voice even made Serena tremble a bit, but she was glad he was defending her. Who knows what would've happened if he hadn't been there.

"..ye-yess" was all the man could stutter out. Satisfied, Darien released the man's hand and watched him flee from the store.

"Is he gone? I was just about to call the police!" An elderly balding man had suddenly emerged from a dusty and dark storage room. His wrinkled and aged face held a worried expression. Reaching into the small pocket located in front of his brown vest, he pulled out a tissue and blew his nose. Wiping it carefully, he looked up at the blond girl. "I'm terribly sorry I couldn't act sooner. At my age… Well, I'm a slug." The offered a small shy smile at Serena, and then at Darien.

"It's okay" Serena managed to reply in a trembling voice. "Everything is fine now. Thank you for caring"

"Young one's these days. They think they can get away with everything!" The bald man started to retreat to his storage room, leaving a trail of faint words behind him.

"Are you alright?"

Startled, Serena looked up at her savior. She instantly got lost in his cobalt eyes and let out a breath she wasn't even aware she had been holding.

"Here, sit down. I'm so sorry this had to happen to you. That guy was insane." Offering her the chair she had been sitting on before that strange man had attempted to ruin her evening, Serena gladly took it and sat down. He gently pushed in the chair for her and caught a whiff of her perfume. Vanilla? Strawberries. Walking around the small table, he took a seat directly across from here.

Looking at her with alert eyes, he let out sigh."That guy was just creepy. Are you sure you're okay? You look a little pale. Can I get you anything?

"Thank you." She whispered out. Looking at him, she smiled and cleared her throat. "I'm glad you were around. I was too shocked to do anything. Thank you. Truly." She began to lightly blush, and a trembling hand reached up to her hair. Running her fingers through her silky locks, she let out a long sigh.

It seemed like sighing was becoming all the rage in Europe, you know.

He stared back at her porcelain face. Her eyes were hidden beneath long, dark lashes as she mindlessly played with her gorgeous straight blond hair. He noticed, yet again, that it was long enough to almost touch the ground. Looking at the golden tips that teased the floor beneath her, he caught sight of her slender shape. His eyes roamed her curvy hips and deliciously small waist. He looked at her long slender arm that helped her delicate hand reach up to her hair, and watched as her oh so tiny wrist swayed back and forth beneath her beautiful locks.

I'm staring… deciding the awkward silence had gone on long enough, he finally made his eyes go back to her stunning face and attempted to speak.

She beat him to it.

"I know this might sound…awkward. Out of place, maybe. Probably even a little late, as well… But…" looking up to him she asked "I never caught your name. Mind throwing it my way?" She managed not to blush, again, at the end of her sentence. She needed to know his name! Darren? Darryl? Goodness. I wonder which one it would be. He looks like a Derrick? Maybe?

Glancing over at her, he noticed she had a bit of a… puzzled expression on her face.

Chuckling lightly, he turned his face a little to the side and cocked a thick black eyebrow high up on his forehead.

"Shields." He spoke, nodding his head in suave style. "Darien Shields" Seeing the cheesy grin he added to the end of his declaration, Serena couldn't contain the laughter that suddenly bubbled up inside of her. Lifting up a small hand to cover her giggles, she looked up to the roof and shook her head..

He quickly exchanged his cheesy grin for a sincere smile. The bell-like sound of her laughter made him feel warm inside. Basking in the feeling of it, he dreaded for it to end.

"And yours, miss?" he asked her, after her giggles had subsided. "I'm pretty certain I never had the pleasure of knowing your name." She couldn't stop herself from smiling before she looked at him yet again and said.

"Serena. My name is Serena."

Serena.

He couldn't stop saying her name over and over again in his head, as he laid his tall frame on his large bed. His hands were resting underneath his head, and he began to make shapes out of the popcorn ceiling in his bedroom. Sounds like an angel… And what an angel she is.

After finally introducing themselves at the book store, Darien had offered to walk Serena home, confessing that he didn't want her walking such a far distance by herself.

During their walk, Darien had found out that Serena had recently moved here for college. She was thinking of becoming a psychology major, but was a bit undecided. She also told him in detail about the four close friends she had left back home, that she was also missing quite terribly. He was also blessed with the knowledge that she loved the color pink, had admitted to the fact that she could be incredibly lazy – although she had been working on that – and that she was in fact, terrified of thunderstorms.

In exchange, Darien shared that he too was still in school, but was studying at a different university and majoring in the medical field. His closest friend was Andrew, the one that had accused him attempting murder the other day at the coffee shop, and that besides that… he was very independent. His favorite color was black, he didn't have many friends, but he was indeed very infatuated with her. That last bit though, was only shared with himself.

The walk hadn't lasted as long as either of them secretly wished it would. Once they had reached her apartment complex, Serena had turned around to face Darien and thank him, once again, for being such a gentleman and for saving her earlier at the book store.

He had yearned to give her a hug goodbye. Fighting his cravings, he managed to settle for her gorgeous smile instead, and a promise of running into each other very soon.

Sighing again, he closed his eyes and though back to her angelic smile, her long silky locks of golden hair that seemed to sway with her every movement. He thought of her gorgeous blue eyes, and that cute little nose that adorned the center of her face. Soon. He thought to himself, letting out a long and loud sigh. I'm going to have to run into you again very, very soon.

Andrew wasn't quite aware of just what had happened the day before, but he knew one thing:

Darien was in a good mood, and he demanded to know why.

"Refill?" He looked over at his dark haired friend that was sitting at the counter, mindlessly playing with a napkin and… smiling?

"…Daaaare" He singsonged, trying to get his friends attention.

"Hm?" was all Andrew heard in a reply.

Rolling his eyes, he refilled his friends black mug, and walked away. Returning the coffee pot to its natural habitat near the back of the counter, he decided to give his friend one more try to prove he was still alive, and mentally stable.

Hmm… Quick Andrew, think up a way to get Darien's attention. He took another look at his friend, and the poor mangled napkin that he was keeping captive. Realizing there was only one thing that lately captured Darien's attention, he silently crept up next to his friend and whispered into his ear "Hey Dare, isn't that the blond you almost killed the other day?"

He was surprised his friends head didn't pop off after turning around and scanning the coffee shop so quickly.

Serena? Darien thought. I don't see her. Where is she? Scanning the area again, he began to hear an unfamiliar sound. Turning around, he glared at his best friend, realizing he had been lightly chuckling at his expense. Taking in a deep breath, he sad down on his stool and rested his forehead on the cool surface of the counter.

"Shut up"

Laughing again, Andrew asked his friend "I'm sorry, what was that? It was terribly muffled. You might want to get all that shame off your face and enunciate."

Lifting up his head from the 'shame' he had it so buried in, he looked over at his friend and glared at him again. "Shut. Up."

"Oh man. She's something isn't she? I feel like I already said that. Have you run into her again since then?"

Sitting up straight, Darien told his best friend about the events that had taken place yesterday when he had decided to wander over to the book store near his apartment.

"We talked a lot on the way back to her apartment. She's probably the most unique girl I've ever met." Taking a sip from the coffee that had turned cold, he continued "I wasn't brave enough to ask for her number, or ask if I could see her again, but we did promise we'd run into each other soon. And that, my good friend, is my pathetic little story." Rubbing a hand on his face, Darien let out a tiny little groan.

"Well, if anything, I'd say you made quite the impact on her. It's not every day Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome comes and saves her from the local creep in a book store. Give it time Dare, things will work out they way they have to."

Looking up at his blond haired friend, Darien only seemed somewhat convinced.

"And if that doesn't work?" Darien asked

Laughing, Andrew lightly slapped a hand on Darien's shoulder and looked at his friend in the eye.

"Trust me, Dare. It will. It will."

With that, Andrew turned to the new customers that had approached his counter and began to take their orders.

AN:

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