A.N - Okay, just a little fluff because it's what I really need to write right now. I knew there was a reason I loved the summer holidays - namely, no school.

I hope you can find something to say about this chapter, at least. I wanted a nice fun time before the plot twist next chapter. xD

Dedicated to Bunnylass - my new agony aunt who suggested I update this fic. Hope you like it. :)

Four

"A re-date. It's a noun."

Thanks to Jesse, I'd had the worst night sleep in my entire life. He'd left me last night with nothing but a trace of his lips against my knuckles and two. Freaking. Words.

"Sweet dreams."

Pah! I lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling whilst listening to the soft snore of my roommate and just thinking about every other way the night could have ended. My scenarios ranged from U – a hug and a kiss on the cheek, Jesse's a gentleman that way – through to a pretty serious PG-13 make out. Nothing worse – it was only our first date after all.

And, now, I had to drag myself out of bed at an ungodly hour – seriously, who wants coffee and pancakes at nine a.m? I don't get hungry until at least noon. You know, like a normal person. Ignoring, of course, that I tend to sleep until eleven thirty, most days – and go to work. A situation made all the worse with the knowledge that I'd only begun drifting into a faint sleep as the first light of the day filtered in through the window.

"Good morning, sugar." I winced at my boss' peppy tone. No one could be excited when I was tired; it made my head hurt. "Oh, rough night?"

"No," I sighed as I tied the apron around my waist and pulled my hair away from my face. "Tame night. It was practically a stroll in the park." I turned my head, looking over my shoulder to see if Jesse was here. He wasn't. "I just couldn't sleep last night."

She raised a knowing eyebrow before she shooed me out of the kitchen to make me work, ignoring my protests.

"I don't know how any of your permanent employees put up with this treatment," I joked. "I'm glad this is only a summer job."

Dodging the swat she sent my way, I smiled and turned to look at the tables I had to serve. There weren't many and the ones that I did have had barely anybody at them. It looked like I was having a lazy day then.

Pasting my ever-so-friendly, ever-so-fake smile on my face, I turned to my first customer, repeating my mantra over and over in my head as she failed to decide on what she wanted – iced tea, or water.

Big smile, I thought. Big tips. Big smile, big tips.

The door opened with a ding, the bell helpfully telling me that another customer had entered the café. I couldn't keep the hope from flaring in my chest. Watching from my peripheral vision, I saw an obviously masculine blur walk towards Jesse's booth and sit down. I felt my anger growing. That was Jesse's table, and no one else could sit there. Where would Jesse sit?

"You know what?" I turned to my customer, smile in place, as I talked to her. "I think we're all out of iced tea. I can go and get you some water though?"

"Oh," the woman said, looking as ecstatic as she would if I'd told her she'd just won a lot of money. "That would be lovely, thank you."

I kept the smile on my face until I turned away, before it slid off my face instantly and I rolled my eyes, mimicking the woman's words.

A snort of repressed laughter came from my left and I stopped short, twisting my head to glare at whoever was laughing at me. I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed when I saw no one but a young mom with a baby, two elderly men reading the newspaper and a head of dark curly hair bent over another newspaper, none of which seemed prone to laughing at people. Flipping my ponytail over my shoulder, I walked towards the counter.

"Water." The word was harsh as it rolled off my tongue, accompanied with the angry ripping of paper from my jotter pad, containing the orders of other customers.

Smiling, my boss placed the bottle down in front of me softly, glancing at something over my shoulder. "Well, that's got to be a new record …" she started, laughter tugging at her lips.

"You've been working for, oh, I'd say, about ten minutes?" I froze at the sound of the familiar masculine voice and stared at the hand he'd gently wrapped around my wrist. "And already you're annoyed."

I could tell that the smile on my face was huge as I twirled around and threw my arms around Jesse's neck, feeling his own twine around my waist as a response. "Jesse!" I cried, stepping away from the warmth of his arms as I looked up at his unbelievably handsome face.

You know that there are some guys, who look good far away, but then you get closer and you can see that their eyes have bags underneath, their lips are chapped beyond repair and their nose hair is trimmed non-too-neatly? Well, Jesse isn't like that. Up close, you could see his piercing brown gaze, blinding white teeth as he smiled his easy grin, as well as each individual curl as they twisted and coiled adorably behind his ears, at his forehead and at his neck.

"How long have you been here?"

"Oh," his lips perked up, dimples forming just below his cheeks as his eyes twinkled with mirth. "Long enough to know not to order iced tea. Apparently you're all out."

Grinning, I shrugged and brandished my pencil at him as a mock-weapon. "You tell anybody and I'll attack you with my lucky pencil."

Jesse's mouth fell open in horror, putting his hands up in surrender and taking a step away from me. "No, not the pencil!"

With an affirmning nod, I waved the pencil at him once again. "It's your choice."

He pretended to think about it for long, agonising seconds until the point when my stern face was close to cracking up with laughter and breaking the moment. "Okay," he gave in, tilting his head to the right in a sexy way. "You win. My lips are sealed."

Unable to stop myself, my eyes were drawn to the before mentioned lips. They were full and soft looking and I was aching to kiss them. I took a step closer, angling my head and licking my own. His eyes lit up, a glint appearing as he brought his head down to meet mine.

I rested my hands against his chest, sighing as I stepped away before we could make contact and regretting the choice instantly.

"Jesse," I began, leaning against the counter to put some distance between us. "I'm sorry about last night. It was … horrible. I shouldn't have behaved that way."

He wrinkled his nose as he regarded me with a raised eyebrow. "And how did you behave, querida?"

Gah. That word. Querida. I love it when he calls me that. I have no idea what it means, but still.

"Slutty," I rolled my eyes as I waved my hand. "Out of control, a tease. Take your pick."

His confusion didn't ease. "Susannah, you weren't –"

"I want a re-date." I blurted it out before I could help myself, shutting my eyes and willing a giant hole to swallow me up immediately afterwards.

"A what?" His voice sounded amused. That was good, right?

"A re-date." I opened my eyes and looked at him cautiously, scared at the expression I might find on his face. "It's a noun." I informed. "I swear, if you look it up in the dictionary, it's right there."

He arched a sceptical eyebrow.

"Okay," I pouted. "Maybe not."

Laughing, he wrapped his arms around my waist once again and pecked my lips affectionately with his own. "A re-date, huh?"

I nodded as I felt his lips move to press against my forehead, my breath catching in my throat as he did so.

"I already have it planned." He grinned at me, ignoring the look of utter mortification on my face. "Be ready by eight."