Chapter 3
"Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas", he heard a deep voice bellow behind him. Henry smiled and turned to face the voice. He couldn't believe it. Here it was only five days until the holiday and he had forgotten all about it. He walked back down the steps and plunked some change into the sidewalk Santa's pot, who acknowledged his generosity with a wave of his hand.
With that accomplished, Henry sprinted up the steps feeling rather pleased with himself, when he caught Nicole's reflection in the window. She was sitting at their usual table drinking her own creation; a cup of coffee mixed with a little milk and a blend of different spices, topped off by a dollop of whipped cream.
It smelled good and tasted even better and before you knew it, it became the most popular drink in the entire café. Frank, the owner and proprietor, offered her money and a partnership, but she had refused both. She wouldn't even let Frank use her name for the biggest moneymaker in the entire café, but in the end she consented. From that time forward it would simply be known as Nicole's Blend.
He looked at her lovely face, her long dark auburn hair flowing loose over her petite shoulders. She was looking down and Henry really couldn't see her large brown eyes, but he knew what color they were. He was terribly in love and had fallen hard, harder and faster than he ever had in his life.
He felt around for the box in his pocket again and satisfied it was still there, smiled softly to himself and was about to enter when he saw her stand up and grab her coat.
"NO," he said, shaking his head, "I can't be that late, can I?"
He placed a finger on the window and tapped it three times, trying to get her attention.
Nicole turned to face him and smiled that dazzling smile of hers. It always captivated him and very often made him forget where he was and what he was doing.
It was no different now.
*********
"Henry," Danielle called when she first saw him at the window staring at her, but it was to no avail. He didn't hear her, he never did. She smiled and laughed softly to herself before she put on her coat. It was like that every time he saw her smile, she couldn't get him to do or say anything. It had taken her by surprise at first, but gradually she began to get used to it and even found cute little ways to wake him up.
This time she had waited a full hour for him. He had never been this late in the entire three weeks that they had been together. The meetings didn't last long; they were shorter than the hour she had stayed there because if anyone had seen the two of them together, there would be hell to pay. At this point, she wanted her privacy and liked it this way. She was overjoyed that he didn't recognize her at all.
Even if he had, he would never know the name. It was something that she made up, a tribute to her mother Nicole. Lindsay was a name she had seen on a street sign a block before the café. But it had never dawned on him that the woman sitting across from him was the Crown Princess Danielle of Haven, the next in line for the throne. As much as she despised it, it was still her destiny to become Haven's next queen.
So she was going to have this little interlude all to herself and no one was going to know. Not now, not ever and she would see to it.
She called the waiter over, paid him for her three drinks, even though he didn't want the money and to the door. She could feel the cold through the glass and upon opening it noticed that it had gotten colder since she had first walked into Francois', so she bundled up a little before stepping out.
"Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas", he heard a deep voice bellow behind him. Henry smiled and turned to face the voice. He couldn't believe it. Here it was only five days until the holiday and he had forgotten all about it. He walked back down the steps and plunked some change into the sidewalk Santa's pot, who acknowledged his generosity with a wave of his hand.
With that accomplished, Henry sprinted up the steps feeling rather pleased with himself, when he caught Nicole's reflection in the window. She was sitting at their usual table drinking her own creation; a cup of coffee mixed with a little milk and a blend of different spices, topped off by a dollop of whipped cream.
It smelled good and tasted even better and before you knew it, it became the most popular drink in the entire café. Frank, the owner and proprietor, offered her money and a partnership, but she had refused both. She wouldn't even let Frank use her name for the biggest moneymaker in the entire café, but in the end she consented. From that time forward it would simply be known as Nicole's Blend.
He looked at her lovely face, her long dark auburn hair flowing loose over her petite shoulders. She was looking down and Henry really couldn't see her large brown eyes, but he knew what color they were. He was terribly in love and had fallen hard, harder and faster than he ever had in his life.
He felt around for the box in his pocket again and satisfied it was still there, smiled softly to himself and was about to enter when he saw her stand up and grab her coat.
"NO," he said, shaking his head, "I can't be that late, can I?"
He placed a finger on the window and tapped it three times, trying to get her attention.
Nicole turned to face him and smiled that dazzling smile of hers. It always captivated him and very often made him forget where he was and what he was doing.
It was no different now.
*********
"Henry," Danielle called when she first saw him at the window staring at her, but it was to no avail. He didn't hear her, he never did. She smiled and laughed softly to herself before she put on her coat. It was like that every time he saw her smile, she couldn't get him to do or say anything. It had taken her by surprise at first, but gradually she began to get used to it and even found cute little ways to wake him up.
This time she had waited a full hour for him. He had never been this late in the entire three weeks that they had been together. The meetings didn't last long; they were shorter than the hour she had stayed there because if anyone had seen the two of them together, there would be hell to pay. At this point, she wanted her privacy and liked it this way. She was overjoyed that he didn't recognize her at all.
Even if he had, he would never know the name. It was something that she made up, a tribute to her mother Nicole. Lindsay was a name she had seen on a street sign a block before the café. But it had never dawned on him that the woman sitting across from him was the Crown Princess Danielle of Haven, the next in line for the throne. As much as she despised it, it was still her destiny to become Haven's next queen.
So she was going to have this little interlude all to herself and no one was going to know. Not now, not ever and she would see to it.
She called the waiter over, paid him for her three drinks, even though he didn't want the money and to the door. She could feel the cold through the glass and upon opening it noticed that it had gotten colder since she had first walked into Francois', so she bundled up a little before stepping out.