Raine rested her head on the counter as she watched the cars passing by in a rush. It was past lunch and the cafe had slowed down significantly. Mike and Daisy were both bundled up in the kitchen inventing a new recipe to feature for the holidays. While they were bonding together, Raine volunteered to manage the register. The cafe was empty and the last customer had come about an hour ago.
All of the tables were cleaned to perfection and the cafe looked spotless. Getting bored of standing behind the register, Raine had come up to the front of the cafe, sitting down in front of the window while watching the busy city pass by.
"Rainy! You have got to try this out!" Mike said as he bursted the door open and rushed to the front where Raine was sitting.
Lifting her head off the table, Raine turned to find Mike standing in front of her with a massive plate in his hands which held only one, green cookie in the center.
"Why is it green?" Raine asked frowning at the weird color.
"Oh my gosh Raine! It's a mint explosion cookie!" Mike stated as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet. "What do you want it to be? Purple?"
"Mint explosion?" She replied with confusion.
"Fine!" Mike said rolling his eyes. "In simple words it's a mint cookie but that's lame, so I'm calling it the mint explosion." He said with a proud grin on his face. "It took me and Daisy a whole two hours to make! Try it!"
Skeptically, Raine lifted the tiny, bright green cookie off the tray and put it in her mouth. The pupils in her eyes widened as a burst of mint exploded in her mouth, sending chills through her body. He wasn't lying when he said it was a mint explosion.
"Wow. That really is a mint explosion, isn't it?" Raine said finishing the cookie with a smile.
"So did it pass?" Daisy asked, walking out from the kitchen and towards Mike and Raine.
"I think you can tone down the mint a tiny bit, but other than that, I think it will be a best seller during the holidays."
"Perfect!" Mike and Daisy said in union. As soon as the word left their mouth, the both looked at each other smiling.
Raine smiled at them, trying to move away so that they could have their little moment to themselves. To her luck, just as she was trying to slip out from between them, the bell on the door rang.
Raine looked up to find Xavier standing in the doorway, removing the sunglasses off of his face, carefully placing them in the pocket of his suit. She looked at Mike and Daisy, who were still lost in each other's eyes. "I'll get it." Raine muttered, rushing to the register where Xavier stood patiently, his eyes trained on Raine the entire time.
"Hey." Raine said slyly as Xavier stood before her in a ravishing blue suit with a navy blue tie that complimented his bright blue eyes to perfection.
"Hello Raine." He said, passing her a breathtaking smile.
Raine blushed as Xavier continued staring at her. "Are you going to order something or do you just plan on staring at me?"
"I could stare at you all day." Xavier mumbled, still in his daze. He couldn't take his eyes off her gorgeous coffee colored orbs that stared back at him, or the way a tiny strand of hair was resting near her eye. It was taking him everything in his body not to remove it and tuck it behind her ear himself. But before he could make the move, Raine brushed it away.
"What?" Raine asked, oblivious to his words.
"Sorry." Xavier said coming out of his daze and standing straighter. "Um....could I have a....a....oh! I'll have the caramel macchiato."
"Got it! It's be out soon." Raine said as she looked back to Daisy who was still standing in the front with Mike, passionately looking into his eyes. "Earth to Daisy!" Raine shouted getting her attention. "I'll need a caramel macchiato."
Daisy's eyes widened as she realized she had been staring at Mike the entire time. She looked at Raine and Xavier with her flushed face before scouting into the kitchen to prevent further embarrassment. Raine laughed at the two before she looked back at Xavier who was, as always, already looking at her.
"How my I assist you sir?" Raine said, faking a British accent, a playful glint in her eyes.
Xavier smiled and shook his head. "So I....." Xavier began with uncertainty. "I just....."
"Are you trying to ask me something?" Raine asked, noticing his hesitation. "Go on. I won't bite." Giggling a little to lighten up the mood.
"Will you...I....um..." Xavier began.
"Will you??" Raine repeated, getting impatient by the second.
"Would you go out to dinner with me tonight?" Xavier let out all at once.
"Dinner?"
"I-I mean....well you asked the other day if we could h-hang out and I had to say no. So I was thinking maybe we could...maybe I could make up for that..you know? Have dinner?" He said, trying to make himself sound as convincing as possible. "You don't have to if you don't want do. I just thought maybe...."
"I'd love to Xavier." Raine said with a bright smile that was reflected not only on her lips but also in her chocolate brown eyes.
The nervousness on his face was long gone and the brightness of his sapphire eyes had nearly doubled as Xavier started back at Raine, happy with her answer.
"Ok great! I'll pick you up at 7."
"Actually I can just meet you there. I have some things to take care of so....." Raine said looking at the clock behind her.
"That's absolutely alright."Â Xavier responded. Although he was looking forward to picking her up, he understood her situation and tried hard not to show disappointment on his face.
"Umm where are we going?" Raine asked after a brief pause.
A smile returned to his face. "I'm assuming you won't want anything fancy?"
A laugh escaped Raine's lips. "You know my well Mr. Thorn." Raine said in a playful manor. "I'd prefer something casual and homey. But whatever you pick is fine."
"Ok great. I'll text you the address later."
"Sounds good."
"Ok then," Xavier said as he took steps back, retreating to the door. "I look forward to seeing you tonight Raine." And with that he left with a smile painted on his face. Little did he know, that he wasn't the only one smiling.
"Me too Xav." Raine whispered as she watched his car roll away.
* * *
Once Xavier left the cafe, he headed straight back to work. There were a handful of meetings lined up and he couldn't wait a second longer to jump into them. The faster he went through the meetings, the faster he would finish.
"Mr. Thorn, the shareholder's meeting will take place in approximately 25 minutes. Is there anything I could do to assist you before the meeting?" Cindy asked as she walked into Xavier's office. The shareholder's meeting was the last one planned for the day and thankfully Xavier had some time in between to rest to hurricane of business propositions that were jumbled up in his mind.
"Yeah. There is something in fact. In your opinion, what is the best casual or homey restaurant in town that serves top class comfort food?" Xavier asked, still confused on where to take Raine. He had easily asked her out without much efforts but he hadn't thought of where exactly he would be taking her.
"Well I do have a couple places in mind sir, but they are not of your taste." Cindy said still standing in the doorway. "If you would like, I can book a table at The Agrarian which is your classic favorite."
"I don't want fine dining or formal. I need something rustic and casual." Xavier said, thinking back to Raine's words.
"Well La Luna Ventana is my favorite place. It's Spanish and very casual, homey, and rustic. Although I'm to sure you wouldn't prefer it Mr. Thorn, as you always eat at the high end restaurants of the city."
"La Luna Ventana." Xavier repeated. "Is the food good?"
"It's to die for." Cindy reply with a smile on her face.
"Very well then, book a table for two at 7 tonight."
"Sure sir. Anything else?"
"No. I'll be out for the meeting soon. Make sure the conference room is ready and tell Jordon that I'll be driving tonight so he is free to go home."
"Of course Mr. Thorn." Cindy said before leaving Xavier in the room.
* * *
Cindy's wasn't wrong when she said this place was casual, homey, and rustic. Xavier entered the small restaurant flaunting a white dress shirt and his dark blue dress pants. The coat and tie were long gone after his hectic day at work and he chose not to intimidate Raine by arriving in formals when he was sure she's be dressed casually.
"Reservations for Thorn?" He asked the waiter in front of the pedestal at the entry of the restaurant.
"Thorn for two?" Xavier nodded. "Right this way sir." The waiter lead Xavier towards the back of the restaurant which was significantly quieter.
There was a soft chatter lingering around as families and friends dined together. Xavier took his seat, gesturing the waiter to come back later. He took in the brick walls the terra cotta roof that topped the restaurant. There were shades of bright colors scattered throughout the restaurant, flaunting it's Spanish origins. Overall, he thought it was the perfect place and couldn't be happier of Cindy's suggestions. The only thing he was now worried about, was whether Raine would like it.
"Hey." It didn't take longed before Xavier was pulled from behind his phone screen and to the view in front of him. Raine stood before him in a blushed pink sundress that flowed from her waist effortlessly. His breath hitched at bit when he took in her creamy bare legs that were adorned with a pair of sandals. But the best part about Raine's look, was her irritable smile that seemed to brighten the atmosphere of the whole room.
"You look beautiful." Xavier said as he stood up, walking towards Raine to pull out the chair for her, as a true gentleman. A blush covered her cheeks as she sat down mumbling a quiet 'thank you'. Her softly curled hair brushed against Xavier's hand as he pushed the chair in, and the feeling was one of the best Xavier had ever felt.
After coming out of his short daze, he made his way back to his seat, only to be welcomed by the prettiest brown eyes he had ever seen.
"Sorry I'm late. I had to go turn in my résumé and it took forever." Raine said, running her fingers through her luscious hair that flowed down her shoulders.
"Résumé?" Xavier asked in confusion.
"Yeah. I was thinking about getting another job. I don't want to be a burden on Mike for long and the only way I can move out of there is to get second job."
"There will be no such need Raine. If you wish to not stay with Mike, I can make arrangements for you. If anything you could always stay with me." Xavier said with sincerity in his voice.
"And then become a burden on you? No thanks Xav." Raine said shaking her head and smiling subtly.
"You'd be anything but a burden to me Raine."
"You're just saying this because you're too nice. And honestly Xavier, I've been trying to get another job for the longest time. So I'm not doing all of this just to move out of Mike's apartment."
Xavier nodded at her decision after thinking about it for a couple of seconds longer. "So where were you thinking about working?"
"I'm not sure. I've applied for a job at Ashwood & Co but I'm sure that I won't get the job. But just before I came here, I applied for the personal assistant position at some company called Axel Industries." Raine said gaining Xavier's upmost attention. "The salary is high and the job comes with many benefits."
"Axel Industries?" Xavier questioned. "Raine please don't tell me you applied for the personal assistant position to their CEO, John Axel."
"Yeah I did. Why?" Raine asked, confused by Xavier's reaction.
"Reject it." He said in a stern voice.
"What?"
"Don't accept that job. That man is a vile creature. You have no idea what he does with his personal assistant and secretaries." Xavier said clenching his fist.
"But how do you know?"
Xavier took at deep breath as Raine looked at him demanding answers. "Raine, everybody knows. Don't you watch the news?" He stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Um....sometimes?" She said slightly embarrassed. The truth was she rarely watched the news. The most she ever did was skim over the headline. "But you can't just believe in everything the media says. I mean they're the same people who say at the you are a ruthless, cold hearted man who doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself."
"And what makes you think they are wrong." Xavier said, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"You're anything but ruthless, anything but coldhearted, and perhaps the most caring man I've ever met." Raine stated as if it were a fact. Her voice wavered not one bit and the glow in her eyes proved the truth behind her words.
"You're too innocent Raine." Xavier said shaking his head. "And this world, it's too cruel. You just haven't seen that side of it yet."
"I've seen this world at it's worst." She whispered, a shard of sadness emerging in her eyes.
"What do you mean Raine?" Xavier asked, truly confused by the hidden meaning of her words.
"Nothing." She covered up. "Anyways, back to what I was saying. You can't judge Axel just by what the media say about him. That's unfair."
"I'm not Raine." Xavier said with seriousness. "You remember Cindy? My assistant at the office?"
"Yeah..."
"Before working for me, she used to work there...... Axel is known for toying with all his assistants and he did the same with Cindy. Once she realized his games, she tried to get out of it. She wanted to resign but before she could do anything, he fired her. Not only that but he put accusations of robbery on her, causing her to lose every possible chance to get a job somewhere else."
"What?!" Raine said in disbelief. "Then how did you hire her? I mean how did you find out the truth? How did you believe her over Axel?"
"I didn't." He said leaning back in his chair. "Initially I had rejected her application. It was Jordon who convinced me to believe her and I decided to give her a shot. And luckily, she's done nothing to make me regret my decisions. Although she does manage to double book my meetings sometimes." He said chuckling.
"So you're telling me I should reject the job if I get it?"
"YES." He said, his voice stern and unarguable. "You can't work there Raine. Anywhere but there."
"Great." Raine said sitting back in her chair and shaking her head. "The one job I actually thought I had a chance with and I find out the CEO is a crook." A chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm so lucky, aren't I?" She said sarcastically.
"Don't worry about it Raine. If you're looking for a job then I can help you." Xavier said as he placed his warm hand onto Raine's. Tingles began erupting in both of their bodies at the contact, but they set these sparks aside as Xavier continued. "I have a lot of contacts. If any good positions are available nearby, I'll let you know."
"Thank you Xav." Raine said, presenting him with a smile. "And now enough with these talks."
"You're right." Xavier said, taking his hand off of her's. Raine instantly missed his warmth. "Shall we order?" Just as Xavier asked the question, a waiter appeared before them.
"Shall I get you started with some drinks?" The young gentleman asked, eyeing Raine for a few more seconds then Xavier liked. Raine remained gaze to his gawking while she was busy looking through the drink menu.
Xavier put up at hard face before clearing his throat to grab the attention of the man. "I'll take your finest bottle of white wine." Xavier said before looking at Raine.
"I'll have some water."
"You sure?" Xavier asked.
"Yeah." Raine replied with a smile.
"I'll have those out in a bit." With that being said, the man left, leaving Raine and Xavier alone. Raine picked up the menu and began browsing through it. Although all of the items were mouth watering to just read about, Raine found herself in a delimma about what to choose.
She looked up to Xavier to find him engrossed in the menu. "Xav?"
"Hum?" He said, lifting his head at the sound of her melodious voice.
"Order for me?" She asking, adding a cute pout at the end which was simply irritable for Xavier.
A smile spread across Xavier's face at her gesture. "Of course Raine."
* * *
Xavier ordered a variety of difference Spanish items for Raine to try. The food was out after a short period of time and both Xavier and Raine dug in without waiting long.
"So tell me about yourself Raine." Xavier asked, taking a bite of the seafood paella.
"What do you want to know?" Raine said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat which didn't go unnoticed by Xavier.
"Anything you wish to tell me. As long as you a comfortable, I don't intend on pushing you Raine."
"I don't know. There isn't much to know I mean....I work at the cafe pretty much everyday and come home at night. My life's pretty boring." Raine said.
"Ok how about this." Xavier said rubbing his hands together. "What's your favorite color?"
"Blue." Raine said almost immediately. "And yours?"
"Brown." He said without a doubt, staring intently into her eyes. "If you could go to any place in the world, where would you go?"
"Anywhere?" Raine replied.
"Anywhere."
Raine paused to think about his question. After a while, she finally responded. "I want to go see the Northern Lights." Raine said with a smile one her face.
"The Northern Lights?" Xavier repeated. "I actually have been dying to see them myself. I was in Finland last year and actually spent a good week there. Every night I'd go out to get a glimpse of them but I had no luck."
"You've been to Finland?" Raine asked, excitedly.
"Yeah. I've been to almost every country in Europe, most places in Asia, and a couple cities in South America." Xavier responded as if it wasn't a big deal at all that he had traveled the seven seas.
"Lucky you!" Raine said amazed by his travels. She had always had a passion for traveling and exploring but as always, money was the issue.
"What's your favorite flower and why?"
"Flower?"Â Raine asked, thinking about her answer.
"Yup." Xavier responded, popping the the 'p'.
"Roses. I love roses." She said with a smile covering her face.
"Roses? Interesting. Why?" Xavier asked, curious to what her answer would be. Out of every flower there was in the world, the one Xavier hated the most was the rose.
"For their thorns. That's what makes them the most beautiful." Raine said softly.
"How can something as painful as a thorn make anything beautiful." Xavier thought out loud.
Raine stared at Xavier for a while, understanding his confusion before clearing it up. "Well to me, roses are like life. Sure from the top everything looks beautiful, fresh, alive and happy, but people fail to see what's really behind that. The thorns protect the rose, without them, the rose would never reach it's full beauty. Just like that, the pain and struggles a person faces helps contribute to who they are and what makes them beautiful. Without them, a person can't possibly develop into someone beautiful. Kinda like perfect imperfections. You know?"
"Wow." Xavier let out, amazed by her answer.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to get all philosophical on you." Raine said nervously laughing.
"No that....that was beautiful Raine." He said, still staring at her.
"What about you?" Raine asked after a while. "What's your favorite?"
"Lilies." Xavier said
"Which ones?" Raine asked curiously.
"Rain Lilies."
Raine blushed a little at the mention of her name. "Interesting choice.....But why Rain Lillies?"
"Because they bloom in the rain." Xavier said as he stared outside the window. The rain hadn't begun yet but he was hoping for the clouds to burst soon.
"You like rain?" Raine asked, slightly in disbelief.
"It's my absolute favorite time of the year. It's beautiful." Xavier said, a smile adorning his lips at the mention of his favorite season. "What's your favorite time?"
"I love the snow." Raine said grinning. "But it's not as pretty here in the city." She looked out the window at the busy street. "When I was little, my parents would go to this cabin in the woods. And in the mornings when we woke up, there would just be blankets and blankets of untouched snow. It was the best Xav! I'd just run through the snow barefoot, without a jacket or anything and mom would yell a me. And then....and then dad would scoop me into his arms and I'd laugh as he tossed be up in the air before covering me with his jacket." The spark in Raine's eyes at the mention of her parents was something Xavier had never seen before.
Although Xavier was dying to ask where her parents were right now, he knew that there was a large possibility her answer would ruin the mood. He wanted to know but not at the cost of her happiness. He could risk everything but her smile.
"Where did you live before you came here?"
"California." Said said after a long pause. Her smile slightly fading as the memories of her past resurfaced. "I'm actually from a small town in California right in between San Fransisco and Los Angeles."
"On the coast or inland?" Xavier asked curiously.
"On the coast. I grew up basically living on the beach." She said with a smile.
"So why New York?"
Her breath hitched for a minute as the question she was avoiding all night surfaced. Xavier noticed her body go stiff but no matter what he did, he couldn't take back the question.
"I....I wanted a change." Raine responded in the simplest way she could state the anguish in her heart.
Sensing the tension, and the missing glow in Raine's eyes that Xavier had grown addicted to, he diverted the topic to a much more pleasant one.
"The best part about the snow is hot chocolate and peppermint goods right Raine?" He said, taking a sip of the Spanish spiced hot chocolate that they had ordered for dessert.
"I agree!" Raine said with enthusiasm, the sorrow in her eyes vanishing into thin air. "Just this morning Daisy and Mike made something new for the cafe! It's called a mint explosion!"
"Well you know what that means?" Xavier asked playfully.
"What?"
"I'm gunna have to stop by at the cafe to try that mint explosion of yours!" Xavier said, causing Raine to laugh out loud.
Just the sound of her laugh was enough to warm up his heart. A smile grew on his face seeing her giggle and smile, enjoying her night. And nothing made him happier than to know that he had made her smile and laugh.
"Oh Raine." His whispered, completely mesmerized.
______________________
Vote
Comment
Breathe