Chapter 9

Jessica wakes up late for work and scrambles to get ready. Hearing the ruckus from downstairs, Derrick wakes abruptly. "You okay?" He calls out from downstairs. "I'm late!" She calls back, running down the stairs. "Do, you want a ride?" Derrick says, his arms outstretched over his head and folding at the elbows as he stretches his stiffened back. Jessica wasn't surprised by the hesitation in his voice as he asked, but she was surprised that he had asked. Before putting on her shoes, Jessica looked at Derrick with sincerity in her eyes and said, "Yes please." Derrick rolls his eyes and tells her, "Fine. But it's going to cost you." "I want a coffee." They say at the same time, Jessica mocking her brother, knowing exactly what he would be after. He fought a smirk and grabbed his keys. "See you outside." He said. Jessica rethought how she felt about people sleeping with their shoes on. Derrick is ready to go at a moment's notice.

Jessica finishes lacing her shoes and then grabs her key for the house. She steps outside and locks the door. After securing her key in her bag, she runs down the steps and hops into the car. "You didn’t have to lock up, I'll be right back," Derrick tells her as he reverses out of the driveway. Jessica buckles her seat belt and sharply says, "A boy gets murdered, and you want to leave the house unlocked?" Derrick looks at her, then replies, "You know, I've been reading into the case further, and I think I agree. He did jump." Derrick studies Jessica's face and her confusion. "I mean, one look at that face and I'd jump too!" He says giggling to himself. Jessica screams at him and hesitates to slug him on the arm. Once in front of the café, she winds up and hits him hard. "Ow!" He said, still laughing. "You deserve it, consider it today's payment."

Jessica hops out of the car and darts into the road to get across to the café. A shiny silver BMW honks as they come to a stop and park the car in the middle of the road. Jessica shields herself with her arms, covering her eyes from the headlights. Derrick comes running to Jessica and shouts at the driver of the silver BMW. The man steps out of the BMW and runs, concerned about the two of them. "I am, so sorry. This is entirely my fault!" The man says apologetically. "I made a wrong turn and then got lost along the streets. I must have been going way too fast. Sorry, my daily vehicle is in the shop. This one's a rental." Derrick and Jessica could sense how sorry this man was, and they could feel the sincerity in his voice. "It's okay, I probably should have been more careful and checked for cars first. This street isn’t usually busy with traffic." Jessica told him.

The man smiled and said, "I appreciate that. Truly. But this is my fault. I should have been paying attention." Jessica smiles at him. Wow, he is really, really cute! She thinks to herself. "I have to get going, I'm late for work." She excuses herself and walks toward the café with Derrick. Going on a limb, Jessica turns back to him and shouts, "You can buy me a coffee? That might even things out." She smiled a flirtatious smile and the man returned the grin. "I'd like that very much." He says to her, making her blush bright red. She turns towards the café and coolly walks through the glass door, hoping he can't tell how nervous she actually is. "Are you serious?" Derrick asks her once inside the café. "What? He's cute!" Jessica tells him. "Besides, you have the hots for Erika." She tells him as she runs to the back room. She gets ready and then rushes back to the front counter.

Erika and Derrick are chatting at the counter as she makes him a heart-filled caffeinated beverage. Erika can see in Jessica's face that something big was happening, it made her stop what she was doing. "Oh my god, spill," Erika says, not joking around. Derrick starts to explain that Jessica had almost been hit by a car outside and is probably still shaky. But Jessica cuts him off, "And he's really cute and I just invited him to buy me coffee!" She squeals and hops up and down for a moment. "So let me get this straight." Erika starts, "You almost get hit by a beamer, by Prince Charming? And then you awkwardly invite him on a date, at your work." Jessica nods, "And he's parking outside now." Erika laughs at her excitement. "Girl, you're living a romantic comedy right now. No wonder you like them!" Erika laughs to herself as she watches Jessica run to fix her hair.

The café door swings open and the bell rings loudly. The handsome man enters the café and even Erika can't help but drop her jaw a little. He wore shiny black dress shoes, brown fitted dress pants, a white Tee Shirt, and a striking blue blazer. He had milky, smooth skin and his dark, sandy brown hair lay slicked back, held together by the volume of it all, and his eyes pierced through you with a green as bright as jade. He rubbed his chin awkwardly, as men do when they have a beard, and then walked up to the counter, looking around. "You must be looking for Jessica," Erika asks him confidently. "Yes." He says with a chuckle, knowing his looks gave him away. He nonchalantly waltzed slowly through the café, whistling as he moved. Erika watched him with hungry eyes and Derrick felt a little jealous. "So, what do you want with my sister?" Derrick asked him, bearing his feelings on his sleeve. Before the man could answer, Jessica was out of the back and scolding Derrick.

She almost skips over to the man and asks him, "Do you like coffee?" She smiled and guided him to the counter. "Who doesn't?" He asked playfully. Jessica proudly sparks up the coffee machine and starts making him her favorite coffee drink. He stands there with his eyes locked on her. Watching her every move with admiration. Erika walks Derrick to the door to give the two a little more privacy. "I don’t like this guy," Derrick says to Erika. "She's your sister, you'll never like any guy she does. Give him a chance. It's just coffee." Erika jokes, trying to smooth things over. "Yeah, but it’s the way he looks at her that I don't like. It's like he thinks he knows her, owns her. Look at him, just staring at her." Erika raises an eyebrow and comments, "Somebody watches too many thrillers." Laughing at her own joke she realizes that Derrick isn’t laughing. "I got her," Erika reassured him. "Go. Come back at 2 p.m. Okay?"

Derrick looked towards Erika, finally. Her sweet smile, and eyes looking into his. He softens and yearns to lock lips with her so badly, her chocolate-colored lips, full and beautiful. He looks again at the guy and then back at Erika. "She never leaves your site." He says sternly. Erika laughs and replies, "Yes boss." Derrick leaves out the glass door and Erika watches as he carefully crosses the road, holding her cup in the air like it's fragile. "So, what's your name?" Jessica asks the man, capping his coffee. "It's Matthew." He says watching her carefully. "I'm Jessica, here. I hope you like it!" He smiles as he takes a sip. She starts to make her own while he enjoys the aromas of caramel and toffee. "Wow, this is really good!" He tells her taking another sip. "How much for all your labors?" He asks jokingly. "Ah, this one is on me," Jessica tells him playfully. "But I thought you said." He starts to say, but Jessica cuts him off. "I think dinner is much more fitting, don't you?" She looks at him, trying to become as flirty as she can. He smiles, catching on, and says, "You're absolutely right. Candle lit, along the beach with the water crashing beside us." Jessica laughs and agrees. "Exactly. Can you make it happen?" She says giggling. "I think I can." He says with a wink. Jessica is surprised by his confidence and walks him through the café exchanging looks with Erika who is smiling at them.

Matthew attempts to take a seat at one of the tables when Jessica stops him. "Wait! Uh, that one is reserved. We have an older gentleman who comes in and likes to sit there." Jessica clears Matthew away from the homeless man's usual spot. She thought about his absence and grew concerned for his whereabouts. "He hasn't been in yet. Which is odd." Matthew smiles at her, touches her hand, and says, "I’m sure he'll turn up." He says to her, sounding familiar like Jessica has had déjà vu. "I'll be right back," Jessica tells him after seating him at a different table. She runs back to the counter and asks Erika, "Hey, has our buddy been in yet today?" Erika scans the lobby and stares mindfully at his usual spot. "No, that's strange. Do you think the police presence scared him off yesterday?" Erica asked while drying a mug. "Why, would they arrest him for being homeless?" Jessica said, poking a little fun.

She reflected on yesterday's events and remembered him seeming a bit concerned with them being at the Café. "He was asking about them," Jessica admitted, staring at the table too. "I hope he's okay," Erika says. "So what about mister suit and tie over there?" Erika says to Jessica who’s now blushing from the excitement. "I know, where did he come from?" Jessica says swooning. The girls watched as he scrolled through his phone. "Probably some important business," Jessica says, daydreaming of what kind of job he would have. Just then Erika got a buzz in her pocket. "Oh." Erika shuffles to free her phone from beneath her apron. "We just got a 5-star review!" She squealed excitedly! "From a Google Reviewer named… Matt. Hmm." She says curiously eyeballing Matthew. Erika nods at Jessica and struts over to the table, peering over his shoulder as she passes him she sees him scrolling through the comments on her restaurant page.

"Thanks for the rating." She says kindly, wiping crumbs off of a neighboring table. Startled, Matthew smiled at her and scratched behind his neck. "You're welcome, small businesses don't get enough love these days. I've. Uh, I always like to support places that truly deserve it." Erika smiles and feels like she may melt. "Awe, thank you so much!" She makes a heart shape with her hands and then walks back to the counter. "Yup, he's a keeper." She says to Jessica who is bouncing behind the counter. "So, why don't you tell lover boy that you have some training to catch up on but to be back by 1:30 pm to pick you up?" Jessica looked at Erika surprised. "But I'm here till 2:00 pm today?" Erika raises a hand to calm her. "You're a hard worker. You'll make it up somewhere. What I need is for you to gain confidence in decorating coffee so I can start scheduling you alone." Erika smiles at her warmly. Jessica looks dreamily at Matthew, she thinks of all the fun they could have together. Then se looks back at Erika again more concerned. "What about Derrick?" She asks, Erika thinks a moment and says, "Leave Derrick to me."