Behind The Scenes

[Chapter Six]

Chapter 6

I didn't see much of Ryan after the day he visited for ice cream; in fact, almost a month went by and I saw very little of him. It wasn't because of the lack of trying though.

As September passed quickly and October came upon us, our schedules just seemed to clash. My school work really started to pile up, Colette and her parents were slowly getting me used to how they ran their cafe, and with midterms rolling up, I didn't have much free time on my hands other than the days I left dedicated to Abbie.

Ryan, on the other hand, had a full schedule for an entirely different reason. The interviews and guest appearances he had scheduled toward the end of September had been crazy, and when we did talk, he'd fill me in on the shenanigans I missed by not tuning into the local media. I was hearing first hand what it meant to be a true Hollywood star, and what I'd learned over the passed few weeks was that he was well acquainted with the fame, but somehow, once a week he'd still find time to stroll into the café and talk with me over my break.

Something about those few cherished minutes made him seem normal to me; like he wasn't the object of millions of girls fantasies across the world, but just a normal guy talking to a normal girl.

Those minutes came and went though, and as I found myself drifting towards the middle of October, I also found myself working more frequent hours at Corner Café.

"Hazelnut cappuccino with two espresso shots and extra vanilla," Colette called out from where she stood, manning the cash register as I stood in as the barista.

"On it," I replied, placing a medium cup under one of the coffee machines, punching in the cappuccino as I added the hazelnut and vanilla flavouring.

It hadn't taken me long, a couple of weeks at most, to get the hang of the different machines that lined the counters, and after a fair few failed attempts, I knew how to make most of the drinks on the menu.

Waiting for the coffee to stop dripping, I quickly added the espresso shots before capping the drink and calling out the order. "Have a nice day," I smiled, handing the drink to the woman that stepped up as I heard Colette call out the next order.

It was just after one in the afternoon on the second weekend of October, and although people could've been at home cozying up to their fireplaces or seeking more than a quick drink for lunch, Corner Café had been going crazy for the past hour, the line looking as though it was never ending.

"Chocolate and vanilla mocha with a shot of peppermint and extra milk," Colette hollered a few orders later, making me crack a smile as I started a drink.

"Hey, that's basically the same as..." I started, turning to talk to Colette before catching the eye of a familiar face that stood on the opposite side of the counter, "Ryan's normal order." I finished, sending him a quick smile as I finished his drink, spraying a little extra whip cream on the top before capping it.

"Thanks," he smiled as I handed him his signature drink.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, "I thought you had that thing today."

'That thing' happened to be an interview with some well-known talk show host, but just in case one of the many people in the café overheard me, I expressed my curiosity vaguely as I waited for a reply.

"That thing, as you so eloquently put it, was this morning and I actually finished it about a half an hour ago," he explained, and when I actually took a look at him, I could see what he was talking about. On top of his normal disguise of a baseball cap and sunglasses, he had on a pair of form fitting khakis and a button down shirt, looking more dressy than casual as he stood in the café.