Hey There, Delilah

A Pretty Boy, Chipmunk, and a Ray of Sunshine Walk into a Cafe...

Song: Coffeehouse playlist by alexrainbirdMusic

Vincent adored Lilah for her predictability. With her fitted denim jeans (dark, that was her preference) and pearl necklace. Her hair, always up in a half up and half down style with her signature big, white bow situated in the back. She was the picture perfect portrayal of what natural beauty was. Minimal, barely there makeup and all.

Vincent smiled. Today she'd gone outside the box and wore pink eyeshadow with a little sparkle in it. Cute.

"Here you go, Lilah Bean."

Lilah pouted, pushing out her full lips and chubby cheeks. She accepted the bag of ice with a small word of thanks and pressed it to the back of her head. Holding back a wince, she shifted in the maroon colored booth and glanced at the kid that knocked her down.

His back was to her and she could see the wear and tear in his little black coat. Threads were sticking out from not only the puffy jacket but also his baggy blue jeans. There was even a small hole starting to take shape at the back of one of his gray shoes.

"Who's the kid?" she asked, keeping an eye on him as he pressed his face to the glass and stared at the row of sugary sweets in wonder.

"That's Cameron," Vincent replied, eyes softening when he looked over his shoulder. "My cousin."

"Oh? I thought it was just you and your older cousin. What was his name again?"

"Ambrose? That's his brother."

Lilah's grip tightened on the pack of ice in her hand. Her breath stalled. She shook her head seconds later, dismissing the invading thought immediately.

There were probably thousands of men named Ambrose in Pennsylvania. The odds of him being the older brother of the cute kid and the cousin of her friend Vincent were pretty slim.

She couldn't imagine a meanie like Ambrose being related to a sweetheart like Vincent anyway. It was the most unfathomable, ludicrous thought to ever cross her mind.

"Have a good time at the farmers market?"

Vincent laughed. He watched fondly while Lilah grumbled under her breath as she readjusted the ice pack. "That was the plan before the little man went and knocked you down. Cut things short for us. I guess we got pretty lucky that one of your cafes was nearby though, huh?"

Lilah snorted, giving Vincent the most charming smile she could manage. "Yeah, real lucky."

The cafe they were currently sitting in was, For Goodness Cakes! Yes, that was the name of her chain of cafes which was widespread across America and co-owned. No, she did not choose the name herself.

After graduating, Lilah linked up with her cousin, Mattie, and they went into business. With her business degree, Mattie's culinary expertise, their endless connections, they were set. Together they launched their first cafe and from there things only got better.

Lilah focused on the bigger issues like money and sales. She was the one that made sure to situate their cafes nearby universities. She was the one that decided their cafes were to be open for 24 hours. With a strong staff that was rigorously trained to deal with the rush of students during exams. Their pain was Lilah's gain. They spent hours in her cafes, drinking coffee and gobbling up baked goods for a poor excuse of dinner.

The security she implemented from 8 pm to 8 am was what kept things running smoothly. Anyone that caused issues was thrown out without a second thought. And unlike other cafes in the more seedy areas, her security cameras weren't for show.

"I heard the party for the opening of the cafe in France got moved," Vincent said, drawing her attention back to him. The tall man towered over her even when they were sitting. "Sucks. I was looking forward to a good old country club party."