It had been two days since Xavier had stopped by Raine's house to check on her. Raine was feeling much better now and the extra support from Xavier was helping her recover even faster. Xavier spared no expense in taking care of her. Whether it was making her soup, buying her medicine, or calling her every hour to make sure she was ok.
Although Xavier couldn't come by to spend the day with Raine yesterday, he called her periodically throughout the day. At the end of the day, Raine was well rested and eager to start work at the cafe once more. Xavier had graciously shown up at her apartment last night, bringing a home cooked meal, for her to indulge on.
* * *
The alarm blared in the morning, disturbing the deep trance of sleep Raine was in, thanks to all the pain medicine. It had been nice to get the two days off, but she was excited to start work once more.
Getting ready in a pair of jeans and a sweater, Raine rushed out the door with a banana in her hand, taking bites of it as she walked down the streets of New York. Winter was coming and the chilled air gave full proof of that.
It wasn't long before Raine found herself standing in front of Cathy's Cakes & Coffee. Her mind went into flashbacks as the memories played before her eyes. Shaking those thoughts away, Raine stepped into the cafe to be wrapped in a thick scent of coffee and cinnamon.
Taking in was warm scent, a smile made it's way on Raine's face, seeing her two best friends goofing around with each other.
"Hello Daisy Doll." Mike said in a cheerful voice as he petted Daisy's hair, trying to take her attention off the glass displays and onto him.
Rolling her eyes, Daisy set the trays aside, glaring at Mike with her hands resting on her hips. "Hey Mike Macaroni." Her voice laced with sarcasm.
"I thought you hated macaroni?" Mike questioned in confusion.
"Exactly my point!" Daisy replied, displaying an innocent smile.
Raine shook her head laughing, gaining the attention of her two fellow friends. "Just get married already!"
Daisy groaned, rolling her eyes. "Come on Raine! You're supposed to be on my team!"
"But I am Daisy." Raine said, a grin painted on her face. The brusie that once tainted her flawless skin was fading away. Even the wounds from the glass cuts had begun to heal leaving behind a faint scar as a reminder.
Raine walked behind the counter, putting on her apron and setting her bag and phone aside.
"So what did I miss?" Raine said as she looked around the cafe. It was nothing like the way she had left it the night of the attack. Everything was back in it's original place and Raine was happy to see no traces of that horrifying night haunting the cafe.
"Nothing much. Business had been slow" Daisy said sighing. The news had made it's way through the city and ever since the attack, the customers had slowed down.
"Don't worry about it Daisy." Mike reassured. "It's just a matter of days. Soon everyone will forget anything even happened here."
"I guess you're right." Daisy said, giving Mike a soft smile. No matter how much she tricked her heart in pretending she hated Mike, she knew the only person who could make her feel good in any situation was him.
Just as Raine was about to speak, she heard a dinging noice come from her phone. A blush made it's way onto her cheeks as she saw Xavier's name appear on the screen.
"I wonder who that is?" Daisy teased, giving her a suggestive smile. All the while, Mike just kept a hard face.
Shaking her head, Raine ignored the glances that Daisy was giving her and opened up the message.
Xavier Thorn >> Good morning Raine. Happy first day back at work. I'll try my best to stop around sometimes but I do have a lot of meetings lined up. Be careful and stay safe.
The blush on her face deepened as Raine reread the text over again. By this point, Raine was surely convinced that all the stories about Xavier being a coldhearted man were clearly false. In fact, Raine hadn't met any guy who was this caring, ever before in her life. Smiling, she responded.
Raine Woods >> Thank you Xavier. Don't worry about me, work's more important. :)
With that being said, Raine silenced her phone and set it back on the counter top. She looked back up at Daisy who was still smirking as she took the empty trays to the back of the kitchen.
After a couple of minutes, the flow of customers increased and Mike and Raine were on the rolls taking and filling orders. Even though Raine was still recovering, she gave her all to make sure that her work was done perfectly.
"Delivery for Cathy's!!" A man in a brown uniform shouted from the glass doors of the cafe. Today was delivery day to shock up on supplies and ingredients for the rest of the week.
"I'll meet you in the back." Mike said as he untied his apron. "Raine keep an eye on the register. I'm gunna unload the stuff."
"Yup! I've got it!" Raine said placing a cup of coffee on an elderly man's table.
Just as Raine was retreating, a familiar car rolled up in front of the glass doors. Raine's heartbeat began to pick up as she saw the black door of the vehicle open. However, instead of the man she was waiting for, someone else walked out.
Making her way behind the register, Raine put up a bright smile as her eyes meet Jordon's.
"Hey Jordon! Nice seeing you here today!" Raine said to Jordon as he presented her with a warm smile of his own.
"Hello Raine." Jordan said. "Mr. Thorn has sent me here to fetch some coffee. I supposed you can help me out with that."
"Sure thing! One black, no sugar coming right up!"
"Oh and he mentioned something about a raspberry loaf or something? He told me you would know about it." Jordon said trying to recalled Xavier's request.
"The raspberry swirl?" Raine asked, remembering when she had suggested it to Xavier a couple of days back.
"Yes. Mr. Thorn has requested that to go along with the coffee."
"You got it! I'll have that out in just a bit!" Raine said in a cheerful manor. Her personality was so bright that even Jordon couldn't resist the urge to smile.
"He has sent his apologies. Unfortunately he was missing from work for a couple of days and he has a handful of meetings to attend. He was disheartened that he could not come here to see you on your first day back at work."
"No worries" Raine said, returning the credit card. "Tell him it's totally fine and that I said hi."
"I will Raine. Thank you."
It wasn't long before Jordon's order was ready. Raine handed the items off to him, who left the cafe in a brisk pace. Clearing her mind from thoughts about the blue eyed man, Raine returned back to work.
* * *
"You're coffee and raspberry swirl Mr. Thorn." Jordon said as he set the tray on the side of Xavier's desk.
Without even looking up from the load of paperwork piled on his desk, Xavier gave Jordon a nod and resumed reading.
Although Xavier was known to eat, sleep, and breath business, the past few days had taken a toll on his image. Ever so suddenly, his mind had stopped thinking about business propositions and instead he was focused more on the bright ray of sunshine that had been dancing through his mind from the minute he laid eyes on her.
Xavier was known to be a man of word. Never had he taken days off, vacations, or even postponed a meeting. However with everything going on with Raine, Xavier couldn't help but break these customs. He had been by Raine's side for the past couple of days and he couldn't help but feel happy. She was changing him and changing him for the better. The lost boy who was abandoned by his parents was finally finding his way back.
No matter how much time he spent with Raine, it just wasn't ever enough. However, he also had to pay attention to the billion dollar company that he was running. A lot of peoples' life depended on it and he couldn't be cruel enough to let the company and those people down.
"By the way sir, Raine said hi." Jordon stated as he retreated back towards the door.
Immediately, Xavier's head shot up with the mention of Raine. A smile formed on his lips and Jordon too put up a sly smile. For the first time ever, he was seeing his boss change from the ruthless man he was known as, to a gentle and loving guy.
"How was she?" Xavier asked. "I mean....was she ok? Was there anyone at the cafe that looked suspicious?" Even though he was happy Raine was moving on quickly from the incident and back to work, he was obviously concerned for her safety after everything that had happened.
"She's doing absolutely fine Mr. Thorn. I don't think you need to worry about her." Jordon retreated out of the office leaving Xavier to his work.
He let out a breath of relief and looked back at the paperwork he had yet to go through. His heart was tempting him to leave everything behind and rush to Raine, but his brain knew better than to do that.
After completing five contracts and reviewing the blueprints for their newest Toronto project, Xavier pushed himself back leaning down on his chair and rubbed his hands on his exhausted face. Just as his was relaxing, he heard a knock on the door before someone entered.
"Mr. Thorn?"
Xavier looked up from his desk to find a red headed women standing in the door way. She had the typical model figure, dressed up in a black pencil skirt and white blouse. Glasses covered her green eyes and her hazel hair was twisted into a bun.
"Cindy? Anything urgent?" Xavier said speaking to his assistant.
"Sorry to disturb you but I have a couple of updates. Mr. Amberton just called in saying that he needs you present in Toronto to go on the site of the new property."
A frown formed on Xavier's face. Him going to Toronto would mean leaving Raine alone for an entire day. And the last time he had done that, things hadn't turned out too well.
"Is there anyway I can do that from here?" He asked, thinking of ways to avoid leaving town.
"I'm sorry Mr. Thorn but Mr. Amberton wanted you to visit the land on which the hotel shall stand. I don't see how you'd be able to do that without actually going to Toronto."
"I see...." Xavier said, analyzing the situation. Despite the fact that he didn't want to leave Raine, he knew the importance of him going to Toronto. It was a big opportunity for Thorn Inc to expand and he couldn't let the chance go. After having a complicated debate with himself, Xavier finally gave in. "Very well than. Arrange the meeting for tomorrow. And have Jordon notify the pilot. I'll be fly out of here tomorrow morning at six sharp."
"I'll notify both Jordon and Mr. Amberton. Is there anything else you would like me to do?"
"No. You're free to go and also tell Jordon he can leave. I'll be driving home tonight." Cindy nodded before leaving the room.
Pushing himself off the desk, Xavier stood up and turned to the panoramic window of his office that overlooked the entire city. Being CEO had it's benefits and Xavier's office was one of them. He had the top floor all to himself and along with that, the mind-blowing views that came with it.
Xavier rested his hands on the thick glass and looked into the horizon. If it were any other day, he wouldn't have minded leaving the city. In fact it would have been a blessing for him to leave. However, ever since he had met Raine, he had grown attached to this place which he once hated to called home.
"What are you doing to me?" Xavier mumbled as he envisioned Raine's smile in the reflection of the glass.
* * *
The sky was the perfect hue of orange with streaks of red painting the horizon. Although the weather had begun to cool down, the temperature outside was perfect. A cool breeze passed through the labryinth of buildings, funneling through the narrow streets of New York.
Raine zipped up her jacket as she walked down the sidewalk, heading towards her apartment. A frown formed on her face when she realized that her moving date was approaching. With the chaos of the cafe incident, Raine hadn't gotten a chance to browse through the city, looking for a better living arrangement. She had no plans on what to do.
She was snapped out of her deep thoughts when a black car pulled over to the side of the road. A hint of fear ran through her body as she gazed upon the tinted glass, not revealing even a shadow of the figure inside. Turning her head back in her desired direction, Raine increased her pace and began speed walking in hopes to get rid of the mysterious black car.
However, the further she moved down the road, she noticed that the car followed. Stopping in her tracks, she was about to turn and release her fury on the driver, when the window of the driver seat rolled down.
Her heart, thumping loudly in her chest, mellowed down as Raine's eyes fell on Xavier. He offered her a smile that looked divine even on his tired face.
"Hey!" Xavier said, leaning towards the window of the car.
"Xavier?" Raine said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just leaving work when I saw you walking. Get inside, I'll drop you." Raine heard a clicking sound as Xavier unlocked the car.
"It's fine Xavier. You must be tired, I'll manage." Raine said, giving him a polite smile while rubbing her hands together. It was getting colder by the minute.
"Get in the car Raine." He said in the stern CEO voice that shouted business typhoon. He leaned over the passenger seat, pushing the door open for Raine to get in.
Raine shook her head at his stubbornness before sitting down in the car. Xavier waited till she was all buckled up before he rolled the window back up and began to drive.
There was a calm silence in the car. Raine watched as the rows of building passes uniformly while they drove through the city. Rubbing her hands together, Raine blew hot air into her palms.
"Cold?" Xavier said as he glance towards a shivering Raine. Without giving her enough time to answer the question, he flicked one of the switches, blasting warm air through the car.
"Thanks." Raine said softly, relaxing with the warm air bathed her petite form.
They were left in yet another period of silence.
"So.....how was your meeting?" Raine said, looking towards him. "Jordon was telling me it was quiet important."
"Alright I guess." Xavier said, his eyes focused on the road. For a brief second, he shifted his gaze, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones. Although it was fairly dark in the car, Raine could make out the intensity of his azure orbs. "The coffee you sent definitely helped." A smile creeping on his face.
"I'm glad it went well." Raine said blushing slightly.
"How are you feeling now? Any pain?"
"Not much. This cut on my hand hurts a little but other then that, I think I'm fine." Raine said looking back at the road. A smile formed on her lips when the car passed by a small park. "Xavier?" Raine said in an innocent voice that just about melted Xavier's heart in mere seconds.
"Raine?" Xavier asked in the same innocent tone that Raine had used.
"I was wondering if you were free tomorrow...you know? Like...Like we could do something....." Raine said with nervousness in her voice. Xavier had easily deemed them as friends and Raine was eager to bring this friendship forward. Also, she absolutely loved being in the presence of Xavier. Every time he was near, her heart would pick up it's pace and she was growing accustomed to these new found emotions.
Xavier shut his eyes tightly and tightened the grip of the steering wheel as they came to a stop at a signal light. Frustration surged through his body recalling the unfortunate meeting he was scheduled to go to. "Raine...." He said letting out a pained breath. "I...I'm really sorry. I absolutely hate declining the offer but I'm going to have to say no." He glanced at Raine in between turning onto her street. "I have to fly out to Toronto for work tomorrow."
Although her heart dropped a bit hearing Xavier was leaving, Raine shook away the thoughts and placed a hand on Xavier's arm that held the steering wheel. Immediately, his knuckles loosened and his grip softened. "It's ok Xavier. We can hang out some other time?"
A smile formed on Xavier's lips. "Of course. I promise I'll make up for it." Xavier said parking the car at the curb.
"Do you want to come up?" Raine asked with a sense of hope. "I can make hot chocolate for us." She said, trying to sound convincing.
"Although the offer is irresistible, it's imperative that I head home. I have an important conference tomorrow which I have yet to prepare for." Xavier was disappointed as ever with himself. From the past weeks he had known Raine, he had been searching for ways to spend time with her and now when she was offering to give him just what he wanted, he was compelled to refuse. "I'm sorry Raine. I hate saying no to you."
"No worries Xavier. Good luck with your meeting tomorrow."
"Thank you Raine."
The light from the street lamps reflected in her eyes, illuminating her chocolate brown orbs.
"Good night?" Raine questioned, unsure of what else to say.
"Good night Raine." Xavier said, his blue eyes shining in the dim lighting of the streets.
Giving him one last smile, Raine turned around, walking up the steps to the apartment. Xavier remained in his position, even if she was completely out of sight. He looked up from his car, towards the row of windows, staring at one in particular. The one with the green curtains. Only when he saw the lights flicker on through the curtains, Xavier shifted gears from park to drive, cruising down the road with a smile plastered on his face.
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