COFFEE

"You sure you don't want me to get anything for you?"

Jade looked up to find Kevin standing next to her. Kevin worked part time as a waiter in Beans. And the other half of his time he was studying to become a doctor.

Nicole and she visited Bean so often that, they almost knew everything about him.

At least all the things his mother didn't know about him, since that Jade knew from before. Beth Green worked with Amanda at the town library and she had a habit of telling pretty interesting stories about her son.

"I'm sure. I'm waiting for someone."

Jade replied and took a sip of water.

Alec was late. It was 4:30 and he still wasn't here.

Jade had been sitting there for half an hour now without anything to do passing her time by having glasses of water and speaking to the people she knew who entered the cafe.

Thankfully that happened in plenty.

"I know you told me earlier. But that person is sure making you wait a lot." Kevin said raising an eyebrow.

He was very handsome with black wavy hair which flopped on his forehead and green laughing eyes. He had a confident way of speaking and a charming personality.

All this attributed to the fact that Beans was always crowded with teenage and college girls, waiting for their chance to talk and flirt with him.

"Don't you have some book about blood and innards you should bury your head in?"

Jade knew that whatever free time Kevin he had from the work he spent studying.

Kevin smirked, "I was just asking." He threw up both his hands.

"Thanks for asking. I just want another glass of water. Thank you."

Kevin filled up her glass with the jug he was already carrying, he had known she wouldn't order till whoever she was waiting for came.

"This is your 4th glass. You'll have to get up to go to the washroom in the middle of your meeting."

Jade looked up at the dimples on Kevin's face and laughed, "Now go!"

Kevin was the closest thing she had to a little brother, and he sure played his role to perfection.

She had actually had plenty of water since she was dropped at Beans at 4 by her mother.

She felt like a teenager asking her mom to drop her but she didn't have any other option.

Her car had refused to start when she was leaving and her only option was asking her mom to give her a lift, who was on her way home after spending the whole morning with Jade.

But that meant that she would have to get a lift back home from someone.

Alec seemed to be the most sensible option, but that was the last thing she would do. She didn't want to owe him one on the first day they met. Technically the second, but who was keeping track.

Just then the bell on top of the door of the cafe rang signalling that someone had entered.

Jade looked up and was relieved to see that it was a haggard looking Alec finally.

Then the feeling of relief was replaced by a churning nervous feeling at the pit of her stomach.

He came in carelessly running his finger through his already messy hair.

"Hi! I'm so sorry I'm late. I really really am! I got a call from Derek just as I was leaving." He said taking he seat opposite to her.

He was dressed in dark wash denim jeans and a black t- shirt, which was tight enough to show the outline of his washboard abs.

Jade pulled her eyes away from Alec's abs with some difficulty and said, "Its been 8 years that doesn't mean I don't remember you. Don't forget I knew you better than you knew yourself. Alec Carter can never be punctual. Even if someone offered him a million dollars."

"That's true enough, little- Miss- Know- It- All!" Alec laughed.

Jade had missed his laugh. Alec always laughed with his whole body. And it was one of the things she had loved about him.

Little- Miss- Know- It- All had been Alec's nickname for her when they had been young.

Growing up with a librarian as a mother, had many advantages. One of them was that Jade always knew some baseless stupid trivia about every single thing.

And as a teenager she had taken it upon herself to annoy Alec with all the facts and trivia she had picked up from her mom.

That's when he had come up with the name for her. Back then she used to get super angry on him whenever he called her that.

But now she just smiled with the memory of all the stupid things they used to do.

Before she could say anything Kevin came and stood next to them with a notepad in his hand and a Beans apron tied around his waist.

"Welcome to Beans! What can I get you'll today?" He asked in his usual way but with a smirk in the end for Jade's benefit.

"Why didn't you order before I came? You should have." Alec asked finding out that there were no cups on the table already.

"It's okay. I thought I'll wait for you."

"She kept herself entertained with many glasses of water." Kevin piped in once Jade finished talking.

Alec laughed again and then ordered, "One black coffee with three spoons of sugar for me. And one cappuccino with little milk and two spoons of sugar for the lady."

Kevin nodded after writing down the order and left.

"You remember?"

It came as a surprise to Jade that even after so many years he remembered such a trivial thing as the way she took her coffee.

"Of course. Don't forget your not the only one who knew everything about me." He said, "Anyways you look pretty."

Jade looked down at the denim cutoffs she was wearing below a faded old blue shirt.

It was nothing special and she had just thrown it on, before leaving.

"Since when did Alec Carter start giving me compliments?"

Alec shrugged and they smiled at each other for a few minutes.

They could never be awkward with each other for long. They were just too good friends for that.

"I really missed you." Alec said suddenly.

"Now did you?"

"Yeah.... See Emma left today morning. So tomorrow let's go out and do all the stuff we used to do before. Just like old times."

Jade looked at him with a serious expression, "Nothing is like old times, Alec. Except for our faces everything has changed."

"Nothing ever changes between friends."

"But are we still friends? Really?"

That got Alec to keep quiet he sat across her thinking, while Kevin came and placed their order on the table.

He didn't stop to make any smart ass comment before leaving, sensing the tension between them.

"Yes we are. I know its been ages but you can't just undo a great friendship like ours." Alec said atlast.

"You can't?"

"No. We'll be friends forever."

Jade sighed and sipped her coffee without saying anything.

"You don't agree with me." Stated Alec flatly when Jade didn't say anything.

"No I don't. How do you expect me to? It's been 8 years since we last met or spoke. That's too long." Jade said.

"I know. And I'm sorry. But don't act like your the victim. You didn't try very hard either."

"I tried harder than you, Alec. But when the other person is not interested you give up after a point."

It was true. Jade had tried calling and mailing him for a year after he left.

But he had been so busy putting up the business that he had ignored them completely.

Till one day, she got fed up and stopped.

They sat in silence for sometime. Each lost in their thoughts.

"Let's give it another try. Please Jade not for my sake but atleast for our friendships sake. We have two days. Let's do all the stuff we used to. We'll go to the lake. Go to the old playground. Go drinking." Alec said breaking the silence.

He really didn't want to let the friendship they had go. It was their special thing and losing Jade as a friend would be too great a loss for him.

"I don't remember us going drinking very often earlier. Except for maybe the stunt after graduation."

"We would have if we were of age." Alec said, "So does that mean you agree to the plan?"

"I'll give it a try."

"That's great. I'll pick you up a 10?"

"10 will do."

Just as they shook their hands over it Kevin came and placed the bill between them.

Both Jade and Alec tried to pull the bill towards them.

"This will be interesting." Kevin mumbled with a smile and stood back to see what happens.

"I'm paying." Alec said.

"No ways." Jade pulled the bill towards her trying to read it.

"I asked you to meet me." Alec said pulling it to him.

"I agreed didn't I."

"Come on!"

"No ways! I'm paying. Otherwise tomorrow's deal is off." Jade said folding her arms over her chest. Clear triumph written all over her face.

"That's not fair."

"Who said life is fair?"

She pulled her wallet out of her bag and counted out the notes.

"Okay. You pay for your half I'll pay for mine."

"Okay."

They paid and walked out of the door. Alec was still sore about the fact that Jade had won so easily.

"Where's your car?"

He asked Jade. It had already become a little dark.

"Umm... Actually mom dropped me here. My car stopped working. So...." Jade said fidgeting with the strap of her bag.

"I'll drop you." Alec said like it was the most obvious thing.

Which it was, but Jade didn't want to agree.

"No it's okay. I'll get a lift from someone else."

Alec made a face and started pulling Jade towards his car, "Why? I'll drop you. Anyways I have to pick you up tomorrow so I should no where you stay."

Jade reluctantly sat in the passenger seat while Alec got into the car from the other side.

.....................

"You moved to the cool part of town?" Alec asked when Jade gave him her address.

Jade smirked, "When you sell enough books, you get enough money to buy a house in any place."

As kids Jade and Alec had always dreamed to become rich enough to buy an apartment in the southern part of Millbrooke, which was considered to be the cool part.

"And anyways I needed to get out of moms house. She was getting irritated by my habits."

Jade continued.

"What you brought too many guys home?"

"Yes actually. It may not seem so but finding a half naked guy early in the morning in the kitchen creeped out mom."

After Alec left Jade had gone through one night stands and boyfriends very fast. Much to the irritation of Amanda Tucker.

"Uh huh..."

Jade turned to see an uncomfortable expression on Alec's face.

"What? Uncomfortable to hear about my affairs?"

Alec turned around with a forced smile on his face, "Not really."

"I'm not uncomfortable speaking about it!" Jade shrugged, "And anyways it's not like when you and Emma are locked together in the guest room, you'll play scrabble."

She turned to see Alec actually blush while he drove the car.

"Well.... Actually I'm not staying in the guest bedroom. Only Emma is."

"What? Then where are you sleeping?"

"In my room." Alec gave a laugh, "You might be comfortable with the stuff Emma and I do, I don't think Mom is."

She wanted to tell him that even the thought of them sleeping innocently together made her get the creeps. But she just smiled and said, "So you'll are planning to marry?"

"What!? No!" Alec replied as fast as he could.

"Oh! I thought.... By the way Emma was speaking yesterday..." She let it hang in the middle.

"No... No... We have not even spoken about marriage."

"So still have the aversion towards marriage?" Jade asked half hopefully.

"Not really. I'm going to get married eventually and I know that at the back of my mind. But not anytime soon. You? Thinking of get married in the near future?" Alec asked thinking about the mysterious doctor she had been kissing in the parking lot.

"No ways. I'm happy without getting married." Jade scoffed.

"Why? What happened to the romantic girl who had decided her wedding dress when she was twelve?"

She laughed at the memory, "She grew up. I have no intentions of getting married now. If I want to stop having sex I'll start wearing crocs."

Alec burst out laughing.

The awkwardness which had been there in their conversation earlier had disappeared and now they were speaking freely. It was almost like old times.

Jade turned and just looked at Alec carefully.

The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, the grip of his fingers on the steering wheel and the way his lips always tilted upwards even when he was not smiling.

Alec noticed Jade staring it him and asked, "What?"

"Nothing." She turned her head away from him quickly and saw that they had reached her apartment building. "This is me."

Alec stopped the car and she got down, "Thanks for the lift." She said poking her head into the car through the open window.

"No problem. Won't you ask me up for a cup of coffee?"

"You're anyways coming to pick me up tomorrow in the morning. Go home and get some sleep." Jade waved a good bye and walked towards the building.

"Hey! Which floor do you live on?"

Alec yelled from the car before Jade entered the building.

"Why?"

"I should know. Since I'm picking you up tomorrow." He replied.

"3rd."

"I hope you're not lying. I seriously don't want to disturb your neighbours by ringing their door bells. See you tomorrow."

Jade flashed a last smile and walked into her apartment building.

She sighed once she entered her room. She was going to spend the whole day with Alec and instead of the nervousness she expected to feel, she was excited.

And another surprise was that she actually felt like sitting down to write for sometime.

She changed into more comfortable clothes and sat on her table with the laptop in front of her.

Before she started writing she sent a quick message to Alec and then with a smile on her face got to work.

..........................

Alec had missed the feeling of coming home to find Mom sitting in the living room reading a book or Julia working on her laptop.

When he went home to his apartment in London, where he lived most of the time, only the empty apartment greeted him.

Or it was Emma who had recently shifted into his apartment.

He went into the room in which he had spent his childhood and teenage years and smiled. It still had the same decorations.

The navy blue bedcovers, white walls, posters of the band he had liked on the walls.

He sat on the bed and took out his phone to see if there were any messages.

There were two mails from Derek about some new scheme, which he decided to look at later.

And then there was a message from Jade.

Curious to know what she had to say so soon after he dropped her he opened the message and laughed when he read it.

It read.

Alec laughed and dropped his mobile thinking of the next day. If the car drive was anything to go by, tomorrow's meeting was sure to be a success.

.........................

AUTHOR'S NOTE:-

Happy Reading!! :-D