Renea
“Girl, you know that does not go with that dress.” Dita screams loudly through the tablet in her hand. “Why would you not follow the sketch that I sent?” Dita shakes her head and hangs up the call as quickly as it began while handing the tablet to her assistant.
Her assistant runs to catch up to her as Dita takes off across the room pacing wildly. Her assistant hands her a glass of water in an attempt to slow her down for two seconds. She scans the tablet as another call comes in. Dita waves her away and snatches the tablet to answer the incoming call and begins yelling about another design gone wrong.
Dita hangs up the tablet and slams herself down at her desk angrily. Her head drops onto her desk in a loud thump. “Why, oh, why do I have to get the idiots as the stagehands on this show? I have never had such incompetence before in my life.” She directs to her assistant in a feeble attempt to mask her frustrated sigh.
“Because you are the best there is and can handle those incompetent idiots and whip them into shape in time for your next show!” her assistant smiles down at her bowed head.
“But Renea, they will be the death of me this time I know it.”
“Well, hun that is what you say every time, and yet every time you pull off a fabulous fashion show. It will all work out even if it takes a million frustrating calls from them.” Renea laughs.
Dita lifts her head from her desk to glare at Renea knowing she was right but refusing to admit it. Dita shakes her head slowly, “I need some lunch and some coffee. Why don’t you go grab us some and we will recharge and begin again afterwards.”
Renea nods her head and walks out not even bothering to ask Dita what she wanted. She has known her since she was four years old and the two have been best friends ever since. Renea knew exactly what she needed. They have lived together for as long as she could remember. She knew every detail about Dita. It was not always easy working with your best friend, but they made it work by having champagne and movie nights a weekly thing to unwind and remember who they are.
As Renea left the building to head down to the coffee shop, she started to reminisce about the time they were both so drunk that they went bar hopping halfway through their movie night. Renea didn’t remember much from that night other than she felt more alive than she had ever been. She met a guy that night at the bar. She couldn’t remember what he looked like, but she could remember his smell. His perfectly sexy smell that took over all her senses. She left that bar that night exceedingly hung over, and wishing she had stayed, without even asking for his name or number.
Turning the corner into the busy coffee shop, Boulangerie Au Chocolat Noir, she waited her turn to order not paying much attention to the customers around her. She was lost in her thoughts as she ran her memory over that particular smell she had become so fixated on.
Once she had reached the counter, she ordered two Mocha Frappes with extra chocolate, a few sandwiches, and some of the delicious homemade cupcakes that this place served on a daily basis. They were well known for their desserts and usually had a line of people out the door around lunch time. Luckily it was a few minutes before the rush started, so Renea was able to not get caught in the madness. Oh, the disappointment that would have ensued had she missed those deliciously, chocolate cupcakes.
As Renea stepped to the side to wait on their food she caught a scent wafting in the air. It was a familiar scent almost like the guy from that night at the bar but very different. Renea turned her head and looked around but nothing caught her eye, so she just shrugged a shoulder and turned back to wait. The guy behind the counter made her sandwiches and was completely unaware of her confusion as he handed her the bag and two drinks. “Enjoy,” he said simply with a smile and turned to help the next person in line.
Renea turns to leave the shop and heads out of the door before meeting what she thought was a brick wall. She felt thick hands gripping her shoulders to steady her before she jumped away quickly. Her drinks flew to the ground in front of her missing her clothes but splattering all over her shoes as they hit the pavement.
“I am so sorry miss,” a man stated quickly. “I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was heading as usual.”
Renea looks up while stomping in frustration, to see the brick wall that ruined Dita’s three-hundred-dollar shoes and her perfectly yummy chocolate drinks. Stopping in her tracks, her mouth drops slightly as she sees the enormous specimen of a man in front of her trying to apologize as quickly as he can. Renea almost trips over her own feet as she continues to stare at him not saying much. That scent hit her full force. It was a woodsy, masculine scent that drove her wild. It held an undercurrent of that man from the bar that night but it was faint. Almost as if it wasn't this man's scent at all. And yet it lingered on him. Renea's mouth hung open in pure awe as she studied the man in front of her.
“Please let me buy you another round of drinks, it is the least I can do for you.” he signaled for her to return back inside as he ordered her two more drinks and waited to pay and grab them. He returned to Renea’s side with the drinks and a bag in his hands.
Renea stared dumbfounded as he returned to her with a sheepish apologetic grin on his face. “Thank you,” she reached for the coffees, but before she could take them, he stepped just past her and offered his arm instead.
“Would you mind if I walked you back to your car or office? I would be more than happy to carry these for you since I am such an oaf and made a mess of things.” His smile was so contagious and his eyes such a deep brown that it was hard to say no to him. Renea hesitated but nodded her head slightly and then wrapped her arm through his while resting her hand there and they walked out of the door back to her office. “My name is Caleb and I am so very sorry for ruining your shoes. Send me the bill and I would be happy to replace them…”
“Renea, and they are not mine but my boss’ shoes.” Renea said shyly, her eyes cast downward, still unsure of what to make of this guy or what to say. She was not this type of person. She did not allow strangers to walk her to places. Of course, no one had ever offered to do so before either. Renea relaxed a little more with each step they took. Something about the guy just made her so nervous. Dita had it all, the charisma, the beauty, the confidence, but Renea just felt like she wasn’t any of that. She was never the top of anything including most guy’s attention. As they walked through the door of her building, Renea paused, hesitating beside him unsure of what to say or do.
Caleb seemed to understand as he shook his head a little, clearing it and handing her the drinks and then handed her the bag too. Renea went to shake her head at the bag, but he said “Please take it, I feel horrible. It is just two chocolate cupcakes. I know it does not fix everything I have ruined, but maybe it will at least put a small smile on your face and maybe you will remember me as you eat them.” He smiled backing out the door laughing at her panicked face. “See you another time, Renea.”
Renea stood there watching him as he turned around and walked to a black SUV that had pulled up to the curb outside. Caleb glanced back as he opened the door catching her still looking and smiled at her before climbing in. Renea stands there as the SUV drives away slowly. It seemed like some surreal moment that could not be real.Was he really flirting with me? No, he couldn’t have been. He must have just been being nice cause he made such a mess.Renea's thoughts became a little wild as she went back to the office with all her goodies in tow. As she walked in the office Dita raised an eyebrow at all the stuff in her hands. “Don’t ask,” Renea starts slowly shaking her head. “Also do not freak out on me when you see the shoes. They will be replaced. Ah shit he didn’t give me his contact info to send him the bill.” Renea slams her stuff down on the desk nearly spilling the drinks.
Dita stared at her bewildered and then glanced down at the shoes. Shedding a small tear for the ruined shoes before looking back at Renea she replied “Well this has got to be one hell of a story that I need to hear later, but first coffee and chocolate. It looks like you need this as much as I do.” Dita dragged her chair around for Renea, then she grabbed the chair closest to her and dragged it closer as she grabbed a coffee and cupcake. As they ate quickly and in silence Renea continued to go over the crazy experience she had at the shop. Dita glanced at her friend to check on her to make sure she was okay before finishing her meal. As they finished Dita stood and smiled at her friend, “that must have been one hell of a guy to make you this flustered and silent on me.” Renea’s mouth dropped open as Dita laughed. “Yeah, I thought so.”
Dita grabbed the bag that was left on the desk and peaked over the edge to see what goodies were inside. “Oh girl, you really will have to give me details later” she said as she pulled out two chocolate cupcakes each with an ”I'm Sorry” written in white chocolate drizzle on top. Dita handed her one and kept the other for herself with an interested look on her face. Her curiosity was about to get the better of her but her tablet started ringing. Dita glanced at it and sighed while looking back at her friend torn. Eventually she tore herself away and pressed accept on the screen instead, sitting the cupcake on the desk knowing it wouldn’t get the respect it deserved, and would instead waste away on her desk for the next few hours.
Renea sat there still staring at the cupcake.Why would he go through all that trouble for me? Why bother getting them to make the cupcakes just to say he was sorry?Renea was confused by the gesture from Caleb but also strangely impressed, shocked, and even a tiny speck of romantic feeling all rolled into one. Renea ate the last of the cupcake smiling as she remembered what Caleb had said before he left her. She definitely would not be able to eat another cupcake without thinking of that man now.
Caleb
Caleb looked out the window of the cabin towards the small lake just outside. His computer sat in his lap, his work long forgotten as his day dreams surfaced and he was lost to the world. Caleb rubbed a hand down his face trying to bring himself back to the present. Since yesterday he had not been able to focus on anything other than the beautiful Renea. He didn’t even make it back to the coffee shop for the meeting he was supposed to be there for in the first place. He ended up getting lost in the “what ifs” that Renea represented to him instead.
Caleb knew he would go back to see her again. He didn’t want to seem overly aggressive and was trying to give her enough time to deal with the feelings he saw her struggling with the day before. She is a shy creature that much he knew. Her smell taunted every essence of his being.
The door to the cabin opened with a sharp creak and Caleb snatched his attention back to the computer as if his focus had never left. He didn’t glance up as a man entered and threw himself on the couch opposite him. Caleb continued to stare at his screen typing away to finish a client’s project he was working on, effectively ignoring the man that was looking his way. Caleb owned a computer technology company. He would take different little jobs that he would do between his other work of running the company. The man sitting across from him was one of his past clients that quickly became a good friend despite their differences.
Caleb finished typing just as the man sighed, “You have been moping in this cabin since yesterday. You missed an important meeting and you won’t tell anyone why. What happened yesterday that has you so bothered?” Caleb looked at the man but didn’t reply immediately.
