Annie's Story

Chapter One: Annie and Markus Meet The crowd erupted as Soulshine took the stage. Annie smiled; she always knew Jake would make it big someday. Today was that day. This was their farewell show as they recently signed the band to RCA Records. Annie was in the front as she always was when they played, singing every word of all their songs with her eyes closed as she listened to Jake's melodic voice pour over her. She had been at every show, no matter where they were in the state, since the band first formed. Some band members changed, but Jake was the one constant member. Annie opened her eyes to see Jake right in front of her, singing to her. His light brown hair and muscular body were soaking wet with sweat. His green eyes shone in the stage lights. He knew she would be the one person who was happy for them to make it big in the industry. He ended the set with some words of thanks and an encore of Annie's favorite song. It was the only ballad he had ever written. He grabbed a stool and an acoustic guitar. "Annie, because you have always been here, this one is especially for you," he said, looking at her. Annie could feel her cheeks go flush as she looked away from him. She sang along with him and the rest of the crowd. Tears welled in her eyes as she knew this was the last time she would see Jake standing before her for a long time. The night ended, and Annie stood in the corner watching Jake say his goodbyes to everyone who had supported them over the years. She could feel the tears begin to form again thinking about him leaving. He spotted her and made his way to her. "You are the best thing that ever happened to this band. We couldn't have made it this far without your support," Jake whispered into her ear. "You worked hard with your music and toured the state, so you gained attention. I had nothing to do with it," Annie said, wiping away a stray tear. "You're the reason I kept going. If you had given up on me, I would have walked away a long time ago," Jake said as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a tight hug as tears formed in his eyes. This was her favorite part of the night. She always waited for his arms to embrace her. She took a slow breath, breathing in his scent. He smelled of his cologne and sweat; it was a scent she would never forget. "I'm going to miss you, Jake. You take care of yourself and those guys out there. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, or if you do, just don't get caught," Annie said with a smirk. She would do anything to have one night with him in her bed. "Annie, I am shocked," he said, pulling away from her with his hand over his heart and his mouth agape. They both laughed. "Good luck out there, Jake," she said as she turned to walk away. Annie wanted to hurry to the car before she burst into tears. She didn't want Jake or the other guys to see her in this state. Jake watched Annie walk away from him, drinking in every curve of her body, longing to touch her more intimately than he ever had. He took a deep breath and felt a hand slap him on the shoulder. "You are doing okay, buddy," asked Thomas, a bandmate. Thomas had blonde hair just past his shoulders with light blue eyes. He was over six feet tall with a lean build and his deep voice matched the bass he played. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's get that drink," Jake said with a sigh. "Hell yeah," Thomas said as he locked his arm around Jake's neck. They bellied up to the bar and drank until the last call. *** Annie was working at Tael Cafe when a handsome man walked in. His dark hair and crystal blue eyes would make any girl weak in the knees and his impeccably dressed frame made all the other girls swoon. "Annie, look at that beautiful specimen coming through the door," said Claire. Annie shook her head. She could always count on Claire to point out the good-looking guys and sometimes the girls. Claire was an equal opportunity ogler. "Oh my God, Claire, stop," Annie said as the man approached the counter. She turned her attention to the customer. “Good morning. How may I help you?" "I, uh, I, yeah, can I get a latte with the Brazilian dark roast?" the man said, locking his blue eyes with Annie's hazel eyes. "Would you like a breakfast sandwich or a muffin to go with your latte?" asked Annie. Her pouty lips gave away to show her bright smile. "No thank you, Annie," he said with a grin, reading her name tag. "Will that be for here or to go?" Annie said her smile still in place. "To go, please," he said, keeping his gaze on her. He watched as she went to make his coffee, his eyes moving over every curve of her body. He licked his lips, not knowing Claire was watching him. Claire grinned, the movement catching his attention, and he realized he was caught. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight around as Annie came back with his latte. "Here you are. Have a wonderful day," she said, flashing him another smile. "Thank you," he said and hurried out the door. "What was his problem?" Annie asked Claire, wrinkling her forehead. "You were his problem," said Claire, laughing. Claire's purple hair was pulled up in a messy bun. Her long black eyelashes accented her deep brown eyes. "Girl, if you could have seen the way he was looking you up and down while you were making his drink." "Whatever," Annie said, rolling her eyes. She brushed a stray piece of her dark brown hair behind her ear. "She isn't kidding. I saw it, too," Donovan said. His perfectly tanned skin shimmered with his makeup. Donovan kept his head bald; he always told the girls wigs fit better on bald heads. "Did you see him lick his lips?" Claire asked Donovan. "Yes, all I thought was he wants to taste her," Donovan laughed. "You guys are so nasty," Annie said, blushing. "Girl, I'd take that ride any day of the week," Donovan said, giving Claire a high five. "Me, too. I can only imagine what he looks like underneath that perfectly fitted suit," Claire said dreamily. Annie shook her head and rolled her eyes. She could not believe she worked with these two all day. Their antics would get all of them in trouble one day. The following day Annie was in the back washing some cups. She heard the door ding, and Donovan and Claire came in the back to get her. "Annie, go out there," Claire urged. "Why, is it getting busy?" Annie asked. "You could say that," Donovan said. Annie wiped her hands off and went out to the front. The only person in the lobby was the handsome man from yesterday. She shook her head and headed for the counter. Claire and Donovan stayed in the back, peeking through the kitchen door, giggling like schoolgirls. "Good morning," she said. "Good morning, Annie," he said, smiling. "What would you like this morning?" she asked. "You know, I am not quite sure. What do you recommend?" he asked. "Well, I can't recommend anything. I don't drink coffee,” Annie said with a shrug. "Wait, you work in a café, selling coffee, but you don't drink it? How is that even possible?" he teased, shaking his head. "Yes, I am more of a tea drinker, which we also sell," Annie said. "All right," he said. "What is your favorite tea?" "I love Chai Tea. It has a little bit of spice to it," Annie responded. "Oh, so you like things spicy," he said, as his cheeks flushed. It was out of his mouth before he could stop it. He couldn't believe he said it. He dropped his chin to his chest and closed his eyes, biting his bottom lip to stop the laugh from bubbling up. "Oh my God," Claire and Donovan said. Annie felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She locked eyes with him this time. "I'm sorry," he said. "I couldn't help it. I will try that tea." "Okay," she said, turning away from him. She looked through the kitchen pass-through at her friends. They were fanning themselves. She was trying not to laugh at them as she made his tea. "I forgot to ask. Did you want this to go?" "I think that would be best," he said. "Okay," she said. She got his tea ready and handed it to him. He grazed her hand with his. They both stopped breathing for a second, eyes locking. Annie's heart skipped a beat and she gasped. He took his tea and left the building without another word as Claire and Donovan came out of the kitchen. "We saw those sparks fly," Claire teased. "The light was blinding," Donovan said, shielding his eyes. "I don't know what I am going to do with you two," Annie said, shaking her head. "You love us, and you know it," Claire said. "I can't wait for tomorrow." The café closed for the night, and Annie locked up when she heard someone come up behind her. She turned around, startled. "Oh, hi," she said, shyly. "Hello, Annie. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just on my way home. How did your day go?" the handsome man asked. "It was good," she said as they walked down the block. Annie walked closer to the buildings quickly, keeping enough space for two people to walk between them. "How was your day?" "Stressful but good," he said, keeping up with her. "My name is Markus, by the way." "It is nice to meet you, Markus," Annie said, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "So, have you always wanted to be a barista?" asked Markus. "No," she laughed. "I wanted to be a dancer, but an injury stopped that." "I am sorry to hear that," he said, glancing at her. His heart was racing. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was but didn't want to scare her away. He needed to let it happen on her terms. "Thank you. Hey, what did you think of the tea?" Annie asked, turning her head slightly to gauge his answer. She noticed how his dark grey pinstripe suit and the crisp white button-down shirt fit like it was tailor-made for him. "It was different. It had some spice to it. I had never considered tea my morning drink, but I could switch with the right one," Markus said. "You must try some Earl Grey breakfast tea. It has no spice but will wake you up in the morning," Annie said. "Thanks, I will give that one a try next," Markus said. "Okay, I am going to stop in here for a bite to eat. I'll see you tomorrow?" Annie said. "I will be there," he said, watching her walk into the diner. She sat on the red stool at the counter. The white-haired waitress brought her a glass with soda and ice cream in it. He watched, a smile growing wide across his face as the waitress and Annie exchanged conversations and laughs. He hoped he wouldn't be awkward around her and share the same laughs someday. Her smile was so bright and beautiful that it enhanced her features. He walked the rest of the way home thinking about Annie and her smile. Annie turned on her barstool to see Markus walking away as Val brought Annie her favorite meal at the diner – an open-faced roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. She and Val, the white-haired waitress, spoke about their days. She told Val about Donovan and Claire's antics and Markus. "Are you talking about Markus Belle?" Val asked. "I don't know his last name," Annie said, with a shrug. "Let me show you his picture," Val said. She grabbed the tabloid magazine, opened it to page six, and showed her his picture. "Yeah, that is him," Annie said. "Oh, honey, you just landed yourself a billionaire. Congratulations," Val said. "Stop. He only comes in for coffee," Annie said, rolling her eyes. "I think he comes in for more than coffee," Val said teasingly. "Not you, too," Annie said, shaking her head. "We will see soon enough," Val said. Soon after, Annie left the diner and headed home. Her apartment was on the third floor of her building; it was small, but it was hers. It had one bedroom and one and a half baths with an open concept, including a sliding glass door that led to a small balcony. Her kitchen was U-shaped, with just enough counter space to cook and prep her meals, while her blue couch sat on the light grey wall across from the kitchen. Annie sat on her couch and breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad the day was over. She slipped her shoes off, laid down, and grabbed the book she was reading while waiting for the live stream of her favorite play to start. It was live streaming for twenty-four hours. Watching it reminded her of her time as a dancer. It allowed her to get lost in the moment. When it was time, she started the stream, singing all the words, reciting all the lines, and even crying when the main character showed his heartbreak. She went to bed with a smile, thinking about the day's events. A billionaire. Why would a billionaire want anything to do with her?