The Sweet Side Of Hell

(Lily’s POV) It was the worst day of my life. When I walked into Cafe Rev, I didn't realize what to expect, but it wasn't a picture of myself behind the register with the words "Do Not Serve." A yellow magnet with a sad face held the picture in place. First of all, I had never been to Surulere, and I had never done anything bad enough to deserve a punishment as bad as not giving me caffeine. Second, what did someone have to do in this dusty little town to have their mugshot hanging in the local cafe? Ha! Mug shot!I was in a coffee shop. I was so funny when I was so tired I couldn't blink. Anyway, thirdly, the picture was not at all flattering. I looked like I'd been with a tanning bed and cheap eyeliner for a long time. About then, my tired, dazed, bobby-pinned-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life head was hit with the truth. Sophia had once again done something to make my life a little bit worse. And considering what had happened in the last twenty-four hours, that was saying something. "Can I be of any help" The person working behind the counter who was able to provide me with my priceless latte stepped back and held up his palms, which were as large as dinner plates."I'm not looking for trouble." He was a big, strong guy with smooth, dark skin and a well-shaped head that had been shaved. His neatly trimmed beard was as white as snow, and I could see a few tattoos on his neck and arms where his coveralls were open. His strange uniform had the name ‘Justice’ stitched on it. I tried to smile my best, but it felt more like a grimace after I cried through my fake eyelashes on an overnight road trip. "That's not me," I said, pointing a French-tip manicured finger at the picture. "I'm Lily. Lily Witt." The man looked at me suspiciously, then took his glasses out of the front pocket of his coveralls and put them on. He blinked, then looked at me from head to toe. I saw the truth start to sink in. I said, "They're twins." He muttered, "Well, s**t," as he ran one of those big hands through his beard. Justice was still a little unsure. I couldn't say that I was mad at him. After all, how many people really did have a twin who was bad? "That's Sophia, my sister. Here is where I'm supposed to meet her." But I was too tired to ask why my estranged twin asked me to meet her in a place where it was clear she wasn't welcome. Justice kept looking at me, and I saw that his eyes were still on my hair. I patted my head out of habit, and a wilted daisy fell to the floor. Whoops. I probably should have looked in the mirror at the motel before I went out in public looking like a stranger on her way home from a role-playing festival who had been drinking too much and lost her mind. "Here," I said, pulling my driver's license out of the pocket of my yoga shorts and giving it to the man. “See? "Hi, my name is Lily, and I'd really, really like a huge latte." Justice looked at my ID and then again at my face. His tough look finally broke, and he broke into a big smile. "I'll be damned. "Lily, it's nice to meet you." "It's great to meet you as well, Justice. Even more so if you're going to make me that caffeine I asked for." He promised, "I'll make you a latte that will make your hair stand on end." A man who knew what I needed right away and gave it to me with a smile? I couldn't help but like him just a little bit right there and then. I looked at the cafe while Justice went to work. It looked like its a dude's storage shed, the way it was set up. The walls are made of corrugated metal, the shelves are red, and the floor is stained concrete. Some of the names of the drinks were Red Line Latte and Checkered Flag Cappuccino. It was so cute it was almost funny. There were a few people drinking coffee early in the morning. They were sitting at the small round tables that were all over the place. Everyone was looking at me like they didn't want to see me at all. "How do you feel about flavors like maple and bacon, honey?" Justice called out from the shiny coffee maker. "I really like them. I told him, "Yes, even if they come in a cup the size of a bucket." His laugh could be heard all over the place. It seemed to put the other people at ease, so they went back to ignoring me. When the front door opened, I turned to look for Sophia. But the man who rushed in was not my sister at all. He looked like he needed caffeine more than I did. Hot is a good word to use to describe him. Even better would be "hot as hell." He was tall enough that I had to tilt my head up to kiss him even when I was wearing my highest pair of heels. That's how I judge the height of men. His dirty blond hair was short on the sides and swept back on top, which showed he had good taste and could take care of himself. Both of these things were high on my list of things that make me like a man. The beard was added to the list for the first time. I had never kissed a man with a beard before, but I had a sudden, strange desire to do so at some point. I got to his eyes next. They were a cool blue-gray color that reminded me of glacial ice and gunmetal. He walked right up to me and stepped into my space as if he had permission to do so. When he crossed his tattooed arms across his broad chest, I made a squeaky sound in the back of my throat. Wow. "Thought I was very clear," he muttered. "Uh. Huh?" I didn't understand. Even though the man was staring at me like I was the most hated person on a reality show, I still wanted to see what he looked like without clothes on. I hadn't been so stupid with a girl since I was in college. I said it was because I was tired and hurt. Behind the counter, Justice stopped making a latte in the middle of the process and raised both hands. "Wait a minute," he said. I told him, "It's okay, Justice." "Just keep making that coffee, and I'll take care of this...gentleman." Around us, people pushed their chairs back from their tables, and I watched as every last customer ran for the door, some with their mugs still in their hands. On their way out, they didn't look at me at all. Again, Justice said, "Kaycee, it's not what you think." "I'm not playing any games today. "Get the hell out," said the Viking. The blond god of sexy fury was quickly falling off my list of hot people. I made a point to my chest. “Me?” "I'm done with your games. "You have five seconds to leave this door and never come back," he said, moving closer until the tips of his boots touched my flip-flopped toes. Damn. At close range, he looked like he had just jumped off a raiding Viking ship or a cologne commercial set. One of those weird, artsy ones with names like "Ignorant Beast" that didn't make any sense. "Look, sir. I'm having a personal problem, and all I want to do is get a cup of coffee." "I told you to your face, Sophia. You can't come back here and bother Justice or his customers, or I'll have to take you out of town myself." “Kaycee—” The horny, attractive man-beast pointed his finger at Justice. "Hold on, buddy. I'm going to have to take out the trash." "The garbage? I squeaked. I thought people from Bridgestone were friendly. Instead, I had only been in town for half an hour when a rude Viking with the manners of a caveman came up to me. "Darlin', your coffee's prepared," Justice said, sliding a very large to-go cup onto the wooden counter. My eyes went straight to the steaming, coffee-filled goodness. "If you even reckon about lifting that cup, we'll have trouble," the Viking said in a low, intimidating voice. But Leif Erikson didn't realize who he was messing with today. Everyone had her own line. Mine, which had been taken too far back, had just been exceeded. "You take just one step toward that stunning latte that my buddy Justice made only for me, and I will make you lament the moment you met me." I was a good guy. My parents said that I was a good girl. And a test I did take online two weeks earlier said I was a "people pleaser." I was not at all good at making threats. The man's eyes got smaller, and I didn't want to notice the seductive lines at the corners. "I already regret it, and this whole damn town regrets it too. Even if you change your hair, I won't forget all the trouble you've caused here just because you do. Now, get out of here and don't come back!" Justice said, "He thinks you're Sophia." I didn't care if this jackass thought I was a serial killer who ate his victims. He was in the way of me getting my coffee. The blonde beast turned his head toward Justice. "What are you talking about?" Before my coffee-drinking friend could explain, I stuck my finger in the Viking's chest. Because there was so much muscle under the skin, it didn't go very far. But I made sure to put the nail in first. "Now pay attention," I said. "I don't care if you think I'm my sister or that slimeball who raised the price of anti-malarial drugs. I am a person who just had the worst day of her life and is now having a really bad day. I don't have the strength to hold back these feelings today. So, Viking, you should get out of my way and leave me alone." He looked very confused for a very short time. I thought that meant it was time for coffee. I stepped around him and picked up the cup, gave it a delicate sniff, and then stuck my face into the steaming hot life force. I drank a lot, willing the caffeine to do its magic as the flavors hit my tongue like bombs. I was pretty sure that the inappropriate moan I heard came from my own mouth, but I was too tired to care. When I finally put the cup down and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, the Viking was still standing there and looking at me. I turned my back on him, smiled at my hero Justice, and slid a twenty dollar bill across the counter to pay for my coffee. "You, sir, are an artist. What do I owe you for making me the best latte I've ever had?" "Darling, it's on the house, considering how your morning is going," he said as he gave me back my license and cash. "You are a true gentleman, my friend unlike some others." I looked over my shoulder at the Viking, who was standing with his legs apart and his arms crossed. I put the twenty dollars in the tip jar and took another sip of my drink. "Thank you for being kind to me on the worst day of my life." "I believed that day was yesterday," said the big, angry one. As I gradually turned to face him, I let out a tired sigh. "I didn't know you then. So I can say for sure that as bad as yesterday was, today was just a little bit better." I went back to Justice once more. "I'm sorry that this jerk drove all your customers away. But I'll be back very soon to get another one of these." He gave her a wink and said, "I'm looking forward to it, Lily." I turned to leave and ran into a grumpy man's chest that was a mile long. "Lily?" he said. "Go away!" It kind of felt good to be rude for a change. To choose a side. The Viking said, "Your name is Lily." I wasn't able to answer because I was too busy trying to burn him with my righteous anger. He insisted, "Not Sophia?" Justice said, with a goofy grin in his voice, "They're twins, man." "f**k me!" The Viking pulled his hair back with one hand. I told Justice, pointing at Sophia's mug shot, "I worry about your friend's eyesight." Sophia had dyed her hair bleach blonde at some point in the last ten years or so, which made our differences even more clear. He said, "I left my contacts at home." "What about your behavior?" I quipped. When the caffeine got into my bloodstream, it made me very angry. He didn't say anything but gave her an angry look. I sighed. "Leif Erikson, get out of my way!" "Hi, I am Kaycee. "What are you doing here?" What the hell was that for a name? Was Kaycee's life hard? Did he tell many jokes about Kaycee? Did it seem too short? Kaycee well? Kayceethan? "That has nothing to do with you, Kaycee. What I do or don't do has nothing to do with you. In fact, you have nothing to do with the fact that I am alive. Please move out of my way." I wanted to scream as loudly and as long as possible. But I tried that a couple of times in the car on the long drive here, and it didn't help. Luckily, the beautiful jerk sighed and moved out of my way, which was the right and life-saving thing to do. I walked out of the café and into the summer heat with as much grace as I could muster. Sophia could find me at the motel if she wanted to meet up with me. I didn't have to wait around and be bothered by strange people with cactus personalities. I'd go back to my dingy room, take out every last pin in my hair, and take a shower until the hot water ran out. After that, I'd decide what to do next. The plan was good. Only one thing wasn't there. My car. Oh no. My purse and my car. The bike rack was still in front of the coffee shop. The laundromat, with its bright signs in the window, was still across the street, next to the mechanic's garage. But I couldn't find my car where I had left it. I barely fit into the parking spot in front of the pet store, but it was empty. I looked in every direction. But my trusty, dirty Volvo wasn't there. "You lost?" I shut my eyes and put my teeth together. “Go. Away!” "So what's the matter?" When I turned around, Kaycee was holding a to-go coffee cup and looking at me very closely. "What's my problem?" I said again. I wanted to kick him in the shins and take his coffee. "There's nothing wrong with my ears, honey. Don't need to scream." "My problem is that my car was towed while I wasted five minutes of my life getting to know you." "You sure?" “No. I always forget where I put my car. When I can't find them, I just put them everywhere and buy new ones." He looked at me. I gave an eye roll. "I'm being sarcastic, of course." I reached for my handset and then realized I didn't have one anymore. "Who peed in your Cheerios?" "Whoever taught you to care about someone else was wrong." Without saying a word, I started walking in what I hoped was the direction of the local police station. I hadn't even reached the next storefront when a big, hard hand grabbed my upper arm. I told myself it was the lack of sleep and how raw my emotions were. Those were the only things that made me feel nervous when he held me. "Stop," he said in a stern voice. “Hands Off!” I jerked my arm around awkwardly, but he only got a tighter hold. "Then stop avoiding me by walking away." I paused my evasive flailing. "I'll stop leaving if you stop being such a jerk." As he looked up at the sky, his nostrils flared, and I thought I heard him counting. "Are you really going to count to ten?" I was the one who got treated unfairly. I was the one who should have prayed to God for patience. Even when it was ten, he still looked angry. "Will you talk to me for a minute if I stop being a jerk?" I sipped my coffee again and thought about it. “Maybe.” He said, "I'm letting go." "That's great," I said. Both of us looked at his hand that was on my arm. Slowly, he let go of me, but not before running his fingers along the sensitive skin inside my arm. I got goose bumps, and I was afraid he would notice. Even more so, because goose bumps and pointy n*****s were similar reactions in my body. "Is it cold?" His eyes were not on my arm or shoulders. Instead, they were on my chest. Damn it. "Yes, I lied," I said. "It's 84 degrees outside, but you're drinking hot coffee." "When you're done mansplaining about internal temperature, I'd like to go find my car," I said, crossing my free arm over my traitorous boobs. "Could you tell me how to get to the nearest police station or impound lot?" After looking at me for a while, he shook his head. "Then come on." "Excuse me?" "I'll give you a ride." “Ha!” I couldn't help but laugh. He was crazy to think I would get in a car with him on my own. When he spoke again, I was still shaking my head. "Let's go, Daisy. I only have so much time."