Chapter 2

Emergency… A year later …

“I will like to have a blueberry muffin with some whipped cream and that lovely cherry you have” said a middle-aged brunette, the woman had a nice smile on her face as she stared at Joan who wrote out her order.

“Will that be all, ma’am?” Joan asked but the woman shook her head and she turned to leave when the woman called her again.

Joan closed her eyes and let out a sigh before opening them and trying to hide the irritation that already built up in her. If the woman would just order at once and call on her every time, she turns to get the order.

She turns to the woman and wore a forced smile and asked in a surprising calm tone “Is there anything else you’ll like to add to your order ma’am?”

“Oh yes, darling. If it’s not too much of a bother, I will like some coffee added to it and a slice of cheesecake” the woman chuckled lightly and flipped her hair “Well, except if you have one made with blueberry” she laughs again and Joan looked at her in wonder of her amusement.

“A cup of coffee, a slice of cheesecake, a blueberry muffin with whipped cream and cherry on top” she reads out her order to confirm “Do you need to add any more thing to your order?” she asked.

“Oh no, that will do just fine for me, thank you” the woman appreciated and picked up her phone to browse.

Joan stared at the woman for some seconds before letting out another sigh and turning to leave and just as she took a few steps, she heard a woman’s voice call to her and it pissed her off, so she whipped around fast to look at the brunette actually on a call.

She frowned and wondered who called to her then the woman’s voice sounded again and she saw a blonde that was seated across a black-haired man who’s back was to her calling her.

Feeling a bit relieved, she walked over to the woman and stood by the side of their table as she readied her notepad to take their order.

“Good afternoon, ma’am, sir, what you like to order?”

The blonde looked at the man whose eyes were shielded with a pair of dark shades before focusing her gaze back on her “I will like a latte and a slice of cheesecake and he will have black coffee with cheesecake too”

“Just black coffee?” she glanced at the man then returns her gaze to the lady.

“Yes, just black coffee”

“Okay then, I will get your order to you soon” she said and was going to turn when the man spoke.

“With sugar, thanks”

Joan paused for a while as she looks at the man who wasn’t turned to her for some seconds before turning back to get the orders.

“Having a rough day?” Camila comes in from the back to help her with preparing the orders.

“Mrs. Brunette is here with her really annoying orders and I’ve got blondie and the dark-haired man who is taking this coffee I am making,” she looks as Camila who looked like she just woke up from a long nap “You took a really long nap” she comments with a smile which Camila returned.

“I needed it to be honest, need me to take this to Mrs. Brunette?”

“You did and thank you, I could use that break from her” she gave her a grateful look then arranged the coffee and cheesecake on the tray to serve the new customers.

As she approached the table, she noticed that the man had gone already and the blonde lady had a sad look on her face. She slowly approached her and drops the tray on the table.

“Thank you, my date bailed on me so, so I think I will just have to discard it” the lady said sadly.

“I am sorry to hear that but I can have it packed up for you” she offered.

“No, it’s fine… who likes plain bitter coffee anyways?” she laughed lightly but it wasn’t genuine.

“I do, but I’ll take this back then, sorry about your date” Joan apologized and was going to pack up the man’s order but the blonde held her hand.

“Sit with me then, let’s have a little girl’s lunch thing” she offered.

Joan smiled politely and was going to refuse when she spoke again.

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it and I could really use the company. I have to head back to my shoot by four and it’s” she checked her watch “Three hours to that” she adds.

Joan considered her offer then sat down to have the coffee lunch.

“Pardon my manners, I am Stacy, Stacy Helifield, what’s your name?” she offered her hand for a handshake which Joan took.

“Joan Anderson, nice to meet you Stacy” she smiled then took a sip from the bitter coffee and sighed.

“Nice to meet you too, you like that?” Stacy asked with her brows raised as she took a sip from her latte.

“Yes, the sugar improves the taste for me” she said to her.

“If you say so” she ate the cheesecake and made a satisfying sound at how good it tasted “This is really good, who makes them” she asked.

“Our very talented head baker, Henry”

“I want to hire him to make me cheesecakes for the rest of my life” Stacy laughed and Joan joined in.

“Then you will make lots of customers sad because they can’t get his sweet cheesecakes” Joan said and Stacy pouted.

“That’s sad but I’ll definitely come here to eat these cheesecakes because they are nice” she said then put her fork down as she looks at Joan who was enjoying the coffee. “So, tell me” she said.

Joan’s eyes flew to Stacy’s expecting ones before a frown grew on her forehead. “Tell you what?”

“How you got here” she said and Joan’s eyes widened a bit before Stacy let out a light chuckle “Oh come on, with how clear and smooth your skin looks and how ungracefully you walk around here no offense, you seem like a heiress who is looking for love” she said to her.

The frown deepened on her forehead “Heiress looking for love?” she asked amusedly.

“Oh, don’t mind me, I read lots of those kinds of books but tell me, is that the case?” she rests her elbow on the table and waited for her response.

“You really read a lot of those books” Joan said with a chuckle then thought about telling Stacy her predicament and what lead her to working here.

She hasn’t discussed what happened with anyone aside from Camila and Henry who has been by her side all through.

Joan let out a sigh then began talking “My dad’s company went bankrupt. We were working on this model that failed mysteriously and it cost us our customers trust, loss of partners, investors, money and our company as a whole” she said to her then began explaining further all that happened.

After some minutes of explaining, Stacy held her hand and looked at her with sympathy.

“I am so sorry that it happened to you, no one deserve to have what they grew up to build to go away and, in that manner,” she said then frowned “Darken and his family were wrong to have made you guys go through that too, they would have helped if they truly wanted to and not try to rip you guys off”

“It already happened and I want to do all that I can to take back my dad’s company from those greedy people, I know they have no use for it, they just want to punish us for reasons known to them” Joan shrugged.

“I hope you do or is there a way that I can help, provide funds?”

Joan frowned at that “Oh no, please don’t bother, I will figure things out when the time is come, I just shared with you because I wanted to, not to ask for help”

Stacy looked at her “I see that you are an independent woman and I appreciate that, remember women raise women” she wriggled her brows and Joan laughed.

“I appreciate your concern, but thank you”

“Okay then, just let me know if you need my help, I’ll be there to help” she said with a grin and handed Joan her card.

“Thank you, I will”

Stacy checked her watch then smiled at her “This is my cue to leave, it’s almost three thirty, and I need to be there before four” she stood on her feet as she helped Joan with packing the used cup and disposable plates.

She paid and bid Joan bye before leaving.

Joan walked back to the counter to cash the money and throw away the plates and wash the cups. When she went behind the counter, she saw Camila who was on the floor with her legs raised up to her chin.

Frowning she crouched to her level and took her hand, before she could ask, Camila spoke.

“The hospital called now that my mum is going through another surgery in the evening and I need to be there now” she told her.

“Let’s go then” Joan said but Camila stopped her.

“No one is here to attend to the custo-”

“Then go, I will cover up for you. Please don’t think much and I will come as soon as my shift ends” she told her and helped her up then took her apron off and handed her bag to her before walking her outside to hail a taxi for her “I’ll see you later, bye” she said when she put her in the taxi.