It All Started In That Stupid Cafe

The Date…Finally
Copyright 2007©
Here is the next chapter! Please excuse all spelling and grammar mistakes as well as spelling mistakes. I will go back and edit eventually. Please enjoy.
""-quote
''-thoughts

“Do I have to do this?” Jillien asked as she attempted to run away from her sister and the situation she was forced into.

“Yes you do! I won’t let you skip out, I refuse!” Layla yelled at her sister as she pushed her closer and closer to Rizzo’s Café entrance.

“Stop pushing me! I can walk in on my own!”

“I’ll stop pushing when you stop resisting!”
“I’m not resisting!”
“Yes you are!”
“No!”
“Yes!”

“Fine!” Jillien began to walk forward on her own. Just as she got to the door, she turned around, “You’re going to be there the entire time right?”

Layla nodded her head and hugged her sister, “No worries dearest and only sister of mine, I’ll be there the entire time.” Layla looked at her sister and smiled. Suddenly, her eyes widened and her smile dropped, “Oh shit! That’s the guy I slept with last week! Got to go, much luck my love, bye!” On that note she rushed off down the street in the direction of Jilli’s apartment.

“Crap…” Jillien took a deep breath and walked through the doors. Caleb looked up and smiled at the sight of her. Quickly he approached her.

“Jillien…wow. You look…wow. I mean I’ve seen plenty of wow women in my life but you…wow.” His smile widened as a small blush made an appearance on her cheeks.
“Yeah and I’m sure you said that exact same line to all of those other ‘wow’ women, too. No worries though, it’s still flattering even if it’s over used.”
Caleb laughed at that comment and handed her the rose. Jillien looked at the flower completely impressed at the nerve this guy must possess.
“First date, I don’t even know your favorite color and already you are professing your love for me. That’s a first,” she said as she followed him out of the café.
“What can I say? It was love at first sight. Your quiet nature intrigued me but you really captured my heart when you purposely ignored me. Your annoyance makes you all the more appealing to me.” He walked up to a very nice Mazda RX8, unlocked the door and opened it for her, “My lady.”

Jillien, surprised at the type of car he had, hesitantly got in. Again, thoughts of all the ways that this guy could kill her seeped into her mind and her nerves began to get the best of her. As he was walking around to the front of the car, she tried to open the door only to find that the child lock was on. 'Oh god, oh god, oh god, I'm going to die!' Her thoughts quickened as Caleb slid into the car. ‘What do I do?.... Distract him!’

“So… Caleb, what do you have planned for this evening?”
Caleb glanced over at her, the smile that adorned his face at the beginning of the “date” still there. “That is a surprise. Don’t worry; I made sure that tonight will be a night that will be held in your memories for a very long time.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Jillien murmured
“What?”
“How about a description?”
“No can do.”
“Hint?”
“Just be patient, you’ll see when we get there.”
Nervously, Jillien looked out the window, to see if she could figure out where they were heading. All she could tell at that point in time is that they were heading outside of the city limits towards the vineyards.
They had been driving for sometime. Not liking the almost awkward silence that filled the car, he began to make small talk.
“So do you eat at Rizzo’s often?”
“No, that was the first time I have ever eaten there.” ‘And to think it was my last…how depressing’
“I see. It seems to me that our meeting was purely destiny, and destiny my lady, is something we cannot avoid.”
“Is that so? What if I said that our meeting was purely coincidental and destiny had nothing to do with it?”
“Then I would assume that you are a realist and do my best not to talk about the mysteries of karma and destiny; though, those conversations tend to be the most interesting and are easier to keep up.”
Jillien, who had subconsciously relaxed, smiled and leaned back into the leather chair, “That is very true. I guess it’s good that I’m not a realist.”
“It is. In fact, knowing that small detail will make the conversations tonight something to look forward too.”
“Glad to hear.”

The rest of the drive was silent, but comfortable. Jillien’s fears now slowly subsiding, she was finally able to kind of relax and enjoy the rest of the drive to wherever they were headed.
Not 5 minutes later, Caleb pulled up to a very nice looking restaurant. It was located in the middle of a huge, lush vineyard. The restaurant was a single story house-like structure with a tower connected to the right side of it. Jilli looked in awe at the elaborate scenery before her; everything about this place screamed nothing short of sophisticated and expensive. Caleb exited the car and quickly ran to the other side to let his date out of the car.
Noticing the expression on her face, a smile again made it to his face. It felt good knowing that he was doing something right. To be completely honest, he was not as confident about his date plans as he normally was. The women he usually dated were shallow, gold diggers who threw themselves at him, were complete airheads and couldn’t hold an intelligent conversation even if they wanted to. Pleasing them was easy and soon enough; the dates became something of a routine, which quickly lost the pleasure factor and his interest. Jillien is a completely different story; she obviously has a lot of self respect and confidence but at the same time is timid and shy. Something about her struck his curiosity; however, he had not a clue of what it could be.
Gracefully, the timid, yet confident woman stepped out of the car. Caleb offered her his arm, which she hesitantly accepted, and escorted her inside the restaurant.
The outside of the restaurant was an impressive sight to behold; however, the inside outshined the entire landscape. Inside, the walls were painted a dark crème and were accented with browns and plums. Corks were used in different crafts and adorned the walls and tables, as well as wine bottles and fine crystal glasses. Also, lights were dimmed, giving it a romantic yet comfortable atmosphere. They both approached the hostess, who greeted them with an authentic smile, “Hello, how are you doing this evening?”
“We are doing quite well, thank you. I have a reservation under Caleb Hara.”
The hostess scanned through her list and checked off the name when she found it.
“Mister Caleb Hara, reservation for two in the tower, correct?”
“That is correct.”
“Alright then, please follow me.”
They followed the hostess to a set of winding stairs. As they began to make their way to the table, Jilli looked at the walls and its contents. The walls inside the tower were completely covered with wine bottles, both empty and full. To keep them cool, the tower was kept at a low temperature, which Jilli was now feeling. Caleb took notice to her slight shivering. Without thinking, he put his arm around her in order to provide her with some kind of warmth. As they reached the top of the tower, they took notice the glass roof which displayed the clear night sky, as well as the small fireplace located not to far from the table. The hostess left after they reached the top of the stairs, but was replaced by a waiter who sat them. He then placed two glasses of water in front of them and walked away.
Still in awe at her surroundings, Jillien’s eyes continued to wander around, taking in the scenery trying to capture every detail.
“I love this place,” Caleb said, breaking the silence.
“I can see why. This place is absolutely stunning! Picturesque in every sense of the word,” she paused for a moment and looked at the table, “We don’t have menus.”
“When I made the reservations I ordered for the both of us as well, wine included.”
“What, am I eight or do I look incapable of ordering for myself?”
Caleb laughed, “No, not at all. It’s just that I want you to eat actual food and not just a pile of edible leaves with tomatoes and carrots topped with a sauce type thing that is calorie friendly. That is not a meal, it’s rabbit food. Had I allowed a menu, I would be taking a risk now wouldn’t I?”
Jillien burst out laughing at his comment. ‘Maybe this guy isn’t so bad after all.’
“No worries. I’m not a salad fan in the least, and calories don’t scare me at all.”
“Excuse me if I refuse to believe you.”
“I’m completely serious! It’s a well known fact that real women have curves. I love my curves way too much to want to become a walking, breathing, sometimes eating stick like person; that idea is in no way appealing to me.”
Caleb was shocked at her reply, “Please tell me where you’ve been all my life.”

Jillien rolled her eyes at the corny overused pickup line that lost its spark when it was first spoken by the pathetic male species in order to entice the opposite sex, “Come now, if I told you that, I would completely lose my mysteriousness, and I would no longer be appealing.”
“That, my lady, is an absurd assumption. To me, you will always be captivating and appealing.”
Jillien leaned back in her chair and took a sip of water.
“I’ll admit Hara, you are a smooth talking handsome man, but I will tell you now, that I am in no way an easy catch. Your usual methods won’t work on me.”
“Oh please. This is only our second encounter and already you speak of my “usual methods.” You have no idea what “usual” is for me.” Caleb smirked while he leaned back in his chair trying to mimic her.

Before they could continue with their conversation, the waiter brought out a bottle of fine, aged sweet red wine as well as their meal. Throughout the meal, they spoke about general topics, such as favorite colors, foods, books, nothing too personal or revealing, but interesting none the less. After finishing their main course, the waiter brought out two glasses of chocolate mouse and crème brule topped with red berries and a dark chocolate slab. Just as everything else had been, it was superb. Finally, Caleb received the check, and despite Jilli’s efforts, he refused to let her see their total. After he paid, he again offered her his arm, and escorted her back to the car. Not once had there conversation hit a dry spot, both still laughing and talking as they exited the restaurant. Both were having a great time.
As they were driving back, they both sat in a comfortable silence. Caleb couldn’t stop thinking about their evening and was trying to find a way to delay its ending. He glanced at the clock and made a note that it was only 9:30pm. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind, “Hey Jillien, do you have to be home anytime soon?”
She glanced at the clock, “No, I still have time. What do you have in mind?”
“There’s this place that I want to take you. It’s a little off the beaten path, however, the scenery is breathtaking. I guarantee you’ll love it.”
Now feeling a bit safer with him, she agreed. It was a couple of miles out of the way, but when they arrived, Jillien agreed that the detour was worth it. In front of her was the San Francisco skyline in its entirety. Just as he said, the sight completely fascinated her, inspired her. It was truly a sight to behold.
Caleb walked up to her. Again, he noticed the petite girl shivering and rubbing her arms trying to keep herself warm. He slid off his jacket then placed it around her shoulders and smiled when he heard a small ‘thank you’ come from her lips. Though Jillien’s eyes never left the city lights before her, Caleb’s eyes never left her. Earlier when he had made the ‘wow’ comments, he was seriously speechless. Even now, as the wind tossed her hair about, to him she looked like a lost angel gazing at the city. Something inside him wanted to get close to her, just to have her in his arms for a second, to momentarily capture and protect this woman he had just met.
“Dance with me.”
Jillien looked at him questionably, “Dance?”
He took a step towards her and held out his hand to her, “I want you to dance with me.”
She stared at his hand for a second before placing her hand in his and allowing herself to be pulled towards him.
“How are we going to dance? We have no music.”
Caleb pulled her into his arms and held her close to him, “Shhh.. just listen.”
Slowly they began to move. Jillien closed her eyes and listened to her surrounds trying to find some sort of beat, when suddenly she heard it. Their steps matched the beating of his heart and to add effect, he was humming a nameless tune softly to himself. Jillien, though still not willing to let her guard down, decided to give in a little and to enjoy the moment. While they were dancing, she took notice to how small she was compared to him. She was a petite woman at 5’2” and he was a well built man who was, give or take 6’6”. Never had she felt as fragile as she did at that moment; however, the feelings that ran through her were something she hadn’t experienced in a long while.
Slowly pulled back and looked down at her. Pushing a few loose strands away from her face, he began to lean towards her. Just as their lips were about to touch, an annoying buzz ripped through the air, causing the two to pull apart. Jillien, after giving him an apologetic look ran to her purse and took out her cell phone and answered. The conversation with whoever was on the other line didn’t last long, however a slight look of distress shone in her eyes.
Caleb walked up to her and cupped her face, “Is everything alright?”
Jillien nodded in response, not bothering to speak a word.
“Shall we continue where we left off?” he spoke as he again leaned towards her. However, instead of feeling another pair of lips against his own, he felt a soft, cool hand instead.
“What’s wrong?” he asked again, only this time he made it obvious that her wanted a verbal answer.
“I’m sorry, but I need you to take me back to the café. My sister just called and she doesn’t sound good at all.”

Well this is the entire chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! I will try to put chapter five up as soon as I can so no worries. Please review; it encourages me to write faster! Thank you for your support and I hope you keep reading.
Midnight12