Full Throttle

Chapter 9 - Happiness

It's raining cats and dogs at the moment, with thunder continuously rumbling and lightning striking periodically and lighting up the entire sky. I'm racing to get to the Heavenly Café. The one and only café in the whole of Somerset where Melissa and I have decided to meet.

I really am pretty excited to see Melissa. Our fake relationship seems like it was meant to be the longer I think about it. I still seriously cannot believe that she agreed to continue this charade. I mean, I know why I want to it continue: so that I don't have to face complete and utter humiliation on a school-wide basis when Anna finds out that we've already broken up, pieces the very simple puzzle together that the relationship was fake the whole time and tells everyone she's ever met at school what she knows. 

On the other hand, Melissa pretty much has zero reason to want this fake relationship to continue. I know about the whole it will help get her parents off her back thing but that seems like a pretty weak excuse. Couldn't she just find someone she actually wants to date who her parents would approve of?

 Anyway, no matter what her reasoning, I'm incredibly glad that she is willing to continue the pretence because I think it will be good for me. It will be like a new beginning, hopefully for both Melissa and I, and I think it will allow me to close the chapter of my life that Chase was a part of for good. I can't wait to see what's in store for the two of us.

Right now, I'm crossing the road devoid of almost any people and about to reach the entrance to the café. Despite the fact that I used an umbrella, I am basically soaked to the bone with my coat and clothes underneath sticking tightly to my skin and my boots filled to the brim with water.

I open the door to the café, close and shake my umbrella off and step inside. I place my umbrella on a rack and am promptly greeted by a very friendly, red-haired waitress.

"Hi there! I'm Violet," she tells me. "Welcome to the Heavenly Café, I will be your server today. Where would you like to be seated?"

I smile back at her and scan the room. "The table in that corner," I say pointing, "would be great."

"Fantastic," she replies.

She walks me over to the table I selected before hurrying off to take the orders of other customers across the room. The circular table in front of me is adorned with a baby pink tablecloth and an intricate glass vase filled with what look like Bridal Piano roses. I pull out my chair which softly scrapes against the hardwood floor and take a seat, waiting for Melissa.

It doesn't take long for her to arrive and I see her stepping through the stained glass door to the café looking just as sopping wet as I feel. I can see her glancing across the room and she grins when her gaze settles on me.

She walks towards where I'm sitting, removing her coat as she does so and hangs it over her chair once she reaches the table. She pulls out a white-painted chair too and sighs as she sits down.

"Hey," she says in greeting. "What the hell is up with the weather?" She gestures to her drenched, maroon sweater. "I feel like I've just gone swimming!"

I chuckle. "I know, right? I literally feel like I will never be dry again."

"Me too!" she responds. "I might as well have just rolled around in a puddle on the way here for all it got me trying not to get wet."

I giggle again but before I can say anything else, our bubbly waitress returns. She tells us about the specials for the day and what kind of cakes they're currently offering. Melissa and I both settle on something hot to drink and I decide to go for the carrot cake while she goes for the chocolate ganache torte.

"Coming right up," Violet tells us before bouncing off to the kitchen with her notepad full of orders.

"So," I begin, turning back to Melissa, "we should probably get to know at least a little bit about each other if we're going to act like a couple."