Angels, Pop Stars, and...More Spies? Oh My!

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, Joshua and I went out for breakfast. Cruising down the streets of Los Angeles in my black Audi convertible, the top down and XM radio blaring, I weaved through the traffic seamlessly. Joshua wore a dark pair of sunglasses I let him borrow, hoping like hell that nobody would recognize him. Ever since the reveal of him being President McGallen's son, he's been a hot topic for the press and paparazzi. Almost as popular with them as Ariana. Yes, the McGallens are a very juicy topic right now.

"Ember?" Joshua asked.

"Yes, Josh?" I answered, keeping my eyes on the road.

He swallowed, twiddling his thumbs in his lap. I watched him out of my peripheral as I drove into the tourist dominated area of Los Angeles. The palm trees swayed in the soft summer breeze as the California sun beat down on us. I remembered to wear sunscreen today. Here, as I learned the hard way, putting on sunscreen is like wearing deodorant or perfume. You wear it everyday regardless. You need it unless you want to get boiled and red like a lobster. That is, at least, if you're not used to it. I live in Washington DC on the other side of the country...how the hell am I not going to burn? My pale skin is bad enough by itself without adding sunburn to the mix. Eff my life.

"What do you think happened to my mom? Like, for her to get shot. From your professional opinion on crime."

I sighed, shrugging.

"I'm not sure, Josh. It could be many different reasons. There are so many different factors to consider. Was it greed? Was it over an affair? Was it a violent argument? We won't truly know until they find out who did it. That's when they can start searching for answers to why."

Joshua's only response was a grunt. I knew he hated my answer. I placed my hand on top of his, squeezing it. He wrapped his around mine in return. Turning down another street jam-packed with summer tourists, I slowed down and checked out each small cafe lining the streets. There must be at least ten so far. Joshua pointed to one where a guy on a laptop was drinking an abnormally large coffee and typing frantically. Bit too much, buddy? I nodded, parallel parking my car on the curb in between a midnight blue BMW and a white Mercedes SUV. Joshua unbuckled and climbed out to go fill the parking meter. I closed the top and all the windows before pulling the keys out of the ignition and climbing out. Joshua smiled at me as I rounded the car, holding out his hand. I took it and we walked into the small cafe.

The first thing that hit me when the door opened was the smell of freshly baked pastries and ground coffee. I inhaled deeply, my mouth watering. I've always loved the aroma of freshly ground coffee in the morning. Shoving my car keys into my pocket, Joshua and I walked up to the counter. The girl behind the register smiled, brushing a strand of dark blue hair our of her face.

"Good morning. What can I get for you two?" she asked in a kind tone.

I glanced over at the glass display case chock full of pastries. My mouth watered more. Joshua looked up at the menu hanging above the espresso/cappuccino maker. I glanced back over at the cashier and read her name tag. Cynthia.

"Good morning, Cynthia. I'll take that muffin, please, and a medium French Vanilla iced." I said, pointing to a delicious looking blueberry muffin lightly coated with glaze and cane sugar.

Joshua chuckled at my decision. I smiled at him. I gotta have my blueberry muffin. It's an inside joke. He got himself a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich and a regular medium coffee. Cynthia nodded, retrieving my muffin from the display case. I licked my lips as I linked arms with Joshua. He kissed the top of my head.

"You two here on vacation?" Cynthia asked us, noting our affection.

 I shook my head.

"No. His dad owns a house here and I'm staying for the summer."

Not a lie. President McGallen is Joshua's father and we're only staying here for the summer. Cynthia nodded, placing my muffin in a bag and then going over to make our coffees. Joshua took his wallet out of his back pocket with his free hand. I placed my hand on his, shaking my head. No, he's not paying.

"No, no, you're not paying. You paid for dinner the other night. It's my turn." I said, taking out my wallet.

Joshua shook his head. Gah! Why does he always insist on paying? I shook my head.

"No, Ember, I am the gentleman, therefore I pay." he answered.

I laughed. Cynthia glanced back at us, a look of adoration on her face. Another couple, both elderly, were watching us as well, smiling. Yeah, yeah, how sweet.

"You two are too cute. I haven't seen many couples in here like you two." Cynthia said as she handed us our coffees and Joshua's sandwich.

I smiled, resting my head on Joshua's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"How long have you guys been dating?" Cynthia asked, taking a twenty from Joshua and subtracting change.

"Oh, how long has it been now, darling?" Joshua asked.

I shrugged. Honestly, I lost track.

"A little over a year, I think, because we met last....March?" I said, thinking backwards.

Jeez, I hadn't realized how long we've been together until now. It has been over a year.

"Oh, forget it. More than a year." I said, waving my hand aimlessly and smiling at Cynthia as she handed Joshua his change.

"Wow. That's great. Well, best of luck to you both. Have a nice day." Cynthia waved goodbye.

"You too. Thanks." Joshua and I answered in unison as we walked back outside and into the car.

As Joshua let go of me, I felt a pair of eyes staring into my back. Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted Laptop Guy watching Joshua and I. I stared back, turning to face him completely. We stared at each other for a minute and thirty seconds until he smirked and went back to his laptop, not looking up again. I raised an eyebrow as I rounded the car, unlocking the doors and opening the driver's side. I watched him until I pulled out, allowing another car to slip in.

 "What's wrong, Ember?" Joshua asked around a mouthful of breakfast sandwich.

I shook my head, relaxing. Why am I so tense? People stare at me all the time. My hands had been clutching the steering wheel so hard, the knuckles were white. I took a deep breath, forcing a smile for Joshua's sake.

"Nothing, Josh. It's not important." I answered, meeting his gray eyes in the mirror.

He gave me a look that clearly said yes-it-is but didn't press the issue. He knows me well enough to know I won't share anymore info. I forced myself to calm down. It was probably just a random guy who thought I was attractive. No big deal. That or he recognized Joshua. Fortunately, Joshua hadn't removed his sunglasses. No wonder we aren't swarmed with paparazzi. We drove the rest of the way in silence, occasionally broken by the sipping of coffee or my biting into my muffin. Joshua scarfed down his sandwich in five minutes and started picking from my muffin. I let him. It's a good muffin.