Dark Direction

Chapter 18: Call it a Truce

Amy opened the cafe that morning. She went in early to brew the coffee and prepare for the morning rush. She started writing down the lunch specials on the wipe board when she heard a light tapping on the glass door. She jumped at the sound which made her scribble across the board. Putting her palm across her chest, she looked up to see Simon outside the cafe. She rolled her eyes and approached the door. Without saying a word she pointed to the 'Sorry, we're closed ' sign hanging on the door. Without hesitation she turned around and walked back toward the counter. She heard the tapping on the door again. She stopped in her tracks and places her hands on her hips. She took a deep breath and turned around with a disgusted look on her face.

She walked over to the locked door "What do you want Simon?" she asked through the glass.

"A cup of coffee would be nice". He said smugly

"We open in an hour, you can come back then". Amy said with a sarcastic smile on her face. She was about to turn around for the second time when she heard. . .

"Can you please just let me in?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side waiting for her to give in.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head as she mumbled under her breath while unlocking the door.

She walked away without opening the door for him. He stepped in just as she made it behind the counter.

"You better make this worth my while Simon!" she said as she opened a box of sugar packets and started filling the baskets.

"It's nice to see you Simon . . . You too Amy, so how are things?" Simon rambled out of nowhere mimicking a conversation.

Amy contorted her mouth trying not to smile. "Really Simon?" she said shaking her head "You really are a pompous windbag." she said as she glanced at him while continuing to work. "Unless you're here to apologize, I don't think there's anything else to say." she glanced at him to see his reaction.

"Look love, I get that you're mad at me and I don't blame you either." Simon said with his hands on his hips. Amy started preparing another pot of coffee to be brewed. "But in all this hype and detective work, no one bothered to ask me if I'm even interested in being the manager of a boy band." 

Amy's mouth dropped- open, she just stood there frozen in the moment. "Oh my god Simon" Amy said sadly "I'm so, so sorry, of all the things that come to my mind, your our feelings about this whole thing wasn't one of them!" Amy said bowing her head in embarrassment.

"Look Amy" Simon started to say.

"No Simon" She said as she held her hand up. "No apology needed from either party." She paused "I think we rushed into things and got off the wrong foot." Amy said as she held out her hand for Simon to shake "Truce?" she asked.

A smile appeared on Simon's face "Truce" he said as he shook her hand.

"How about we talk over a cup of coffee?" Amy asked with a smile on her face while grabbing a couple of cups from the shelf. "I know this great place!" she said as she poured them both coffee. "So" Amy started as she grabbed a couple crescents from the glass dome covered cake plate and placed them on a serving plate between them. "How exactly do you feel about this situation?" Amy asked as she took a bite from her crescent.

"Well" Simon began to say as he took a drink of his coffee. "I just don't see how things can turn around for these lads." he said shaking his head. "They all look like they should be serving jail time.

Amy bit her lip, listening intently at what he had to say. 

"I can't say they won't want to kill one another when left in the same room with each other." Simon said placing his cup down on the saucer. 

"OK Simon," Amy said shaking her head in agreement.. "OK look at things from your prospective you're totally right." She said making eye contact with him. "But now I want you to imagine it through me... through my eyes." 

Simon sat up in his chair and focused on her. 

"But all things aside what I saw was amazing! They are absolutely incredible together, we just have to get them through the rough parts. And I'm not going to lie, it's not going to be easy...but well worth it!" She said as a smile grew on her face "Are you in?" she asked. 

Simon took a deep breath and let out a big sigh "Oh bloody Hell why not?" he said with a chuckle. "Ok, where do we go from here?" Simon asked taking another drink of his coffee. 

"Well, I was thinking of driving around the service station where you found the photo." Amy said as she took her coffee cup and saucer over to the sink. "That boy in the picture has to live in that area." Amy said as she wiped down her spot at the counter. 

"There's just something off about that boy" Simon said as he finished his coffee. "I have a bad feeling, did you get a bad vibe from that photo?" asked Simon as Amy wiped off her hands. 

"I wouldn't call it a bad vibe but I understand why he is the way he is." Amy said as she looked at Simon. 

"Alright" Simon said, through her eyes he thought and let it drop. "I'll pick you up tonight, say around 7pm?" Simon said as he stood up from his seat. 

"Sounds like a plan." said Amy as she cleared Simon's cup and saucer from the counter. "Make sure you have the picture with you!" she said as Simon headed out the door. Looking up at the clock on the wall, Amy had 5 minutes to spare before business hours began.