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Chapter 1

    A black cup of coffee, and a plain bagel. Five out of seven days a week, every week. This is Even. He has brown hair and a great smile, and this is what he always orders. Ten minutes after my shift starts, He is the fourth or fifth person in line. Throughout my time working here, it has always been this way.
    “ Um..hello?”
    I wake up from my day dream to see Even staring at me. I smile and then realize that he is trying to order, and i'm just standing here and smiling like an idiot.
    “ Oh i’m so sorry!”
    I fidgeted around with my ponytail and my name tag, and got the menu screen ready. He smiled and got out his wallet, pulling out the 10 dollar bill he already knew he needed.
    “ It’s ok Liliana, everyone daydreams once in awhile”
    I smiled and laughed.
    “ Anyways, your regular right?”
     He handed me the ten dollar bill, and I wrote his name on the back of the small cup. I gave him back his $4.67 in change and told my co-worker Allen that Eren would be having his regular.

    When I handed Eren his bagel, he slipped me a small piece of paper. I smiled awkwardly and slipped the paper in the pocket of my apron. I watched him as he walked off, and then turned my attention to the next customer.
    By the end of my shift, Eren’s note was all I could think about. As I changed into my normal clothes, I took a moment to open it. A smile spread across my face when it read,
    ‘ Hey, I noticed the thing that we have. I’m a regular, and you are one of the best employees at your establishment. I do notice when you stare at me as I walk off, and honestly you are beautiful. Would you do me the pleasure of going on a date with me tomorrow?’

            I smiled and held the note to my heart. I closed my eyes and thought about dating again. Why shouldn't I? I got back on track after my last relationship. Even though it ended horribly, I glued the pieces of my life back together and moved on. I was alright now. I opened the note back up to put Eren’s number into my contacts, seeing that he added it at the bottom of the paper.
            Afterwards, I grabbed my backpack and ran out the back door. I was going on this date, no matter what.

Carla met me up outside when my shift was over. This is Carla, my best friend of 12 years. We met in 3rd grade and have been inseparable ever since. She works in a flower shop that happens to be right next to the Starbucks I work at. She walked over with a 711 bag in her hand, and pulled out a couple of items. The smell of the cinnamon roll I knew she had intrigued me, but she ended up handing me a bag of chips and a bottle of water.
“ Thanks Cc, I forgot to pack my lunch today”
She smiled and pulled out her own chips and a gatorade. She loaded a couple of potted plants into the back of her car, and then closed the trunk lightly.
“ No problem Lilia, I figured that you were sort of rushing this morning.”
I laughed and got into the passenger seat of her car, throwing my hat on the dashboard and clipping my seatbelt into the lock. She followed me into the car, strapping on her seatbelt and starting the engine.
The car ride home was fast and filled with our obnoxious singing and the car radio on blast.
We pulled up to my apartment complex and Carla turned down the music, my neighbors are pretty cranky. I grabbed my things and opened the door of the blue ford focus, still jealous that Carla won this nice ass car.
She rolled down the window and honked to get my attention.
“ Hey, so what time do I come over tomorrow?”
I put my forearms on the window seal and pause. I totally forgot that I had made plans with Carla on Monday. She was supposed to come over so we could talk about how awful our love lives are, and eat our weight in junk food. I guess I should tell her...that my love life might be getting better very soon.
“ Um...about that…”
She frowns and places her elbow on the top of the passenger seat.
“ Don’t tell me you made plans with your other best friend to watch romantic comedies, and eat until you explode.”
I laughed and stuck out my tongue.
“ Of course not. I actually...have a date? Nothing major but-”
Carla cut me off,
“ NOTHING MAJOR? You have a date! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
She put the car in park.
“ I was asked today, and you’ll never guess who it was.”
She gasped,
“ No way, NO WAY! Really? What? When? Where?”
I laughed and opened the car door.
“ So many questions, just park the car and come inside you doofus. I'll make us coffee or something.”
She smiled and nodded. I shut the car door,and she drove away into the parking complex under the apartment.

I carried two mugs of coffee to the table and placed them with a bowl of strawberries I had prepared. There was a knock on the door and I walked over while I pulled my hair up into a bun. I opened the door, but it wasn’t Carla. There was a small package with a letter strapped to the top. I picked it up, seeing that it was addressed to me. I flipped it over, realizing that there was no return address. This was definitely delivered by hand.
“ Hey what are you doing in the hallway?”
I turned to see Carla emerging from an elevator and walking down the hallway. She was holding her 7-11 bag. I smiled and her and waved.
“ There was a package outside the door, I was just looking at it.”
She looked confused.
“ Don't you have to go downstairs to gather your mail?”
She looked at the package in my hands.
“ Yeah but there isn't a return address, they probably just dropped it off here.”
She shrugged and followed me into the apartment.

I put the empty coffee cups in the sink, and rinsed the bowl with warm water. I placed my hands on the counter and took a deep breath. I looked up at the ceiling. Was the paint chipping in that spot before? And was there always a teapot on top of that cupboard? How could I have lived in this apartment for 3 years and haven’t noticed these things? I shook my head to get the unfulfilling thoughts out of my mind.
I entered my bedroom, a glass of water in one hand, and the package from earlier in the other. After placing my glass next to the table lamp on the left side of my bed, I put the package down onto the bed and walked over to my drawers. Pulling out a random t-shirt and shorts, a made a mental note that I would have to do laundry soon. I checked that my dress for my date tomorrow was clean, hung it up on the back of my door, and then threw on my nightwear.
I walked back over to my bed, taking the package and sitting down. There was an envelope stuck to the top of the small box, so I carefully ripped it off, and placed it to my side.
I peeled the tape back on the small package and took out the unrecognizable item wrapped in tissue paper. I carefully unwrapped the small figure to find that it was a beautiful glass flower. I smiled at the small pink lily.
Who could it be from?I remembered the small envelope that was taped to the box. I grabbed it and carefully ran my finger along the underside of the flap. I pulled out a blue card with a blank front.
I opened up the letter, not recognizing the handwriting. 

‘ Why, hello lovely. This must be...confusing for you. I assure you, it's gonna be ok. I’m just a friend. I very...special friend. You know me, but not like you think you know me. You are the most beautiful girl I know, and when I saw this in the shop, I knew I had to give it to you. You will hear from me again soon love. Call me...scottie.’

I stared at the letter a bit longer. I don’t know a Scottie. Could this be a prank? Maybe. Whether it is or not, I still had this really pretty lily. I positioned it on my bedside table next to my lamp and glass of water.
I climbed into bed and brought the fuzzy blankets to my chin. I smiled thinking about tomorrow night. I’m in for a pleasant surprise.