Coffehouse Sweetheart: Merlie Fanfiction

Chapter 6

"Wow, desperate. Y'all are desperate. I have Meryl, so if you don't mind, I would politely excuse myself from flirting with strangers." Charlie chimed in, annoyed by his friends constant hitting on girls.

Joe and Derek's mouths dropped open, while Davis and Josh muttered in surprise, "Meryl?"

"What? Oh no, no! Not like that! I mean, I have a career with Meryl, so you know, I don't have time for a love life." Charlie scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. He looked at his friends, surprised that they would immediately jump to such a conclusion. And then there was that part of him that wished it was really what his friends thought.

Derek smirked at him. "Surrrre." He said sarcastically.

Charlie shook his head, knowing it would be pointless to argue with his stubborn friends. Instead, he put on a hat and sunglasses, preparing to head out. He stuffed one hand into into his pocket, to feel the cold chain of Meryks necklace. He made sure to keep the necklace on him at all times. It was a sense of comfort, a piece of Meryl that he could take with him when the real Meryl wasn't there with him. Charlie obviously couldn't wear it; it was clearly a woman's necklace and he didn't want to seem gay to the people around him. But he also wasn't interested in girls chasing after him, so he looked around the room for something that would keep them away.

Just as he was about to grab Derek's bandanna, a glint of gold caught his eye. Derek protectively took his bandanna off the table and watched Charlie with amusement. Charlie picked it up and dusted it off. It was a small ring, like Meryl's, but big enough for his left ring finger. Perfect! Now everyone would think he's taken.

Charlie slid it onto his finger and admired it for a few seconds. It was obvious that the owner of this ring didn't want it anymore, so he didn't have to worry about looking like a thief. He knew his mom wouldn't approve of this action, almost like lying, but he didn't need another worry on his mind from the girls. Charlie wasn't blind, he knew he was good looking, but sometimes he wondered if he was handsome enough for the one girl he loved. Meryl.

Davis, Joe, Josh, and Derek watched him carefully. Joe spoke up. "Smart. But what if you run into Meryl? I doubt she would recognize you."

"I'm not gonna worry about that. I think the girls are staying on a beach, and I doubt they come downtown." Charlie pushed away the little hope that he would see Meryl to the back of his mind.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

The four girls bundled into the car, with fresh makeup and appropriate outfits. Meryl with her sun hat and shades, wearing a new striped maxi skirt and a black crop cami. Brooke was wearing shorts, Jessica was rocking a bright pink maxi, and Kassandra in a little black dress. Meryl didn't want to be recognized by paparazzi and fans, so wearing an extra long hat was the way to go. She loved her fans to death, but she was on vacation with her girls, and she didn't want to ruin it for them. Kassandra was also wearing a large hat, because every one that knew Meryl knew her as Meryl's best friend, Kassie.

They parked on the street and walked, wanting to experience the busy shopping centers on foot.

After a few minutes of strolling around and chatting to street vendors, Jessica suddenly spotted a little cafe across from a small hotel. "Hey, let's go grab a bite to eat!"

"Good idea. I could use a coffee." Meryl replied, glancing at the shop. 'The Rose Cafe', the sign read.

At the same time, Derek was reading he same exact sign from across the street. "The Rose Cafe. I hope they have something good, I'm starving." The group exited their hotel and headed across the street.

"Oh look, there are some hot girls in there too. I hope they're single." Josh smirked as he noticed the two blondes and two brunnettes.

"Josh, can you not." Charlie glared at his friend in annoyance. "We're here to eat, not flirt with strangers."

"C'mon, loosen up, Charlie. Have some fun!" David playfully punched Charlie, getting a glare in response. Charlie just stiffened and strolled to the door.

As they pushed the door open, they were immediately greeted by a delicious smell and tinkling bells above them. The scent of coffee was pretty strong, but it smelled good. Charlie immediately thought of Meryl. She would love this place, he thought, I wish I could take her here sometime, just the two of us. He sighed wistfully and sidled up to the line behind the girls to order.

"I'll have a chai tea latte, and um, Brooklyn, I'll just share with you." Meryl was delighted that they had her favorite Starbucks drink. She already loved this coffeehouse. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, and everything on the menu seemed delicious.

"Ok, Mer. That'll be all." Kassandra gave the woman behind the cashier some money and waited for her to bring out their food.

Charlie was listening in and couldn't help being reminded of Meryl when the brunette ordered Meryl's favorite drink. Wait, they just called her Mer! Could it be. . .? He thought excitedly to himself. He glanced at her outfit, to see if it was really her. He frowned a little at her maxi skirt and black hat. He never recalled seeing Meryl in this outfit before. He decided to turn to the girls that were with her. Unfortunately, Charlie had a really bad memory, so he couldn't remember any of her friends except Kassie, who had been her friend since junior high.

He decided to disguise himself, just in case it really was Meryl and her friends. He nervously patted his curls down and pushed his large sunglasses into place.

Charlie's friends gave him a weird look at his strange behavior, but didn't speak up, knowing Charlie was probably going to bite their heads off.

Meryl thanked the lady and hastily grabbed her latte, turning around to head to their table. But she turned around too fast, and bumped into a man behind her, spilling her drink.