Scream and be Free (Zac Hanson)

Chapter Thirty

oh hey it's Caleb!

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New York was a different pace all by itself, Tulsa was a big city, but nothing like New York. The constant movement, the hum of the city, everything about it drew you in. Brielle loved the city, she loved every aspect of it, even if it was a tad bit hard to enjoy with her husband being a little more than indifferent toward her. On their second day in the Big Apple, the fact that her husband really didn't seem to care whether she was with him or not had given Brielle the chance to spend the morning hunting down the best cup of coffee in the city with Natalie in tow.

Arms linked, Brielle and Natalie strolled down the side walks, each one pointing out something that caught her interest. Stopping in front of a hole in the wall cafe, Brielle glanced at the sign above the door and smiled. She was positive this was the place they had spent the last two hours looking for, a small, mom and pop joint that Jenna and Luke would rave about any time somebody mentioned coffee shops in New York City. It had been a place of employment for one of Luke's college buddies, which is how the place had been discovered by the once happy couple. Only having been there once or twice before, Brielle was uncertain that this was the place, but she seemed to remember the building.

"I'm pretty sure this is the one Jenna drug me to." Brielle chuckled opening the door for her sister-in-law. "If not, then we've found something new."

"It smells super yummy." Natalie commented stepping inside.

A quest for a cup of coffee seemed to come with a high price in NYC, not of dollar value but instead the agreement to lunch. Stepping inside the cafe, Natalie and Brielle were greeted with the delicious scent that the company had to offer, along with the familiar dimpled smile and shining blue eyes of Caleb Braun. The second he turned around to check the door out of curiosity, he engulfed Natalie and Brielle in a giant hug. Letting Natalie go, Caleb stood towering over Brielle, his arm slung around her shoulder as he tried his best to convince the ladies to lunch.

He explained that he was in town to do some business for the family dragging Luke along with him, although Luke had connected with an old friend and had decided to spend his day doing other things. Luke sometimes like to take his own route, the brains of the two brothers, he could sometimes shrink when in Caleb's shadow which often left him opting out of business deals. Handing Brielle had coffee, Natalie smiled as she told Caleb that she had plans to meet Taylor for lunch, otherwise would have loved to join him.

"What about you?" Caleb asked glancing down at Brielle, who was still tucked under his arm. "Is your husband whisking you off for a few minutes alone at lunch hour as well?"

"Uh, no, probably not." Brielle shook her head and took a sip of her coffee, with her mouth full it was easier not to talk.

"It's settled then, it looks like we have a date." Caleb winked.

Some hours later, time passed mostly by browsing and a little shopping with Natalie; Brielle walked down the street toward the address Caleb had sent her. Approaching the chic yet casual looking building Brielle spotted the familiar tall, broad man standing a few feet from the entrance. When Natalie had parted ways to go meet Taylor, she had asked Brielle is there had been any word from Zac, bravely plastering a smile on her face Brielle told her sister-in-law she was sure Zac was just busy. Taking the answer Natalie left to meet her husband, leaving Brielle in her own doubts when she should have been meeting her own husband instead of a friend.

Greeting Brielle with a hug, he handed her a bouquet of three fire lilies, and opened the door allowing her to step inside first. Clutching her flowers, Brielle followed the lady who was showing them to their seat with Caleb a few steps behind her. In a way it was nice to have somebody pulling out her chair and holding doors for her, better if it were her husband. Once they were settled in a bit the conversation picked up, the usual topics came about fairly quick.