Love Me Tender

Chapter 5: Café Du Lait

In the heart of Morro Bay, California there is...

Absolutely nothing.

But if you go to the outskirts of town, you'll find a small, dirty building. From the outside, it looks like a drug hub or a meth lab or something else that's illegal. But on the inside it is grand, with spectacular, crystal chandeliers ands polished hard-wood floors. The bar has a granite counter top and the tables are solid oak. This is the single most amazing place in the entire state of California: Café Du Lait.

Nicole, Nick, and I pulled into the gravel parking lot, which was packed with cars. We got out and walked to the door, Nick more slowly in his sports coat and dress pants with Nicole and I in beautiful dresses ahead of him.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" He questioned us nervously. Nicole and I both spun around and laughed lightly at his reservations.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover, big bro," Nicole warned him. We started walking towards the door again. Nick followed this time without questioning, presumably because he trusts his sister.

"Prepare yourself," I said to Nick with an excited smile. Nicole opened the door to reveal the beautiful interior. When it registered, Nick's intake of breath was audible.

"What is this place?" He asked, dazed by the site of the clean, sharp inside.

"Café Du Lait," Nicole replied with a shrug and a gentle hair flip, he red locks falling easily onto her back.

"Is that French?"

"Duh," she rolled her eyes and came face to face with the hottest. "Table for four, please."

"Nicole, Lily," she greeted us politely. Obviously we were regulars here. "Follow me, if you will."

She led us back to our favorite table, a small corner booth where we could observe the entire room with ease. It was perfectly positioned to here the live band as well, a new one every night. That's one of the best things about Café Du Lait. The live band.

It's always a local band. But the genre is usually different. They try to stay away from hard rock and screaming though because it ruins the atmosphere. But the music just took my love for that place up a notch.

We sat down in our booth and listened to the soft music playing. Tonight was a jazz band. How relaxing. Nicole and I discreetly watched Nick as he flipped through the laminated menu.

"No steak? Where's the chicken? Fish? Salad?" He frantically started thumbing the pages, looking for anything that wasn't over 900 calories and sweet as southern tea.

"What did you think Café Du Lait meant, Nicky?" Nicole asked, her laughter bubbling from within her.

"I don't know. I thought it would be French food!"

"It means Cafe of Milk," she snorted. "Like milk and cookies. It's a dessert restaurant," she chortled as she flipped over in the seat. I laughed along with her at her brother's beautiful and bewildered face.

"Who eats at dessert restaurant?" He asked, furrowing his thick brow and touching his hand gently to his forehead as if his headache was overwhelming.

"Us!" Nicole and I exclaimed together between giggles. People were starting to look at us now. We probably did look ridiculous slapping our legs and falling over in our seats. Poor, Nick.

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After dinner, Nicole drove me home in her shiny, white convertible. We had dropped Nick off at their house and we sat in the car talking when we pulled into my drive.

"So what do you think?" She asked as she shift the car into park.

"He's nice," I said as I bobbed my head slightly to satisfy her. The words in my head were much more descriptive than the ones I let flow past my lips.

"I think he likes you," she quietly proclaimed, glancing at me sideways and smiling the smallest smile I've ever seen. Most girls would've freaked about their brother's liking their best friend, but she didn't. I guess she was happy.

"You should hang out with him tomorrow... You know, while I'm taking the SAT and then I'll meet up with you guys after?" She said tentatively.

"Like... A date?" My mouth popped open when she nodded and I sighed, recovering myself. "Yeah. Sure, Nic."

Great...

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Hey, y'all! I would love it if you could leave comments and let me know what I can do better and what you guys really liked! Also if you liked this chapter then don't forget to vote! Thanks, guys!

-Lacey