Music & Love Ch. 04

"I saw you park so I started making it already," Jailyn smiled as she pushed the triple café mocha across the table as Lauren breezed through the doorway. Pushing a strand of her chestnut hair behind her ear, she grabbed the towel and starting wiping up the espresso machine.

"Ugh, thanks you're saving me" Lauren sighed, dropping her bag on the floor next to the table. She fished a hair-tie out of her purse and slowly started gathering her hair with her hands before tying it in a messy bun. "I've been up all night studying for this damn class and I need some serious caffeine".

"I could tell," Jailyn said. "Drink up."

Lauren smiled appreciatively at Jailyn as she took another swig of mocha. She had met Jailyn a few years back when she first moved to Santa Monica. She remembered their first meeting distinctly – she had just come in from a long flight and was on her way to a job interview when she drove by the homey coffee shop named "Jailyn's". On a whim, she stopped in for a pick-me-up coffee, met Jailyn, and the two of them had instantly clicked. Jailyn was the owner of the small coffee shop, which she had inherited from her mother when she passed away. At age 26, Jailyn was successful, determined, and had many of the same goals as Lauren did. Lauren skipped the interview and instead picked up a shift working at Jailyn's shop.

"I've got to wrap up this class and then I can file for graduation," Lauren sighed.

"And then... you're a lawyer!" proclaimed Jailyn. She grabbed her chai tea and set it on the table next to Lauren's mocha. Untying the small black apron wrapped around her waist, she handed it to Lauren, who tied it snugly around her size four waist.

Lawyer indeed, thought Lauren. She'd spent her whole life preparing for law. Lauren's father and two older brothers were lawyers and she had constantly been surrounded by politics. It was almost expected of her to become a lawyer as well. When she had graduated from NYU, her father had sat her down and discussed immediately what law school she would be attending. They never had a discussion about whether it was something she wanted; it was more or less expected of her. Not one to be difficult, Lauren enrolled in law school across the country far from her family. Lauren would be one of the youngest graduates at age 24, having just celebrated her birthday a month prior. With such a grueling class schedule, working at Jailyn's was a perfect fit.

Lost in thought, Lauren didn't even hear the buzzer sound or here Matt walk in.

"Hey gorgeous," Matt whispered into her ear.

Startled, Lauren jumped out of her seat, knocking over her mocha in her haste. "Oh Matt, don't scare me like that!"

Matt smirked and held his arm high in the air just in time to catch the towel Jailyn chucked at him. "Didn't realize you didn't hear me come in, darling. What's got you're cute little face all wrinkled?"

Lauren sighed as Jailyn answered, "all that law stuff she does."

"Ah," Matt nodded knowingly. Matt had watched Lauren work so hard the last few years towards this degree. Her intelligence and persistence amazed him. He was incredibly attracted to her, with her beautiful dark auburn hair that sprawled flawlessly across her shoulders in elegant waves, her expressive deep emerald eyes, her flawless skin and a body that could kill. She was petite at 5'3" and 115 lbs, but her breasts were full and her hips were womanly and curvy. She had a perfect face, with bright wide eyes, a small nose, and full luscious lips. Lauren was a complete knock-out, and yet, it was as if she didn't even know it. She was so laid-back and fun to be around, Matt never felt like he had to work to impress such a beautiful woman. There was an ease about her that made people comfortable. She was one of the hardest working women he had ever met. He met her through Jailyn a few years back and had instantly fallen in love with her. But he knew she didn't feel the same and so instead chose the path of friendship.

"Well I just wanted to drop this off for you J – it's the check I owe you for covering me last month. Thanks babe," he leaned over to give Jailyn a kiss on the cheek. "You saved me once again".

"Oh shush," giggled Jailyn. She had lent Matt money last month when he had come up short for rent money. Matt was literally living the life of a starving musician, barely scraping by paycheck to paycheck and sometimes he needed help. He always paid her back, and Jailyn had always been there for him. Almost the "mom" of the group, Jailyn was always the person her friends went to for help. She was stable and secure in both her life and her job.

"Well I'm out, got practice." Matt waved to the girls as he walked out of the quiet store into the busy street.

"I think I'm going to head out too," said Jailyn, grabbing her stuff. "I've got to make a deposit before the bank closes and I'm pretty beat." She pulled out her sunglasses, fumbling with her keys and briefcase. Finally slipping the glasses over her eyes, she looked over her shoulder at Lauren before walking out the door and said "bye darling!" in an Elizabeth Taylor fashion. Lauren giggled. "Bye love, get some rest!"

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Turning up the Billie Holiday song playing on the café stereo, Lauren began to sing while she wiped down the tables. It was a small enough store that only one person needed to work at a time, but they were always busy. In the heart of Santa Monica, the store backed up to a small beach area covered with palm trees. Inside, the décor was very calming, with light yellows and dark reds flattering the bright sunlight that shone in through the glass windows during the day. The café had high ceilings and a loft designated for children to play while their mothers drank coffee and caught up with friends. The café thrived mainly on its regular, dedicated customers that visited every day. Lauren had grown to love these customers and knew each one by name. She would play with their children when they came in and give them complementary hot chocolates, cold during the summer. Because of the intimate relationship Lauren had with her customers she was never shy about singing or acting silly at work.

"Sing a little louder Lauren, you know I love your beautiful voice," Artie called over, one of Lauren's regulars. Artie was a little old man who lived up the street. He loved to talk and so he came down daily to say hi to the girls at the coffee shop. Often he was accompanied by his wife, who said she came along to just make sure he was only getting decaf. "In his old age, he can't be drinking any of that caffeine stuff! He'll keep me up for hours!" she laughed.

"Only for you Artie!" Lauren laughed, before belting a measure of I Only Have Eyes For You.

"Get me a decaf latte while you serenade me darlin'," Artie sighed blissfully. "How I do love when you sing to me".

Lauren winked and turned toward the espresso machine, where she began to measure and tamp the decaf espresso shots she needed for Artie's drink. The door buzzed and Lauren called out "I'll be with you in a minute!" and then went back to singing for Artie. She poured the frothy milk over the espresso into a mug and handed it over to Artie. "Cause I only have eyes for you" she sang as she handed him his drink.

A big grin spread on Artie's face as he patted her hand. "You're real keeper darlin'. A real keeper". He stood up and grabbed his jacket, his signal that he was ready to leave.

Lauren smiled at Artie and cupped his hand. "Don't know what I'd do without you Artie," she whispered. Turning to the register, she wiped her hands on her apron and looked up, ready to help her next customer. Her mouth went dry as she made eye contact with the man from the night before, Jake Anderson. She listened to his music, but unlike most of his fans, she was attracted to his music because of the melodies and rhythms and genuine musical talent, not because he was a drop-dead gorgeous man. She tilted her head to the side quizzically before asking "Can I get you something, love?"

Jake was dumbfounded. He hadn't been able to get the red-haired beauty out of his mind all day. She had possessed his mind – he couldn't even write music. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her beautiful piercing eyes staring back at him sexily. Just thinking of her had made him so hard that he masturbated for the first time in years to alleviate the pressure. Never in a million years did he expect to run into her again, but there she was, the small alluring woman behind the counter. The look on her face matched the way he felt inside. She looked a mixture of confusion and extreme attraction. He realized she had spoken but had been so entranced by her eyes that he had no idea what she asked him. So he thought of the next best thing.

"Hi. I'm Jake. I'm thirsty, what can you make."

Oh smooth, Jake thought. You're at a café, of course you're thirsty. And she can make it all, that's her job. So lame.

Lauren giggled inside as she watched Jake flush in embarrassment. "Hi Jake, I'm Lauren." She extended her hand out to offer a handshake. Jake reached forward and was surprised at the strong grip the little redhead offered. Finally, a decent handshake from a woman, thought Jake. "And I make an incredibly caramel macchiato".

Jake smiled and ran a hand through his hair, pulling it off his face. "That sounds wonderful."

Lauren nodded and grabbed the whole milk out of the fridge. "So, Jake, aren't you famous? What are you doing in a little café when you could be out with hot celebrities?"

Jake smiled at her forwardness. "Looking for some privacy, I suppose. I've been picking quite places to go lately to get away from the world. In fact, I dined at a quiet little place last night too. This isn't the first time we've met, am I right?"

"I thought I saw you before. You looked so familiar," Lauren chirped over the loud sounds of the milk steaming. She poured the milk into the cup, poured the espresso and caramel on top, and slid the drink over to Jake. "$3.49," Lauren winked. "Sorry, we don't give rock star discounts here."

Jake leaned back and laughed. "You're quite feisty, aren't you? Tell me about yourself Lauren."

Lauren felt her heart flutter a little. Calm down girl, thought Lauren. He's a rock star, he's not into you. He's just being friendly. Still, Lauren could feel her palms get a little sweaty.

"I would love to Jake but I'm just about to close shop. However, I work tomorrow, same time. Come on by and we can have a chat." Lauren's eyes danced at the thought of Jake coming by again.

A little disappointed that they couldn't talk now, but understanding of the work Lauren had to get done, he agreed. "Expect me tomorrow Miss Lauren. I want the same treatment the little old man gets!" Jake smiled broadly, showing his perfectly white straight teeth.

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By the time Lauren got home that night, she was beat. Closing had been rough because the store had been so busy earlier that she hadn't had a chance to do a lot of prep-closing. The second Lauren unlocked her front door, she bee-lined for her bathroom, took a hot shower, wrapped up in her chenille robe, and curled into her bed. She turned on the news, realized her exhaustion, and turned it back off. With a sigh, she laid back on her pillow and snuggled into her soft down comforter. She untied her robe and threw it on the chair near her bed, letting the softness of her sheets mesh with the softness of her naked body.

She awoke a few hours later with an intense throbbing in between her legs. Glancing over at the clock, Lauren saw that she had only been sleeping for a few hours. She had been dreaming that Jake had invited her back to his place after she served his caramel macchiato. The second they had entered his apartment, he pinned Lauren against the wall. Lauren closed her eyes again, letting her mind remember the dream more vividly, while she slipped her hand down and began slowly playing with herself. In her dream, Jake had a soft but demanding touch. He had stripped her of her clothes immediately and his hands seemed to touch everywhere at once. His mouth found her neck and nibbled while his fingers traced her hips. His hand trailed down to her pussy, where he slowly slipped a finger in between the lips. You're so wet baby, he would whisper. Lauren felt herself begin to slip her fingers in and out of her pussy, slick with wetness. Her orgasm came on faster than anything she had felt before. Licking her drenched pussy fingers with her tongue, she thought to herself, I really hope he shows up tomorrow... that was just a dream and it was incredible.