Romans & histoires Onyx Coffee House

Lila The café is tucked into the corner of a brownstone lined street, half hidden under a faded green awning that reads Sparrow & Finch in tiny gold letters. It smells like cinnamon and roasted espresso the second I step inside warm and grounding. Like the kind of place you come to feel human again. Nick’s already there. He’s seated at a corner table, a mug between his hands, scrolling something on his phone. He looks up just as I walk in, and that same crooked smile breaks across his face unpracticed, unpolished, real.

I'm staring at the latest text when the barista calls out "Medium oat milk latte, no foam" for the third time. That's my order. Every Tuesday at 11:15, just like the message said. The coffee shop on Fifth Street is my one sanctuary in this city of surveillance. Exposed brick walls, mismatched vintage furniture, and a handwritten chalkboard menu that changes daily. It's the kind of place Alexander would never set foot in…too casual, too unpredictable for his taste.

--- On that day, I went to the appointment, and sure enough, I didn't see Nora. Espresso Lane, one of Shaw Corp's high-end coffee shops in the financial district, was busy as usual with the afternoon crowd. The establishment was known for its artisanal coffee blends and discrete private meeting rooms that catered to Skyview City's business elite. As I walked through the main café area, the manager spotted me and hurried over, his face a picture of barely contained panic. "Ms. Shaw! We weren't expecting you today. If I'd known you were coming, I would have_"

"Mom and Dad don't drink coffee, and Dad doesn't work on this side of town. Mom always gets her groceries from the store near our house. They don't have to know. We can tell them we serve coffee at a coffee house." Alex sighed, knowing that before too long, Toni was going to get her caught up in one of her schemes. "Plus, look at the name," Toni said, pointing at the sign. "Twin Mountain Coffee Company?" Alex asked. She rolled her eyes. "Come on, the owner is going to love us," Toni said. "It won't work if you don't do it with me." "You're gorgeous enough on your own to work there," Alex informed her. "Aleeeeeeex," Toni whined. She stared at her, bottom lip protruding for a few long moments.

He dumped his bag in the back once again and grumbled as he made himself comfortable. "We won't be long now," the driver said as he drove the car outside the residence. *** The Sunnyside cafe was one of those fancy outdoor cafes with umbrellas and chic waiters. Iryna sat at one of the tables there and she turned the hot mug of coffee in front of her. The smell of fresh coffee beans and cream was rich as it filled her nose. It was proof that the coffee beans were of high quality. The whole restaurant had been reserved, meaning no one was there. Iryna's bodyguards stood there dragging their legs about the place with no worries for customers.

the floor manager hisses, shoving another order slip in my hand. I grab the drinks, arrange them on the tray and make a beeline to the assigned table. My heart stutters when I see where table twelve is. It's a corner booth filled with laughter and testosterone — jerseys and leather jackets everywhere. Then I see him. At the center, lounging like he owns the damn place… Orion Kane. Of course. Out of all the gin joints in Michigan, he had to walk into mine. How unlucky can I get? From Nolan’s everyday tale in the past, Orion is a prick and a bastard who doesn't lose an opportunity to act cocky.

We really do have a pretty good thing going here…so far,’ Zara chimed in. Why was my wolf being so supportive and ‘TEAM POD’ right now?! Before I could say anything else to Zara, I was interrupted. “Goddess kitten, you are intoxicating!” Onyx groaned, stretching and moving even closer, squeezing his head in between where mine and Colt’s heads were laying. I turned my head to him and saw his dark brown orbs, morning stubble, and wickedly sinful pouty lips almost nose-to-nose with me. “Hey, beautiful,” he grinned, leaning in quickly to softly press his luscious pillowy-soft lips on mine in a sweet kiss, “I can smell you all the way up here.”

And that was beneficial for me, I could barely stand Onyx and bringing Elijah back to her life means bringing him back to my life and I can't stand him. "You can't go," I said, my voice firm and rigid. I tried not to give away too much from my voice because Onyx might not be bright but she isn't stupid she can tell when someone is giving her bullshit from a mile away, that skill of hers had been an important tool for us in our business, she is a good bullshit detector. Onyx raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me? I can go wherever I want." she paused and dropped the coffee cup which she was holding in her hand on the cup holder and adjusted her stance a bit.

Even it was raining hard, the street was still busy with wheels rolling on the wet street, and feet marching on the sidewalk. The Ladies’ Coffee was a small café on the east of New York City. It was quite unpopular because of its location. It was hidden behind the tall law firm building, and was a bit far from the center of downtown. Not many actually knows that an eighteen-years-old café was existing behind the Madison Firm.

The nerves are starting to kick in. I am hit with the scent of lemongrass when I walk into Onyx’s room. There are three tables set up for us to get massages. Two hunky looking masseuse and a woman for Storm, you know she has a mate and all, they are awaiting us with cucumber water. I decided to go with a deep tissue massage, goddess knows I need it.