Café Serenity

“Remi. This guy wants to know what’s on the bacon, egg, and cheese bagel…”

Remi winced and dropped the paperwork she’d been struggling with. She looked out the kitchen window to see Iris, one of her waitresses, standing in the middle of the café surrounded by customers. Every single one of them now looking at her.

“Guess we don’t need to ask how her hot date went this weekend,” Darien mumbled behind her.

Betany came running through the door and slid to a stop, her eyes wide. “She didn’t.”

Remi glanced above the door Betany stood in to see the yellow light glowing. The light that let the staff and patrons know that there were normals in the café. Normals was the term they used to describe completely vulnerable, none-the-wiser humans.

Betany waved her hands in Remi’s direction. “Stay. I’ve got this.” Taking a deep breath, a sweet smile appeared on her face as she stepped out into the customer area.

“Well,” Berk cleared his throat and glanced from Darien to her. “Happy Monday morning.” With that, he turned back to the grill and flipped the French toast.

“She’s been doing so well,” Remi whispered as she watched Betany smile and charm the customers.

Leaning his huge body on the counter beside her, Darien nodded. “Yeah, she hasn’t stunned anyone in months.”

It was only seven in the morning, too early for anything but coffee as far as Remi was concerned, never mind a faerie with an attitude. “I don’t think she’s cut out for mornings.”

“No one in our world does mornings.” Darien lifted her chin and forced her to look into his chocolate-brown eyes. “You, for example, look like you haven’t slept.”

Sighing, she pulled away from his touch. “I didn’t, really. I’m trying to get all the paperwork caught up before that stupid audit.” Glancing into the dining area, she almost groaned in relief to see the customers Iris had embarrassed smiling and joking with Betany. Thankfully Iris was looking after another table, a stubborn set to her chin. “How can they be so different?”

Darien chuckled. “Just because they’re the same race doesn’t mean they have the same personality.”

Picking up her cup, she sipped her now cold coffee while thinking about everything she had to do in the next few days.

“Hey.” Darien leaned closer. “Why don’t you get Iris to give you a hand in the office?” He shrugged. “She’s got one hell of a brain in her head, and with Nadine’s little one teething and keeping her up all night, I’m sure she won’t mind covering the dining room and not having to worry about the extra responsibilities for a while.”

Remi turned to see Iris heading to the counter. Her small frame was rigid. Her expression clearly said she wasn’t in the mood for human or para interaction right now. “It would solve a few issues.”

Darien hissed out a sigh of relief. “Whew. I was half afraid you were going to put her back on nights.” He wiped his hand down the front of his black t-shirt over muscles she tried not to stare at. “Then I’d have to deal with Pascal and Attis PMS-ing non-stop because they had to work with her again.” He shrugged. “Everyone loves Iris. She’s great to work with if she’s in a good mood, otherwise, we’re all terrified.”

Remi doubted that Darien was afraid of anything. Rolling her eyes in his direction, she smirked. “I didn’t know vampires got PMS.”

He grinned. “They don’t, but they bitch like they do.”

Glancing at the time, she picked up the papers. “Order has to be put away.” She glanced at the stack of boxes in the backroom. “Are you sticking around for the meeting?”

Moving around her, he reached across the counter and picked up the coffee pot, and then grabbed her cup. Filling it, he handed it to her and smiled. “I’ve got the order, and I’ll do this morning’s meeting, but I’ll be late for this evenings.” He winked at her. “If I don’t grab a nap, I’ll be grumpy tonight. We can’t have a grumpy werewolf running Serenity After Dark.” Giving her a heart-stopping grin, he sauntered out the door, grabbing a stack of boxes on his way past.

Remi watched the muscles flex in his arms and back as he lifted them with ease. Averting her eyes, she blew out a soft breath. Watching him made her flush all over her whole body. Turning, she noticed Berk was also watching Darien. He gave her a cheeky grin and then turned to serve up an order.

“It’s not a crime to look.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. “And I know better than to touch. I like all my appendages, attached and undamaged.” He sighed dramatically. “It makes me sad though, so much man-meat, and it’s untouchable.”

Shaking her head, Remi hugged the stack of papers into her chest and went over to lean at the end of the counter to wait for Iris to reach her.

Clipping her orders to the rack, Iris heaved a sigh and came to stand in front of her. “Sorry,” she said in a somber voice. “They were so annoying, asking about every single item on the menu. I mean if it says with cheese, they asked if it came with cheese…”

Remi could sympathize with her. Out-of-towners were so picky that way. “You could have passed them off to Betany. You know she doesn’t mind.”

Iris nodded, her short red hair bouncing with the motion. “I know. I just…” She sighed again.

“Listen.” She gave her a hopeful smile. “I’d like you to help me get caught up in the office. With the auditors coming in two days, I need everything picture-perfect.”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up.

“Yes.”

She began untying her apron. “I’m all over that.”

Remi looked over to where Betany was leaning, waiting for Berk to hand an order through the window. “Can you handle it for a few? Soren and the twins will be here shortly.”

Betany nodded. “No problem, it’s just coffee and a few orders right now.”

Darien came back through the door and stopped to grin at the girls. “Disaster averted once again?”

Iris rolled her eyes and glared at him. “I wasn’t going to harm them.”

He chuckled. “Sure thing, Tink.”

The ding of the door chime had all of them turning to see who came in. Back-up had arrived. Soren was moving quickly through the café in smooth, graceful steps, like a cat, which made sense as she was a lynx shifter. Her smile was warm and friendly as she greeted the regular customers on her way past.

“Get Soren to help you if you get backed up before the girls get here.” Remi told Betany as she motioned Iris to go down the hallway.”

“I’ll give them a hand,” Darien added, rubbing a reassuring hand down her back.

Remi smiled, even though she really wanted to step into his space and hug him. She’d be lost without him most days. “Thanks, Dare.”

By nine-thirty the breakfast customers were gone, and a few regulars lingered watching the news channel while drinking their coffee. Most of them were retired or self-employed and didn’t have to answer to the clock.

The elf twins, Ranae and Deanne were clearing tables and prepping for the next rush. Soren and Berk were in the kitchen preparing lunch items while singing show tunes. She didn’t know how they did happy all the time, but it was better than working with grouches. Iris was content in the office, entering data into the computer while Darien put the order away. Betany was helping him by restocking supplies. This left Remi time for some peace and quiet before more of the staff arrived for the meeting., Taking a stack of papers with her, she went outside to sit under the tree at the picnic table behind the café. It was silent out here for the moment; only a slight breeze was blowing; the sun was warm. The only sound was the gurgle of the water in the river as it moved downstream.

Flipping through the papers, she began to put them in order by date. Having to back-track into files that were five years old was an enormous task, and she was looking forward to it being done. Some of the papers in this pile went back as far as two years ago when Doyle was still alive. She really needed to sort out the entire system he used to file and fix it.

Pausing, she looked up and stared toward the river. She still missed him. He’d been more of a father to her than any of the foster parents she’d had. Although, when she’d first met him, she thought he was insane, or she might be having some sort of psychological breakdown.

She’d been eighteen the first time she’d looked at the Café Serenity sign hanging out front, and the next seven years became a blur of edification that changed her life. Not just her life but her mindset and beliefs.

After leaving the foster system the second she turned eighteen, or as close as possible considering no one was one hundred percent sure of when she was born, she’d hopped on a bus with her starting-out allowance and ended up in Riverside.

On the bus, she’d met a girl close to her age, Astrid. They’d hit it off right away. Astrid had invited her to stay with her and even helped her get a job at the diner she worked at. Remi hadn’t known a thing about waitressing, but with the customers demanding attention, she’d soon learned.

Things had gone well for about six months until her life began spiraling downward again.

Astrid’s boyfriend, Carl, had tried to force himself on Remi. Thinking she was friends with her roommate had been Remi’s first mistake. The second was telling Astrid about Carl; she freaked and kicked her out. Remi realized now that she probably shouldn’t have told her that he’d been screwing around on her for months with other girls.

The next thing Remi knew, she had no job or place to live. After sleeping in the post office for three nights, she’d gotten on the bus and headed to the other end of Riverside, setting out to find a place to live. Then she’d noticed the Help Wanted sign in the window of a unique-looking café. Intrigued, she walked through the door. A café by day and a bar by night sounded interesting.

“Daydreaming?”

Remi jumped and turned to see Darien standing behind her, holding two plates.

“I brought you something to eat.”

“Thanks.” Setting her cup on the pages so the breeze wouldn’t take them, she accepted the offered plate. “I was just thinking about Doyle.” He handed her a fork. “About when I met him.”

“You looked like a street rat when you came in.” He took a bite of the hash browns.

“That’s right; I forgot you were there that day.” It was a lie; she could still remember seeing the large, muscular man unloading the delivery truck. She’d never seen someone with that much muscle up close before. Darien was one of those people that everyone looked at; it didn’t matter whether you were a man or woman, you noticed him. He had soft, understanding eyes, but his features were chiseled and hard, his body was too. All too often, she’d overhear female customers calling him sexy and dangerous in the same sentence.

He nodded slowly. “Yeah. I couldn’t help wondering what Doyle was up to when he started showing you around without even knowing your name.” He grinned. “Sneaky bugger that he was, placing a sign in the window only someone like you could see.”

Remi took a few bites as she recalled. Doyle was a demon, what type she couldn’t remember. There were far too many to know them all. A few days later, when he sat her down and explained how he’d placed a sign in the window looking for her and all about the para world, she’d thought he was crazy. He’d been seeking out an almost human to take in and train to run Serenity someday. Remi had never felt like everyone else, never quite fit in, but to be considered ‘almost human’, well even that was more than her off-center imagination could grasp. “You know, I thought he was crazy when he told me I was almost human, but not quite.”

Darien grinned. “You and me both. I thought he’d lost all sense bringing in a kid to mentor.”

Pushing the plate away, she avoided the look he gave her, the one saying he wasn’t happy she hadn’t eaten all of it. “I was just grateful to have a place to live. I figured going along with his delusions wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“Until your gifts started making an appearance…”

Stacking her half-eaten plate of food on top of his empty one, he leaned forward, his dark brown eyes moving over her face slowly.

“The first time you walked into Serenity After Dark and Pascal and Attis stopped and stared at you, I knew something was going on. I’d never seen them not be able to get inside someone’s head.”

Remi smiled. “Pascal is still trying to get inside my head.”

He chuckled. “You’d think after seven years he’d give up.”

Glancing down at the papers, she frowned.

“You’re really worried about this audit.”

“I am. They’re looking for something. The questions they asked were specific, not ones that you’d ask for in a random audit.”

“You think someone pointed them in our direction?”

Nodding, she bit her lip. “How else would he know to examine the purchase orders?”

Darien reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “They’re not going to find anything. Doyle’s system keeps the unusual items in plain sight.”

Closing her eyes, she exhaled slowly before looking back at him. “I hope so. Explaining bottled blood is not something even I could do.”

“Remi.”

Both turned to see Caitlyn leaning out the upstairs window. Caitlyn lived in the apartment at the back that Remi used to live in. She was nineteen and had been in Remi’s care since she was thirteen when her family had been killed.

Most days, she was Remi’s sunshine, that brightness in an otherwise dark world. Cait was a troll which, to Remi’s mind before she met her, had meant big, ugly, fairytale creature. The reality? Caitlyn was a petite, curvy beauty with snowy blonde hair, golden eyes, and a smile that could thaw a glacier.

“I think you’d better come see this.” She nodded to Darien. “Both of you.” Her tone held a note of panic.

Remi glanced at Darien, his dark brows were drawn together in concern. Grabbing her cup and the papers, she got up and moved to the back door. She met them at the stairs, talking quickly and animatedly. Remi was only able to catch the main points, at least, she hoped she did.

“So, Mel texted me telling me to check it out...”

Mel was one of Caitlyn’s many admirers. He was a techie geek, a young werewolf that hung around whenever Cait was at work.

Cait practically danced on the spot as she turned her laptop around for them to see. Remi’s stomach lurched as she looked at the gory pictures on the screen.

“Did Mel take these?” Darien asked, his disapproval clear in his tone.

Cait gave him an annoyed look. “No. Mel would pass out if he’d seen this in person.”

Reading the banner didn’t help Remi understand. “Is this online for everyone to see?”

Cait tapped a polished nail on the screen. “No. It’s only for our community, and you have to have a membership and password.”

A glance at Darien’s face told her this was news to him as well. Still confused, Remi looked away from the grizzly images of a shredded body to her charge. “So why are you showing us?”

Rolling her eyes, Cait leaned over the table and clicked on the screen. “Look.” She enlarged the photo.

Bending down, Remi focused on where she pointed. It was a picture of what was left of one blood-covered arm, with a barely visible tattoo. Recognition had her straighten suddenly, her back bumping against Darien where he’d been looking over her shoulder.

“It’s that inspector that was harassing us a few weeks ago.” She tapped the screen. “He had this tattoo on his left arm. It’s him.”

Darien’s hand rested on her hip as he stood close to Remi’s back. The warmth from his higher body temperature didn’t stop a shiver from going through her.

“Does it say what happened?” She swallowed and looked away from the screen to Cait.

Nodding, she brought up another page. “Word is he was ripped up like some crazed animal shredded him, but there are no bite marks to prove it.”

“It’s gruesome, honey, but what does that have to do with us?” Darien’s breath brushed against the side of Remi’s face, drawing her attention to the fact that he still stood close. Moving further away from him, she clutched the papers in her hand and shrugged at Cait.

Caitlyn gave a dramatic sigh. “He got all nasty and in your face when you told him to take a hike.”

Shaking her head, Remi glanced at Darien. “I didn’t tell him to take a hike. I told him I had a business to run and couldn’t have his minions getting in the way while they played with every wire and plug-in appliance.”

“Still, he was pissed and left saying he’d be back with a court order giving him the ability to do what he felt was necessary.”

Darien rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ve scheduled the electrical updates. They’ll be done in a few weeks.”

Cait groaned. “They’re going to look at anyone that had a problem with him.”

“He was a pompous ass, Cait,” Remi said quietly. “I’m sure a lot of others had a problem with him.”

Sighing, she closed the laptop. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With that, she flounced from the room, muttering under her breath.

Remi looked at the laptop.

“Hey, don’t worry; it has nothing to do with us.” Darien’s voice was soft and reassuring.

Remi glanced over her shoulder at him. “I hope you’re right. With this audit, I have more than I can handle.”

Grinning, his eyes sparkling at her, he shrugged. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Álainn. You’re stronger than anyone I know.”

She hoped he was right.

Remi leaned against the wall outside the break room and glanced at the clock. A few people were still missing, so hopefully, the supplier came back to the phone soon. She hated being put on hold, and any other time would have hung up and emailed, but their blood supplier had short-shipped them, so it was a top priority. Customers relied on them for their blood source. Without it, humans would become menu items. And she couldn’t forget the four vampires that lived in the well-hidden rooms beneath Serenity counted on having a meal, or two, every day.

Darien came around the corner carrying two steaming cups. He stopped and gave her an inquiring look; she shook her head. With a sigh, he moved by her and took their cups into the break room. He sat beside Nadine as she went through the order book while waiting for the meeting to begin. Leaning close to her, he must have said something funny because she laughed quietly, shaking her head at him. To look at Naddy, you’d never guess she was a scary, powerful witch with her pale blonde hair and soft blue eyes, but inside, that petite beauty was enough magic to alter history if she deemed it so. A good thing that she had the sweetest disposition and a truly loving heart. As Remi’s assistant manager, she was her savior. Without her, she would never sleep, rarely eat, and probably lose her mind.

Sitting and chatting while they waited were Berk and Caitlyn. At least Berk was one of the males in Cait’s life Remi didn’t have to worry about trying any moves on her, not that Remi doubted she could take care of herself. He was one of the wolf-shifter quadruplets, and he was gay. Her heart went out to him; it couldn’t be easy being so different in a race that was all alpha personalities. Thankfully his three identical-looking brothers seemed to support his choice. Berk liked to tell everyone that the three Lewis brothers set loose on the female populous was unfair enough, so he was balancing the scales and spreading some of their hotness to the other side. Remi wasn’t sure about all that, but they were good-looking boys; with short brown hair, hazel eyes, and dimples.

Sighing, she glanced at the clock again. She’d been on hold now for twenty minutes, and her patience was almost at an end.

Ranae’s laugh distracted her; it was one of those bubbly, infectious laughs, and everyone in the room had no choice but to smile. Whatever she and her twin, Deanne, were talking about was entertaining Ranae. If you didn’t look at Deanne’s dyed black hair, they were exactly alike. They didn’t fit the elf image most people thought of. They were short and curvy with big beautiful dark eyes and soft voices that could lull anyone who listened long enough. As far as waitresses went, there was no competition. They were the best at what they did, making every single person they served feel like they were the most important in the world. Remi often wondered if it was due to their personalities or their race. She didn’t know any other elves to compare it with.

Iris and Betany sat with their heads close together. Whatever had been bothering Iris wasn’t now, and for that, Remi could only sigh in relief. What Darien had said was true. Everyone loved Iris, except those few times she lost her cool. Those ramifications were messy to clean up and get past.

She met Darien’s dark eyes and shook her head. She was still on hold. Sighing, he got up and picked up his cup. With his large body and long legs, he was in front of her before she could blink—one of these days, she would get used to everyone except her having supernatural speed. With a smile that said he knew what she was thinking, he gently pulled the phone out of her hand.

“I’ve got this. You remind everyone to keep things clean during the audit.”

“Use your growly voice when they take you off hold.”

Chuckling softly, he turned and headed for the supply room. Sighing, Remi turned back to the staff that all sat watching her. “Relax, this isn’t one of those bad meetings.”

By the time she got through answering all the questions about the audit, the early lunch rush had started. Pulling her long hair into a loose braid, she went out behind the counter to cover the regular customers that Iris usually dealt with. The same customers sat at the counter almost every day.

Nadine followed her and started fresh coffee.

“Hey, Joe,” Remi greeted the old troll beside the door. “How are ya’ today?”

He gave her a toothless grin. “Good, Remi.”

Pouring his coffee, she set in on the counter in front of him and gave him a genuine smile, not one of her customer service smiles.

“I think I’ll try some of Soren’s soup today with toast.”

“Sounds good, Joe.” Writing on the order pad, she turned and clipped it to the holder. All it said was Joe’s lunch, but Soren and Berk would know the order. The old guy ordered the same thing every single day.

Nadine came around behind her to fill a drink order. “Don’t worry, Rem. No one is going to start anything with the auditor here.”

Reaching around her, Remi grabbed the next two customers’ drinks. “I’m more concerned with the privacy of our in-house residents.”

Picking up the tray, she gave her a big smile. “No worries. You know Pascal monitors everyone’s thoughts to make sure the dungeon stays a secret.” With that, she walked away.

Deanne went by giggling, having heard the nickname the staff used for the downstairs. Grabbing Joe’s soup, she took it over to him just as Ranae walked around behind her with an order.

“Les wants to know if we have red on tap, Remi.”

Eyebrows raised, Remi sent Les, a wolf shifter, a shake of her head. “Les is just trying to rattle my chain, Ranae. Tell him to behave.”

“Will do.” She left again with a large glass of milk in her hand.

Remi turned to get the next order ready and caught Soren’s frown through the window. Looking in the same direction, she spotted a couple sitting in the corner. One she’d never seen before. A familiar chill went through her veins. Moving down to the end of the window, she looked back through it, “Yellow light, Berk.”

With a nod, he flipped the switch and continued with the order he was working on. Glancing over at Les, she watched him stare at the light for a moment and then turn to her and raise his glass of milk. “Swear he only comes here to drive me nuts.”

Nadine moved by her with the coffee pot in her hand. “He comes here because it feels like home,” she said softly and kept going.

“Remi.”

She turned to see Darien standing at the door to the kitchen.

“I’m going to grab a nap.” He rubbed a hand over his face, the only sign that he was tired as far as she could tell. “The supplier is sending the rest of our order this afternoon.”

“Thanks, Dare.”

“Anytime.” With a mock salute, the muscles dancing in his arm along with it, he went back through the door.

“Why can’t you look like that, Stanley?”

Remi grinned, keeping her back to Mr. and Mrs. Reece, and quickly moved to the other end of the counter before the couple started bickering, another thing that happened daily at Serenity.