LOVER MONSTER!
3. Black Coffee.

In the end, the fact that Demian Bellamy was a man with a terrible temper was not Jessica's business at all. Jessica could not understand why she was so affected by the vile scene she saw last night. Jessica even woke up until two in the morning so thought of Demian.

When morning came, Jessica cursed herself who was too carried away by her fangirl activities. No matter how much he admired Demian before, he should not turn a blind eye if Demian was human. He is a reasonable man who has shortcomings and advantages.

Jessica as an outsider and a stranger, should not put a certain barometer against the man.

"Well, let's get back to work and forget everything." Jessica forced herself to go downstairs. Even though his eyes were still very tired.

Jessica is sleep deprived, she needs at least one cup of coffee to widen her eyes which can be closed at any time.

"Good morning, Jesse." Ethan, who brought the cafe keys last night, said hello to Jessica. He pulled a wooden bench facing the bar table and invited Jessica to sit there.

"Good morning, Ethan." Jessica chimed. "I'm sorry I've been troubling you."

"I know you must be tired, so I let you sleep longer."

If it wasn't for Ethan deciding to open the cafe alone this morning, Elixir might not be ready to open at all.

"You're an angel, Ethan. Did you come to save me from this heavy burden of life?"

"Don't exaggerate. Do you want a strawberry waffle? I'll have Elli make you a serving."

"I wantu..." While Jessica pampered Ethan with drinks and food, Customers entered the cafe one by one. From what Jessica noticed, they are regular who often eat breakfast here.

"Good morning, my beautiful Boss lady." Dania appeared from behind and greeted Jessica. Unlike Ethan who works as a barista, Dania is an employee in charge of overseeing the course of the cafe.

In Elixir, to be exact, there were three most influential people under Jessica. First is Ethan who is a barista, second is Elliot who is the head chef, and third is Dania, he is the coordinator of the cafe or in other words, secretary Jessica?

Anyway, like that. They just help each other.

"Good morning," Jessica answered Dania's greeting and immediately leaned against her blond booth. "What's with this sweet smell? Are you wearing a parfume to tease me, Dany?"

"I've always been fragrant, Boss. You should have paid more attention to me." Dania chimed in while scornfully cynical.

Jessica and Dania then exchanged words. Most of their chat topics concern Elixir's recent development. Jessica enjoyed the light conversation so seriously that she did not realize that her Dania-versus-speech suddenly petrified.

Jessica only realized the silence of Dania when Dania did not answer her words.

"Dania's? Aren't you listening to me?" Jessica scowls. His lips pursed when he realized that Dania was not looking at him. Dania was staring at the door with her eyes rigidly round. Jessica followed Dania's gaze and at the same time, her body twitched in shock.

The demian?

The name was pronounced naturally in his mind.

Demian Bellamy showed up at Elixir's door at nine this morning. Eyes scan the entire cafe boredly. A small white plaster stuck under his chin. Covering the wound trail.

"What's he doing here?" Jessica subconsciously voiced her question. As Jessica recalled, Demian after being rejected by Angela, had never stopped by Elixir again. Why is he here?

Dania nodded in agreement. "Have he come looking for Angela?"

Speaking of Angela, the sweet woman who is kasmaran with her beloved lover is no longer present in Elixir this week. She said Angela's grandmother was sick, so she didn't have time to work and Jake advised her to take a break from her job.

It's a sad story, but leave that matter aside now, let's go back to Demian.

"Should I greet him?" Dania who was in charge of directing guests or just saying hello-become hesitant when the figure standing there was Demian.

"Let me take care of it." Jessica, as the owner of Elixir, feels responsible for protecting Dania from the handsome monster. So, instead of letting Dania get close to Demian. Jessica decided to intervene.

*

There's one thing about Cafe Elixir that bothers Demian Bellamy. Although he avoids the urban cafe with all his determination, Demian-how, save dependence on a cup of black coffee served there. Demian knows, if he goes there, he will be reunited with Angela. However, he could not hold himself back anymore.

"Welcome to Elixir" a woman said hello. Dense black mane, emerald green iris. Only with those two things, Demian again remembered the foreign moment that had greeted him that night. The girl on the balcony, was the first thing that came to Demian's mind. So he works here.

Demian-without giving any response, passes the girl who smells like strawberry. He went to the bar and sat on an empty bench facing the barista. Next to the bench that Demian was sitting on, a plate of waffles with a sprinkling of strawberry slices looked freshly touched. Someone seemed to have sat on that bench before.

Without further ado at the barista's friendly greeting across the table, Demian gave his order in a calm and apathetic tone.

"Coffee, black." He delivered his order in two words.

"Well then's..." Ethan nodded without feeling any irritation at all over Demian's cold response. He was accustomed to the attitude of Demian who was irritable to talk.

"Ethan, me too." The same girl's voice that greeted him earlier, again sounded from next to him. Demian turned his head and found the same black mane. The girl pulled her plate away from near Demian and took the distance of one bench between them.

"Hi..," the girl-Jessica-back greets Demian when their eyes meet. "Don't see you drop by here."

Jessica, despite her overwhelming nervousness, still tries to be polite in the name of the cafe. "I'm Jessica, by the way. I'm the owner here."

Jessica's words were like an epiphany to Demian.

"Huh," Jessica set her own breath. His heart is pumping at a high speed. As if his chest cavity had narrowed, he could feel the pounding of his heart crazily.

"I thought I wasn't good at making small talk. Ahahahaha, I'm sorry." Jessica pulled away.

Demian looked at him without any meaningful expression.

"Two black coffees are coming..." Ethan interrupts the awkwardness between them by handing each cup of coffee to Demian and Jessica.

"Boss, do you know each other?" Ethan-don't know read the situation-directly throws a question at Jessica. His speech referred to Demian who enjoyed his coffee in silence.

"Ka-we? Where is it possible." Jessica shook her hands. "I only knew him as Angela's partner. Didn't you realize he used to come here?"

"Oohs? Is he the one who made you lose ten strawberries?"

"OIIY!" Jessica spontaneously screeched.

"Do you think it's polite to talk about other people as if they're not there?" Demian finally made a sound. The cold voice made Jessica think of the gloomy scene last night.

"I-I'm sorry..." Jessica squeaks nervously.

"I came here to drink coffee. I'll thank you if you don't bring Angela in front of me."

"Once again, I'm sorry." Jessica is more serious this time. "I didn't mean to disturb your morning. Also.., ah.., regarding that night, I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

Did he forget? Jessica wondered.

"Me-about..., that night..., when you...., ummm.." rejected?

"Aaah," Demian rotated his eyes, his interest in the topic was non-existent. He did not understand why the girl brought up this matter. Demian was not interested.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything. That night, my room just happened to be facing your location. So, I hope you're not offended or anything. I'm really sorry."

Demian did not answer. Instead, he just took a sip of his hot coffee. He stood up from there after handing over a piece of money on the table.

Jessica felt she had ruined her idol's appetite.

"I'm really bad at interacting with men. Is this because I don't have a boyfriend at all?"

*