Chapter 3

POV Clayre

After the conversation with Rebeca, I close my eyes and fall asleep, exhausted from the trip. I wake up sometime later, disoriented, and look at the clock, which shows 6:30 PM. A soft knock on the door makes me fully awake.

"Yes, come in."

Jack opens the door and puts half his body inside.

"Get ready, I’ll leave in 15 minutes and take you to the coffee shop."

"Okay! One minute!"

He smiles, closes the door, and I jump out of bed.

I go to the bathroom and take a quick shower. I completely lost track of time. I return to the room, and the orange rays of the sun reflected on the bed catch my attention. I admire the sky through the glass of the balcony, and the sunset creates a magnificent image. I focus on getting ready and quickly choose a short black dress. I spray some perfume and comb my hair. Once I’m ready, I find Jack in the living room. He’s focused on his phone, and when he looks at me, he’s surprised.

"Wow, you look well put together."

He runs his right hand through his hair, and it seems like he got nervous.

Jack is wearing a black leather jacket. His scent is spicy, sensual, with woody notes that create an absolute contrast with the masculinity he exudes. Curiosity and the desire to know more about him start eating at me.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I’m a brewer and distillery producer. My companies produce craft beers, wines, champagnes, and whiskeys. Currently, each one has its own manager, and I focus my activities on my main and private bar, called ‘Drink in Hell’."

"That’s amazing!"

"And totally sexy too! Damn it."

"Did you meet my mom at your bar or at her coffee shop?"

"Well, actually, she’s been to my bar a few times, just like I’ve been to her coffee shop, but it was at an event I worked where we finally talked. She was my waitress for a night, and things happened."

"I see..."

"Shall we go?" he asks, grabbing the car keys from the side table in the living room.

"Of course, let’s go."

We head down to the underground garage and get into the car.

Minutes later, we’re on the streets, and at every place we pass, I admire people having fun. It only takes a few minutes for me to turn my face and admire Jack. It’s the end of winter, and the soft evening breeze is cold. With the windows closed, the air doesn’t circulate, and I’m flooded with his perfume.

I breathe calmly and conclude that I’ve never met a man like this—extremely fragrant. Being next to him makes me shy, lost, and with a sudden surge of excitement. Internally, I ask myself why. I avert my gaze, which was fixed on his face, to the car window. I see the huge city buildings, trying to pretend that this sexual tension doesn’t exist. Maybe it’s just me who feels this way, and that’s wrong.

Jack stretches his arm to open the glove compartment. His big hand brushes lightly against my legs, and an explosive sensation happens inside me. I hold my breath, and our gazes meet. I admire him enough to make infinite sensations stir in my body. My heart races, my cheeks heat up, and my abdomen contracts in tension.

"Sorry…" Jack says immediately.

"It’s okay!"

I look at his full lips and then at his large hand holding a key.

"Keep this apartment key in case you ever need it," he says, smiling.

Jack holds it in the air, waiting for me to take it, and I remain stunned, just staring.

"Take the key, Clayre," he commands, pulling me out of my trance.

I regain my senses and stretch my arm to take it. He places it in my palm, and his fingers brush mine. A shiver strikes me, and I quickly pull away, stopping the continuation of our physical contact. Jack returns his attention to the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel as he accelerates anxiously. The minutes until we reach the coffee shop are completely suffocating. I feel like I’m in trouble for feeling different things around him.

"This will pass, I know it will."

The car stops in front of the coffee shop, and I quickly get out. I want to escape from Jack, from his intimidating presence that has been stirring my feelings. Today is my first day in Florida, and I haven’t felt anything like these giant golden butterflies that came to life in my stomach since high school.

I wave at him, and he waves back before driving away. I take a deep breath, regain my composure, pull my dress down, and gaze at the blue neon sign of the coffee shop. I know the time has come to face my mom. The last time we saw each other was 10 years ago during one of her visits, and internally, I don’t even consider her a mother because there was never any maternal affection.

"Be nice, Clayre. We’ll make up for lost time!"

I enter the place, and she’s behind the counter. The place is huge, with all-white walls, wooden tables, and chrome and luxurious furniture and utensils. She smiles while talking to her employee and hugs her warmly. I don’t know whether to feel jealous or sad about the scene. Seeing other people receiving her affection makes an ache grow inside me. I’ve always wanted her love, her care, and growing up away from her was hard. The moment she sees me, she freezes completely.

"Daughter? Oh my God!"

Liana runs towards me and hugs me tightly.

Her scent is vanilla with a hint of chocolate. Her auburn blonde hair falls below her shoulders, her blue eyes have dark circles, her skin is hydrated, and she still looks youthful and sexy. I can understand why, at 50, she caught Jack’s attention.

"Hi, mom, how are you? Did you forget I was arriving in Florida today?" I ask.

"Better now, I’ll finally have my baby with me." Liana calling me baby deeply irritates me.

"I stopped being a child a long time ago, and she’s forgotten all of that."

"I forgot, sweetie, I’m sorry, so much work, deliveries, but now I’m happy. Did you like the house, did you like Jack?"

"Of course I did… Damn it."

"Yes, the house is amazing, and Jack is a nice guy. I rested a bit, and he dropped me off here before going to work!"

"I hope you two get along, my dream is to have you both with me. Finally, a real family!"

I blink, not knowing what to say. It’s amazing how she always forgets about dad or the family we had. A true distortion of reality, of facts, of the past. Was it a fake family? What don’t I know about the past? I breathe deeply, trying to relax and lower my defenses. I’ve always known a fresh start wouldn’t be easy, and I need to swallow this desire to snap back and shout the truths. I pretend not to hear her comment and walk to the counter to greet the waitress.

"Hello, I’m Clayre Freburg!"

The woman looks about 25 years old, short, with brown bobbed hair, blue eyes, and wears the coffee shop's black and brown uniform.

"Clayre Stuart Freburg!" my mom corrects me.

"That’s right!" I confirm.

"Nice to meet you, I’m Dora! I’ve worked with your mom for a year, and she talks about you all the time. I’m happy you’re here."

"Until what time does the coffee shop stay open?" I ask, looking at the clock on the wall, which reads 7:30 PM.

"We’re closing now," Liana informs. "I’ll pack everything, and we can go. How about we have dinner together and talk for a bit, what do you think?" I agree, smiling excitedly.

"Sure, I’ll wait for you, I’ll sit at that table." I point to the last one near the exit door.

"Would you like a coffee while you wait?"

"Definitely! A cappuccino."

Liana makes the coffee, smiling the whole time, and then hands it to me.

I sit at the table, happy for this chance, to try again. I look at the glass cup, covered with whipped cream. I trace my finger around the warm edge while my thoughts drift far away. Before moving, I broke up with Rangel, and it wasn’t easy. Rangel is a successful businessman in Charleston and owns a chain of convenience stores. We had a six-month relationship. It didn’t last long, but I liked him. I remember the moment I ended it, and today I thank God I didn’t give in to his sexual advances.