CHAPTER four

Jogging on the beach early in the morning was a habit of my mom I seem to have picked up. While in college, on campus you can find me jogging early hours in the morning or the in the late afternoons. Jogging works as a destresser for me, my head empties and the rythmthic slow run lulls my brain.

A bad day will make me jog, stressful exams? yes I am going to jog.

Experiencing the cool breeze and the wet beach sand on my feet as I jog was almost orgasmic.

Done with jog,I sat down on the sand close to the bay watch area,and stared at the sea.

"No one but me and you sea" I joked

"Comedy is not your forte" I jerked at the sound of a male voice.

A shadow moved and I was on my feet instantly.

The figure moved away from the shadow s to the light of the rising sun.

His hands were raised up "sorry for scaring you,name is Jason,I work here"

The light showed a tall and well built man based on the little I could see.

"Hi" I replied stiffly

"Hi? no name?"

I turned on my heels and started walking away.

"I hope I see you around"he yelled after me but I kept on walking.

******

Parking my car in front of the pastry shop,my pink Gucci platforms stepped on the parking lot gravel.

The door made a soft jingle sound as I push it open.

The coffe shop was packed with the morning rush.

"Latte for simons" A barista called out.

I joined the shorter queue and turned on my phone. I switched it off before leaving London, though I hardly doubt that grandfather is actively looking for me. Not Especially with the way we left things last time we saw.

My phone belts out strings of notifications as they popped up.

The person in my front took a couple of steps ahead and I followed suit, someone has received their order and left the queue.

The person in my front was a lady with a baby carrier, the type that is strapped to the carrier's chest. The baby carrier was empty, I did a quick survey of the cafe and I saw a man seated in one of the booths with a cute baby in his arms. He was speaking to an older lady who was also seated. The mother,who was the lady in front of me looked over to the table a couple of times which cemented the notion that the baby was hers.

I went back to my phone and it's notifications.Crypto has dipped again, stock market not so great. Some missed calls from my friend jules and Gerald, my grand father's personal assistant. I had some emails and messages from my professor.

"Nothing alarming" I muttered and switched off the phone, just in time for my turn.

"Black,no sugar, no milk and to go" i placed the order without looking up,i was rummageing through my purse looking for my debit card.

"Why?" the question stopped my search, I look up from my purse to find a teenager with cute pink glasses and two ponytails.

"Excuse me?"

"You are wearing pink" she motioned to my outfit which was a pink floral sundress.

"And?" my face was scrunched up in confusion.

"You look like barbie, Barbies don't drink black, black is sad and it tastes bitter and horrible" her chirpy voice explained

"Aren't you being prejudiced and slightly racist" I ruffled her

She rushes to disclaim "oh no, I don't mean it that way. I am just shy of my eighteen birthday, still too young to be a racist or I like to think so though I didn't mean it that way" she said in one breath

I arched a brow at her, she leaned over the counter and lowered her voice "or are you lactose intolerant, not that it is something to be ashamed of but that will explain why" she looked up at me eagerly "did I get it,you are? You are" she asked with excitement.

"Sorry to burst your bubble sweet fairy, I am not lactose intolerant" her face crumbled in disappointment and confusion.

"That doesn't make sense, you are not the male protagonist ceo who likes his coffee black nor are you the family's mid fifties matriarch who is bitter and snobbish" she leaned back and muttered to herself with her arm wrapped around her waist and the other was stroking her chin as she thinks.

A loud "LILIAN!" Jolted her from her brief musings " I hope to the almighty yer are not quizzing the customers about their choice of coffee again!" A older version of Lilian came to stand beside the guilty looking barista.

"Your line hasn't been moving for some minutes now. She read a bloody book about a barista guessing people's taste and she has been trying to play the character, I am so sorry" she explained.

"Ma! I am not trying to play, I am good at it" Lilian grumbled.

"I will give you a painful smack across yer face, if you do not serve this pretty lady her coffee and let her be on her merry way" Lilian quickly prepared my order.

"I am so sorry for the delay, the line will start moving immediately" Lilian's mother apologized to the people on the queue, gave her daughter a last warning look and left.

She collected my payment and asked if I wanted anything written on it

"No" I changed my mind "Yes"

"Which one?"

"Yes, I want mid fifties matriarch on it" she looked at me and I stared back at her.

"Are you joking? If i offended you with that comparison, I am so sorry" she looked close to tears

I rush to calm her down "Don't be, I actually enjoyed the guessing game"

She sniffles "okay, what should I write on it"

"Mid fifties matriarch Arizona"

"No shit, you mean it and your name is Arizona. That is a dope ass name, not like mine, Lilian Is so grandma ish. My da's gran was Lilian" she rattled off

"I think Lilian is a pretty name" she beamed up at me "Thank you but Mid fifties matriarch Arizona is quite a mouthful and I don't think the cup will contain it"

"Hmmm how about MFM zona"

She blushed hotly "MFM means something else" she mumbled.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing" she quickly writes it and added a cupcake to my order "The cupcake is on the house and I hope it swayed you to the sweeter side"

"Thank you. What is the name of the novel the psychic barista was in?" I was interested.

"Suits and coffee" she chirped happily

I left the line and observed that only few people were on it, people got impatient and joined another line.

I pushed open the door and a hand held it open.

"Good morning" the man looked familiar "Jason,we met this morning"

I am not so good with faces, I was still trying to place the face when he said "you are really snobby aren't you" he stated.

"Excuse you?" what is the audacity he has to call me snobby.

" We met earlier at the bay watch and here you are acting as if you don't know me,Arizona" He knew my name.

"Oh, that's where. I was trying so hard to place where I met such an ugly ass personality, but it was in the shadows"

He grabbed hold of my arm "You are just a little rich bitch, that's what you are" I look pointedly at my arm and he dropped it.

"A little rich bitch, it has a nice ring to it" I started walking towards my car

He yelled "Sir Grahams won't be around for long, you little cunt" I flipped him my middle finger.

"Fuck off" I told him over my shoulder.

He is a local from appledore, only locals knew my grandfather personally and also knew of his Knighthood. Appledore was my grandfather's hometown, he is somewhat of a local legend here.

I got to my car and unlocked it, my anxiety made my hands shook a bit but I calmed down enough to reversed out of the cafe's parking lot.

"What a fucking douchebag" I said to myself and drove home.