5

Benjamin awoke the next morning feeling much better and brighter. Surprisingly, he had no nightmares; his sleep was restful and uninterrupted. He turned to the Lilith photograph on his nightstand and murmured to it,

"I appreciate you sparing me last night, darling."

Then he jumped out of bed, just in time to fetch the newspaper from his butler, Antonio.

"Good morning, sir," Antonio remarked as he handed him the paper.

"Good morning," Benjamin responded with a smile.

Antonio forced a smile on his wrinkled face, as he hadn't seen Mr. Caliwell happy in about two years. He constantly wore a stern and unpleasant expression on his face.

Antonio was ready to leave when Benjamin had the idea to ask him about the lady. After all, he was the chief butler, and nothing or no one passed past the house's four corners without his knowledge.

"A minute, please, Mr. Antonio," Benjamin said, and Antonio halted. He then returned his gaze to Benjamin.

"Did you see a young lady at this residence yesterday?" he inquired.

Antonio questioned himself after hearing this. Why was a Caliwell interested in a commoner? Was it why he had such a cheerful expression on his face?

A Caliwell had never showed interest in a commoner since he began serving at their estate as a tiny kid, and he was now nearly seventy, more than twice Benjamin's age. But maybe he was mistaken, and Benjamin didn't want anything to do with her in the way he imagined.

"Did you?" Benjamin inquired, interrupting the elderly butler's thoughts.

Antonio replied, clearing his throat.

"If you're referring to Ms. Rivera, she was here yesterday to bring..."

"Tell me, Antonio," he interrupted the butler again, "what else do you know about her?"

"Well, I do know that Ms. Rivera lives someplace in the city slums," Antonio said, adjusting his tie.

Benjamin already knew the lady was impoverished, but that wasn't what he needed—he needed an address.

"Her mother has a coffee business that is merged with the greatest tailoring store behind," Antonio continued.

"And where is this coffee shop?" With a raised brow, Benjamin queried.

Benjamin hurried up to take a bath after getting the information he need. Then he dressed up and went out.

When he walked downstairs, he spotted his mother drinking her morning tea as usual, and she stopped him.

"Where are you going all dressed up?" she inquired, and he halted to gaze at her with a wide smile on his face.

The two maids in the dining room with Mrs. Caliwell exchanged glances as they were blindsided by the latest development. They hadn't seen Benjamin smile in a long time.

"Good morning, mother," he said as he entered the dining room.

The servants then offered him a Unisom squat to greet him.

Mrs. Caliwell took a drink of her tea and said to him, "Your face looks as bright as the morning sun, and as joyous as the sea."

"Is there anything I don't know about?" she inquired, setting the cup of tea down.

Benjamin laughed briefly as he took his hands out of his pocket and remarked to her,

"I guess I should get out more and explore the town,"

His mother glanced at him, puzzled.

"The weather looks lovely today, so I thought I'd go for a walk," he adds.

"If you say so," Mrs. Caliwell said, and Benjamin approached her and kissed her on the cheek.

Mrs. Caliwell gazed at him in bewilderment as he turned to go.

"Keep an eye on him and report back to me," she instructed the maids.

They then nodded to her command. When Benjamin stepped outside, the foot guard, Dominic, greeted him with a smile. He then went to the automobile lot to select a vehicle.

His chauffeur approached him from his cramped living quarters.

"You may go back to sleep, Martins," Benjamin said as he unlocked his car door.

"Sir, I do not understand," Martins responded, because Benjamin had never asked to drive himself, except when he went for a walk.

He didn't appear to be heading to walk because he was dressed well in his suit, as if he was going out for something important. Martins became even more puzzled as he realized he was either being fired or dreaming. So he took Benjamin's words and returned to his cabin, hoping to wake from his dream before the real Benjamin was ready to leave.

Benjamin got into his car and headed to the River's Café as soon as Martins departed.

He came to a halt in the small parking lot where the café was located. Looking up through his windscreen to ensure he was at the correct location. "River's cafe and tailoring," read the enormous signboard attached to the top of the small cabin. He laughed unintentionally because it sounded humorous. Then he got out of his vehicle.

A brisk air assaulted his nostrils with the smell of roasted coffee beans as he pushed through the cafe's glass doors. From where he stood he surveyed the whole café in one glance. There were high countertops around, followed by a VIP space with a couch.

"Can I take your order?" his mystery lady asked from behind the counter, where she was working with the coffee machine.

Her back was to him, and she didn't bother turning around because she needed to start the machine by preparing herself coffee.

Because the sound of the coffee grinder was too loud, Benjamin stepped down to a counter near the corner and waited.

When the lady realized the customer hadn't said anything to her, she shut off the grinder.

"Are you going to sit there or are you going to place an order?" she almost yelled.

Then she turned to see the man who had broken her scooter the day before.

"You again," she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, it's me again," Benjamin said with a smile.