In the Beginning (Volkov Bratva #1)(7)

It wasn’t until a soft knock on her door made Lauren groan sadly, knowing that she should be getting up or her mom would come in there and force her up. She could vaguely hear someone speaking to her through the door, but the words were muffled through the wood and were gibberish to her sleep fogged brain.

The door creaked open, soft footsteps bringing Amber to Lauren’s side. She reached out, tapping Lauren’s shoulder. Lauren asked for five more minutes, but the words came out in a series of monosyllables as she rolled over, squeezing her eyes tighter to keep out any more light.

“Lauren!”

She shot up, her heart racing as she stared wide eyed at Amber standing to her left. “What happened? Are you okay?”

Looking amused, Amber shook her head. “I’m fine, but don’t you have class?”

Lauren cursed, glancing at the clock on her nightstand, the one she had continuously pressed snooze on for the last hour. 7:25.

Scrambling out of bed, she shot Amber a quick thanks—who was laughing in earnest at Lauren’s expense—and ran off to the bathroom, turning on the shower. As the water heated, she stood at the sink brushing her teeth. Normally, the minty foam helped push the remaining bits of sleep out of her head, but even that wasn’t helping this morning.

There would definitely be no more watching sappy romance movies with Amber the days before my 8:15 class.

Lauren showered quickly, deciding she just didn’t have the time to do anything spectacular with her hair, foregoing washing it in favor of rummaging through her closet for something to wear. Luckily, she had already packed her bookbag the night before, so as she returned to her room to dress, she was done and out the door fifteen minutes to eight.

Scores of New Yorkers were out and Lauren finally understood why it was called the city that never slept. No one was moving at a sluggish pace—despite the unGodly hour—and there had to be triple the amount of people walking around than Lauren normally saw in her sleepy hometown.

Just a few blocks from the art building where Lauren’s first class would be, she spotted a small cafe, nestled between a bakery and an office building. She might not have noticed it otherwise, but the glowing mug of coffee above the name of the place called to her.

When the light changed, Lauren crossed the street, following the flow of traffic until she was just a few feet away. The heavenly scent of pastries and caffeine beckoned her closer and if someone were running naked across the street, she would not have noticed.

The coffee shop was decorated in shades of taupe and ivory green, with tables lined along the walls, providing a walkway up to the counter. The display cases revealed buttery croissants, frosted tea cakes, and muffins that all looked fresh and appetizing.

Lauren stood in line, turning her music down so the blasting song wouldn’t distract the businessman behind her as he spoke quietly into his phone. Her eyes flickered over the cases, trying to decide before it was her turn which pastry she would be getting.

Pictures, some of coffee beans, others of inspiring quotes about the joys of the morning, were hung along the walls in black frames. Classical music played softly through speakers in the ceiling, a song she actually recognized from a favored movie of hers.

She liked the place immediately, deciding that this would be her morning stop before classes, knowing she probably wouldn’t get up early enough to fix her own pot at home.

When it was her turn to order, Lauren glanced over the menu—words scrawled in chalk along a board hanging from the ceiling. The cafe didn’t have the usual choices that were provided at places such as Starbucks, at least not that she could tell since the drinks were all named something unique.

“What can I get you?” The girl asked giving her a friendly smile though she too looked exhausted.

“Uh, I’m not sure,” she replied, a bit overwhelmed by all the choices. “What do you recommend?”

“I’m a big fan of the Morning Ray—it’s an iced mocha and caramel frappuccino,” she explained at Lauren’s bewildered frown, “but if you want something a bit stronger, you can always go for the double shot espresso.”

Lauren nodded, fishing out a bill from her purse. “Can I get the frappuccino then?”

“Sure thing.”

The barista rang her up, writing her name on a clear cup with the cafe’s logo stamped across the front. Paying, Lauren grabbed her change and stepped to the side, allowing the man behind her his turn.

There weren’t many people in the cafe, a group of students in one corner, a woman with earbuds plugged into her ears typing furiously on her laptop, and on the other side, a boy that looked a few years older than Lauren typing on his Blackberry.

Lauren took the time to glance down at her own phone, making sure she still had enough time. It was a few minutes past eight.

Her name was finally called a few moments later. Grabbing her drink, she vaguely heard another name being called as well, but she was heading towards the rear where a small stand was set up with different add-ins.

Taking a sip, she smiled at the decadent taste, but decided that she would prefer just a bit more milk in hers. Removing the top, she poured a small amount of half-and-half, tasting it again.

Pleased, Lauren was turning to walk out, trying to put the top back on when she hit someone, a bit of the coffee splashing onto the crisp white shirt of the boy in front of her.

“I’m sorry!” She blurted, hurrying back to grab a handful of napkins to blot at the saturation on his shirt, but she only seemed to make it worse.