Maria Angela was sitting opposite Lochlan and stirring her cup of tea with a spoon as she was staring into the distance. There was no one in the cafe since it had just opened its doors. It was Saturday. People came to breakfast later.

Lochlan asked as he sipped from his black bitter coffee "What's the matter beautiful. You seem a bit down."

Maria Angela looked at him " You are feral. That's what's wrong. I am thinking of how I can talk some sense into you and make you think about how awful your actions are. I don't even know why I bother thinking about it. But I am hoping you will go and say sorry to Marco."

Lochlan said " So you are feeling down because I wasn't nice to Marco Confetti."

Maria Angela said "It's Moretti Actually."

Lochlan said "Whatever his name is... Confetti suits him more. He rains down on people when they don't want him to show up. A nuisance. He was unwanted. I showed him some manners."

Maria Angela said "You sound ironic. You do realise no one wants you around here. Right? Not even me."

Lochlan said "Why don't you want me around? Is it because of Confetti? Is he your new admirer or boyfriend?" He gave her a serious look.

Maria Angela gasped "For your information I have many admirers but they don't dare approach me..."

Lochlan said "But Confetti did." His tone was getting colder.

Maria Angela didn't even have the patience to correct him saying Marco's name wrong. He either didn't care or was playing around. She said "He asked  me a Maths question. He didn't ask me out. Did he? What is wrong with you? Just stop treating kids here like they are one of the people working for you or your father."

He defended "I am not. Confetti would have been tortured way beyond what I did to him if he worked for me and interrupted my conversation with you. In fact it would have made what I did to him like a light pat on the back... Everyone knows to show respect when it's due. My time with you is sacred... No one is allowed to ruin it."

She sighed "Except you of course. Only you are allowed to ruin our moment."

He smiled as his face lit up  "So you admit we had a moment."

She couldn't believe his arrogance. She retorted "I sincerely hope we didn't have a moment."

He said "Don't be like this beautiful. You just admitted we had a moment. It was our comment."

She stared at him as he was smiling cockily and picked up a piece of buttered toast said "I hope you choke on your toast."

He said "Beautiful, don't be mean." He then took a bite from his toast and stared at her.

She sighed "I don't even know why I endure you."

Lochlan said "What's there not to like about me? You endure me because you like me beautiful. Admit it."

She said in a mocking tone "Of course. That must be it. Because your actions are so making you attractive right now to me. I can't resist a man who chokes people with paper and threatens to pull out their arms out of their sockets for daring to ask a Maths question in a library of all the places. That's so romantic. No one has ever done that to win my affection. You shouldn't have." She then shook her head "You are despicable and wild."

Lochlan said "Come on beautiful. You have to date someone. I am your only option. You can't take anyone else home to meet your father, your brother or that uncle Roman of yours. I am not dying material. You have got to pick me over the likes of Confetti."

Maria Angela said "You have no shame. I hope my father never opens the door for you when you turn up to our house."

He said "He invited me to your house actually with my father. It's business. But I think it's the start of something big."

She choked on her tea and coughed "You what? You are going to my house?"

He nodded "Yes. Sorry beautiful. Am I overwhelming you? Let's not talk about meeting your father then. Let's talk about something else? Do you want some scrambled eggs beautiful. You hardly had anything."

She said "I am not hungry."

He said "You are right. We can sit here longer until you feel hungry. We will wait as long as you want. We can talk." He then pushed away his plate of eggs on toast.

Maria Angela sipped from her cup of tea trying to find a way to get rid of Lochlan. She could go to the ladies and then run.

Lochlan said "Beautiful. Talk to me."

Maria Angela said "I need to go to the ladies room." She  then picked up her back pack

He said "Sure. Why are you taking your backpack?"

She said "I have important stuff here. I dont like leaving my bag around in public places... Habit..."

He said "No one would dare rob you."

She said "Its not robbing thats a worry. The bag can get ruined or it may catch fire. Who knows?"

He offered "I can guard your back pack for you." He then grabbed it from her hand and hugged the bag "It's safe with me. Go to the ladies room and have your mind at ease. I assure you that your bag is in safe hands."

She couldn't believe Lochlan. She said sarcastically "Of course... One of the safest hands on campus I bet." She rolled her eyes. He was holding her backpack hostage now. Her life was in that back pack. She had carried it to library to give back the books... She wished she hadn't... Her essays were in that bag. The ones due next week. Including ones owed to her brother. He set so many essays for courses he was lecturing.

She gave him a forced smile "I won't be long." She then walked to the ladies room.

Lochlan chuckled and put her backpack down under the table. She was adorable trying to trick him. She wanted to take her backpack with her.

Just as he was looking around the cafe waiting for his girl, he saw the last person he wanted to see. Lavinia Rosario.

She walked slowly and gave him a hard look as she walked past "You are unbelievable. What is wrong with you? You made Marco eat paper? Who does that?"

He said " Mind your own business. Whats it to you? The last time I checked your man is Arcangelo. What are you doing? Cheating on him? You have feelings for Marco Confetti. Do you?"

She stopped walking and turned "He is just a good friend of mine. He just wanted to study in the library and you nearly pulled his arm out of its socket."

He said "Nearly. You are tempting me to go to him and finish what I started."

Lavinia noticed Maria Angela walking towards them from the rest room. She smiled at her "Hi. You are early to breakfast."

Maria Angela said "Do you want to join us for breakfast?"

Lavinia laughed and pointed to Lochlan "You are joking right? Breakfast with this guy present?" She shook her head and said  " Only kidding. I can endure his company for you if I had to. I am having a take away breakfast right now. I am not staying. Your brother is looking for me. I ran for it. I am going to finish my defence project. See you later." She then walked away.

As Maria Angela said "Bye" and  sat down she found Lochlan looking at her with a thoughtful expression.

She said "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

He said " You are so adorable... Nice Try beautiful. You are trying to avoid me. Don't think I missed your attempts to get rid of my company. You won't succeed. I am going to be watching you closely."

She asked "Is that a threat?"

He said "Beautiful. I think you already know the answer."

She said "I don't."

He said "Yes beautiful. You do. You ask me if I am threatening you. Why would I threaten you? I don't wish to hurt you. I just want to spend some time with you. Is that too much to ask?"

She said "You hardly ask. You demand."

Lochlan said "I like to see you. You can't deny me. You have kept me out for years. It's time you hear me out."

She said "That's what I am doing. Hearing you. What do you want from me Lochlan? I don't have feelings for you. You never go away. You always appear and grab whatever opportunity there is. Now that you are a captain I know I can't avoid facing you so I am willingly sitting with you but you can't possibly think that we can ever be together Lochlan. I am not like you. You are a horrible person who's cruel and heartless. You almost choked Marco to death for asking me a question and disturbing you talking to me. Do you really think I can ever like you? You are intelligent enough to know it's impossible. So why not just give up. ." She was now catching her breath after her long speech. She stopped and took deep breaths as she watched him for a reaction but he didn't react. He just leaned forward and put his hand under his chin. He stared at her.

She said "Lochlan. Say something. What are you thinking?" She expected him to get defensive and get angry but he didn't seem that way. He just stared at her calmly. She then watched him take a deep breath. She then heard him say "You have such beautiful eyes."

She looked at him in a questioning way "I just told you how I felt... You talk to me. It seems like you didn't hear anything that I said. Were you even listening?"

He said "I heard you beautiful. I heard every single word."

Maria Angela said "And? What do you say?"

He leaned back and sighed "I say right now I am trying to decide if I like our first date to be again on this campus or mine. We need to go out more often to bring us closer. We are a couple now officially... We just had our first date..."

She sighed in frustration "Lochlan.... Who's we? There is no us. There cant be..."

Lochlan said "Except there is us... You are sitting opposite me willingly talking to me... That says there is a we."

She said "I am sitting opposite you trying to talk some sense into you to make you pack up your love luggage and leave. I have decided to not avoid you and just take the talking route with you. I am using diplomacy... I am trying to make you realise that this is leading to nowhere so you better stop pushing for something that wont happen. You are wasting your time..."

Lochlan said " But I am not wasting your time? Am I? Beautiful. What have I done to you to push me away? You are willing to help Confetti with Maths but wont even want to talk to me..." His eyes held a dangerous glint in his eyes. She knew that look. Jealousy. There was tension in his body now.

She said "Come on.... You mention Confetti." She then closed her eyes and shook her head at how him saying Marco's name wrong made her get it wrong too. She had been too occupied seeing the hate and jealousy in his merciless eyes... She paused and then opened her eyes " Forget Marco... I am talking about us..."

He relaxed slightly "So you acknowledge there is an us..."

She sighed annoyed at him catching her. She said "You come to knock on my door and demand to talk... I hear you... But you must hear me when I say this.,... Go find someone else. Why not just leave me alone and go find someone who understands you. There are plenty of single girls out there who maybe your type..."

His expression changed. He leaned back. He said with a serious tone "Beautiful. Don't ever imply that you are comparable to anyone else. You are not. Don't bring up other girls. I don't like it. It makes me want to prove you wrong... It makes me want to bring down whoever you compare yourself to. For you beautiful, there is nothing I won't do. No one comes close to you in my eyes. No one."

She said "Really? Why do you insist on coming back when I reject you every time? Thats why I say go find someone else..."

He stated with meaning behind each word "My heart jumps when I see you. It doesnt happen when I see any other girls..."

Maria Angela looked away. His words were genuine. Too genuine. She wished he didnt like her. She knew him well. She just did. She knew he was not going to give up even if she moved all the way across the world. What was she going to do? He was right in one thing. She was willing to help Marco or help other guys but when he didnt ask for anything except a friendly talk she was rejecting him on the spot. It made him feel restless and jealous. She could see it in his eyes.

He stood up "I go get more black coffee. Dont run beautiful. I will catch you..." He then walked to the drinks stand.

Just then Maria Angela saw Arcangelo walk by. He asked "Have you seen Lavinia?"

She said "She came and got breakfast. She said she was running from you."

He asked "Where did she go?"

Maria Angela shrugged "To study..."

Lochlan came out from behind a screen where there was the coffee machine "Hello Arc."

Arcangelo looked between him and his sister "Where did you come from?"

Lochlan carried his coffee cup to the table and said "Your sister invited me..."

Arcangelo looked at Maria Angela and said "Let me know if he doesnt behave himself. He doesnt deserve invitations..." He then walked away.

Lochlan shouted "Lavinia said she went to finish her defence project so I am assuming she is where she can finish that project..."

Arcangelo stopped walking and turned "She is?"

Lochlan said "You are welcome."

Arcangelo walked away without a word with heavy steps.

Lochlan noticed Maria Angela's hard stare as he sat down. "Cheer up beautiful."

Maria Angela was mad at him telling Arcangelo about where Lavinia was. Maria Angela said " Did you have to do that?"

Lochlan took a sip from his bitter coffee "Oh. I did. I couldnt help myself.... I get tempted to do good deeds sometimes."

Maria Angela gasped "What good deeds? She was running from him."

Lochlan said " We are a couple... I look out for your brother... We are practically family. I thought I help him find his girl. The opportunity to do a good deed was too tempting to pass up

She said "Is that so?"

Lochlan said "Yes."

****

Lavinia was standing in the empty warehouse where she was picking equipment for her project from one of the boxes. As she was closing the box picking up a piece of equipment she turned and came face to face with Arcangelo. She dropped the equipment as she put her hands up "Woah. Caveman. You scared me... How did you find me?" She then was about to bend down to pick up her equipment when she saw him kick it away.

Arcangelo said "Now where were we? Lets pick up where we left off."

Lavinia said "Oh come on. A little bit of soda on your shirt and your face was nothing. It was a joke." She then pushed him away and ran to the door. She then tried to unlock the door but it was locked. He had deliberately let her run. She could hear his slow footsteps towards her. He was taking his time. Each sound of foot step made her more nervous in anticipation of what he was going to do. No one got away with half the things she did to him. He gave her special treatment. He had his own creative ways of taking revenge on her and made her pay in his own way.

She looked at him and leaned against the door as he reached her. He said "I notice you changed your shirt... No harm done." She then touched his chest and felt his body tense up under her touch. She said "How many bench press ups do you do every day caveman? This is hard as a rock."

He said "Dont tease me."

She said "I wasn't teasing. It was a genuine question" She then leaned close and kissed his lips as she ran her hands on his rock hard chest. He kissed her back slowly.

She then pulled away looking into his eyes. "So how many bench press ups do you do?"

He looked into her eyes and didnt answer. He grabbed her hands and pinned them against the door as he stepped close to her. There was an inch distance between them. She could feel the heat of his body. His breath was on her lips.

She said "Now you are teasing. Kiss me..."

He said "I am not teasing. I am just taking in your form... I like memorising the moment... When you are totally at my mercy..." He then kissed her lips heavily.

She kissed him back as fast as she could. It was hard to keep up. very hard. He pulled away and looked at her.

She was breathing hard looking at him now.

He said "So you think waking me up with fire alarms last night, throwing ice on me and soaking me with soda is funny do you? Did you really think I was going to let you get away with it? Do you want a repeat of the ice bath kissing I gave you again?"

She laughed "I am used to ice baths. What got me was how much I wanted to do it to you? I wanted to be the one on top doing it... It was one of my fantasies to make my man feel frozen as I heated him up with my kisses."

He said "Well. Tough luck. I wont ever let you go on top. I like to have you at my mercy."

She sighed "I know. Fate is not funny." She then with her leg tried to trip him to push him but it didn't work out. She said "I will get on top..."

He kissed her lips silencing her. As he pulled away he said "Give into me... Stop trying to get on top when you are under me. You will always be at my mercy..."

She said "Never caveman. The fight goes on for dominance in our relationship."

He said "Surrender."

He attached his lips to her and kissed her hard. As he pulled away he said "We can call it even... I gave you ice bath kissing... You woke me up and soaked me up...

She bit her lip "And for the soda attack."

He said "That was in public and not private... So ... Its an official assault. I can either arrest you or drop and give me 50 push ups or apologise..."