It Starts In a Cafe (Prologue)

Did you know studies show that schools, colleges, coffee shops, and malls are all excellent places to flirt because people are more open to meeting others in these places? Poor locations such as restaurants and movie theaters end up with more than a 30% decrease in the attraction to your opposite sex.

Nimble fingers tore apart the receipt that had accompanied her Chai Tea as Darla's eyes gazed around the room. She was seated at a round table in a quaint little coffee shop in the East Village of New York. The café was practically deserted as rain pelted down on the windows; the only other customer there besides her was a business man who chatted avidly on his phone providing the only noise that echoed around the room.

Darla sighed as her eyes flickered to the busboy wiping down tables a couple of chairs away from her. Her client was in college working as a busboy part-time in order to pay rent. Darla looked down to her watch and back to the busboy that moved to behind the counter of the coffee shop.

"Showtime." Darla muttered to herself as she stood and walked toward the counter.

As she approached the counter her client glanced at her then did a double take. He looked her up and down as a wide grin spread across his face.

"Hello." He greeted flashing a very handsome smile. Probably from years of dental work.

"Hey." She smiled back politely.

"Can I help you?" His grin never faltered. Darla glances at the door of the coffee shop before turning back to him.

"Actually, I'm here to help you."

"Oh?" He questioned surprised. "How so?"

"I know it must suck to clean up after people day after day, not to mention having to go to school but now even your friends are insisting that you get out more so they can get you out of this weird mood you've been in lately when all you want to do is kick back and relax at home after a hard day at work."

Her clients' eyebrows knitted together as he looked at her as if she was an insane stalker, which she wasn't. Everything she needed to know was all in his file. "How do you know that?"

"Oh, you know…" Darla replied absentmindedly as her attention was drawn to the sound of the door opening. A pretty brunette girl walked in dripping wet from outside, her eyes were rimmed red as a few tears escaped blending in with the rain water.

Darla smirked. She was right on time.

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a fifty dollar bill and handed it to her client who still stared at her confused.

"Take this twenty, make a coffee and cut up a slice of cake and give it to the girl over there and tell her it's on the house. Don't even think about hitting on her; just sit down and let her tell you her problems. If she's reluctant insist that she needs someone to talk to. Give her your number at the end of the night and recommend that she call if she needs to talk some more." She shoved the bill into his hands. He looked to the girl who sat by the window staring out sadly.

"Wait… what?"

Darla sighed rolling her eyes and pointed to the girl.

"I can't take your money."

"You already did." Darla replied pushing off from the counter. "Have a good night."

"Wait." Her client called softly grabbing her arm. "I don't even know your name."

"It's not mine you want to know." Darla replied flashing him a quick grin as she pulled her arm out of his grasp and walked out of the café into the pouring rain.

A/N: So this is a re-upload I took it down because I just wanted to re-write and change things the chapters will be pretty short until I hit the vampire diaries episodes so bear with me and I hope you like it don't for get to drop a review J