Italian Café By Sunset (Part One)

(JP with Redsword)

(Takes place Wed. evening.)

Riley had been excited for tonight. She wasn't really nervous it was more she really liked Zander and wanted tonight to go well.

It was coffee so she had chosen a nice but more casual outfit. Got ready, and after one more check in the mirror went downstairs to where she'd meet the others.

Zander was nervous in that typical first date nervousness. He hadn't been on many dates before and usually, one date had been it. Not his call but when he'd find out her interests and she'd find out his the two just never seemed to match up. He already knew Riley and he liked some of the same things so this was easier.

This is how his Zoom call with his sister had gone earlier:

Zander: How about this?

Dawn: No, go more casual. It's coffee, not dinner. Jeans, the ones we bought on the shopping before school started. The ones I keep telling you you should wear more often.

Zander: (after going to his dresser and pulling out the jeans) Okay, got them. With what shirt?

Dawn: Hmmm....the sage one. You know the J Crew with the buttons. Oh and wear either the white sneakers or the light brown ones. Actually, just wear the light brown ones.

Zander: I'll get dressed and call you back.

The twins hung up, Zander got dressed, fixed his hair, and then called his sister back on Zoom. Showing her how he looked.

Zander: "So?"

Dawn: "You look great."

Zander: "Thanks, sis."

Dawn: "Good luck tonight and..."

Zander: "Yes, I know, text you when I get back. I will."

Dawn and Zander at the same time: "Talk to you later."

The siblings hung up and Zander went down to where they would all be meeting.

Rose got ready and took one last look in the mirror. She texted JD to let him know she was headed downstairs. She'd meet him where she was meeting the other two.

Riley smiled when she saw Zander; she thought he looked really good. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," he greeted in return. "You look great."

"Thanks, you look great too." Riley spotted Rose. After the greetings, it was to just wait for JD.

JD came downstairs he was dressed casually. His eyes looked over Zander and Riley he smiled as his eyes settled on Rose she looked beautiful as ever he thought. he walked straight up to her, hugged her, and gave her a kiss. "We need to stop meeting like this, people might talk," he said with a smile. "Zander, Riley how are you guys?"

Rose returned the kiss and smiled and joked, "I think that ship has sailed."

Zander replied. "I'm good."

Riley said. "I'm good. So, should we go?"

They followed Riley to her car. She hit a button on her key chain to unlock all the doors. But before they got in Riley said. "JD. You know where we're going. Do you want to drive?"

JD hesitates, looking over the car. "Are you sure? I can," He says. He walks over opening the passenger door for Rose to get in. He gets in quickly looks at all the controls and adjusts the car to him. JD revs the engine a few times. "Here we go," says JD starting to drive. All his turns are smooth, and his braking, as well. The others in the car could tell he was being careful as he drives. This was one of the nicest cars he had ever driven and was wondering where these kids get the money for this type of car.

They arrive at the Italian coffee cafe. The European look by the beach made it a very nice place. they walked up to the front area JD talked to a person there and was shown to an outside table looking over the beach.

Italian café

Riley nodded, "If Conner trusts you with his car; I think I can trust you with mine. " The car had a push-button start so she didn't have to give him the keys

Zander opened the door for Riley in the back. She thanked him and got in.

Rose thanked JD for opening the door for her and got in.

When they arrived at the cafe they were shown to a table outside and sat down.

Riley said. "I don't know how I didn't know about this place. It's nice."

Zander nodded in agreement. "It is nice." He was for some reason more nervous now than any other time he had talked to Riley. It was like suddenly the stakes were higher.

Rose looked around, "The view is great. It reminds me of some of the cafés in Italy." She noticed Zander’s nervousness and she gently squeezed JD's hand. "Zander are there places like this in Vegas?"

"A few. Many places in Vegas though are over the top. So, if there is a place like this there it would be attached to a casino and probably have some souvenir shop with overpriced tourist stuff from Italy." He said lightly

Riley asked, "You've been to Vegas?"

Zander responded, "I'm from there. Where are you from?"

"Originally, L.A. I now live here though with my aunt." She paused. "So, do you like it here, so far?"

"Yes," Zander replied And just like that, the two were talking and Zander seemed a little less nervous.

As Zander and Riley seemed to be more interested in each other than the other two people at the table. Rose smiled at JD and then kissed him softly.

JD returned the kiss as the waitress walked up and asked them what they would like there was a menu on the table they could look over.

JD did not even look at the menu, "Rose wants that Italian ice cream I promised?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Yes and a Cappuccino."

Riley and Zander looked over the menu together discussed it for a moment and Zander said, "Two more cappuccinos and the two cannolis plate."

JD smiled, "Two Italian ice creams and cappuccinos." The waitress took their orders and walk back into the building.

JD turned back to the group,"This place has the best Italian ice cream around and cappuccinos I know of," he said then turned to Rose putting his arm around Rose. "The only thing that is better than this place is Rose," he said romantically.

Rose smiled at him; then said lightly, "You keep flattering me like that it might go to my head."

Riley and Zander nodded at JD's comment about the cafe and laughed at Rose's comment.

"Well, I'll have to remember where it is," Riley said.

Zander smiled at her. "I'd definitely come back here." He then asked. "How is your chess game coming?"

"Fairly well, I think. I think I might be ready for some more advanced moves soon." Riley replied

"Whenever you want. I'll help with those." Zander said.

"Thanks, " Riley replied

Zander then said. "So, you said before that you’re in three science classes? You must really like science."

"Oh, it’s what I love. I want to be a vet or an environmental scientist. I am trying to get into a summer science program but I need certain classes before they'll even look at my application "

Zander and Riley continued talking about advanced science and computer programs and various topics like that. They had become rather quickly engrossed in each other.

Rose leaned over and whispered in JD'S ear. "I'm not sure we needed to come but I'm glad we did."

JD turned his head and kissed Rose's ear and whispered, "getting time with you I could not say no." JD grins and says not too loud but loud enough for Zander and Riley to tease them. "So, Zander is going to do advanced moves soon." Then glances over to them.

Zander sighed and shook his head, then laughed. "I think I can leave the advanced moves between you two, for the moment." Joking about JD and Rose.

Riley smiled and was about to say something when their orders arrived. When the waitress left Riley said. "I'm pretty sure I couldn't have eaten two of those cannolis. Glad we're sharing them."

Zander agreed with that.

Rose took a sip of her cappuccino and then a bite of her ice cream. "This is so good." She then asked JD. "Should I even ask how many more surprise places you know about?"

JD took a bit of his ice cream too. "It's a trade secret" he replied then laughed some. "My mother showed me this place she is very good at finding out the best places to go like this. My family comes here sometimes. I think my mom misses Spain and Italy sometimes. So she comes to places like this. My parents and Conner's are fairly close and they showed us a few places during the summer as well. moving here during the summer helped me get to know the area pretty good." explained JD.

Riley added. "I've lived here long enough to know a lot of places but I'm still finding places I didn't know about." She then added. "I know Conner's parents. They’re nice. I'm not surprised they showed you and your family around."

Rose nodded. "That's nice. I haven't actually been to too many places here." She barely went anywhere when she was here last year. The only places she had gone outside of the school; Sam had to practically drag her to. Rose was glad things had changed. "I can understand your mom missing those places." Rose missed Italy a great deal but she knew it might be a while before she got back there.

Zander asked Riley: "Have you traveled?"

Riley nodded. "Some; Spain, Greece, London, Paris, New York, but not exactly as a tourist. When I was younger I use to model and act a little. I would travel for photoshoots. I do have a plan to go back to some of those places to actually see them. How about you?"

Zander said, "I went to London and Ireland last year and I went to a computer camp in Colorado but I really haven't traveled that much." He sipped his coffee. "So, what does your aunt do?"

Riley; "She owns The Garden Cafe. It's a breakfast, lunch, and brunch-only place. I'll take you there some time if you want."

Zander smiled "I'd like that."

Riley then asked Zander: "So what do your parents do?"

Zander took a sip of his cappuccino and a bite of the cannoli before answering. "Well, my mom Morgana is a social worker and my mom Josephine is the CEO of the casino my grandfather owns."

Riley nodded. "Have you spent a lot of time in the casino?"

Zander nodded. "Some. I'm not allowed on the casino floor because of age restrictions but I've been almost every place else in there. It can be fun. I go with my sister to some of the shows, which is fun and the restaurants are good."

Riley, Zander, and Rose continued to eat their desserts and drink their coffees.

With his ice cream gone, he looked a little disappointed looking at his bowl. "I think it's good to travel. Being a military brat though it does get to you. San Diego and Italy are the two places I have lived the most. The one place I find people don't go too much to is Japan. I have been moving around every two to three years most of my life. Been around the world too many times," said JD he took another drink of his cappuccino. "Some people think my family is rich but we are not really. Yeah, I have a handmade Italian-made suit. but that's because I lived there. So a lot of people miss judge me as rich." He says to them.

Rose finished her ice cream and Riley and Zander ate the last few bites of the cannolis as JD talked.

Riley said. "That sounds like a lot. I can't imagine moving around that much. What was it like going to school in those places? Did you go to schools on base?"

Rose gently held JD's hand as he spoke. She also wondered what that had to be like. She had visited a lot of places but not lived in many different places.

Zander nodded to what JD said but it didn't matter to any of them that JD wasn't wealthy. They just weren't the kind of people to whom it would.

Riley then looked at Rose, "I know you've traveled some."

Rose nodded, "I've been to Italy several times and I've been to London and Paris, once but I was only in Paris over a weekend. I've traveled to a few places in the US."

Zander looked at Rose and paused. "Where are you from?"

Rose responded. "New York, Long Island but I went to a boarding school in Vermont from the time I was eight."

Zander put one finger up as if he'd made a discovery. "That's it. I knew you had an accent and it sounded almost like Long Island but Hempstead, correct?" When Rose said he was correct. Zander said. "But it sounded kind of different at the same time; sort of faded, in a sense."

Riley was surprised. "You picked up all of that?"

"New York accents are very distinct and we would get a lot of people in the casino from Hempstead. So, I can usually pick one out. California accents are harder for me but so many people from California don't seem to have much of an accent." Zander explained. Then said to Rose. "Your accent is mildly still there but really faded and your diction ..."

He was stopped by Rose who said "My diction is very formal. You can thank my British Nanny and my old boarding school. I had to take diction lessons there."

Riley asked. "Was your old boarding school like Sakura?"

"No," Rose said. "It was very formal. We had to take things like etiquette lessons there." She paused. "Many of the students there were kids of government officials and such. It was a larger campus but there wasn't much around there so we had a lot of different things to do on campus."

Zander said. "I like that Sakura has so much to do around it."

Riley nodded, "So do I. It makes it fun to find new things to do."

JD thought for a minute. Rose gently held his hand. He wondered if he was overdoing it or getting anxious but he could hold her all day.

"Most bases have schools but I also when to some private schools or tutoring. That's why I think I was able to get into our school. I was a wrestling and track champion in Europe so that helps. But jumping from school to school I have found a lot of shortcomings in my education. Like I have to take classes on California state which most of you have done already. So I have to take an extra class, it sucks and my English is not all that great I can talk but my grammar is bad. Yeah, I can say hello, goodbye, and some other words in like 10 different languages but that won't help me in high school.

They finished their cappuccinos and desserts as they listened to JD talk about his experiences.

Once everyone was done Zander said to Riley, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Riley responded, "Yes"

Zander turned to Rose and JD and said, "I hope you don't mind."

Rose smiled, "Not at all."

Zander took Riley's hand and the two walked away; stopping only to pay for the bill. Unknowingly to JD and Rose, he paid for theirs as well but Zander figured they'd find out as soon as they tried to pay.

JD walked up to the counter to pay the bill. The guy behind the counter just smiled and said the bill was paid. JD nodded to the man and said thank you. He turned and took Rose's hand into his and lead her out the side door onto the beach.

He stepped out and stopped he looked around almost like was going to cross a street. Then watched Zander and Riley walk down the beach some. He mumbles, "They're good." He smiles and gives Rose a kiss. "That rat paid for the coffee and snacks. I think he is getting too much guidance from Conner," he said then chuckles.

JD turned and looked down a path, "Let's go this way I know of a nice garden over this way." He suggested.

Rose smiled and looked down the beach. "They are," returning the kiss. She laughed at what JD said about Zander paying. Rose walked with JD to the garden.