Welcome to Café Luxe

Sam stared up at Luke, "y-you're here...? You're....my...housemate...?"
Luke looked down at her and saw his bag with her and remembered Ms Dean saying she asked his housemate to bring his bag, "y-you're....?" he mumbled.

"EH?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!?!?!?!?" they both exclaimed, pointing at each other with wide eyes.

Ms Dean clapped, they way Kirsten did in the first day (see Chapter 2), "wow, did you two rehearsed that?" she smiled in amusement.

"Mom! Why are you doing this to me?!" Sam looked at Ms Dean.
Ms Dean laughed in a motherly-evil-laugh, "that's for being so snobby in school," she raise the back of her right palm to her mouth and laughed like an evil senorita. She slowly came down stairs, Ian and Luke following her.

"W-Wait...," Luke looked at Ms Dean to Sam, "don't tell me...," he stared at Sam in horror, "YOU'RE MS DEAN'S RUMORED KID?!"

Ms Dean laughed in her senorita laugh again, "can't you tell we're related?" she smiled, "because unlike this snobby kid of mine," she pinched Sam's cheek, "I'm very very friendly."

"Hah?" Luke and Sam stared at her with their half-moon eyes, "who's friendly?"

Ms Dean paused, "don't look at me with those half-moon eyes of yours," she tells both of them, "anyway, Ian," she called.
Ian smiled, "yes, Ma'am?"
"Please take care of them," she smiled, "especially this girl here," she pat Sam's head lightly, "she can be hard-headed sometimes."

"Mom!" she blushed.
"My pleasure," Ian smiled.
Ms Dean walked across the hallway and to the main door, "I have a meeting so I'll see you people tomorrow," she smiled and closed the door behind her.

There was an awkward silence.

But Ian, being his usual servant-self, smiled at Sam, "please take care of us, Mistress," he bowed.
"Eh..?" Sam blushed, "I'm not a mistress...," she smiled, "you can call me Sam."
"..or evil witch," Luke coughed.
-BOINK and POW-

"It's Sam," Sam smiled at Ian.
"Ouch...," Luke rubbed the big red thing on top of his head.
Ian smiled, "oh no. That's unlikely. We live under you, Mistress, so I have to call you that."
"Oh..," Sam frowned, "Okay!" she smiled.

"Is there anything Mistress would like to eat? It must be stressful in school," he smiled.
Sam smiled at him, "it's only 2 pm. You can serve tea later." She stared angrily at Luke, "you're bag, idiot." She shoved it to him and walked up the stairs.

"THANK YOU," Luke said almost angrily and stuck out his tongue as she turned away.

Ian looked up to the blond girl going up stairs and then to his master, "Master, would you like anything to eat...?"
Luke smiled, "that'd be great," he sighed. As Ian headed to the kitchen, Luke called, "and don't worry. Dad will definitely come back," he added.

Ian looked back, "yes, I'm confident that he will, Master."

.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.
It was late in the afternoon, half past 4, actually. Sam hopped down her side of the staircase and stopped as she saw the glass door opened and a man sitting and drinking tea. His back is faced towards her as he sighed and stared up the sky.

Sam silently and curiously took a step. Her eyes widened in more curiosity as she saw Luke closed his eyes, leaning back to his comfortable seat. She sat beside him, the tea-table separating them. She leaned back and slouched.

"What are you doing?" he suddenly asked. She looked at him as he stared at the slouching girl, "are you even a girl?" he asked.

"Of course, I am, you idiot!" she exclaimed, blushing as she sat up.
"Yeah, I am an idiot, huh...?"
Sam looked at him as she tilted her head to one side. Her eyes lowered as she saw him frown at the sky, "don't look as if it's your fault."

Luke looked at her, with her sad smile, "you're father...," she slowly said, "probably had a reason." She looked up at the sky and then to him, "so don't frown at the sky."

"What reason is that?" he asked, "he took everything including the money I need for school."
She sighed, "I don't know what kind of person your dad is. He's probably a very caring person," she smiled at him, "I would love to meet him."

But before Luke can even say another word, Ian stepped out to the balcony, carrying new tray with snacks and tea, "glad you can join us, Mistress."

Sam smiled, "thanks, Ian. Usually, I don't have my 'tea-time' in the afternoon because of homework," she took a cup and saucer as Ian poured her a cup of tea.

Ian smiled, "that's why I'm here," he poured a cup for Luke, whose elbow rested of the armchair and hand over his mouth, "here you are, Master."
"Thanks," Luke mumbled.

Ian winked at Sam, "usually, I'm the one enjoying teatime whenever Master and I have one." Ian left to return to the kitchen and cook dinner.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Luke walked into the dinning room and walked across the room, he swung open the door and immediately closed it, seeing Sam in there. She was with Ian, cooking dinner. He stood beside the swinging door and sighed, "why am I even hiding...," he thought, "it's not like I want to spy them or anything."

Suddenly, he heard Sam giggled, as she had fun. He took a peek at the door's small, round glass window, "they're having fun...," he thought. Suddenly he blushed, "I can't believe I'm spying here! It's as if I want to know how she feels for him or something!" he hit his head, "oooh, Luke, my man, I think we have a love issue here!!"

--
Sam stared at him as he chopped onions, "hey, Ian. Since Luke doesn't have money to pay you, why're you still with him?" she asked curiously.

Ian smiled, "that's because I have my loyalty to the Van Drie family and only to them."
"Aren't you afraid you won't have money to take care of your family?"
Ian looked at Sam with a smiled widely, "I don't have a family."
"Oh, right," Sam looked down at her chopping board, "drats! I think I made him mad," she thought.

"Why are you blushing, Mistress?"
Sam snapped out of her thoughts and realized she was blushing as she thought of Ian.
Ian chuckled, "you don't have to be so formal when you're with me, Mistress," he said.
"That's the reason I'm smiling."
"Huh?" Ian looked at her wide-eyed.

Sam covered her mouth, "aw, man! I slipped out!" she mentally hit herself.
Ian's eyes made a inverted V, indicating he's worried, "Mistress?"
Sam blushed, "since I already slipped...," she thought. She faced Ian, "y-you see..., Ian...."
--
Luke, who was still stupidly eavesdropping, looked so surprise that he's ready to jump out and say "I'm here" to them But all he did was to listen. His bangs covering his eyes, "I see...she likes him,huh?" he muttered.
--
"I-I....," Sam said, almost inaudible.
Ian stopped chopping and looked at her worriedly, "Mistress...?"
"I like you, Ian!" She suddenly blurted out, blushing madly.
Ian leaned back a little, dropping his knife on the chopping board.

"I-I'm so sorry," Sam bowed, "since elementary...you were always in school with Luke and I... I really REALLY admired you... and...," she shut herself up to avoid saying anymore mushy things.

Ian looked so surprised but then, he sighed, "Mistress, thank you."
Sam looked up and made a "huh".
Ian smiled, "but I don't think it's proper for me to answer you further, Mistress. I'm a servant and you're my Mistress and that's that," he placed his hands on her shoulders, "but I bet there's someone out there who's better for you."

Ian looked a his watch, "it's almost dinner time," he looked up to Sam, who was staring down to her feet and blushing, "let's have dinner, Mistress."
Sam nodded, "s-sure..."

-=.::.=--=.::.=--=.::.=--=.::.=-
It was half past 2 am. Luke unsteadily headed down stairs as he yawned. He stumbled into the dinning room and to the kitchen. He pushed the kitchen door open and walked passed a figure sitting on a stool, with hot milk on the kitchen table in front of her.

He opened the refrigerator and took the milk carton and head for the kitchen table for a glass. He still hasn't noticed the figure sitting on the stool with hot milk.

Sam handed him a glass, a smile cracked up on her face, knowing he still didn't have the slightest idea she was there.
"Thanks...," Luke accepted the glass. Suddenly, he looked down to his glass and up to Sam, "oh, hey. You're awake too," he said sheepishly with a freaky grin.

"Here, hot milk," she handed him a transparent bottle.
Luke returned the carton milk to the refrigerator and poured in hot milk and took a big gulp.
Sam cupped her cheeks, her elbow on the table, "can't sleep,huh?"
Luke took a stool and sat across her, "I always have milk before I sleep. I just fell asleep from doing advance homework and notice the time a few minutes ago."

Sam nodded, "doing advance homework too,huh?"
"Yep," he took a sip.
Sam smiled, "I'm in page 30."
"Page 31...," Luke grinned, "I still win, rank 2."
"Don't call me 'rank 2', you idiot," Sam frowned.

There was silence.

"Hey."
Sam looked up from her glass, "what?"
"I heard you and Ian a while ago."
"You were eavesdropping?!"
Luke smiled, "not really. Just curious."

"So you probably came down to taunt and laugh at me and go, 'hah! you got dumped!' or something, right?"
Luke shook his head, "not really."
Sam shot him a 'I-don't-believe-you' look.
"Hey...," Luke stared down to his empty glass, "do you want to know why he dumped you...?"