{CHAPTER ONE}

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The city was bathed in a soft, early morning sunlight as I made my way to the Cafe where we had agreed to meet. My heart flustered with excitement and anticipation, thoughts racing about finally meeting this MYSTERY GUY in person after three weeks of talking through the phone.

The sound of my foot steps echoed on the pavement, matching the pace of my racing pulse. While I made my way to a seat close to the window. I couldn't help but smile, wondering how the day would behold. Suddenly, a light touch on my shoulder made me jump in surprise, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh you scared me," I said, turning to look at the person behind me, while panting in shock.

"I didn't mean to scare you," a male voice brushed through my ears.

"Hanna, right?" he said with a warm smile, gracefully making his way towards the only unoccupied seat right in front of me, exuding a sense of charm.

"Yes, Ha...," I paused, then continued, "Hold on! MYSTERY GUY?" I muttered under my breath. We had exchanged photos during one of our conversations, allowing me to identify him quickly.

I stared at him and gave him a warm, friendly smile. He did look way better in person than through the phone.

"You look pretty, prettier than I could have imagined," he whispered, his gaze tender as he locked eyes with me, a captivating smile gracing his face.

I asked, breaking the silence during our long gaze, "I already requested coffee, would you like one too?"

"Oh yes, I could really use a cup of coffee. It's nice to have this moment to chat and enjoy a drink together... Don't you think so?" He asked.

"Definitely!" I stated, extending my hand to catch the barista's attention. "A warm cup of coffee is like a warm hug in a mug," I included.

We both glanced up, our attention drawn to the barista approaching our table, a bright smile lighting up her face, prepared to take our orders.

"So now that we're here, would you do me the pleasure by telling me your name, MYSTERY GUY?" I chuckled, while looking up to the barista, "Two cups of caffe latte, please."

Readjusting his seat, he watched as the barista walked away from us.

"Remember I told you to take a guess when we meet, but to save you the trouble of guessing, I'll tell you instead," he said.

Looking at him right in front of me still makes me wonder why he hesitated to tell me his name from the start. Was he trying to hide something from me, or was he just trying to be romantic? Nevertheless, it could have been both.

"I'm Jackson, Hanna. Jackson Wills," he quipped, the sound of a gulp audible as he spoke.

"Two cups of caffe latte for you," the voice of the barista interrupted the scene with a big smile on her face, placing our orders on the table.

"Thank you," I smiled back at her. Turning to Jackson, he was already gulping his coffee like he hadn't had liquid in him for days.

"Ohh, I didn't know you were quite thirsty," I giggled.

"Haha, well this coffee is just too good to resist," Jackson laughed, joking in the banter with a light- hearted response.

"I should probably dig into mine then," I quipped.

"Ahhh, so good," I murmured, savoring a sip of my coffee. A soothing sound escaping my throat as I closed my eyes, fully immersed in the moment.

Regaining myself, I said, "Nice to meet you, Jackson," I greeted warmly, quickly attempting to wipe my hand before offering a handshake to him.

Jackson flashed a charming smile, his eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement as he continued his coffee. "Likewise," he replied smoothly, reciprocating my handshake.

"The weather does seem lovely today, doesn't it?" I remarked, glancing out at the sun-kissed city.

"Yes it is, a walk after this sounds like a great idea. What do you think?" Jackson asked, smiling.

A glint of anticipation in my eyes, I quickly finished my coffee. "Shall we take the walk now?" I suggested.

The noise of cars moving and the sun shining through the city mingling with footsteps of pedestrians as we walked together, creating a peaceful moment like lovers enjoying a stroll.

"wait, we're quite a distance from the cafe already," I chucked, glancing around.

"Guess we got carried away with our conversation," he responded, "or maybe we stumbled upon a hidden gem. Who knows," he said, as he pressed his hands tightly into the pocket of his jeans.

"And what could this hidden gem be that we stumbled upon?" Gazing at his face, I pondered aloud.

Lost in the depths of each other's eyes, Jackson accidentally bumped into an old man. Quite a surprise in the middle of our moment.

"Aye fella! Watch where you're going," the old man scolded, eyeing Jackson.

With a mix of surprise and curiosity, replying in a friendly yet apologetic tone, "Sorry about that, sir. Didn't mean to bump into you."

The old man reacting with a gruff tone, pointing a finger at Jackson and saying, "Young man, you need to be more careful! Watch where you're going next time."

Jackson, taken aback by the old man's stern tone, stood still, his eyes wide with surprise, absorbing  the unexpected reprimand.

"I'm sorry, have a pleasant day," Jackson replied, his voice sincere and his demeanor respectful, acknowledging the old man's rebuke before continuing our way.

"Oof, that could have taken another turn if you hadn't apologized in time," I chuckled, thoroughly amused by Jackson's manly and polite handling of the situation.

He smiled, going back to our last conversation, He began, "You asked what could be the hidden gem, if I'm not mistaken," He continued, I noticed the slight movement as he placed his head down.

I was amazed at how he still remembered our last conversation after the incident with the old man. I thought, impressed by Jackson's attention to detail and the connection he maintained amidst the unexpected encounter.

"Yes, the hidden gem," I exclaimed, my eyes filled with curiosity.

"What could have been the hidden gem we..." I was stopped in my tracks by Jackson's word.

"It's you," Jackson said in a quiet voice, lifting his head up slowly.

"You are the hidden gem, Hanna," he whispered, a hint of suspense lingering in the air as the road ahead was filled with strangers.

Blushing, cheeks flushed, I played with the stones, using my feet like a child, all the while blushing softly.

I totally forgot that I still found Jackson a little weird, but as soon as he started with his kind words, I couldn't focus on that anymore.

"Hanna, I like...." he was stopped in his tracks by the ringtone of my phone. It was Lisa, my childhood friend. I turned back to pick the call, covering my phone, trying to hear her properly but I couldn't over the blaring car horns.

"Hey, Lisa," I whispered into the phone as the line abruptly fell silent, prompting me to question, "Lisa, can you hear me?" The unexpected disconnection left me in worry.

"Hope everything is alright?" Jackson asked with a mix of concern and disappointment written all over his face.

"Hmm, I think she was trying to say something," I replied, placing my phone back into my bag as I turned back to face him.

"And you were also trying to say something before the call," my eyes widened in remembrance.

"No, not at all," he said, scratching his head like a kid caught red-handed. "You better go check on your friend," he clenched his tongue.

"Alright then," I replied as Jackson walked over to hail a taxi for me.

"I really had a great time with you today," he mentioned warmly while holding the taxi door open for me. "Let's definitely plan to do this again sometime."

"We definitely should," I replied with a smile. Wrapping him in a big hug, I squeezed my way inside the taxi.

The taxi was just few miles away from Jackson when I glanced back through the rear seat window. I could see his strong, masculine figure striding ahead with his phone pressed to his ear, talking to someone over the phone.

I peered out of the taxi window, my hands nervously wringing together, I couldn't shake the sense that today's meeting with Jackson had been disrupted by Lisa. It felt like there was a sense of paramnesia, like I had crossed paths with him before. Now, up close, he seemed oddly familiar.

"Where have I met him before?" I muttered to myself. Despite my instincts nagging at me, I didn't want to let them overshadow what had been a wonderful time with Jackson. He was just perfect. I thought.