Chapter Nine

Nine

Demetrius Grace

Early November – Mercedes Coffee Roasters

Southern California

“Demetrius,” Mercedes asked. “May I pray for you?”  

In preparation for opening his coffee house, Demetrius had flown to Southern California for specialized training as a coffee barista with two time United States Barista Champion Mercedes Andrews. She had helped him discover how to get the most flavors out of the espresso bean and to provide the customers with a genuinely great cup of coffee. But more than that, he'd picked up innumerable ideas about how to make Grace Coffee House a world-class specialty coffee shop.

“You'd like to pray for me?” he said somewhat surprised. 

“Yes, it's what I like to do when I can see greatness in my students. Is that okay?” she queried. 

“Yeah, sure.”

The prayer Mercedes prayed was unlike anything Demetrius had ever experienced. It was personal, focused and hopeful. “I see something the Lord would have you to know, Demetrius,” she continued. “I see the Grace Coffee House will provide the people of Paine Harbor with a place where they can feel genuinely safe to explore who He is, and find healing from the pains of the past. God is going to use you, your voice, and your faith to be a beacon of genuine love and the realization of unspoken dreams.” 

“Wow.” Demetrius said feeling quite overwhelmed. 

“Wait, there's more.” she interrupted. “The Lord would have you know as you learn to love others in His name, He will heal your broken heart and will surprise you with a new found ability to experience true love.” 

The sobs began to build in Demetrius' chest, until they could no longer be ignored. Soon, he was weeping openly, the tears flowing down his face unashamedly. Mercedes placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as he expressed his feelings. “Mercedes,” he asked. “How did you know my heart was broken?”  

“I didn't,” she said softly. “But He does and He wants you to be fully restored. He knows you cannot accomplish your destiny until your heart becomes whole again. It may well be this entire business adventure is more about your healing than anything else.”

A renewed Demetrius Grace returned to Paine Harbor the next day.

Grace Coffee House

Paine Harbor

Grace Coffee House was coming together. The counters had been built, the electrical lines run and the painters were applying the specific colors Demetrius had chosen. Given his suite was large, Demetrius envisioned numerous uses which would be a benefit to the community, including the usual coffee house litany of live music performances, poetry readings and art displays. But he also saw another purpose. 

“I want this to be a place of safety, of encouragement and a real blessing to the people of Paine Harbor.” Demetrius shared with his brother one evening over a fine espresso drink. “Given I'm single, I don't mind working a million hours a week. What else do I have to do?” he said. “However, I'd like to take a young person under my wings and teach them how to operate a business so they can do the same if they'd like.” Posted in the window of the simply named 'Grace Coffee House' was a help wanted poster. 'Low pay, long hours, free coffee' it read.  

The Grace family had been pitching in together to help get everything in order for the opening, and Sandy was a real trooper. Dressed in a pair of overalls, and covered head to toe in dust, dirt and grime, she leaned around the corner and called out. “Demetrius! Come here. You won't believe what I found.” 

“I'm afraid to ask.” Demetrius said with a smile. In the past two weeks, they'd filled the dumpster numerous times with broken chairs, three-legged tables, boxes of unopened but long expired fish bait and a great deal of other trash that had accumulated in the building. Today, Sandy was tackling the little storage room behind the office. “Well, look at that,” said a genuinely amused Demetrius as he saw Sandy's find. It was a spinet piano with a light oak finish that appeared to be in excellent condition. Demetrius opened the keyboard cover and began to plink out the only song he knew, ‘Heart and Soul’. 

“I'd imagine if this were tuned, it'd sound pretty.” Sandy said optimistically. “And wouldn't that be a nice addition to the Coffee House, live piano music.” 

“Sandy, you aren't going to believe this. But I've been praying about buying a piano. And now I've got one.” he said in wonder. “I'm taking this as a very good sign that God is on our side!”

The next day, Demetrius was alone in the shop, when he heard the chime on the front door. When he saw the stranger come in, he called out to her, “We aren't open yet. The grand opening is in a week.” 

“I know,” came the sweet voice of the young woman. Demetrius felt a strange sense of familiarity, not from her appearance, but from her voice. “Do I know you?” he asked. “You seem familiar to me.” 

“I hear that a great deal,” she said with a warm smile. “My name is Andi, Andi Andreson.  Well, it is actually Andrea. Andrea Marie Andreson to be precise. But I much prefer Andi. How are you? It’s Demetrius, right?” 

“I'm fine. Wait. How'd you know my name?” he asked.

“This is a small town, you know.” she replied warmly. 

Shaking this confusion off, Demetrius reminded her he wasn't open for business yet, expecting her to leave but Andi just stood there as if it was precisely where she was supposed to be -- confidently, quietly and without any sense of threat. Oddly enough, Demetrius felt glad she'd remained. 

“Hey, do you like coffee?” he asked. 

“Do I ever,” she said softly. 

“Well, can I try a couple of drinks out on you? I'm just getting things set up, so I need a guinea pig to try my drinks. Oops, I'm sorry, you aren't a pig, well, you know what I mean, right?” he said somewhat embarrassed. 

 “I'd be honored.” she replied.

“You'll do me a big favor if you'd be brutally honest.  Tell me if you like it or especially if you don't. I need to know the truth so when I open next week I will only be serving good coffee drinks,” he said as he began to get everything in order. “Go ahead, make yourself at home. Sit wherever you'd like. I'll bring the drinks to you.”

“Is it okay if I sit here at the coffee bar? I'd like to watch you work?” 

“Sure, but remember, I'm new at this,” he replied sheepishly. 

“I can't wait,” she said in anticipation. 

“You know, I've dreamed of doing this for years, but I was always afraid to. It is such a risk to have my own place. But, if ever there was a time for doing so, it is now,” he said. 

“Yes, I agree. Now is your perfect time,” Andi replied as if she were an old friend. Demetrius met eyes with Andi wondering why she seemed so familiar. 

“The first drink I'm going to make you is a simple latte. Do you like whole milk?” he asked. 

“You betcha.”

“I just got back from California. I went there to get trained and it was an amazing time of growth for me.” Demetrius shared. “I was trained by the United States Barista champion.” 

“Mercedes Andrews?” Andi asked.  

Meeting eyes once again, he queried:   “Do you know her?” 

“Oh yes, for many years,” she replied. “I did my undergraduate program in La Verne. That’s near her coffee house. She makes great coffee, doesn't she?” 

“Yes, if I can be half the barista she is, I'll be doing great.”

“Oh, Demetrius,” Andi said in seriousness. “I'm confident you'll be great. Isn't that what Mercedes said to you?” The shock of this statement nearly caused Demetrius to drop the milk pitcher. 

“Uh, I'm a little freaked out here. How'd you know that? Did she tell you about me?” 

“No.” Andi responded. “But I'm right, aren't I?” 

“Yes.” he replied. “Are you a person of faith, Andi?” 

“Yes, of course.” 

“Mercedes prayed over me, and she spoke words of blessing and of increase and gave me what I found out later were prophecies about the purpose of this business and what I'm supposed to do with it,” he explained. “Do you believe in that stuff?”

“Most certainly, I do,” she smiled.

As they continued to talk, a friendship was quickly formed. For Demetrius, it was completely a surprise and out of the blue, yet being with Andi had a reassuring quality. It felt like she was an old friend he could tell anything to, and she had received what he shared with kindness and love. He told her of his brother and sister in law and how'd they come to Paine Harbor and of his last minute decision to join them. Finally, while sipping on a macchiato he began to tell Andi of the death of his beloved April.

“Have you ever felt completely one with another person? Where love is not something you do, but something you are? That's how it was with us even as teenagers. People would comment to us all the time about how refreshing it was to see two human beings so completely in love and so dedicated to one another. I don't think I can ever have anything like that again. And until I decided to leave Colorado Springs and come here with Oliver and Sandy, I wasn't even sure I wanted to live,” he confessed. “I cannot believe I just told you that. I've never said that to anyone.”

“Thank you for honoring me with it. I'll treasure it always,” she said gently. “Demetrius, you need to know this: You have to know deep down inside that even in her final moments on this earth, you were on her mind.” 

After a few moments, something happened within Demetrius he was at a loss to explain. He heard himself saying calmly and with assurance, “In my grief, I’d never considered that. All I could feel was the pain of losing her. But…” he paused thoughtfully. “I believe you, Andi. I believe you are right. And somehow, in some strange way I don’t understand, knowing I was on her heart helps me.”

“I’ve come to believe,” Andi said quietly, “that as terrible as death is for us who are left behind. And it is, that is for sure. It isn’t bad for the person who is dying. I’ve come to understand the promise Jesus made to ‘be with you always…’ applies to brief moment of transition from this life to the next one. And if I’m right, then we can take comfort our loved ones are never alone, never frightened, never lost. He was with April, Demetrius. He helped her in her crisis.”

Demetrius was stunned by Andi’s words. He stood quietly staring at her face seeking to grasp the depth of what she’d just said. Deep inside her words resonated as being truth. It was the kind of truth one could rely upon. More than that, he sensed something was happening within him that would change his life forever. His wounds of grief were disappearing and were being replaced with inner peace and wholeness.

“I don’t know who you are, Andi. And I don’t know why you are here. But I sense what you are saying is true, and more than that, they are encouraging me. Thank you.” Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, he continued with gravity and sobriety. “I believe April was safe and secure from the moment of the accident forward.”

“I'm really glad,” she said. “It's important to me that you believe. Faith is everything, you know. What a man believes determines everything about how their life plays out. Faith determines all of our relationships, including our human relationships and our relationships with our Creator. It is important. Vitally important.”

There was a pause in the conversation. Demetrius was gaining clarity about the uniqueness of what Andi was sharing with him. As time passed, he began to grasp how special this moment was, and he was clinging to every aspect of it knowing it was to be treasured. 

“Andi, I believe God sent you here today.” Demetrius said honestly.

“I think you are right,” she replied smiling. “I was asking God this morning to use me, and the next thing you know, I’m walking in here. And you are choosing to believe, without having all of your questions answered. You are being, like Jesus spoke of, childlike. And it is kids like you and me which get to enter the Kingdom of God.”

“This is certainly unexpected. I mean, here I am, in the middle of nowhere, minding my own business, and you show up. You’ve completely rocked my world.” Demetrius laughed.

“That's good, Demetrius. I’ve heard that before from others. I’ve also been called a ‘trouble-maker.’ In fact, I’ve been officially uninvited from several churches in the past, they just didn’t know what to do with me,” she replied with a smile. “I guess I’m been given a prophetic gift. Praise God.”

Demetrius began to feel an electrical charge running through his body. It wasn't unpleasant like being shocked by an outlet; rather it was more like his body was connected to his soul with joy, peace and deeper levels of perception he had never known before. Deep inside, in places he would ordinarily be afraid to go, Demetrius was being healed. The things Andi had said were touching him and helping him to experience genuine restoration in his inner man. The overwhelming and unhealed grief that had piled up deeply within him was being peeled back exposing him to the electric-like power which were in the air, and suddenly Demetrius was finding healing. The heaviness was simply eliminated. The darkness was being filled with light. His face began to burn. Not with the burn of loss, grief and sorrow, but with the burning sensation of expectation that something really good was happening. As these moments turned into minutes, Demetrius realized he was happy. Genuinely happy. Suddenly he was set free from the heavy burden he carried since the night of April’s death. Now with it gone, he found himself smiling and filled with an indescribable joy.

Joy is an amazing thing to discover after walking through the valley of the shadow of death. It is unexpected, and completely welcomed. Even though one isn't looking for it, joy immediately becomes an indispensable part of life. Demetrius began to laugh. Initially his laughter was quiet, perhaps even a bit repressed, but within moments it turned into the kind of out of control laughter which becomes all consuming. He was laughing out loud, from the stomach, hysterically loud, some might even say 'obnoxious' but Demetrius was so filled with joy that nothing could hinder it.

Andi waited with a smile on her beautiful face. 

Demetrius’ laughter quieted down after a few minutes. He looked both exhausted and refreshed in the same moment. He reached for a paper towel and wiped his face. “That was something,” he said when he was finally able to speak. “I've never in my life laughed like that!”

“How do you feel?” Andi asked. 

“Oh my...” Demetrius struggled for words. “Wow. How do I feel? I don't have a vocabulary to describe it. It feels great. What happened Andi? Tell me, what happened?”

“You were holding on to grief so tightly, God couldn't get in,” she explained. “But God refuses to lose you to grief, so He has healed you. In healing you, He’s filled you with Holy Spirit. That burning sensation you felt is the Holy Spirit coming upon you just like in the New Testament. You've been baptized in the Holy Spirit.”

“Wow,” said a totally overwhelmed Demetrius, “Wow. 

Andi began to laugh in her infectious manner she was famous for and soon Demetrius joined in. Had someone popped into the not-yet-opened Grace Coffee House, they would have thought for sure they'd been drinking something far stronger than coffee. 

Andi Andreson

Three years previous

Phoenix, Arizona

Andi Andreson didn’t always enjoy life. Her young adulthood was filled with chaos, broken relationships, drug abuse and financial ruin. Andi repeatedly chose the wrong men, the wrong friends, the wrong behaviors and most certainly the wrong attitudes. The result of her bad choices was an out-of-control downward spiral of misery. Her wrists were scarred with permanent evidence of several failed suicide attempts.

She hit the bottom when at the age of 22; she awoke in a psychiatric hospital completely disoriented terrified and screaming frantically. The night prior she’d been running down the middle of the street completely naked and out of her mind under the influence of meth amphetamine. She then assaulted the police officer who was trying to help her calm down. Mercifully arrested and taken into protective custody by the same police officer, Andi was taken to the psych hospital for a mandatory 5150 a 72-hour mental health evaluation.

When the drugs wore off, a kindly social worker sat down with her and softly said the one thing she’d never expected to hear.  “Andi, it appears you want to throw away the most precious gift possible, before you even unwrap it and see what it is. You look like you need to sleep some more, so let me know when you want to talk.” Doctor Wagner said as he walked out of the lockup unit.

Three days later, as the 72-hour involuntary hold was coming to a conclusion, she asked the orderly if Doctor Wagner could come see her. A few minutes later, he walked in and said, “Are you ready to open your present yet?”

“Doctor,” Andi replied soberly, “what is this gift you speak of? All I have ever gotten in this life is hassles, headaches, lies and bull.”

He nodded in such a way that Andi instinctively knew he understood. He looked at her compassionately, but didn’t speak.

“But, there’s something about you. You aren’t like all the others.” Andi said honestly.

“I’m glad to hear that, Andi,” Doctor Wagner replied. “And I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll help you unwrap this gift, if…”

“If what?” she interrupted anxiously.

“If you’ll voluntarily stay here for 14 more days.”

“Ain’t no way!” Andi angrily yelled while jumping to her feet. “I’m out of here in 20 minutes! Are you kidding me?”

“Well, that’s that,” he said resignedly.

“C’mon, Doc. I can’t hang here. This place is filled with crazy people. I’m not like them.”

“Okay,” he said softly and stood to leave.

“Whoa now, Doc,” Andi said trying to stop him from exiting. “You can’t leave me hanging. I must know. What did you mean about a gift?”

“Fourteen days,” he said locking his eyes on Andi. There was something about those eyes that drew Andi to him. He knew something that she didn’t. “You stay fourteen days, and take to heart what I’ll share with you, and it is highly unlikely you’ll ever come back. But if you cannot do that, well, I wish you the best.”

Doctor Wagner stepped out of the room, locking the door behind him. Andi sat stunned by what had just occurred. She thought they’d argue, negotiate and come to a compromise. “But no,” she thought. “Like every other man, it’s his way or the highway.”

It was only a few minutes later the orderly came with the release papers for her to sign. As she picked up the pen to sign the final form, she was surprised to see her hand shaking. Looking down at her hand she said, “C’mon hand, you can do it.” 

But she couldn’t.

The orderly was tapping his keys on the metal desk waiting impatiently for Andi to finish. “Listen lady, I’ve got four other people to release, and my shift ends in 45 minutes, so…” he said nodding to the papers.

Slamming the pen down on the desk, she said, “I need to see Doctor Wagner!”

“Whatever,” the orderly said disgustedly. “I’ll see if he can come in, but not until after I get the others released.” And with that he left the room.

About ninety minutes later Andi heard a knock at the door. Sticking his head in the room, Doctor Wagner said, “You wanted to see me?”

“Yeah.”

Coming into the room, he said, “Yes?”

The room was silent, until finally Andi spoke just barely above a whisper. “If I stay, you promise I’ll never have to come back?”

“No. I won’t make that promise,” he said seriously. “But what I can promise is if you’ll take the gift to heart, you’ll be changed forever. If you embrace it, it’ll change your life.”

“Alright, that’s good enough. I mean, seriously, where else do I have to be?” Andi replied with a tiny little hint of a smile. “I’m pretty sure that no one will miss me for a couple of weeks.”

“Excellent. We will get the paperwork drawn up and I’ll need your signature. You good with that?”

“Uh huh.”

Andi and Doctor Wagner began to meet daily for the next two weeks, and when she left the Psych Hospital she was a transformed woman. For the first time in her adult life she was free. Free from drugs, free from destructive attitudes and free from the pervasive hopelessness that had controlled her life previously.

The gift Doctor Wagner had spoken of had been unwrapped, examined and embraced. Like a beautiful diamond, each time she looked at it she saw new facets filled with light, beauty and wonder. As they were revealed, she was touched in the deep, lost, and lonely broken places that had caused so much chaos and heartache. Andi was shocked to find herself being healed her by the love and grace of this gift.

And as she explored the gift, she was surprised to discover who she truly was. And in the process, she became genuinely free.

Sarah Sharp

Present Day - Paine Harbor 

A few days later while walking home from school, Sarah took a different route from school and passed by what would soon be Grace Coffee House. She noticed the ‘Help Wanted’ sign in the window and decided to stop and get more information. 

“Hello, is anyone here?” she asked as she stepped into the seemingly empty storefront. “Hullo?”

“Hang on, I'll be right out,” came the reply from somewhere within and with that came the sound of someone dropping a large metal tray of kitchen utensils. Startled, Sarah went to see if she could provide some assistance. “Are you okay? Can I help you?” she asked Demetrius who was struggling to get up after slipping on the freshly mopped and still quite wet floor.   

More embarrassed than hurt, Demetrius looked up to see an unknown petite high school kid who was standing over him offering her hand to help him up off the floor. He laughed at the irony and said, “I weigh 190 pounds and I'd be surprised if you weigh 100! If you aren't careful, you'll end up down here with me.” They both began to laugh. “Hi, I'm Demetrius Grace, welcome to Grace Coffee House. I own the place,” he said and with a warm smile he reached up to shake Sarah's hand. They shook hands briefly then he managed to scramble to his feet and immediately began to pick up the kitchen utensils which had been scattered across the kitchen floor. Sarah jumped right in to help.

“Uh,” she said as she handed Demetrius a large stainless steel bowl, “I'm Sarah. Sarah Sharp. Maybe this isn't the best time, I could come back another time.” With that she began to put her backpack on her shoulder and headed for the door.

“No, wait. I'm so sorry. Hang on. You came in here for a reason, please don't let my clumsy old self stop you from accomplishing what you came in for,” Demetrius encouraged. “You do know we aren't open yet, right?”

“Maybe it’s a good thing,” she said with a mischievous smile. “The reason I stopped by was I noticed the Help Wanted sign.”

“Oh, of course. How stupid of me,” Demetrius replied in recognition of what should have been obvious to him. “I'm so sorry. Are you interested in working here? What do you do now?” 

“Usually English, math, science, things like that,” she teased. “I'm in my senior year at the high school but I sure could use a part-time job. And I do like coffee.”

“What was your name again,” he asked. “I'm sorry, but in all the confusion I didn’t catch it.” 

“That’s okay, it’s Sarah. You might know my dad, he's the Reverend at Paine Harbor Community Church.” 

“Reverend Sharp?” 

“The very same. But don't hold that against me,” she said sheepishly. 

“No, of course not. I've only met him once and it was briefly. So, if I were to hire you, when could you work? 

For the next 90 minutes, Demetrius and Sarah worked out the details and came to an agreement. 

“So, when can you start?” he asked. 

“It kind of looks like I already did,” she teased. “Oh, yeah I forgot, I cannot work Sundays. If I did, my dad would blow up like a nuclear bomb.” 

“Not too worry. I've noticed Portia’s isn't open on Sunday, and I was thinking I could use one day off a week. I'll probably be closed on Sunday too.”

Demetrius showed Sarah around the coffee house and shared his dreams for what would happen there, when out of the corner of her eye she spotted the piano. Her face lit up with interest, and Demetrius asked, “Do you play?” 

“A little,” she replied. 

“How about showing me your chops? I'd love to hear you play,” he encouraged. “C'mon, you couldn't be more embarrassed than I was sitting on the floor in the kitchen.” 

She looked around, garnering up the courage and finally sat down. Adjusting the seat to her comfort, she stretched out her fingers and began to run some simple riffs in preparation. “This sounds great, Demetrius. I'm so excited!”  She began to play her favorite piece, Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor.

Demetrius couldn't believe his ears. Sarah played beautifully and beyond all expectations. He sensed given the proper tutoring, she could become a world-class pianist.  Just then he noticed Andi had wandered in as Sarah continued playing. By the look on her face, she too was stirred by what she was hearing. Demetrius and Andi's eyes met, but she raised her hand to her mouth to maintain the silence. For the next ten minutes, they watched in stunned silence and increasing appreciation as Sarah played with technical excellence and incredible passion. When she finished, both Demetrius and Andi applauded with vigor as if they'd just witnessed a piano concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Sarah's eyes were sparkling with joy. Truly this was her calling. This teenage girl from an insignificant little fishing village in New England was gifted beyond anyone's expectations. Her eyes met Andi and then turned to Demetrius for clarification. “Oh, I'm sorry, you two don't know each other, do you?” he said. “Sarah meet Andi, Andi, this is Sarah.”

“Oh, is this your wife?” Sarah asked Demetrius quite innocently.

“No, she isn’t my wife, just a new friend,” Demetrius blushed in embarrassment.

The two reached out to shake hands, but when Sarah was ready to retract her hand, Andi held on to it. Strangely this did not threaten Sarah. “Sarah, do you believe in God?” Andi asked gently. “I know you do, but I also know you've been deeply hurt by your father's anger, haven't you?” 

Not waiting for a reply, she continued, “Sarah, I want you to know this place in which you are sitting right now is a safe harbor for you. God has brought you here to help you, and to heal you. He will show you a way.” 

“What?” Sarah said with shock. “What are you saying?” 

“I'm saying, dear girl,” Andi replied softly, “Grace Coffee House is a safe place for you. You are loved and we will always be on your side no matter what. Regardless.” 

“How can you love me? You just met me! Is this a scam? Is this some sort of cult, or something? What’s going on here, Demetrius?” she said with fear in her eyes. 

He replied quietly, “Sarah, I've been told by two different people in two different places that God wants to use my little place here to help people find safety and healing from whatever has hurt them. You don't know this, but I lost my wife less than a year ago, and it was only in coming here I've felt alive again. And, Andi has helped me see things in a new way, and she'll help you too, in fact, we both will! That is, if you are interested. Everything will be on your terms. Is that okay?” he asked quietly. 

“Yeah, I guess so,” she said. “But you kind of freaked me out, Andi.” 

“Sorry,” Andi responded quietly. “I’ve been told that before!”

Sarah paused looking deeply into Andi’s face, “Don’t worry about it, it’s okay. Really. I trust you. I don't know why, but I do. I trust you. If you say this will be a safe place for me, I'll take you up on the offer. I sure need someplace like this.”

“I know.” Andi whispered. “Honey, your life has incredible value and meaning.”

“I want to believe that. But with the way things have been going, I don’t know what to do,” said a desperate Sarah. 

“The key isn’t what you do, it’s who you know. God wants for you to meet Him face-to-face and experience His love, His kindness and His mercy. That's why I'm here,” she continued. “Maybe I can help. Every since I met Him, my whole life has been radically changed, for the better!”

“Well, I've been in the church all of my life, and frankly, if God is as angry as my Dad makes him out to be, I'm not interested.” 

Andi smiled. “Sarah, what if I told you the anger which your Dad carries has nothing to do with who God really is, but has everything to do with your father's own unresolved pain. And what if I told you God is completely, thoroughly and constantly thinking about you and He wants to help you to taste and see His goodness. He wants you to learn how to help you walk in freedom to be who you truly are and He wants to help you discover what His kindness looks like? Would that be of interest to you?” 

“I guess, but…” she struggled for words. “But I don’t know. From what I’ve heard about God, He sure seems to be angry a lot.”

“I hear you, Sarah. Maybe we can talk about some of those misconceptions and eliminate everything but the truth. If you’ll let me, I'd love to help you see some things you’ve never dreamt possible. But, look at the time,” she said glancing at her watch,  “I'm guessing your parents are expecting you home by now.” 

“Oh, man. Yeah, I've got to go,” she said in sudden realization of how quickly time had passed “I’d better get going.”

“Can you start working tomorrow after school say from 3-5pm?” Demetrius asked. 

“Yes, see you then” she said as she headed for the door, but as she was about to close it behind her, she poked back in and said to both of them. “Thank you -- both of you. I'm glad to have met you. And I'll do a good job for you Demetrius. I promise.” 

“I know you will, now get out of here!” he said with a smile.