The bell above the cafe door chimed as Alina pushed her way in, balancing her tote bag on one shoulder. The late-morning sun streamed through the windows, filling the little shop with a gentle, golden light. She was tired, her hair a little messy from walking all over the city, but there was a spark in her eyes, a quiet excitement from finally doing something for herself.
Her gaze swept the cafe automatically, a habit now, but there was something unusual in the seating area. It was Maya. Her eyes landed on Maya. But Maya wasn't alone.
She was leaning slightly against one of the corner tables, her apron still tied at her waist, talking to a man seated there. Alina couldn't see his face; his back was to her, but there was something familiar in the straight lines of his shoulders, in the way he sat with an air of unshakable calm. Do I know him?he seems familiar to me.
Maya's expression was different as well. Softer. She wasn't laughing, not exactly, but her eyes were brighter, as if she was smiling through them, her posture less guarded than usual.
Alina's brows lifted. ''Well... well''
Before she could step closer, Maya spotted her. The warmth slipped from her face almost instantly, replaced by that brisk, professional look she always carried when behind the counter. She dragged Alina towards the counter.
"Alina! You're back," she called, straightening as though caught doing something she shouldn't. Without waiting for the man to turn or introduce him, Maya excused herself and quickly crossed the cafe, retreating behind the counter with an almost guilty swiftness.
Alina blinked, then smirked. ''Oh, this is going to be fun'' she murmured to herself
She strolled up, leaning her elbows onto the counter with deliberate casualness. Maya was already pretending to wipe down a perfectly clean surface, her cheeks faintly pink.
"So," Alina began slowly, drawing out the word. "That was… interesting."
Maya glanced at her, frowning faintly. "What was interesting?"
Alina tilted her head toward the corner where the man sat. He hadn't looked their way once, too focused on his coffee or maybe deliberately ignoring. "That. You and Mr. Mystery Man having a little heart-to-heart while I was away?"
Maya is the way to Alina, trying hard to cover so that she can't see the man who is sitting far from the counter. "He's just a customer."
"Uh-huh," Alina said, dragging out the syllables, her smirk growing. "Just a customer who makes you ditch the counter the second I walk in? Just a customer to whom you're smiling like that?"
Maya's eyes narrowed. "Like what?"
"Like…" Alina leaned closer, lowering her voice theatrically, "A girl with a secret."
Maya's cheeks flamed instantly. "Alina..."
"Oh, I get it now." Alina snapped her fingers as though the revelation had just struck her. "That's why you told me to take the morning off, isn't it? So you could have the whole cafe all to yourself for your little… date."
Maya nearly dropped the cloth. "What? No! .. a ..date?''
Alina pressed a hand to her heart, eyes wide with mock offense. "Wow. I thought we were friends, Maya. And here you are, sneaking around, using me as your cover story. Should I start calling him Mr. Boyfriend now, or do you two already have matching nicknames?"
Maya groaned, hiding her face behind her hands for a moment before glaring at her. "You're impossible."
"That's not a denial," Alina said
"It's not like that," Maya muttered, voice low but undeniably flustered. And she started wiping down a table when Alina suddenly pulled out her phone, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone…" she sang softly, dragging the words out in a dramatic whisper.
Maya froze. "Alina—don't."
Alina grinned wider, hopping to her feet and circling the counter like a performer on stage. "I'll be waiting, all that's left to do is run…"
Maya's cheeks burned. "Stop it right now."
"You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess," Alina sang louder, pointing a playful finger at her, "It's a love story.
Alina collapsed into laughter, clutching her stomach. "Oh, come on! You have to admit, it fits perfectly. You are sitting across from Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody at your cafe… I mean, tell me you didn't feel like Juliet for a second!"
Maya rolled her eyes, desperately trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips. "You're impossible."
"And you," Alina teased, leaning on the counter with a smug grin, "are blushing. Which means I win."
" You're getting wrong...He just… stopped by for coffee. That's it."
Alina gasped dramatically. "Stopped by for coffee? You mean you've got him so wrapped around your finger he's making excuses to see you?"
Maya looked ready to throw the cloth at her. Instead, she turned sharply, reaching for the register. "Shouldn't you be telling me how the apartment hunting went instead of making up ridiculous stories?"
But her ears... were red.
Alina leaned on the counter, grinning ear to ear. "Oh, I'll tell you about the apartment later. Right now, this is much more interesting. Maya, my sweet, shy Maya, secretly seeing someone while pretending she's all business? Priceless."
Maya sighed, pressing her hands flat on the counter as if grounding herself. "You're insufferable."
"Mm-hm." Alina's grin softened into something gentler, more teasing than prying. "But you're blushing, Maya. And I've never seen you blush like that."
For once, Maya had no quick comeback. She turned away, busying herself with the cups stacked by the machine, her shoulders tense but her lips twitching like she was trying not to smile. Alina chuckled under her breath, watching her friend fumble in that rare, vulnerable way.
Alina leaned her elbows on the counter, pretending to sip her water slowly, her eyes darting not so subtly toward the corner table where the man sat. She couldn't see his face clearly from here; the sunlight streaming in through the wide windows cast a shadow over him. But she caught the tall posture, the deliberate way he stirred his coffee, the calm air that wrapped around him like armor.
Every so often, his sleeve shifted as he adjusted the pen in his hand, writing something in a leather-bound notebook.
Her curiosity spiked. ''So that's him, huh? The one who has my Maya all tongue-tied.
She squinted, trying to steal another look without being obvious. Doesn't look like a mafia boss… but definitely not some average office worker either. He's got that vibe. The serious, I-own-three-expensive-suits-and-a-private-diary vibe.
Maya noticed instantly. She almost dropped the tray she was carrying. "Alina!" she hissed, setting the tray down harder than necessary.
"What?" Alina asked innocently, still sneaking a peek.
"Stop staring."
"I'm not staring," Alina said, batting her lashes in mock innocence. "I'm… observing."
"Observing what?"
"His aura."
Maya's head fell into her hands. "Oh my god."
Alina grinned. "Relax, Maya. You're acting like I'm about to march over and confess my undying love. I'm just curious. You can't blame me...look at him. He's practically radiating mysterious side character energy. Don't tell me you don't see it."
Maya pressed her lips into a thin line, refusing to look. "I don't see anything. Because I'm not looking."
"Sure you're not." Alina's grin widened. She leaned in closer. "So… do you know his full name?"
''No''
"Favorite color?"
"No, Alina!" Maya snapped, glaring at her.
Gotcha, she thought with satisfaction. And though she didn't know who the man was, or why exactly Maya acted so different around him, Alina couldn't shake the curiosity now simmering in her chest. Whatever it was, Maya was hiding something. And Alina wasn't going to stop teasing until she found out what.
Maya groaned, rubbing her temples. She needed to redirect this before Alina dug herself into trouble. "Forget him. Tell me instead....did you find anything this morning? Any new apartments?"
That worked. Alina's eyes immediately lit up with a mix of relief and exhaustion. She sighed dramatically, dropping her head on the counter. "Ugh, don't even ask. I walked across half the city. Some were too tiny, some were too expensive, and one had this creepy landlord who asked me if I could cook before he even showed me the place."
Maya's laugh slipped out despite herself. "Well, could you?"
Alina shot her a look. "Excuse me. I burn toast. He didn't need to know that."
"Fair," Maya admitted, still chuckling. "So? Did you actually find anything worth considering?"
Alina hesitated, then straightened, her lips curving into a small smile. "Actually… yeah. I think I did. There's this apartment about fifteen minutes from here. Small, but cozy. Sunlight pours into the living room. And yeah, it does kind of feel like..... She paused for a second, like home."
Maya's eyes softened at that. She could hear the hope in Alina's voice, fragile but real. "That's amazing, Alina."
Alina shrugged, hiding her grin. "I mean, the rent might kill me. But hey, what's life without a little financial doom?"
Maya laughed again, shaking her head. "You'll manage. You always do."