The Cards We Are Dealt (Scarlett Johansson Fanfic)

Chapter 5: Familiar Faces

Alana threw her hands up in a what-the-actual-hell motion, her jaw dropping in shock as she awaited an explanation.

"Morning to you too," Tinsley muttered with a sigh, reaching up to touch the still-tender bump on her forehead. Alana always had a flair for dramatics, and she should have predicted this was how she would react. 

Alana stormed up to the counter, eyes wide and full of concern. "Seriously, Tins, what happened? Did someone clock you with a bat? Don't even deny that something happened, 'cause I can tell regardless of how much concealer you used to try and cover it."

So the concealer wasn't doing its job very well. Or maybe it was, seeing as their manager hadn't seemed to notice earlier. Speaking of said manager, who had stopped what she was doing and was now watching them both with a curious expression. Pushing her tongue into her cheek, Tinsley sighed. "No, nothing like that. I just.....ran into a light pole."

Alana blinked, her mouth hanging open slightly in disbelief. "You ran into a light pole? Are you serious right now?"

"Yes," Tinsley said, exasperation creeping into her voice. "I was on a run, my hair got in my face, and... well, yeah. I ran right into it."

Alana's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she crossed her arms. "What aren't you telling me? What happened afterward? You don't just casually run into a light pole. I know there's more to the story."

Tinsley sighed, darting her eyes around trying to think of something to buy her some time. She couldn't tell Alana. At least not here and not now. Alana would lose her absolute mind.

The doorbell chimed, and Tinsley thanked the fates as she turned toward the entrance, relieved to see a couple of early morning customers stroll in. Saved by the bell, quite literally.

Alana shot her a look that said, this isn't over, before turning her attention to the customers. This would be the start of the first wave of customers. They were the early birds, with a routine of stopping by 5 days a week, every morning, to grab a coffee, like clockwork. Based on previous conversations that Tinsley had overheard, she knew that most of them held fancy, high-paying corporate jobs. It was one of the things Tinsley liked about the morning shift; they usually tipped well.

As they worked together to take orders and make drinks, Tinsley could feel Alana's eyes boring into her, like she was waiting for a chance to pry more information out of her. Tinsley had never ever been grateful before for the crowded and overwhelming morning rush, but today she was because it kept both of them busy enough that Alana didn't get a chance to press further. Still, Tinsley was very aware that she wasn't off the hook. Eventually, Alana would get the full story out of her–especially the part about Scarlett Johansson–but for now she could avoid it for a little while longer.

And she did successfully avoid it, up until a few minutes before her shift was due to end. The shop was momentarily empty again, and Alana leaned against the counter, one eyebrow raised. "So...you're really gonna make me wait to find out how you ended up with that goose egg?"

Tinsley sighed, wiping down the counter around her register with a damp rag. "Look, I'll explain everything tonight, okay? Just..not here."

Alana tilted her head, curiosity practically oozing out of her. "Fine. But you better not leave out any details, especially if there's some juicy twist. I swear, if you tell me later that you met a celebrity or something, I'm gonna lose my mind."

Tinsley fought herself hard not to show a reaction at how close Alana's guess was to the truth. She was consciously aware of her manager, Amanda, in their vicinity. Forcing a laugh, "Trust me. You'll get the whole story. Later."

Alana grinned, clearly satisfied with that answer, but Tinsley was not looking forward to recounting her incident. Alana wasn't scheduled to get off for another three hours, and Tinsley also wasn't looking forward to going home to the silence of the apartment.

The idea to go to the gym came to her head as she was clocking out. She walked over to grab her bag, "I'm gonna head to the gym."

Alana's reaction was almost laughable as the displeasure crossed her features, but Tinsley just held her hand up, silencing whatever objection Alana was about to voice. "I don't plan on being there long. I'll see you at home," she said, with finality, and then called out on her way out the door, "Bye Amanda!"

Stepping out of the coffee shop, and into the bustling noise of the sidewalk and street, she set off in the direction of the gym, which was conveniently located only a few blocks away. The closer she got to the gym, the more crowded the sidewalks got.

Her phone buzzed in her hand and she looked down for a moment to read the message.

Alana

Don't push yourself too hard at the gym, especially since you just injured yourself. I'm still expecting all the details when I get home later!!!

Was it the smartest idea to hit the gym while she was still recovering from a head injury? Probably not. Was she going to go anyway? Yes. She would be fine.

Tinsley continued to walk, slowing her pace just a little as she looked down at her phone and back up to her surroundings as she typed out a response.

Tinsley

Yes, I know. And you know I will give you the deets later dw lol.

After waiting a moment and seeing no immediate reply, Tinsley clicked her phone's side button and picked up her pace, her focus returning to the crowded sidewalks.

Tinsley waited for a second to see if Alana would respond, but she didn't so she clicked the side button on her phone, picked up her walking pace, and turned her full attention back to her surroundings. She went to slip her phone into her jacket pocket, only to find the zipper was stuck. Frowning, she tried to force it open, most of her attention shifting to the stubborn zipper.

Suddenly, she felt her feet catch on something–someone's outstretched foot, right in her path. With no time to react, she stumbled forward, her balance completely thrown off, sending her in a nose dive toward the cement. Her hands shot out to break her fall, but her phone and keys flew out of her grasp in the chaos. She managed to stop herself from hitting the ground face-first, but in doing so, twisted her ankle painfully.

"Motherfucker" she cursed under her breath, a sharp stabbing pain shooting through her foot. A few people glanced her way, but no one stopped to help. Typical.

Ignoring the pain, Tinsley scrambled to her feet, her heart racing as she scanned the ground for her belongings before they either got stepped on or stolen. She spotted her keys first and snatched them off the ground, but her phone was nowhere to be seen. Her anxiety levels shot through the roof as she spun around, her eyes darting all over the sidewalk as people continued to walk past her. If she couldn't find her phone, she didn't know what she was going to do. She didn't have the money to buy a new one and all the memories she would lose flooded her mind.

Someone tapped her right shoulder from behind, snapping her out of her spiraling thoughts. Spinning around, she was met with a hand holding out her phone. "You looking for this?"

Her relief was immediate. Once her panic subsided, Tinsley's brain allowed her to notice the finer details of what was in front of her, specifically the acrylic nails the person was sporting. The familiarity of them triggered a memory in Tinsley's mind, and she eagerly swept her eyes up the person's torso, and her heart skipped a beat. The tinted sunglasses couldn't hide the familiarity of the face behind them.

Tinsley gasped, loudly and without warning. 

AUTHORS NOTE:

HEY YALL SO IF I CAN MAINTAIN MY WRITING MOTIVATION I'M GONNA TRY AND SCHEDULE A CERTAIN DAY OF THE WEEK TO ADD A NEW CHAPTER! I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS ONE,  DON'T FORGET TO VOTE AND COMMENT!!

LOVE - A