The Case of Serendipitous Hearts

When I first saw you

Song I'd recommend while reading this:

Older by Isabel LaRosa

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It was a Monday evening, around 9 pm, when the café door swung open. Instantly, the room fell silent, all eyes fixated on me—the brown-haired girl in the old-fashioned hat who had just stepped in. Murmurs spread like wildfire. "Isn't that Devora Throndson?" whispered a woman to her friend. The tranquil atmosphere shattered into gasps and whispers.

"Devora, is it true? Did you find the girl who was snatched 8 years ago?" queried a young man. "Uhm..." I began to answer when another question came my way: "What does it feel like being famous?" "Uh..." I was about to respond when someone else tapped my shoulder, inundating me with more questions. It felt like I had been bombarded with a thousand queries, yet I hadn't managed to answer any.

"Guys, give her a moment to breathe. Can't you see she's drained from the paparazzi?" interjected a handsome young man. He looked straight into my eyes, and for some reason, my heart fluttered. It felt kind of good.

"Care to take a seat?" He gestured to a small table by the window. "Of course." He led me to the table. "Thank you," I murmured as I settled in, watching him return to work. Though he wasn't exactly flirting with customers, I wished it was me he was chatting with. Time slipped away while I couldn't take my eyes off him and those enticing lips.

He caught me gazing at him, so he came over to my table. "Want to sit?" I asked confidently. "Miss, I'm working," he replied, making my face flush with embarrassment. What had I been thinking?

"Alright, but I've got only 10 minutes before I need to get back," he relented, sitting opposite me, and we engaged in conversation.

"Mind if I ask you something?" I ventured. He nodded. "How many girls make a pass at you daily?" He seemed taken aback by my question but managed a grin. "Usually 4 while on shift." I looked at him puzzled. "Usually?" I inquired, only to regret it immediately.

"Today, there were 5," he said, eyeing my lips and licking his. It took me a moment to understand. "Oh my god... no... this isn't what you think..." He burst into laughter, excusing himself to return to work.

"Already...? Come on, just 5 more minutes, please. It was getting interesting," I pleaded, but he ignored me.

"Thanks for the company... Uhm," I struggled, waiting for him to reveal his name. "Asher," he offered. "Thanks, Asher," I replied before leaving and walking home as rain started to pour. "My luck is just great," I muttered, tucking my hands into my jacket pockets for warmth.

As I was about to cross the street, a familiar voice called out, "Devora, wait!" I turned to see Lucinda, my lifelong friend since kindergarten, running toward me.

"Lucinda, slow down! You're pregnant, for heaven's sake!" I scolded, but she ignored me, embracing me tightly. "I've missed you! The last time we met was before you found that girl, and now look at you," she said, beaming with pride and tears in her eyes. "You're famous!" We hugged again and walked home together, living just six houses apart.

By the time I reached home, exhaustion overwhelmed me, yet thoughts of the guy from the café lingered. "Come on, Devora, you're not ready for a relationship. Stop dwelling on it," I scolded myself. After my nightly routine, just as I was about to drift off, my boss called.

"Devora, we've got a new case for you."

Apologies for the short chapter! I'm unsure if I'll keep writing the story if nobody reads it. But I hope you got the gist of the story's point/meaning/whatever. 😭