𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐩

𝟏𝟎 || 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

Aldric

That Estelle girl is just fucking weird with her crazy ideas. What is going on in her head? I mean, what kind of girl would make a bet like that?

She seriously wants a popular, handsome, rich man like me out of her café?

If I told a single person at this café that I was the Aldric from Fovere, this place would be flooded with people within minutes. And since I go here often, this café would be booming with business all of the time.

All thanks to me.

Yet, this ragazza matta is so ungrateful. She's trying to keep me away from the only coffee that I drink and lose my business. Isn't this café supposed to be open to everyone. Why is she trying to get rid of me?

Estelle makes her way towards me unnoticed, placing the cup down on the table, clearing my thoughts. She smiles politely, but stays rooted to the ground, not moving an inch.

I eye her weirdly for a moment, then start ignoring her irritating presence. I grab the cup and take a sip, almost spitting the crap out.

What the fuck is wrong with this coffee. Did she add fucking salt instead of sugar?

I look up at her immediately and put the pieces together in an instant. Her standing there smiling at me, the coffee tasting bad. She's trying to get me to crack.

"I tried something new, I hope you like it!" She grins sheepishly, I place the cup on the table before swallowing the rest of the salty tan liquid, without flinching.

Estelles smile slightly drops as she waits for my response, which I take my time on reciprocating. I quickly stand up and straighten my back. I take a couple steps away from the table and reach towards the bookshelves, grabbing a new book - Twisted Games - that I haven't read yet. Making a move to go back to my seat, I stop when I realise how close she is.

She looks up at me, not moved an inch from her spot. My hard eyes meet her soft ones, still waiting for my response. I open my mouth but quickly close it as soon as she slightly tilts her head to the side. I raise a brow at her, not breaking eye contact.

What is she playing at.

I ignore her longing stare and lean back into the couch, opening up the book. After a few seconds of scanning the start of the book, I hear a frustrated sigh from her end of the couch.

As I move my gaze back up to hers, she finally breaks, "So, how is the coffee?".

"It's good." I mumble, flipping the page even though I haven't even read the first page. Estelle follows my gaze like a lost puppy, a confused lost puppy.

"Wait what?"

Her shocked voice makes my lips twitch, but I quickly hide my smirk with a "What what?" I act cold, still focusing on the small text on the thin pages. In the corner of my eye, I can still see her shifting uncomfortably, visibly frustrated.

After a couple more silence filled seconds, I turn towards her once again and raise a brow at her. I stare into her eyes for a couple seconds, reading the emotions of her face like a book. She seemingly is not as lucky, as she is squinting at my eyes like she can't see shit.

As she opens her mouth to speak, she seems to cut herself off and quickly closes it, before turning around and leaving me to myself.
___

Estelle and her friend  - what I've seen by his name tag - Adam have been giggling and talking for hours now. Don't they have any fucking customers to get to?