Dancing with the Devil

Chapter 7

Napapitlag ako nang may sumundot sa tagiliran ko, "Gallo?!" mahina ang boses ngunit maharas ang naging paglingon ko.

Hindi ko maiwasang mainis sa kaniya dahil muntik ng pumangit ang sulat ko sa cup ng lalaki sa aking harapan.

"Don't frown too much, you might scare away our potential customers," he whispered, smirking slightly. He playfully winked at me, smoothly getting the cup from my hand. Napairap ako sa kaniyang sinabi.

"Upo muna po kayo sir. We will prepare your coffee in a minute and call you when it's ready," I said, giving him my usual smile.

He heaved a loud sigh, his brows furrowing together. Hindi ako sigurado kung buntong hininga ba iyon o singhal, but it was loud enough for me to hear—as if he did it on purpose. Pinanood ko siyang maglakad papalayo at naupo sa paborito kong upuan. He's still clad in his signature white button-up shirt.

By then, I figured out that he was older than me. The way he stands exudes authority. His stance definitely gives off the vibe of those bachelor magnates who would willingly spend a dime on their sugar baby. Hindi pa nakatulong na mas nagmukha siyang matanda dahil sa manipis na balbas na nakapalibot sa perpektong panga.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto at hinatid rin ang inorder niyang kape. He started to organize his things on the table. Nakita kong inopen niya ang laptop at nagsimulang magtipa. I just can't help but frown, each sound of his typing is too loud; you can hear the force behind it. Considering that there's no one other than him, the place was too quiet to ignore it.

I watched him reach for his coffee and take a sip without looking. I pursed my lips—I could still see the steam rising from the hot coffee, but he didn't even flinch. Manhid ba dila niya at 'di maramdaman ang init ng kape?

"Who made this coffee?" his voice thundered.

My brows furrowed as my head instantly snapped in his direction. This is the first time that this has happened—no one has ever questioned the coffee we serve.

I let Gallo deal with it. Tahimik ngunit mariin kong sinundan ng tingin ang kaibigan kong papunta sa kanyang harapan. Gallo is meticulous when it comes to every blend of coffee he makes, that's why I quite find this annoying.

Hindi lang siguro ako sanay? As I've said, this is the first time we've encountered criticism, which is exactly why I'm not taking it lightly. This is my shop we're talking about—my hard-earned keep. And I won't let anyone bring it down—no one.

But maybe... we all have our firsts, right?

Hindi ko marinig ang usapan nila kaya kating-kati akong makibalita ng bumalik si Gallo na bagsak ang balikat

"Hala gagi!" he bit his lips. Mara and Cathy were both on my side, tahimik at kabado pero mas na nanaig ang pagiging kuryoso.

"Hinahanap niya si maam Adeline."

Adeline's not here; she called in sick today. Napasinghap ako, mabuti naman at hindi niya masyadong dinamdam. Ang gagong 'to ay masyadong bilib sa sarili niya eh.

He's chill but seems to be overthinking, don't tell me...

"Tanginang 'to? Are you seriously thinking kung paano ihaharap si Adeline sa kanya?" Sarkastiko angil ko. I tried not to sound so offended, sapak talaga sa akin 'to mamaya.

I strode my way to him with my head held high. I showed him a sweet smile when our eyes met.

"Goodmorning!" I greet him courtly. "I'm the owner of this café, what can I do for you?" I made the tone of my voice as welcoming and lively as I could.

"The coffee's bland. At masyadong mapait." kunot ang noo niya sa akin.

"And what coffee did you order, sir?" nanatili ang malaking ngiti sa aking labi ngunit kumibot ito dahil sa kanyang sagot.