"You forget how hard it is to ignore someone who looks the way you do," He replied smoothly, taking advantage of the close proximity between the two of us.
Running his large hands slowly down my arms before looping them around my waist possessively...
"Hey, Vi, can you close for me today?" Leana's voice pulled me from my thoughts as she tugged off her apron. Her tone was hopeful but casual, like she already knew I'd say yes. It was Friday, so I didn't mind staying late—it wasn't like I had plans.
I glanced up from the coffee maker I was scrubbing, catching sight of her tying her curly hair back into a loose bun. "Sure," I replied with a nod. "Did you finish cleaning the bathrooms?"
"Yeah," she said, folding her apron neatly. "Shockingly clean today, actually. Guess people decided to have some manners for once." She smirked and tucked her apron under her arm. "Anyway, I'm clocking out. See you tomorrow, girl."
"See you," I said, offering a small smile as she walked out the door, her sneakers squeaking faintly on the tiled floor.
As the door shut behind her, the café fell into a peaceful stillness. It was just me now. I probably should've said no to closing, but it was the least I could do after Leana covered my shift during the chaos with the apartment.
Sighing, I finished rinsing the coffee maker before wiping my hands on my apron. I pulled out my phone, quickly firing off a text to Matío to let him know about the change in plans.
𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘
Come outside. (𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗪𝗲𝗱 𝟰:𝟱𝟬𝗽𝗺)
𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟱:𝟬𝟵𝗽𝗺 I'm taking the closing shift for my coworker. I need to be picked up at 8.
𝗢𝗸. (𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝟱:𝟭𝟯𝗽𝗺)
The response was painfully dry, as expected. Honestly, my mom texted better than he did—and that was saying something.
Rolling my eyes, I set my phone aside and returned to cleaning up. The next hour passed in a blur as I wiped down tables, rearranged chairs, and restocked the counter for the morning shift. My schedule was always unpredictable—some days I'd open, others I'd close—but today's 2 p.m. start gave me a decent mix of busywork and quiet time.
At 7:50, my phone buzzed again. A text from Matío: Come outside.
Of course. I rolled my eyes but ignored it, determined to finish closing properly. Not even five minutes later, the bell above the café door jingled. I stepped out from the back, already knowing who it was.
