A World Unseen

Chapter 4 - Shattered illusions

Sunday blurred into nothingness for Carla, spent mostly in a haze of recovery. She bounced between watching her favorite TV shows, taking long naps, and snacking on whatever she could find in the fridge. The day passed quickly, with no energy left to reflect on the night before. By the time Monday morning came, she felt slightly more human but still not quite ready for another week of work.

Dragging herself out of bed, she got dressed, throwing on her usual work clothes. She headed to Brisetto, slipping into her routine as the morning shift began. When Andrea arrived a little later than usual, Carla immediately noticed something was off. He wasn't his typical laid-back self—there was a tension to his movements, and his usual smile was replaced with a slight frown.

He barely glanced at her as he moved behind the counter. Carla could feel the coldness in his attitude, but instead of questioning it, she chose to ignore it for now. After a few quiet moments, Andrea made them both coffee, and they stepped outside to drink it on the terrace, just as they always did.

Carla took a sip and finally broke the silence. "So, how was your night? You seemed busy with that girl," she said, raising an eyebrow playfully, trying to ease the mood.

Andrea's expression remained sour, and he didn't even bother to look at her as he muttered, "Not as good as yours, apparently."

Carla blinked, caught off guard by his tone. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, confused, but before Andrea could answer, a group of customers entered the café.

Sighing, Carla set her coffee down and went to take their orders. Her mind was still on Andrea's bitter response as she handed the orders back to him at the counter. The tension was palpable, and she couldn't just let it slide.

"So, what was that supposed to mean?" she asked again, keeping her voice low as she leaned over the counter, her eyes fixed on his.

Andrea barely glanced up from the espresso machine, muttering, "Nothing."

Carla folded her arms, giving him a pointed look. She knew that wasn't the truth. He was being unusually short with her, and she wasn't going to let it slide so easily.

After a moment, Andrea sighed and looked up, his tone sharp. "I didn't get 'lucky,'" he said, using air quotes, bitterness dripping from his words.

Carla blinked, then burst out laughing, her voice soft but teasing. "Seriously? How long has it been since you got laid that you're acting like such an ass after one rejection?"

Andrea didn't respond. Instead, he handed her the coffees for the customers, his expression stony. He clearly didn't find the situation as funny as she did.

Carla rolled her eyes, turning away with the tray. "Drama queen," she muttered under her breath as she walked off to serve the drinks.

As Carla stepped outside with the tray of coffees, she spotted Lucrezia near the flower stall across the street. A smile crossed her face, and she quickly walked over to greet her.

Lucrezia's face lit up when she saw Carla, pulling her in for a quick kiss on both cheeks. The gesture, so common in Italy, still felt a bit unusual to Carla, but she brushed it off, smiling warmly.

"I came by the café yesterday, and you weren't here!" Lucrezia said, her tone playful but surprised.

Carla nodded, explaining, "I had two days off. I work two days on, two days off."