𝐁eyond the Lens - b.e

29 -

Ellie was spending her days peacefully in Portland, enjoying this well-deserved break after the tour. Joan, as usual, decided to take her to the café on one of her days off. They loved hanging out there, especially to annoy Aubrey, who worked there regularly and always grumbled a bit when they showed up unannounced.

"You'll see, she's going to freak out when she sees us!" Joan said with a mischievous smile.

"You're really asking for trouble, Joan," Ellie replied, laughing at the thought of Aubrey's reaction.

They arrived at the café mid-morning, as usual. The little bell at the entrance rang, and Ellie couldn't help but smile as she breathed in the familiar scent of coffee and pastries. They settled at their usual table by the window, where Ellie could watch the passersby while sipping her latte.

As she absently stared out at the street, Joan couldn't sit still, eagerly watching for any sign of Aubrey behind the counter.

"I can feel it, she's going to curse at us, just wait," Joan whispered, rubbing his hands together.

Ellie chuckled softly, her gaze still directed outside. Her attention was briefly caught by a small commotion outside. People seemed to be gathering a few meters away, near the café entrance. She squinted, but without her glasses, she could hardly make anything out.

"This is weird, did you see all those people?" she asked Joan, vaguely pointing outside.

Joan took a glance but shrugged.

"Just people hanging out, like usual," he replied before turning his focus back to Aubrey, who was busy behind the bar without noticing them.

Ellie shrugged, thinking it was probably nothing important. She took another sip of her coffee, enjoying the moment. Then the doorbell chimed again, signaling the arrival of a new customer. Ellie, still quite blind without her contacts, didn't pay much attention to the person who walked in. She only saw a figure slip into the café, hood up, trying to go unnoticed.

It wasn't until this person approached their table and sat down across from her that Ellie realized something was different. Joan's face lit up with a mischievous grin, and Ellie, confused, finally looked up at the hooded stranger.

"Hey gorgeous!" a familiar voice said, sweet and slightly amused.

Ellie blinked, her brain scrambling to connect the dots. Then she felt a shock course through her body. Billie was there, sitting right across from her. Her hood was still up, partially hiding her face, but Ellie would have recognized that voice anywhere.

"Billie? What... what are you doing here?" she blurted out, completely taken aback.

"I felt like surprising you," Billie replied with a playful smile. "I was in the area, so I thought, why not?"

Ellie couldn't believe it. She had spent days wondering whether she should send her a message, worrying if she would be too intrusive, and here was Billie showing up at her café in Portland, unannounced.

"Are you serious? In the area?" Ellie repeated, an incredulous smile on her lips.

"Well, not exactly in the area, I admit. But Shark was bugging me about his date with Livaï, so I thought, why not now?" Billie said, shrugging, still calm.

Ellie burst out laughing, shaking her head.

"Wait, Shark is here too?" she asked, suddenly curious.

"Yeah, he's patiently waiting in the Mustang," Billie replied, laughing.

That's when Ellie finally noticed what was happening around them. Through the café's bay window, she saw several people gathered outside. She finally understood the commotion she had noticed earlier. Fans had already recognized Billie before she even walked in, but Ellie, with her blurry vision, hadn't seen it coming.

"Oh shit, you've been spotted," she murmured, suddenly a little worried.

"It's fine, I'm used to it," Billie replied with a reassuring smile. "But this is going to get complicated for your café."

Ellie looked around, seeing a few people inside the café starting to notice Billie's presence too. Without thinking, she stood up and reached out her hand to Billie.

"Come on, let's go to the back, it'll be quieter," she said, gently taking her hand to lead her through the café.

The two girls quickly weaved their way to the back of the café, escaping the growing commotion. Once in the back room, Ellie finally let go of Billie's hand and sighed in relief.

"Sorry about that," she breathed. "Better to avoid getting mobbed."

Billie chuckled softly, clearly amused by the situation.

"Don't worry, it's all good. But thanks for the assist, Captain America," she replied with a smile.

Ellie, a bit embarrassed, ran a hand through her hair. She was used to seeing Billie surrounded by crowds, but the situation felt different here, in her little café in Portland. She had never imagined she'd have to protect her like this.

"So, did you really stalk me to find me?" Ellie asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Billie burst out laughing.

"Yeah, kind of! I wanted it to be a surprise, so I did a little digging. And I found Joan's Instagram, it was a team effort," she replied with a wink.

Ellie shook her head, still a bit awestruck by Billie's boldness.

"You're completely nuts, you know that? But... thanks. This is really a lovely surprise," she admitted, smiling.

Before they could continue their conversation, Joan burst into the back room with a big smile.

"Ah, there you are! Shark might be getting a bit impatient, we should head out before it gets unmanageable here," he suggested.

Billie nodded, grateful.

"Good idea. I love this café, but I think it's time to make a run for it," she added, laughing softly while adjusting her hood and sunglasses.

Ellie agreed, and they made their way through the café to Billie's car, where Shark was waiting, restless and full of energy. Ellie felt a wave of happiness wash over her as she saw Shark's little face, and suddenly, the day felt even more surreal, but in an incredibly beautiful way.

On the way to the apartment, laughter and animated conversation didn't stop. Ellie would have never imagined a day like this, yet she was more than thrilled with how everything had unfolded.