"Hot News: another message from the V culprit has hit the window of yet an important subject, but this time, it's the mayor. What is your view on this, Sasha?" The news reporter says with amusement, making me scoff and turn off the the obnoxious TV, that hung lamely in the café.
"Do you really think these are empty threats?" Ella asks me while preparing some more cookies. She glances at me from the corner of her eyes, just to see me shrug.
"I really don't care, but anyways they deserve it, they're just bastards that do nothing but promise empty promises." I say.
"Be careful Val, people are going to think you are the one doing this." She jokes and laughs, just to be cut by a foreign voice.
"You should probably listen to your friend."
I would know this voice anywhere, because that's the voice that caught my interest three months ago.
Lucas Gracía, son of the great, powerful, perfect, angelic, Head Police Officer Sebastian Gracía.
It's only right to have a son that works as a detective at the age of 25 with an IQ of 159.
"Hi, welcome to Dana's Delights, what would you like?" I ask him with a sweet smile on my face, used to greet all the customers.
"I would like one blueberry muffin, and a cup of black coffee." He says, looking me in the eyes, making sure I knew he knew that I purposely missed his question.
"You can take a seat, sir, your order will be coming right up." I say as I give an astonished Ella a copy of the reciept.
"Sweet baby Jesus." She breathes out, watching the back of Lucas as he headed to a table near the window. She snaps out of her daydream the second I whistle next to her ear.
"Valerie! Stop doing this!" She says as she rubs her ears and I laugh at her.
"Get going darling, you have an order to get and cookies to burn." I say with a wide grin as she glowers at me.
"Fuck you, Val. I don't even know why we're friends." She says as she puts the coffee next to the muffin in a circular tray.
"Because I make the best Coffee Crème Brûlée." I say and she reluctantly nods.
"True, now go serve that order, because I am way too sleepy to put effort into being cute." She says yawning and I laugh, shaking my head.
I head towards the only customer sitting in this café, noticing the way he eyes people through the window. He's playing a game, only someone with his IQ would play.
"Deducing people, Detective?" I say with a raised eyebrow.
"Nah, just guessing the story of each. Would you like to try?" He says, knowing that I won't put down a challenge.
"Who would you like to choose?" I ask him, looking at the variety of people standing outside, buzzing around the street. He shrugs, looking at me with twinkling eyes, the eyes of a kid who finally found someone to play with.
"She's been divorced for at least two years, just got out of a fight with her coworkers, has at least one kid and probably has depression because of her recently dead parents." I say, never mentioning which woman I was talking about, but the way he was searching for the hints I found, made me know he has found her.
"Impressive, but how'd you know she had depression?" He asks, making sure his face showed no emotions, void of any reaction.
"You can notice her eye bags, way too much. Her shoulders are sagged, usually a sign of either tiredness or feeling of worthlessness. You can notice that she just recently lost weight due to the loss of appetite." I say and I notice his lips twitching upwards.
"Has grey eyes, she's french, 19 years old, psychology student, with an IQ no less than 145, has a boyfriend, and a newly done tattoo of an important date on her collarbone." He says and I wouldn't say I was not impressed, not like I would tell him.
"Had a boyfriend, not has, IQ of 148, has 2 tattoos. You need to step up your game, Detective, especially while deducing someone sitting in front of you." I say cheekily but he shows no reaction.
"So why are you wearing a promise ring?" He asks nodding towards my left hand.
"That's a story for another time." I say with a wink and stand up, returning back to the counter as Elle shouts at me.
"If you had stayed one more minute, I would've thought you're getting married and will elope now. " she says and I couldn't help the laugh that came out of me.
How ironic....
"Don't be dumb, you know I would never run without you. You are my soulmate." I say looking at her with puckered lips and fluttering eyelashes.
"Don't tempt me, honey. You know I am so weak towards your charms." She say with her thick British accent.
We laugh it off as we continue cleaning the place and gathering our things, the last customer of the day long gone, but not last heard of.
"Bye, Val. I have to go now, my mom is waiting, you know she won't sleep without me in the house. Sorry I had to make you close the store. Love you." Ella says as she leaves the café, the door swishing forward and backward after her.
I look at my phone to see that it's still 10 o'clock.
5 more minutes.
I pick up my bag, take off my apron, hang it. Brush my fingers thoroughly through my hair and tie it into a ponytail. Put on my jacket and close the store.
The phone rings. 10:05.
"Careful there, darling, or I am going to start to think that you are waiting my call." He says and I laugh.
"Don't get way ahead of yourself, José."
"Okay, let's get to the deal, since you think its funny to break your bestie's heart. I'll pick you up at 10:50?" He asks.
"Yep, and who are you to say you're my bestfriend? You're merely a chauffeur." I say and he gasps.
"How dare you! I'm so hurt." He says.
"Okay drama queen, I need to go now, bye."
"Take care."
"You know I always do, au revoir." I say and end the call.
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