Deception: NatemarexReader

Chapter 3: Cafe Lovers

QOTD: Which kind of pet would you want to have that you don't already own?

You had no idea what time Nate planned to be at the coffee shop, so you just came as soon as your shift was over. As usual, Ms. Darling thanked you for your hard work in this case.

Your co-workers began to recognize your dedication to this assignment, for once.

The streets were silent, besides the altercation between a married couple in an alleyway. Nothing had changed since the accident three years ago. Everyone ignored the warnings and went on with their day.The dried graffiti on the brick walls looked much duller than before.

Without even realizing, you stood firmly upon the cheesy light blue 'welcome' rug. With a bittersweet sigh, you drag yourself inside the vintage building.

The silver bells hung by a red ribbon chime as you enter the small cafe.
The lady behind the counter greets you softly. You notice that her hair looked awfully cute in a side ponytail with highlights of violet.

You sat yourself down at a two-seater table by the window. Nate was no where in sight.
'Did he forget?'
'Was he ditching you?'
You were overthinking this. It was rush hour anyway.

The strong scent of freshly-baked doughnuts and tarts lead you to the display by the counter. You weren't very hungry, only tempted by the delicious desserts. Ordering without Nate here would be rude, but it wouldn't hurt to grab a few macaroons.

The lady notices your presence and speaks with fake benevolence in her voice.
"Hello! Welcome to Cherry's Cold Brew. What can I get'cha?"

"Yeah, can I get....."
You fumble over your words before choosing a small assortment of dark chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, strawberry, lemon, and red velvet.

"That'll be 10.00 dollars."
She puts the macaroons inside a small container and takes the money you owe her. Her painted lips widen, showing off her teeth like a practiced dance.
It creeped you out a little bit.

Salvia crept out of your mouth while you gaze at the delicious, crunchy, sweet-
'No way! We're not eating them until Nate gets here.'

'Come on. It's not like he's going to actually show up! One bite won't hurt anyone....'

'Look! There he is!'

As requested, Nate stood in front of the entrance wearing a navy blue flannel with a black t-shirt underneath. It looks much better than what you changed into after work: a sweatshirt colored with a gradient of blue to white, gray sweatpants, and blue running shoes.

You wave Nate over to your isolated table as he turns his head in your direction. His appearance looks better than last night. The grin plastering on his face seems genuine too. Once he sat himself in the chair across from you, you spoke up.
"I got macaroons.I had no idea which flavors you like so I got six of them."

"Oh!" Nate tries to hold in his amused laughter, "That's so sweet. I guess I'll have....The strawberry looks delicious."

His eyes light up with delight when he took a bite.
"This is really good!"
You raise your left eyebrow, taking the red velvet macaroon.
"You're right!"

When you finish the macaroon, Nate looks at you with an indescribable expression.
"What do you do for a living anyway?"
You didn't mean to be rude, but it slipped out that way.

"Heh. I run a YouTube channel that mostly consists of original music, covers, and collabs. I know that sounds really boring-"

"No, no. Not at all! It sounds much more fun than drinking coffee and staring at a bunch of numbers all day..."

From then on, only silence was brought to your ears.

Your attention was drawn to the barn wood aesthetic decorating the walls. You also notice that there were several frames of creepy abstract paintings that appeared to be melting, screaming faces. The paintings felt very out of place for an innocent-looking cafe. An old and fairly dusty television was placed in the corner of the cafe, broadcasting a news story of yet another person gone missing.

You caught yourself staring at the T.V instead of trying to break the ice with Nate.
"What about you, (y/n)? If you weren't a technical investigator what job would you have?"

Crap. It made the situation worse when you realize you completely tuned him out. This was an easy question, so you recovered quickly.

"I definitely wouldn't work in an office. It's not really my ideal lifestyle...But, I would have to go with the creative career path. Something like a graphic designer-wait, no...Artist! I would be an artist."

Nate's light chuckles told you that he didn't notice your previously unengaged self.

The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the little shops with cute clothing and stuffed animals. Nate insisted on getting you a miniature pink, stuffed rabbit as a thank-you. You try to decline the offer but as soon as the rabbit was in your grasp, Nate sealed the deal.

The post lamps lit up the crowded streets with such a calming feeling. The stuffed animal remained in your grasp, as if you were holding a pure white diamond in the middle of a gang-owned alleyway. You promised yourself that you would pay Nate back by finding his girlfriend, Christina.

There was a sudden thump from the abandon gas station, followed by loud voices.
"Idiot! You had one simple job! And what was that again?"

A trembling voice muffled random words.
"That's right....I gave you the easiest part of this operation. I just don't," they sigh and cool themselves down. You wanted to leave before you got caught, but something told you to listen.

"You know what? You're out! I'm cutting our ties. You shall never speak of this again or else I might have two full garbage bags tomorrow."

"Y-yes sir..."
You start to feel the macaroons coming right back up your throat. You swallow it all and quickly leave to your cozy home. It's going to be hard falling asleep with that conversation still burned in your mind.
'Who were they?'