SERENDIPITY

~15~Missing Her And New Me ✔️

"You?" I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I instantly recognized the boy standing before me. It was the same boy I had encountered the other night in town when Mia and I had a heated argument—the very same night I had crossed paths with Mr. Reynolds.

"Obviously," he responded smoothly, tilting his head to the side. A slight smirk played on his lips. "I'm relieved to see you're doing well now," he added, his gaze scanning me with an intrigued eyebrow raised.

"Um...thanks for the other night," I stammered, feeling a mix of gratitude and awkwardness.

"For what?" he inquired, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"For...um...letting me know when the bus arrived," I stumbled over my words, trying to come up with a plausible reason. "Yes, that's why."

"If that's the case, you're welcome. I didn't get a chance to properly introduce myself that night," he said, rising from his seat and extending his hand toward me. "I'm Adrian Oliveira. It's a pleasure to finally meet you..." He deliberately let his sentence hang, leaving a hint of intrigue in the air.

"Raquel," I responded, clasping his hand in mine. "Raquel Clarke. The pleasure is all mine, Adrian," I replied, a hint of a smile playing on my lips as we released our handshake.

"...And this lovely lady here me is my girlfriend, Magnolia," he introduced, gesturing toward the stunning girl sitting opposite to him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Magnolia," I greeted, acknowledging her with a warm smile.

"Likewise, Raquel. I must say, you have a truly beautiful name," Magnolia complimented, waving with a friendly charm.

"Well, thank you. Yours isn't bad either" I replied and she laughed.

Adrian took his seat again, and I took charge, beginning my spiel. "Take your time going through the menu. Would you like anything to quench your thirst while you browse? Perhaps some water or a refreshing beverage?" I offered, extending the menus toward them.

"A glass of water will be perfect," Adrian responded.

"I'll go with a bottle of beer, please," Magnolia chimed in.

"Sure thing. I'll be back in a jiffy," I assured them, taking note of their orders before heading off to fulfill them.

I returned to the kitchen, swinging open the fridge door and retrieving a chilled bottle of water and a frosty can of beer. Pouring the water into a glass, I arranged both the glass and the beer can on a sleek tray before making my way back to the table.

"Raquel, right?" I paused in my tracks as my name caught my attention.

"Yeah..." I replied, a tinge of uncertainty in my voice.

"Where do you think you're headed with that?" the voice questioned.

"Isn't it obvious? It appears your shift is over. How come you're still lingering around?" I inquired, curiosity piqued.

She smirked and replied, "I should be asking you that same question, don't you think?"

I rolled my eyes in response. "Whatever," I retorted, trying to navigate my way around her. However, she swiftly positioned herself in my path, blocking my way. Frustration prickled at my patience. "What do you want, Natalia?"

She let out a nonchalant laugh, casually flipping her hair in a rather unimpressive manner. "Ohh...so glad you know my name," she said in a relaxed tone. "But then again, it's no surprise. Everyone around here seems to know who I am, especially the male customers. Beauty truly has its way of speaking, don't you think?"