AT THE SAME TIME
ISABELLA
I froze for exactly half a second. Then I did the smartest thing I had done all day. I ran away as fast as possible. With meant only behind a coffee counter.
"Well, sorry, excuse me, coffee emergency!" I blurted, ducking around him and practically teleporting back behind the counter.
My heart was trying to escape through my throat as I slid next to Michael, the barista, who was calmly steaming milk like the world hadn't just tilted off its axis. I was kinda curious how he could be so chill about everything when I was litterally panicking inside.
"You okay?" He asked, glancing at me. "You look like you saw a ghost."
"Worse." I whispered. "A billionaire."
"Yeah, we get those sometimes."Michael snorted.
Bless him, the poor boy had no idea. I grabbed a cup just to look busy.
"What do you need?"I asked.
"Two lattes, one cappuccino." He said. "You know how to foam?"
"Define know." I muttered, but my hands moved anyway. Muscle memory, or maybe Bella Hearthstone had worked here longer than I had. I guess her 'powerty and low alowance' arc made her skillfull with it. Steam hissed, coffee poured and my breathing finally slowed. Normal things, coffee things, this was good. I took a glance over my shoulder. The CEO was still there. Just watching. Like he was waiting for something.
"Uh." Michael said quietly, leaning closer. "Is that guy bothering you?"
Like I could tell my friendly barista coworker that he is the main lead of this world and he is not the most friendliest person. He would probably call me crazy and fire me instantly.
"No." I said it too fast. "Absolutely not, I mean, yes, but not on purpose."
"Want me to take over?"Michael raised an eyebrow.
"No." I said, then softened it. "I mean no, it is fine. I have got this."
I slid the finished drinks onto the counter and stepped forward, professional smile locked in place.
"One cappuccino, one latte." I said, refusing to meet his eyes. "That will be-"
He reached out, not to me, but to the cup. Our fingers brushed. I pulled back like I had been burned.
"Careful." He said mildly. "You're shaking."
"I just started." I snapped, then winced. "Sorry, long day."
"So I see."He hummed, amused.
He picked up the cup, his eyes finally leaving my face. For one blessed second, I thought I was safe. I stared at his retreating, coffee machine screaming in protest beside me.
"Friend of yours?"Michael leaned over.
I swallowed.
"No." I said. "He is a plot device."
"Right."Michael blinked, confused. I'm glad he had no idea about it.
I spent the next hour in a carefully orchestrated panic. Steam hissed, espresso machines gurgled, and every time I tried to focus on a cappuccino, I imagined him sitting there with his laptop, watching me like a hawk disguised as a coffee loving billionaire. He hadn't moved, didn't pack up, didn't leave. Just sat in his corner, meticulously typing, occasionally sipping, and of course glancing. Not casual glances, either. The kind that made it impossible to breathe normally. I tried to convince myself he was just… bored. Maybe he liked watching people work. Maybe that was normal CEO behavior. Maybe no, that was insane.
"I would like a cappuccino and a tea cake."An older lady said.
"Of course."Michael said. "That would be five."
Every time a customer came in, I reminded myself to focus. Latte, cappuccino, americano, latte again, oh god don't look at him, then back to espresso shots. But he always managed to catch me, and each time I looked away, my stomach did a backflip. At one point, he even tapped on his laptop, looked at me, and added another order.
"Americano. Extra hot."He said. "Make it quick."
I swear I almost dropped the whole tray. Michael noticed.
"He's… intense."Michael whispered supportively. "I never seen him stay for such a long time before.
"Understatement." I hissed. 'He's literally watching my soul. Just keep the customers away. Help me survive this."
"You'll be fine. Just don't spill the coffee on him. He doesn't seem forgiving."Michael smirked.
I muttered a curse under my breath.
"I can barely keep it together. And he's still looking. Why is he still looking?!"I asked.
By now, he had started a pattern. Every five minutes, another drink. Every ten minutes, a deliberate glance. And with each glance, I felt like I was a mouse being examined by a cat, one that was impossibly tall, dark haired, terrifyingly rich, and inexplicably obsessed. I tried to act normal, wiping counters, wiping cups, and carefully avoiding his gaze. But apparently, the universe had other plans
. A customer walked in and asked for a cappuccino. I turned to make it, and of course, he ordered another drink at the same moment. Latte. No foam. Extra shot.
"Perfect." I muttered, rushing to obey.
"Excuse me." He called across the cafe, just enough for my blood to freeze. "Can I get that one iced, actually?"
I froze mid step. Did he expect me to what, teleport the coffee across the room? I took a shaky breath, grabbed the cup, and delivered it carefully, placing it on the counter like I was defusing a bomb. He smiled faintly. Just enough to make me question every life choice that led to this moment.
"It's like his fifth coffee today. How is he not having a heart attack or something?"I muttered.
"You're handling this… really well."Michael said.
I groaned.
" Thank you. I'm a professional side character, Michael. Not a professional billionaire magnet."I said.
I saw how a big grin appeared on Michael's face. It seems that he is enjoying this type of comedy.
"Big difference, yeah."Michael chuckled.
Meanwhile, the CEO just returned to his laptop, sipping his latest coffee as if nothing had happened. But every so often… glance and I realized something terrifying: he wasn't just here for coffee, he was here for me. I gritted my teeth, determined to survive the rest of the shift. Just coffee. Just survive. Don't make eye contact. Don't spill anything. Don't die. Then, of course, he ordered another latte. I sighed. Side character life: 1, Isabella Stone sanity: 0. And somewhere in the back of my head, a little voice muttered: This is going to be a very long day.