Episode 6 – Close Enough to Notice
The sun poured through the café windows, painting golden streaks across Sweet Bloom Café. Maya Sharma balanced a tray of espresso cups while keeping one wary eye on the door. Today's rush had been relentless, but she didn't expect her next challenge to walk in wearing a black suit.
"Good afternoon," Adrian Knight said, stepping inside with his usual quiet command.
Maya's stomach flipped. She forced a smile and set the tray down on a nearby table, straightening her apron. "Back so soon?
I didn't realize caffeine could be addictive."
Adrian's dark eyes scanned the room, then locked on hers. "Apparently, it can be," he said evenly.
Before she could respond, a customer brushed past her, jostling her arm. Adrian reached instinctively, steadying the tray. Their hands touched again.
Maya's breath caught. She pulled back, cheeks heating. "I see you're making it your personal mission to hover over me now," she said, attempting casual defiance.
Adrian smirked faintly, but there was something unreadable in his gaze. "I'm ensuring nothing gets ruined this time.
"Their small conversation was punctuated by accidental closeness—brushing arms, fingers lingering near one another, subtle shifts that sent tension spiraling between them.
From across the room, Emilia quietly observed, sipping her tea. She noticed the almost imperceptible sparks in their interactions.
A faint smile tugged at her lips—her friend was about to meet someone who might shake her world.
At the same time, the bell above the café door jingled, and Veronica Hale leaned against the frame outside, watching with a calculating gaze.
Her lips curved into a thin smile, and she pulled out her phone to make a note. This could get interesting.
Maya returned to her counter, pretending to wipe it down, but she kept stealing glances at Adrian. He, in turn, scanned the room, eyes returning to her more often than necessary.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Maya finally blurted, unable to hold back.
Adrian's lips twitched into the faintest smile. "Like what?""Like I'm going to explode your perfect little world if I step too close," she replied, a hint of teasing in her tone.
"Perhaps," Adrian said softly. "Or perhaps you're the only thing that might actually interest me."
Maya froze. His words weren't an insult… but neither were they a compliment. The ambiguity made her heartbeat quicken.
The café hummed with life around them, but for these two, the world had narrowed again—the tension palpable, the air charged with possibilities.
Before Maya could respond, Adrian's phone buzzed. He glanced at it, straightened, and for the first time that day, walked past her to leave.
Maya exhaled, brushing her fingers against the counter. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath. Something had shifted.
Outside, Veronica watched him disappear, her eyes narrowing. "This chef isn't going down without a fight," she murmured.Inside, Maya straightened. The day had been chaotic, stressful, and full of near disasters. Yet her mind kept replaying that brush of his hand, the tension in his gaze, the faint smirk that made her cheeks warm.
And deep down, she knew one thing: this was only the beginning.