I felt the intensity of her stare on my back till I was out of her sight, and the moment I unlocked the front door from my device, she bolted out.
6
AINSLEY
“If I get this one today, I swear on my sister’s grave, I’ll pay you back, man.”
“And you’re sure they’re gonna pick you?”
The other one chuckled. “Yeah, of course they will. I woke up early today just so—ohfuck!”
His scream brought me back to life, and I stared in horror at the mess I’d made on their table. And on him.
“I—I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
The man I’d just drenched in coffee stood up abruptly, his expression twisting with disgust as he glared at the dark stain spreading over his expensive-looking button-down and trousers.
He and his friend had ordered only minutes ago—one coffee, one ice cream—and now, his entire drink was on him. My stupid hand had nudged the cup, and that was it. Gone. Emptied.
I wasn’t sure whether to apologise again or offer to clean his clothes, though the latter seemed like a quick way to get slapped.
“Oh my goodness, Ainsley, what have you done?” Ma’am Jeena, the owner who’d let me work in her café, gasped from behind the counter. “Apologise. Now.”
Brilliant. Just what I needed—an audience. I could feel everyone in the café staring. The judgement was almost palpable.
“I’m sorry,” I managed, my voice small.
“Shut up! Just shut your filthy mouth!” the man snapped, his voice rising with every word. “I had these clothes boughtfor today—today—and now you’ve ruined it! Your sorry fucking means nothing.”
“I can clean it quickly and put it in the dryer, I’m sure—”
“And what about my appointment?” His tone was ice-cold.
“You’ve got it now?”
He took in a sharp breath, his eyes narrowing like a storm was brewing behind them. “You dirty little bitch—”
“Oi, that’s enough! She apologised. It was a mistake,” Ma’am Jeena cut in, but it was clear he wasn’t done.
“You think you can just mess up people’s lives because you're stuck in a dead-end job? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” He leaned in closer, his hand twitching as if he was fighting the urge to strike. “I have important people to meet, and now look at me—look at me!”
I shrank back, heat rising to my face. Apology wasn’t getting me anywhere, but what else could I do? His anger was practically foaming at the mouth, and I was one wrong word away from a full-blown disaster. I couldn’t get angry, even if everything in me wanted to. I’d been in a very sour mood, but that wasn’t enough to make Ma’am Jeena regret letting me here.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted the tension, cutting through the rising pitch of the argument.
“Ainsley?”
I froze, the name tugging me out of the chaos. Slowly, I turned to find myself face to face with...Blake Everett. Of all people,Blake Everett.He stood near the door, looking every bit the part of someone who had more money than he knew what to do with.
His hair was perfectly slicked back, and his watch—no, that wasn’t just a watch; it was a bloody Patek Philippe—glistened under the café lights. His shoes, polished to an almost impossible shine, matched his tailored suit. Even his cufflinks screamed money.
I couldn’t read the look on his face, but the shock was clear. It was like he couldn’t quite process the fact that I was standing here, in this mess—in a coffee-stained apron, my hand still holding a half-wet rag, trying to stop a customer from knocking me out.
His eyes flicked from me to the furious customer, then back again, his brows furrowing.I could feel my face flush even deeper. The embarrassment hit me hard—harder than the argument had—and I wanted nothing more than to disappear.
“Hi.”
Ma’am Jeena allowed me a fifteen minute break to clear my head and see my ‘friend’. Blake Everett. Lord. Blake.
