The second the café rush settled, Ellie ducked behind the counter, heart still tap-dancing in her ribcage.
She grabbed her phone with jittery fingers, thumbs flying as she opened her messages and fired one off without thinking.
Ellie:
Max. I just saw possibly the most unfairly good-looking guy walk into the café.
Like, annoyingly attractive. The kind who probably smells like leather-bound books and emotional unavailability.
She stared at the screen, then added—
Ellie:
But WAIT. You won't believe what I just did.
A beat passed. Then Max replied, as reliable as sunrise.
Max:
Spill the tea. Did someone finally propose to you?
Ellie let out a laugh under her breath and typed furiously:
Ellie:
Okay, Okay, so I was trying to play it cool, right? Just doing barista things. Then I saw him in line navy hoodie, tragic-boy brows, the whole moody novel cover look and my brain just… fried.
So I grabbed a tray. With croissants. Like a responsible, non-disaster adult.
And then I accidentally dropped a tray of croissants right in front of him. Like, full dramatic slow-motion crash.
Oh, it was cinematic.
Croissants flew like buttery missiles. One smacked the floor. One hit a chair. One landed right at his feet like it was auditioning for a rom-com.
Max:
Classic! Did he flee the scene or stay to mourn the fallen pastries?
Ellie:
He… laughed? Like, a real laugh. Not the polite "haha I feel bad for you" kind. It caught me off guard. I took it as a win.
She paused, a soft smile tugging at her lips. That laugh was still playing in her head. Unforced. Warm. Like he hadn't expected to enjoy the moment, but did anyway.
Ellie:
Then I tried to be cool and asked if he wanted a caramel macchiato. He said, and I quote, "I'm more of a 'black coffee and deep thoughts' kind of guy."
Max:
Ah. The 'mysterious with a dash of philosopher' vibe. Got it. Dangerous territory. Tread wisely.
She giggled quietly, biting her lip as she ducked behind the espresso machine again.
Ellie:
Oh, we're not done. He tried to order a "secret menu" drink and totally butchered the name. The barista looked like she aged three years in five seconds.
Max:
So he's part coffee snob, part walking disaster. Sounds perfect. Please tell me he knocked something over.
Ellie:
Just my expectations for functioning like a normal adult.
I'm officially smitten and terrified.
Max's reply came with the speed of someone too entertained to stop.
Max:
If this turns into a rom-com, I want top billing for giving you emotional support via text.
Ellie laughed, feeling lighter than she had all day.
Ellie:
Deal. But wait. I gotta tell you what happened after.
She typed, fingers flying:
Ellie:
We were talking about movies and he recommended this indie flick. I was impressed… until he revealed he watches it because it has a talking squirrel. Like, his actual reason.
Max's emoji was a skull laughing.
Max:
That's both horrifying and adorable.
Ellie grinned, but deep down, a tiny seed of doubt was planted.
Ellie:
Yeah, adorable now. Wait till you hear the "truth."
She paused, then texted:
Ellie:
I think my crush might have a few quirks.
Max's reply was instant.
Max:
Storytime. Spill every sweet, weird detail. I'm here for the messy.
Ellie smiled at the screen, feeling a strange comfort. Maybe this anonymous guy was the only one who really got her.