'Oh… Oh my God!' Ava nearly screeched aloud as she lowered her head to hide her face. 'What… what is someone Like him doing in a place like this?!'
She bit down on her lip. 'Please don't come here… please not here...'
"Is something wrong?" Shawn's voice sounded from behind her, nearly making her jump out of her own skin.
Ava immediately composed herself. "It's nothing."
The space between Shawn's brows wrinkled. It looked like he didn't believe her but after a moment he shrugged and carried on with what he was doing. He clearly wasn't in a mood to ask.
Ava glanced at Eitan from the corner of her eye and watched as he went to take a seat at a table that was positioned by a window, farthest from the door.
She pursed her lips. 'Is he not going to order anything?' She thought, trying not to stare at him for too long. '...well, all the better for me then…. maybe he walked in here by accident.'
That was a ridiculous thought, but she wanted to so badly believe it.
Ava let out a breath and tried to concentrate on her work. Every now and then she would take a peep at Eitan only to see him solely focused on his phone.
'Did he… did he really walk in here by accident? He's just been on his phone the whole time…' Ava thought. 'He's probably trying not to make it too obvious…'
Time passed and with every minute Eitan spent inside the small café, Ava grew increasingly uncomfortable.
'Urgh… when is he going to leave…? I just hope Shawn doesn't pay him any mind…'
"Hmm…" She heard Shawn hum from beside her after a moment. "That customer has been here for a while now… why won't he order anything?"
'Argh! Mind your own business!' Ava swallowed. "I… don't know."
"This won't do." Shawn concluded as he shifted His eyes to his coworker. "Do you think you could go ask him what he wants, Ava? I'll cover for you in the meantime."
Ava almost shrieked aloud. 'No way! Absolutely no way!' She yelled inwardly. 'He just might recognize me and he thinks I'm rich! If he sees me here…'
"Ava?" Shawn called after she was silent for a while.
"Yes?" She flinched. "So–sorry, I'm a bit shy when it comes to talking to people first, you see…"
'Please... just… mind your business, will you?' She begged. 'He's probably not ordering anything because he doesn't want our terrible coffee…'
Shawn laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, you're just going to ask him what he wants, it's not like you're asking him out on a date." He said, gently pushing her to the front of the counter. "Go on. Like I said, I'll cover for you~"
Ava bit her lip. 'Curse you, Shawn!' She fumed, then let out a breath.
She then lowered the cafe's branded cap on her head and took out a small notebook and pen from her apron pocket.
Phew… She breathed. Maybe... jut maybe he wouldn't recognize her. After all, she was one of many people that attended the party that day and she was in a mask! There was no way he would be able to remember who she was, right?
Ava just had to hang onto that sliver of hope.
"Umm… hello?" She greeted with her pen and notebook at the ready, prompting his piercing emerald gaze on her. She nearly stiffened. "You've been sitting here for a while… do you want anything?"
Eitan stared at her for a moment, seemingly in thought.
Ava strained a smile, as she rolled the pen in her hand nervously. 'Say something, will you?' She thought. 'You're making me uncomfortable…'
"I'll have black coffee." He said finally. "No sugar."
Ava blinked. "Al… alright." She said, "Is that all?"
Eitan nodded.
The moment she got back behind the counter, she felt all the tension from earlier leave her shoulders, making her slouch. She let out a sigh of relief.
'He didn't recognise me…'
"What was his order?" Shawn asked.
"A cup of black coffee." Ava told him. "No sugar."
Shawn nodded and got to work. A few minutes later, Ava returned to Eitans table with his order.
He took out a clean five dollar note and placed it on the table.
Ava blinked as she took up the note, a little taken aback. "This is too much. The coffee is only two dollars."
"Consider the rest tip." Eitan said, his attention going back to his phone without so much as another glance her way.
"...Thank you." Ava appreciated it before going back to work.
Eitan took a sip of his coffee. 'Not bad…' He concluded as he leaned back against his chair.
He had been waiting in the cafe for over an hour now but the informant who called him here was nowhere to be seen.
'I deliberately didn't wear a mask so he'll be able to recognise me but no one has come up to me up till now…' He reached a hand into his hoodie pocket, fidgeting with something inside. 'Was it a setup after all?'
Eitan let out a sigh… 'or is the man actually here and just waiting to be noticed?' He dragged his seat backwards a little and scanned the area slowly. His eyes briefly lingered on the cafe's counter and he quickly turned away before the staff there could sense his gaze.
There was nothing suspicious about this place… at least not among the customers... and no one looked like they could be the informant either. All the customers just took their orders and left the shop.
Eitan let out a slow breath, frustrated. He'd already made up his mind.
Ava attended to and watched how people took their orders and left. The clock struck twelve and the cafe had basically become empty, except for her, Shawn and one other person who still sat at his table seemingly without an intention to leave anytime soon.
"Isn't he going to leave?" Shawn whisper
ed.
'I'm wondering the same thing…' Ava wanted to groan.
It didn't take long after Shawn asked his question, did Eitan get up from his table and walk out of the cafe without a word.
Ava let out a sigh. 'I wonder what he came here for…'