Throughout the day, Eleanor had been all smiles, smiling so much that now even her jaw hurt.
"Damn, this job sucks," she muttered under her breath, forcing yet another grin as she looked at Frederic. Again.
"But it's worth it," she told herself, even if she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince anymore.
Her fake smile faltered when her gaze shifted toward a particular customer sitting near the counter. Eleanor squinted. "That bitch again?" she whispered under her breath, her eyes narrowing like daggers.
And then she froze.
Frederic was smiling at that girl — smiling. Not the polite, customer-service smile he gave to everyone else. This one looked real. The kind that made his eyes soften just a little and his dimples appear for half a second.
Eleanor's fingers slipped, and she nearly dropped a cup. Her chest tightened in irritation. The girl giggled at something Frederic said, tucking her hair behind her ear in that flirty way that made Eleanor want to roll her eyes hard enough to see her brain.
She gritted her teeth. "Oh, she's definitely flirting. Look at her."
And worse — he wasn't stopping her.
She stood on her toes, peeking past the espresso machine, watching them like a hawk while trying not to look obvious.
'God, why is he smiling like that?'
She cursed the woman in her head, imagining throwing hot coffee on her designer blouse — but she knew she couldn't. Not when Frederic was right there.
She wasn't anyone special to him. Just an employee. Just… Eleanor.
"Ash, what should I do?" she muttered to her coworker as she wiped the counter a little too aggressively.
Ash glanced up from the register. "Do about what?"
Eleanor sighed, trying to sound casual. "Nothing. Just tired."
Ash raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Sure, tired."
Eleanor rolled her eyes and turned away, ignoring the lump in her throat. I don't have any right on him, she thought. Not yet…
But as the sound of the girl's laughter echoed again, her mood sank even lower.
"Eleanor! Can you help me with these orders?" another employee called.
"Yeah, coming!" she snapped out of her thoughts and forced herself to focus on work.
Just like that, the rest of her shift dragged on — painfully, slowly, with too many smiles and not enough patience.
By the end of the night, the café finally emptied out. Eleanor was cleaning the counter when she heard his voice.
"Hey," Frederic said, already holding his car keys. "You done? I can drop you home."
Her tired eyes instantly lit up. "Really? You don't have to—"
"It's fine. Come on."
Eleanor didn't argue. She grabbed her bag and followed him out, pretending she wasn't grinning like an idiot inside.
The drive was quiet for a few minutes, the sound of the rain tapping gently against the windshield. Then Frederic spoke up.
"How's it going?" he asked.
Eleanor turned to look at him. "Just like every day," she replied with a shrug, trying not to sound too happy just being in the same car with him.
Frederic smiled to himself. "You know," he said casually, "I still remember the first time I saw you."
That made her blink. "Huh?"
He chuckled softly, keeping his eyes on the road. "You were just a kid back then."
Eleanor frowned. "For the record, I was nineteen. Not a kid."
"Well…" he glanced at her with a teasing smirk, "you acted like one."
Eleanor crossed her arms. "Excuse me?"
He laughed again, shaking his head. "Not in a bad way. Just… very different from now. You weren't exactly rude or a brat, but you weren't kind either."
She huffed. "Thanks for the compliment."
There was a pause before he asked, out of nowhere, "Do you still smoke?"
Eleanor's eyes widened. "What?"
"Oh, uh— I didn't mean it like that," Frederic said quickly, scratching the back of his neck. "I just remembered the time I first met you, and… it kinda popped into my head. I didn't mean to upset you or anything. I just—"
"You remember our first meet?" she interrupted, her tone softer now.
He glanced at her, surprised. "Of course I do. How could I forget? Nobody's ever cursed me that much in my life. That was a first."
Her face turned red immediately.
Frederic laughed, and Eleanor wanted to disappear. Because their first meeting was, indeed, a disaster.
Three years ago
Outside a two-star hotel, a young man had stepped out to get some fresh air during a friend's birthday party. The night was humid, music pulsed from inside, and that's when he saw her.
A girl in a light pink dress stood leaning against a black Porsche, a cigarette between her fingers.
Her shoulder-length hair was tied with a bow that looked too innocent for the way she carried herself. Her face looked young — maybe too young — but her eyes… they were deep. Empty in a way that didn't belong to someone her age.
Frederic frowned.
"What are you looking at? Got a death wish?" the girl snapped before he could even speak.
He blinked, startled. "Are you— are you smoking?"
She smirked, taking a drag. "Got a problem with that?"
"Aren't you a bit too young for this?" he asked, half-joking but mostly concerned.
"Young for what?" she tilted her head, the bow slipping to one side.
"You shouldn't smoke. It's not good for your health," he said, waving away the smoke.
"What are you, my dad?" she scoffed.
"Maybe a kind stranger," he said with a faint smile.
She blew smoke right in his face. "A kind stranger? My ass. Now scram."
Frederic coughed, trying not to laugh. "Where are your parents? It's not safe for you to be here alone."
"I didn't ask for your help," she snapped. "Why the hell are you, a kind stranger, butting into my business? Stop being an ass and go your damn way."
Then she tossed the cigarette, got into her car, and drove off, leaving him standing there dumbfounded.
He was just.... trying to be nice.
Little did he know, that rude, sharp-tongued girl would one day end up working in his café.
~~~
Back in the car, Eleanor covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe you still remember that."
"How could I not?" he chuckled. "You were— let's just say, unforgettable."
"Ugh, stop talking," she groaned.
"Hey, I meant it as a compliment."
"Doesn't sound like one."
Frederic laughed again, and the sound made her chest feel weirdly warm.
When they reached her apartment, she quickly unbuckled her seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride. And, uh… sorry for being a brat back then."
He smiled. "You were just being you, Eleanor."
That made her pause for a second before she quickly nodded and got out of the car.
As soon as he drove off, she took a deep breath, then screamed into her hands. "AHHHH— why did I do that?!"
She stomped her feet, flustered, her face bright red, before finally walking inside.