Chapter 42 Small World
The café was unusually busy that afternoon as Amelia walked inside, something Amelia had gotten used to over the last few years.
She slipped off her long jacket and hung it on the rack by the door before heading straight behind the counter. As she tied her apron around her waist, Rebecca’s words replayed in her head, over and over again.
Vanessa and Liam.
Even now, the thought made her chest tighten. She still couldn’t wrap her head around how cruel Vanessa could be sleeping with her own sister’s boyfriend, plotting behind Rebecca’s back, then standing beside her like nothing happened. Amelia had warned Rebecca years ago about Liam, but that didn’t make the betrayal any less painful. No one deserved that kind of heartbreak. And no one deserved to rush into marriage out of pain and survival..
Standing behind the counter, she tied her apron round her waist as she busied her with preparing special orders, as she tried not to think too much about Vanessa and Liam.
She was on her third smoothie when the door bell chimed signifying the entrance of a new customer.
She barely looked up. At this hour, the café door opened almost constantly, and she trusted her staff to handle new arrivals.
"Excuse me, Can we place an order here?" The man standing in front of the counter asked.
Her head snapped up.
She knew that voice.
Ryan.
Ryan stood there, dressed in a tailored shirt with his jacket slung casually over one arm. Beside him was a man she didn’t recognize, older, professional-looking, clearly a business partner. Ryan was in the middle of explaining something when his eyes met hers.
For a moment, both of them just stared at each other.
Ryan’s brows furrowed in surprise. "Amelia?" he asked slowly, as if unsure he was seeing her correctly.
Amelia blinked once, then twice. "Ryan?" She asked back in surprise, she couldn't believe he was here in her cafe.
He looked around the café, then back at her, his brows pulling together slightly. "Such a small world, You work here?" He asked as he leaned slightly against the counter.
She let out a small breath and nodded. "Yes. Actually… this is my café." She said with pride.
That seemed to surprise him even more. His lips parted slightly as he looked around the cafe again before he recovered. "You own this place?"
"Yes," she replied simply, reaching for a cup to finish the order she’d been making. "I opened it a few years ago."
Ryan let out a short, impressed laugh. "Wow. I didn’t know."
Before he could say anything more, the man beside him cleared his throat lightly, glancing at his watch, as if telling him they were running out of time.
"Shall we order?" he asked, reminding Ryan why they were there in the first place.
Ryan nodded, then turned back to Amelia. "We’ll talk later," he said quietly. "I’m here for a meeting."
"Sure," she replied, already reaching for the order pad. "What can I get you?"
Ryan ordered quickly, keeping it simple. Amelia processed the order without delay, handed over the receipt, and directed them to a table near the window. As they walked away, she felt Ryan glance back once, but she kept her focus on the next customer.
As she returned to work, Amelia felt a strange mix of distraction and curiosity settle in her chest.
Of all places…
Why her shop
The rush continued, as Amelia busied herself once again with preparing special orders.
The meeting didn't last for long, about thirty minutes later, Ryan’s partner stood, shaking his hand with a smile before leaving the cafe while Ryan remained seated for a moment, scrolling through his phone, then finally stood and walked back toward the counter.
Amelia noticed immediately, She wiped her hands on a cloth as he approached. "Finished?" she asked, resting her hands on the counter.
"Yes," he replied. "Thanks for letting us sit so long."
"You’re paying customers," she said lightly. "It’s fine."
He hesitated, then rested one hand on the counter. "I honestly didn’t expect to see you here."
"Same," she admitted. "It's such a small world after all," she added with a small smile.
He nodded, glancing around again, as if seeing the café properly for the first time. "You’ve done well for yourself. This place… it suits you, the aesthetic and all."
"Thank you," she said, a little surprised by how genuine the compliment sounded.
There was a brief pause, not awkward, just quiet.
"So," Ryan continued, lowering his voice slightly, "are you always this busy?"
"Most afternoons," Amelia replied. "It’s the rush hour.
He smiled faintly. "I won’t keep you too long, then."
She raised an eyebrow slightly. "You’re already keeping me." She joked.
He chuckled softly, then grew a bit more serious. "I’m glad I ran into you."
She met his gaze, curious but cautious. "Why?" She asked with cautious tone, she could guess she has an idea where this was going to.
"Because I’d like to talk again," he said simply. "When you’re not working."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Can I get your number?"
She hesitated only briefly before nodding. "Sure."
She recited it, watching as he typed it into his phone. She hoped she was doing the right thing cause she had been hurt a lot by the male gender.
"Saved," he said, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "I’ll text you."
" Guess I’ll be waiting," she replied with a small smile.
Ryan smiled back, then stepped away from the counter, pausing briefly at the door before leaving.