Whatever it takes

Nolan

Alanna looks radiant today, her smile lighting up the room. I know I need to seize this moment to talk to her. “Do you want to go home?” I ask, testing the waters.

“No,” she replies, her voice light. “I have time.”

“Can we have a cup of coffee?”

“Yes, but somewhere far from the media. I’m tired of all the attention lately.”

I grin. “I know just the place.” We head to my car, and she slides into the seat. The tinted windows offer us privacy as I drive to a secluded coffee and cake shop I discovered a while back. Her smile grows as we step out and make our way inside.

Once we’re settled, I ask, “What do you want?”

“Guess,” she challenges, a playful glint in her eyes.

I turn to the waiter. “Latte and a slice of vanilla cake, please.”

She laughs, surprised. “How did you know?”

“Intuition,” I tease, enjoying the sparkle in her eyes.

“Tell me the truth,” she insists, leaning in.

“I saw it on your social media.”

Her eyes widen. “That post was five years ago.”

“When you left, I kept sea