Chapter 3. Watch Me Watch You

“I can’t believe how obsessed everyone has gotten! I mean, seriously, did you hear Lisa? She wants to marry the man,” Melissa boasted aloud as they walked to the café after school.

“Man?” Lola asked with a raised brow and a disbelieving expression- Man was a little too much in her opinion. She was, however, glad that it had been three days since their interaction in the auditorium, and he hadn’t tried to talk to her again since.

“It’s all I hear in class, Jax, Jax, Jax…” Melissa said, bobbing her head mockingly to the side each time she said his name.

Lola opened the door and smirked at her friend while jokingly remarking, “Sounds like someone has a crush.”

Melissa scoffed and pretended to shiver from the idea.

“I’ll leave the crush to the bottle blondes who fantasize about marrying rich.” They laughed and walked into the café.

The woman behind the desk was hurriedly writing down on a paper and looking at her wristwatch. Her hair was a mess from having stood over the milk steamer for hours, and her lipstick was, as usual, smudged down her lip.

“Ellen?”

The woman turned her head, her locks falling in front of her face and her neck glistening with sweat.

“Lola, thank god you’re early,” her manager said and took off the apron in a hurry.

Lola smiled and looked at the clock hanging over the decorative mantel in the café.

“I’m not. I’m actually five minutes late.”

Her manager rounded her lips and looked at the schedule.

“Oh, you’re right. Never mind that. I have to run out, so you’re on your own tonight. Is that okay?”

Lola shrugged a shoulder and looked around the venue. She could see four people, and Thursday nights were usually pretty calm. “No problem, you go,” she said.

“You’re an angel.” Ellen grabbed Lola’s arm and put the keys in her hand.

She grabbed her phone and smiled brightly, showing her lipstick-stained teeth as she waved the girls off and ran out the back.

Melissa and Lola looked at each other. With a giggle, she went behind the desk and prepared for her shift.

Ellen was a clutter-brain. Lola came into work many times and had to clean up the clutter to keep it organized, but she didn’t mind. Ellen was one of the few people who had welcomed her into the town when she had moved here. She gave Lola a job with no experience or background check.

“This test is gonna kick my ass tomorrow,” Melissa groaned while sipping on her frappe.

“Go home and study so you can concentrate.” Lola meant well, especially since the café was becoming crowded.

She was confused by the number of people who came in and sat down. They ordered coffee and cakes, took out laptops, and had study sessions. The café was filling up fast, and it was only five o’clock.

“No, it’s fine. It’s not the noise that’s bothering me. It’s these questions and laws that just won’t stick in my brain,” she said, pressing her finger to the side of her head.

Lola peeked in the Oxford Law book and deeply regretted it when she saw the massive amount of text and laws outlined with a yellow marker.

She pulled back and pressed the lever for the foamer before asking the customer if they’d like whipped cream on their coffee.

“Here you go, enjoy.” The girl smiled at Lola and grabbed her coffee.

“Why am I even studying law? I hate this,” Melissa said and closed the book.

She tossed her arm in the air and stared wide-eyed at Lola, who was wiping the counter.

“Because your dad told you to?” Lola said with a smirk.

“Oh yeah, that’s why,” Melissa said with a deadpan smile.

“Excuse me.” Lola turned her head and saw the couple standing cuddled up by the cashier.

“Yes?” she asked.

“When does the live music start?” the guy asked. He had thick, glossy hair with curls that fell to his brows, a charming smile, and kind blue eyes. His brown leather jacket was over the shoulders of the girl he was hugging. She was smiling brightly as they waited for the answer. Lola could see the confusion on her face through the mirror behind the couple and realized she wasn’t smiling.

“I’m sorry, what live music?” she asked.

The girl pulled a flyer from her bag and handed it to Lola.

Live music, your favorite coffee, and your best friend by your side. What more could you want? Join us at the Wild Cliff Café on Thursday at 5:30 pm.

There was a picture of two guitars and a list of songs the artist would perform. Lola showed the flyer to Melissa, who looked equally as confused. There hadn’t been live music since she had started working there, and as she looked around the café, she wondered if they were all waiting for the music.

She glanced at the clock. It was twenty minutes to six, and people started throwing glares at the counter.

“Uhm, I’m sorry, I just have to make a phone call,” Lola said with a wrinkle forming between her brows from the worry that arose.

Just as Lola was about to grab her phone and call Ellen, the door opened, and a man came in with a black hoodie and blue jeans. He carried a guitar case in one hand and a duffel bag in the other.

“Sorry we’re late. The music will start soon,” he said and walked to the far end wall as everyone started moving in closer. He hadn’t turned to greet or acknowledge Lola, so she couldn’t see who had come in.

He gestured for a chair by a group of friends, and they were glad to let him take it. He put the case on the floor, kneeled down, and pulled the hood from his head. As he lifted the guitar and turned to face everyone, his eyes immediately landed on Lola.

A dark smirk shadowed his lips as he gently bowed his head in a greeting.

“Lola, do you know him?” Melissa asked and looked confusedly at her friend, who had never mentioned any dark, handsome stranger.

“No, but I think…” She narrowed her eyes and tried to remember where she had seen him before.

It slowly dawned on her that she didn’t know him, but they had met when he had come into the café with his two friends a few days ago. However, where were the other two—the one who had thanked her? His face was still very much on her mind, and he had been kind with an intense burning gaze that caused her to forget how to breathe. Where was he?

“Are you okay?” Melissa asked.

The couple had gone to take their seats.

Lola nodded. “Yeah, sure,” she said and leaned her head to the side.

He set up the microphone, tuned his guitar strings, and started playing. Everyone leaned back when he started to sing, his voice dark but smooth all at once and beautifully taking all the lower notes.

Every now and then, his eyes looked away from the crowd and locked on Lola’s with an intensity that made her shiver.

Everyone clapped their hands after he sang his last song, but they didn’t want it to end and incited him to play another.

Lola looked at her friend, who was joining the crowd’s euphoric cheers. She, too, screamed for another song. Her phone started ringing on the counter, and she smiled as she tore her gaze away from Melissa.

Ellen’s name lit up on the screen, and she took it to her ear.

“Hi, how is everything going? I felt so bad for leaving you alone like that,” she said.

“No, it’s fine, but next time, maybe give me a warning when you’ve planned a live music event.” Lola laughed. The line fell silent for a second. And all she heard were Ellen’s breaths.

“I didn’t approve of any live music. Haven’t even had any requests. Is that what I’m hearing in the background?” she asked.

“Yeah, there were flyers put up around town. If you didn’t do that, then who…” Her heart stopped, and her blood cooled.

“Shh, just do as I say,” his dark voice said from behind her.

She recognized that voice, and her mind remembered it immediately.

“Thank you for the coffee.”

It was the man who was here with his friends the other day. The handsome stranger who looked like a model- and he was back, standing behind her.

“Lola? Are you there? It wasn’t me, but hell, it’s good for business, so just go with it. Let me know if you need any help, and I’ll try to come in.”

His body was pressing her into the counter. His fingers snaked around her waist, and he leaned his lips to her ear. “Tell her it’s fine, and she shouldn’t come,” he whispered.

“Hello?” Ellen asked.

“It’s fine. Everything here is good. No need for you to come in,” Layla said, trying to control the shake in her voice.

“Ah, my favorite words! See you tomorrow, honeybee.” The call ended.

Lola slowly lowered the phone from her ear. He brushed her hair back from her neck, his fingers caressing her cold skin.

“Good girl.”