Chapter 10. It always starts with coffee.

Book:Hacked Hearts Published:2024-5-1

“You are not completely useless, you serve as a great bad example.”
“If I throw a ball, will you leave?”
“Whose ball? Because I bet yours are too damn small.”
“Slay!” I chanted, laughing wholeheartedly. Arvo glared at me, not at all amused by Zivah’s retort and my undying laughter.
“You two are the worst.” He complained, throwing fries at us.
I swiftly caught one in my mouth and winked at him. “But you love us.”
Zivah grinned at him. “Yes you do.”
In response Arvo just rolled his eyes but the slight smile on his face indicated he was very happy to see us.
Arvo was from Finland and we had met last year at a book event and since his sarcasm level matched ours, we were an instant hit. He stayed for a few months for a business thing and then went back to Finland.
Although we occasionally did a video call or conference, it was never enough and finally he was back here on another business trip. And we were equally pleased and pissed to see his stupid face at our front door this morning at 7am.
“So what’s new with you two?” he slurped his chocolate milkshake making me glare at him. He knew I hated that slurp sound.
“Other than your annoying face disrupting our beauty sleep? Nothing.” Zivah answered hotly. Her plan was to sleep till 12pm today, brush, eat pizza in PJs and then go back to sleep. And here she was at 9. 30am, brushed and dressed in jeans, eating burger and fries with the largest cup of coffee.
“Oh please you missed me.” Arvo replied, grinning and showing his left dimple.
With light golden hair and dark brown eyes, he looked pretty darn good. Unfortunately his slutty ex left him for another rich guy after 3 years of dating and stealing some 10000$ from him. Safe to say, Arvo now suffers from major trust issues.
“My jobs annoying me.” Zivah said, removing the tomato from her burger and dropping it on mine.
“Why?” Arvo asked, looking amused as I stuffed the tomato inside my burger and passed Zivah the olives.
“Because my boss an egoistic annoying brat who thinks he farts gold.”
Zivah’s blunt tone made both of us laugh.
“That bad?” Arvo inquired.
“Oh you have no idea.” I muttered, shaking my head. “Every night she comes, she complains, she sleeps, she wakes up, she complains, she goes to work and so it goes on.”
“Yeah as if you are any good.” Zivah taunted. “You are just lucky your boss takes you on dates.”
“Woah what?” Arvo seemed surprised and shocked, he looked at me, waiting for me to elaborate.
An instant blush covered my cheeks and I mentally slapped Zivah for opening her mouth. “It’s not like that. It was just coffee.”
“It always starts with coffee.” Zivah’s mouth needed a stop button.
“It was during work and only because my coffee got cold and I really needed one.” I tried to justify.
“Yes and he jumped up at the chance. That is a date.”
“No it’s not. It’s just a meeting with a friend.”
“So now your boss is your friend?”
“Well, sort of.” I murmured.
“See! Now friend, tomorrow boyfriend, then husband and then father of your kids.”
“Are you drunk Zivah?” I shouted, wanting to strangle her bare hands.
She smirked, “Babe I am always drunk. In sarcasm.”
“Just shut up.” I groaned, she usually didn’t tease me that much, but now with Arvo here, she was over acting. That wannabe! “At least my boss didn’t almost kiss me.” I lied, glad I hadn’t told Zivah about it yet.
Arvo now turned his attention to Zivah, whose eyes had widened and tongue was stuck to teeth. “Zivah? Kissing your boss? Look who’s turned naughty. Want a promotion in bed I see.”
Zivah immediately blushed. “It was a mistake and we didn’t really kiss.”
Arvo leaned back, looking at both of us. “I go for 6 months and you both are almost banging your bosses. Vau, hyvat tytot.”
“I don’t know what you said but I am sure it was offensive.” I said, glaring at him.
“I said wow good girls.” He translated,
I rolled my eyes, “Why thank you, how are things with you?”
Arvo shrugged, a dark shadow of depression crossing his face. “I am doing fine.”
“Are you really?” Zivah asked sympathetically.
“Yes well, it’s never easy to know your girlfriend cheated on you for money and stole money from you. So yes comparatively, I am fine.”
“Arvo…” Zivah started, her infamous physiological tactics. But Arvo was familiar to them now.
“Nope Zivah, you are not treating me like one of your patients.”
“Never. I am treating you like a friend.” Zivah smiled, “Let’s go someplace where we can read and eat and stay for hours.”
“The Book Café.” I said excitedly, it was our favourite place to hang out. It was a beautiful café with all junk food available and books kept in shelves and wooden tables and chairs to sit, sort of like a library with food. And it felt amazing just being there, the peace and ambiance.
“Oh manh, I can’t come.” I muttered sadly, remembering that the hacking just happened yesterday and there is still no trace of catching the hacker. “I have to go to work.”
“But you came at 5 in the morning.” Zivah complained. “At least get some rest.”
“You know I can’t. I really want to. But I need to go or they’ll fire me.” I said sadly, eating the last fries and getting up.
“Who will fire you? The boss who took you out on a date, I doubt it.” Arvo teased, making me scowl.
“Hilarious Finny boy.” I scooped down to hug Zivah. “Bye you two, have fun but not too much fun. And miss me.”
“Bye My-My, take care and please get some sleep.” Zivah said worriedly.
“Yes babe.” I fake assured her. The only reason I even came back home was so I could freshen up and change clothes and of course after drinking coffee with Alex till 5 in the morning, he said, rather demanded, I should rest a little.
As I stepped out of McDonald’s, I remembered yesterday night and couldn’t help but wonder if it was the wrong decision.
Flashback.
“Here we are.” Alex said, stopping his flashy car in front of a small shop.
I stared at the shop not expecting this, when it comes to Alex it is usually 5 star restaurants and 7 star hotels. This looked tiny and could barely fit 8 people inside.
“This?” I asked again pointing at the shop.
Alex frowned, “You don’t like it? If you want to go someplace fancy we can go. There’s Hilton down the road.” He started the car again.
“No no.” I grabbed his hand, “This is great, I just wasn’t expecting this.”
“Oh. So you like it? I know it’s small and stuffy but they do have amazing coffee and-.” Alex kept on muttering, a little nervous.
“Hey rich boy, I think this is perfect.” I assured him, smiling at his nervous face.
He breathed out, smirking a little, going back to his normal self. “Good then Hacker girl, let’s get you some coffee.”
The shop was actually pretty neat and as soon as we entered a homey bakey fragrance surrounded us, there was a small counter to order there were home-made cupcakes and cookies and dim lights in the shop with small stools to sit in.
Alex Bianchi looked completely out of his space and yet so comfortable.
“Have you been here before?” I could sense he had been here before.
He smiled, looking around at the empty shop. “Yes.”
I wanted to know more but didn’t want to seem needy. “Who will take our order?” I changed the subject.
“Oh that would be me.” A guy of around age early 20, jumped up from behind the counter, effectively banging his head on the table.
“Ouch.” I winced. “Are you okay?”
He rubbed his head, “Yeah mild concussion maybe but I’ll live. I am Evan. I was actually sleeping, don’t usually get folks here after midnight.”
Evan was truly good-looking, with messy dark brown hair and a well-trimmed beard, I could see his muscles underneath the bottle green t-shirt he wore. He even had cheek bones and that perfect jaw line hidden underneath untrimmed beard, cheek bones! Yum.
Pretty sure Alex noticed me staring at this stranger because his next words weren’t gentle at all. “Okay boy. Get back to work now.”
I lightly punched Alex. “Be kind.” I whispered.
Even Evan looked taken aback at Alex’s rude tone, he stared at the two of us before shrugging and continuing in his merry tone. “Um okay. What can I get you? We have some strawberry cupcakes with cara-”
Alex interrupted him. “We would like two blueberry muffins with hot vanilla scones and two of those hazelnut and butter cookies and two coffees.”
Evan blinked, surprised. “Have you been here before?”
“Is this your job? Asking customers irrelevant questions.”
Even I flinched at Alex’s words. “Alex!” I scolded, “Sorry about him, it’s been a long day.” I apologized to Evan. “We would like the order please.” With that I turned pulling Alex with me to the farthest corner, which really wasn’t very far, considering how small the shop was.
“What is wrong with you?” I whisper-shouted at Alex, sitting on a stool.
“What?” He shrugged, as if he wasn’t just super mean two seconds ago.
I rolled my eyes, ignoring him. “So? Does the media know yet?”
“About what?”
“The hacking.” I clarified.
“Shh, he’ll hear.” Alex cautioned, rather ridiculously.
I glanced back at Evan who was busy making coffee. “Really Alex? He’s not media.”
“You never know, they are everywhere.”
“Wow.” I wondered, “You are really paranoid.”
“Comes with the status.” Alex shrugged.
Evan soon came with the coffee and cupcakes, “Here you go!” he said joyfully. “Have a fun time. If you need anything just holler, I’ll go back to sleep.”
“Is he on drugs?” Alex frowned as Evan went behind the counter and disappeared.
“He is cute.” I couldn’t help but smile at him, this stranger somehow seemed genuine.
Alex snorted. “So go marry him.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hilarious.” I took the blueberry muffin, I expected it to be tiny but this was big. As I took the first bite, blueberry sauce melted in my mouth. “Woah, this has blueberry inside.”
Alex grinned at my delightful expression, the first time I saw him grin tonight. “I know, these are the best.”
“So how do you know this place?” I questioned, totally intrigued.
“Oh, um I own this place.”
I choked on coffee. “Say what now?”
Alex shrugged. “The owner is an old friend of dad’s so when they had to sell this shop to the neighbouring restaurant for more money, I bought it instead.”
“Wow. That’s … that’s kind.” I seemed to struggle with that word.
Alex raised an eyebrow. “You seem surprised.”
I shook my head. “No no not like that. I just never pegged you as a guy owning a small café. You seem like a guy who would own a 5 star hotel.”
“Oh I own a floor in a lot of hotels but not the entire hotel. Now that I think of it, I should build a few.”
I mentally rolled my eyes.
Before I knew it the cupcake was over and my coffee was half way done. He too seemed intent on eating and I vaguely wondered if had eaten anything after our quick dinner.
I glanced at the time, it was already 4. 30am. “We should get back at the office.”
“No, you are getting some sleep.” His voice was hard, no room for defiance but then again it was me.
The more you tell me not to do it, the more I want to do it.
“That’s unfair, to everyone. The whole team is there working and I don’t want to be the only one not there. Half of them anyways think I am here because I sleep with you-” Almost as soon as those words left my mouth I wanted to take them back.
The dark cloud that passed over Alex’s face was the reason.
“I didn’t mean it that way.” I immediately said. “It’s just that I want to work too, this is a huge break for me. Something I have wanted for a long time now. And I want a team that considers me one of them.”
He didn’t say a word for a while and that made me nervous. I wanted to speak but didn’t know what or how.
“It’s fine Myra. I understand.” He finally said, standing up from the chair and wiping his hands on a tissue. “Let’s go.”
Without another word, he walked out, leaving me there, making feel like the butter paper underneath the blueberry cupcakes we just had – crumbled and a little torn.
I immediately followed him. “Alex.”
He was already in his seat, starting the car. I quickly sat in the car, afraid that he might drive off, leaving me stranded in the wee hours.
The ride home was silent and the air dripped with sullenness. As we neared my apartment I realized I wasn’t going to the office after all.
“Office?”
“I sent everyone home for a few hours while we were drinking coffee. They won’t come till 8 or so.”
I gulped, feeling gloomier now. “Look Alex, I didn’t mean it that way. I hope you know that.”
“Its fine Myra and yes you are right. This is your work. I have always prided myself in separating my personal and professional life and I am not starting to mix them up now.” He sighed as he stopped the car. “I don’t know what we have or if it’s even anything but this has no future, we both seem to think that. So yes, you do your work as hard as you can and we will see each other occasionally in the office premises. Hope that is fine with you.”
I wanted to scream no! I wanted to argue because I knew that there could be a future for us. That there could be a date, a kiss, a happily ever after even. But that could made me stop my words.
So instead I swallowed my words along with my feelings and smiled. “Yes that is fine.” With that I got out and headed towards the entrance, not daring to glance back.
It wasn’t till I was safe inside did I hear his engines start and his car drive away, along with it went my hope.
I leaned against the closed door, sighing to myself in the darkness of the room.
How’d we learn to break our own hearts so terrified that someone else might?