“No!”
Ethan looked startled. “What happened?”
“Not here. Just take me somewhere else.”
“Why? The food’s good here.”
“How would you know? You’ve never visited this place.”
“How would? you? know that I haven’t visited before?” He was smirking.
Because? I’ve? worked? here? for? a? long? time? and? I? never? saw? you.
“Uh… your first choice wouldn’t be this café.”
“It is now. Come on, it isn’t that bad. I’m sure you’ll love it here. There aren’t any other good places around anyway.”
I reluctantly got out of the car and looked at the familiar décor of the café.
I hoped Mrs. Odin wasn’t in the café right now. I hoped Nick, the guy I was acquainted with here didn’t have his shift right now. I hoped the girls who replaced us for a while would be working right now.
Ethan opened the door for me and with slow steps I entered the café. I just stood there, taking it all in. It hadn’t changed at all. It was still the same café with a homey feel. A smile automatically found its way to my lips and I could see Ethan watching me from the corner of my eyes. I cleared my throat and dropped the curvature that the ends of my lips made involuntarily.
Ethan put a hand on my lower back and guided me to a corner table. There weren’t many people in the café as it was just a little after eight and still early.
To my great horror, I saw Mrs. Odin sat at the counter with the morning paper in hand and her head buried in it.
Soon enough, Nick emerged from the kitchen and made our way towards us. When he glanced at me, he looked a little confused as if he wasn’t sure if it really was me. I looked away.
“Uh, what can I get you two?” He asked. I was well aware of his eyes on me.
Ethan cleared his throat and placed his order. I knew the menu by heart but I still hid behind it and gave my order, not really paying attention to what I said.
“I’d appreciate it if you stopped staring at her.” Ethan sounded annoyed.
“I’m sorry but she looks familiar. Wait, Julie? Is that you?” Nick asked and I felt my heart skip a beat.
At that point of time, I knew I was done for. I was so scared that my hands started shaking. I placed the menu on the table and hid my hands below the table.
There was nothing I could do now. The beans would be spilt anytime soon.
“Hey, Nick.” I gave him a nervous smile.
“Wait, you really are Julie?” He looked pleasantly surprised. “Wow.”
“You two know each other?” Ethan asked but no one paid attention to him.
“Yeah, it’s me.” I confirmed, trying to tell him with my eyes to not say anything more. I failed.
“Wow, you look different. You look really beautiful.”
“Don’t call her beautiful!” Ethan was again ignored as Nick called for Mrs. Odin.
“It’s Julie,” he announced to her and she jumped down from the counter and ran towards us as fast as her seventy something legs could carry her.
“Oh dear, it really is Julie.”
“Hey, Mrs. Odin.”
“How do you know these people?” Ethan asked but I found it hard to hear him over Mrs. Odin’s cries of happiness.
“Where on earth have you been? Where’s Olivia?”
“She didn’t come with me. Mrs. Odin, please I’ll tell you everything later,” I gave her a look that said for her to not question me any further. She was confused but she complied nonetheless and ordered Nick to bring in our orders. At she wasn’t as dense as Nick.
Once they left, I noticed Ethan was eyeing my suspiciously. I had no other alternative. I had to tell him the truth.
“Hi,” I said nervously.
“How do these people know you?”
“I used to work in this café.”
Ethan looked surprised. “You did? Oh, right I remember you telling that you worked in a café.”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you tell everyone that you worked in a café to support yourself for the time you ran away?”
I opened my mouth to deny it. Ethan thought that I, as Juliet used to work in this café, not I as in myself, as Julie.
This was perfect. He didn’t know that I was Julie and not Juliet. He saved me from telling the truth.
“Right,” I said.
“Hold up, why do they call you Julie?”
“Well, I-I couldn’t reveal my real name. What if they had recognized me?”
“Oh, but Julie is too close to Juliet. You should’ve said some other name.”
“It doesn’t matter now. I have to go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”
Ethan nodded and I got up and walked towards the bathroom. When I was sure that Ethan wasn’t looking, I quickly changed my path and went into the kitchen which was separated from the café by a wall.
Mrs. Odin was there, waiting for me.
“You better start talking.”
“This is really complicated,” I said and Nick began eavesdropping on us while preparing our orders.
I quickly explained everything to her and by the end of it, she had a disapproving look on her face.
“This is wrong,” she said simply. Nick looked shocked and couldn’t believe something like that had happened to us.
“I know but it’s not like I have a choice.”
“True, but have you ever thought what you’ll do once you get caught?”
“I’ll most probably just run off with Olivia and come back here.” I said quietly, running my fingers over the familiar utensils.
Mrs. Odin sighed.
“What about college? You can’t miss it just because of this.” Nick asked.
“I know. I’ve got it covered. Heather helped me.”
He nodded. “How nice.”
“I’m going to go now or he’s going to wonder where I am.”
“Who is he anyway?” Mrs. Odin asked, leaning away so that she can catch a glimpse of him through the door.
“Son of one of the family friends of the Jenson’s.”
“Oh, does he know?”
“No.”
“Stay safe and you will return will Olivia, right?”
“Yes, right after this ends.”
Mrs. Odin nodded.
I quickly made my way back to Ethan who had been checking his phone.
Behind me, Nick immediately came up with our food. He placed our orders down on the table.
I thought he was going to leave but he unexpectedly leaned down and places his mouth near my ear. I froze and Ethan’s jaw fell.
“Hey, what’re you doing? Get away from her,” He said.
Nick ignored him. “I just wanted to see if he likes you. He was being pretty annoying when I was looking at you. See how easily this riles him up?” He whispered in my ear, making sure he doesn’t get to hear any of this.
“What the hell. Get off of her, you bastard.” Ethan stood up, about to reach for Nick’s collar.
“He so likes you,” He said before he was pulled away from me by Ethan.
I pulled him back down and whispered in his ear. “He doesn’t. Shut up.”
Nick smirked at me whereas Ethan looked as if he was about to punch him.
“What was he telling you? Huh? I bet he was giving you his number. Don’t call him. Just forget his number. He’s no good for you.”
“Let’s just eat.”
“I’m serious.”
We ate our breakfast silently, well at least I did. Ethan was too busy glaring holes into Nick for no reason. I bet he didn’t even know what he was eating.
After we were done, Nick came up with the bill and conspicuously slipped a piece of paper into my hands. This didn’t go unnoticed by Ethan and before I could even take a look at it, it was snatched from my hands and torn to little pieces and thrown into a nearby dustbin before I could even blink.
“Let’s go, shall we?” He asked as if he didn’t just do what he did.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Fine.”
I glanced in Nick’s direction and he had a knowing smirk on his lips. I rolled my eyes at him.