Ebri's decision was swift - he needed to call Joe immediately. In his mind, it made more sense to have Joe come and confirm whether the girl at the cafe was indeed Shea rather than risk missing this opportunity.
"Come on, Joe, pick up! Pick up!" Ebri muttered under his breath.
Sitting beside Ebri, Duncan turned his head inquisitively, wondering if Ebri was talking to him. Realizing that Ebri was on the phone, Duncan turned his attention back to his friends at their table.
"Come on, Joe!" Ebri muttered once again, a hint of frustration creeping into his tone.
Duncan glanced back at Ebri, puzzled by the urgency in his friend's voice.
"What did you say?" Duncan inquired.
Ebri clarified, "Nothing! I'm calling Joe."
Duncan simply looked at Ebri, who was growing increasingly impatient as Joe continued to ignore his calls.
Duncan speculated, "I thought Joe said he would come over. Maybe he silenced his phone while working on a song?"
Ebri shot an impatient look at Duncan. "Just look at the girl across from us!"
Duncan, still furrowing his brow, scanned the cafe, searching from table to table until his gaze fell upon a woman whose face seemed familiar. He widened his eyes and slowly turned toward Ebri. "Is that Shea?"
With a stressed expression still on his face, Ebri nodded, one hand still clutching the phone to his ear.
Duncan scrutinized Shea's table, studying the woman intensely to confirm if she was indeed the same Shea from the restaurant.
"Oh, FINALLY! Where the heck are you? COME HERE QUICKLY!" Ebri exclaimed with relief when Joe finally answered his call.
"Yooooo! Easy, man! What happened? I'm on my way now!" Joe responded.
"Come here quickly! Now! NOW!" Ebri's patience had worn thin.
"Okay, I said I'm on my way! What happened?"
"Shea is here!"
"WHAT?"
"SHEA IS HERE!!!" Ebri repeated emphatically.
"No way!!! I'm rushing there now! Don't let her leave, okay! I'll be there soon!"
"Are you out of your mind? How can I stop her? You need to hurry!"
"Okay, okay," Joe agreed before hanging up.
Felix, sitting across from Ebri, overheard the end of Ebri's conversation and became curious about the unfolding situation. As soon as Ebri ended the call, Felix leaned in and asked about the person on the phone and what was going on.
In response to Felix's inquiry, Ebri leaned closer and whispered, "Look at the girl behind you!"
Felix immediately turned to see what Ebri was referring to, then alternated his gaze between Ebri and Duncan. "Shea?"
Ebri grinned and confirmed, "Yep!"
Duncan nodded in agreement.
The people sitting at their table had noticed the hushed conversation between the three friends. One by one, they inquired about what was happening, and soon everyone at the table was aware of the girl seated across from them.
Under the collective scrutiny, Shea couldn't help but notice the attention she was receiving.
"SHEAAAA!!!"
Out of nowhere, a loud voice shouted Shea's name, drawing the cafe's customers' gaze toward the woman who was looking cynically at Shea.
Shea clearly didn't appreciate the stranger's behavior, especially since she had never met or known the woman. Her eyes remained fixed on the blonde-haired stranger approaching her table.
Ilker, who had also turned to see who was shouting Shea's name, whispered to Shea and asked, "Who is she?"
Shea simply shrugged, her eyes never leaving the stranger who now stood next to her.
"You're Shea, right?" the woman inquired.
"Yes, and you?"
"Oh, so you're the Shea Joe's been searching for?" the woman said sarcastically.
Ilyas, who overheard the conversation, shifted his attention to Shea and then back to the unfamiliar woman.
"In that case, join our table. Joe is on his way here anyway! You can tease him again like you did before!" the woman suggested in a curt tone.
Shea's excitement at the prospect of being the Shea Joe was looking for on his live Instagram stream was quickly dampened by the woman's attitude. Tease? What was she talking about?
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Shea replied curtly.
"You don't know what I'm talking about? That's a pretty basic response!" the woman mocked.
Shea glanced around at the curious onlookers. Everyone's attention was fixed on her and the stranger. When she turned her gaze back to the woman, she noticed a man standing beside her. Joe. Her heart sank. Where had he come from? But Shea's emotions flared, and without hesitation, she responded to the rude woman with a tone that matched her own impoliteness. "Look, I don't know who you are, but screaming my name across the room and making people stare at me like I've done something wrong, and then spouting nonsense that I don't understand? Please leave before I complain to the manager and have you thrown out of this cafe!"
Seeing the tension at Shea's table, Joe quickly apologized to Shea and Ilker before instructing Cemre to return to their table.
As Cemre distanced herself from Shea's table, Joe felt a pang of embarrassment at having to address her in such a manner. However, he refrained from saying anything further.
After Cemre walked away, Joe extended his apologies once more to Shea and Ilker.
"What's her problem, man?" Ilker questioned Joe.
"I don't know. I just arrived and found my friend creating a scene at your table. I'm really sorry!" Joe replied, his eyes fixed on Shea, who avoided making eye contact with him.
Joe found himself at a loss for words. The girl he had been searching for was right in front of him, but Cemre had marred what was supposed to be a joyful reunion.
Ilker, noticing Joe's frequent glances in Shea's direction, attempted to gently steer the unfamiliar woman out of their sight. "It's alright! Just manage your friend, man!"
Joe turned slightly toward Ilker and then back to Shea, who had been avoiding eye contact by staring at her phone screen.
"Uhm," Joe tentatively started a conversation with Shea, "You're Shea, right?"
Shea, who had been looking down for a while, was trying to conceal her emotions. She glanced up briefly at Joe, and her heart raced when their eyes met.
Both of them remained silent, their gazes locked in an awkward and surprised encounter.
With a sudden flush of embarrassment, Shea finally confirmed Joe's question in a barely audible voice.
Although Joe appeared equally nervous, he persevered in the conversation. "Hmm, I don't know if you remember, but we met at Lezetli restaurant about a week ago."
Shea's delayed response gave Joe the impression that she might not remember their previous encounter. In reality, Shea had a vivid recollection of their meeting, although it hadn't been the dreamlike experience she had imagined when meeting her idol. However, it wasn't an encounter easily forgotten.
Joe broke the silence that hung heavy at the table. "I don't know if you're aware, but I've
been trying to find you for days."
"Why?" Shea blurted out, surprised.
Ilker leaned in to listen more closely to the conversation between Joe and Shea.
Joe turned to an empty chair behind him, placing his left hand on the backrest. "May I join you?"
Ilker turned to Shea, silently deferring the decision to her.
Shea glanced at her phone's screen to check the time, then looked back at Joe, who had been standing in the same spot for a few minutes. "Sure."
Joe swiftly moved the chair between Ilker and Shea and seated himself, his gaze still fixed on Shea. "I hope I'm not intruding?"
"No, we were just having lunch," Ilker assured him.
Joe shifted his entire body toward Shea. "So, uhm, I don't know where to start..."
Shea remained silent, unsure of how to respond. She felt awkward sitting across from her favorite singer, gazing into Joe's gray eyes in silence.
"I'll be straightforward," Joe confessed, his face reddening with shyness, "I want to get to know you better."
Ilker, still eavesdropping on their conversation, couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Why?" Shea questioned, her curiosity piqued. "And you mentioned you were looking for me earlier. Why?"
Joe lowered his gaze to the table, then glanced back at Shea. "I just... I don't really know how to put it into words, but I can't get you out of my mind. I feel like... I just want to get to know you better."
Shea blinked rapidly, her mind racing. "This man in front of me wants to get to know me better? What? Why? What's happening here?" she muttered inwardly.
Shea struggled to find the right words, her mind suddenly blank. She could only stare at the bearded man across from her.
"So, uhm, can I—" Joe's words were interrupted by Shea's ringing phone.
Shea picked up her phone and quickly ended the call with a brief "Oh God, yes, bye! Can you cover for me? I have to go!" She immediately stood up and began straightening her clothes, tucking her phone into her jeans pocket.
Joe and Ilker simultaneously looked up to see Shea preparing to leave. "Wait, where are you going? Now?" Joe responded hastily to Shea's sudden departure.
Ilker checked his watch and rose from his seat as well.
"Why?" Joe bombarded Shea with questions.
"I have to get back to work! My lunch break is over!" Shea explained with a forced smile, glancing at Joe and Ilker.
Joe stood up and pushed his chair back to its original position, his eyes never leaving Shea. "But can I—"
Shea chuckled, cutting him off. "No need. Thank you, though."
"I'll pay for your meal, you can go!" Ilker interjected.
Shea looked at Ilker with a questioning expression. "Are you sure?"
Ilker nodded and walked away from Shea and Joe toward the cashier.
Shea walked past Joe, who was still trying to follow her. "Where do you work?"
Shea stopped before exiting the cafe, realizing that all eyes were on her and Joe. She turned to face Joe. "I work at the office nearby. Please don't follow me; I don't like being the center of attention," she explained, casting a glance at the cafe patrons who were still watching them.
Joe peered inside the cafe, comprehending what Shea meant. He continued, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to attract so much attention. But can I have your number?"
Shea smiled and turned toward the table where Ebri and his friends were seated. "Maybe next time! I don't want to cause any more trouble with your... friend, for the second time!"
Joe was taken aback by Shea's response, thinking she had a girlfriend. "What? No, she's not my girlfriend!"
Shea simply smiled and said, "I really have to go. I'm already late!"
"What about your number?" Joe persisted. "Or at least let me give you mine? Call me anytime!"
Hesitating for a moment, Shea contemplated agreeing to take down Joe's number. However, recalling her recent encounter with the rude woman, she decided against it. Without further words, she exited the cafe. Joe could only watch as Shea hurriedly left, a tinge of disappointment in his heart.