[FIVE YEARS EARLIER]
"Excuse me?" Ezra's incredulous voice echoed through the cafe.
"You heard me." Maria smiled, her face resting in her hand. "I'm doing you a favor by hiring that girl, Faye, even though I don't need extra staff. The least you can do is help me attract more customers."
Ezra blinked, processing Maria's words before responding with a mixture of disbelief and sarcasm, "And your brilliant plan is to have me dance at the door of your café?"
Maria chuckled, "Oh, come on, Ezra. It's not as bad as your expression suggests. It's an online trend. We'll have customers flocking in no time."
"Yeah, at the expense of my meager reputation. They'll all be creeps too. I mean, just a reminder, I'm only fourteen," Ezra quipped.
Maria waved off his concerns, "Ez, you've got it all wrong. You won't be attracting as in well, people like that. The real attraction is in how comically you fail at dancing. I mean, I've witnessed your failed attempts during the school play. Trust me, it'll be a hilarious spectacle."
Ezra stared at Maria, disbelief written all over his face.
"Okay, fine. When should I prepare for this embarrassment?"
Maria grinned, "No time like the present. I won't make it too hard for you. Just one good laugh today, and I promise I won't bother you again."
Ezra sighed, resigned to his fate, "Fine..."
He was pouting very comically, displeasure and complaints clear on his face. Maria burst into fits of laughter, leaning on the counter and hitting it in amusement before composing herself and standing up straight. She shot Ezra a mischievous smile. "You know, you're not the only one having a tough day, right?" She nodded discreetly behind Ezra.
Turning around, Ezra spotted Sienna and a handsome boy around his age with striking blue eyes sitting at a table. Sienna's face held an increasingly amused expression, as if she were on the brink of bursting into laughter right there on the café floor. Ezra told Maria upon seeing that, "I noticed them when I came in earlier. I wanted to greet Sienna, but she seemed engrossed in a serious conversation with that boy."
"That boy was here quite early. I asked him briefly if he was expecting someone, and he mentioned he was planning to propose marriage." Maria tried to keep a straight face but ended up covering her mouth with her hands, taking a deep breath before facing Ezra, who wore an amused expression. Unable to contain herself, she let out a chuckle.
"He's quite the catch, good-looking, and judging by his attire, seemingly well-off. This might be the first time the poor guy gets rejected," Ezra added, finding amusement in the unfolding drama.
At that moment, a hearty burst of laughter erupted from the table. As suspected by Ezra and Maria, Sienna was in the midst of a laughing fit. Her unrestrained laughter made it seem like she might topple over at any second. On the other hand, the boy seemed unfazed at first glance, but his eyebrow twitched incessantly, revealing an underlying irritation.
"Ezra! Come over here. You have to see this," Sienna called out to him when she spotted him. Still chuckling, she took a deep breath and wiped the tears forming in her eyes from her uncontrollable laughter. Pulling Ezra down, she kissed him on the cheek and playfully pinched his cheeks. "Look at you. Have you gotten even cuter? What's your secret, boy? When my not-so-cute little brother returns from studying abroad for high school, you'll have to teach him some of your tricks."
Sienna then introduced the boy, "I was just proposed to by Maximillian Carlisle. Tell me, Ez, should I be honored?"
Recognition dawned on Ezra as he heard the name. Maximillian was a senior at Celeste's school, and from what he gathered, Celeste didn't hold him in high regard, often describing him as stuck-up and cold. Additionally, Ezra knew he was the fourth child of the prominent Carlisle family in their city.
"Good day, Mister Carlisle. I apologize for her behavior. She's always been rather straightforward," Ezra offered diplomatically.
"Come on, Ez. No need to treat me like a kid. I mean, really, what confidence he must have to think that I, someone already in college and near completion, would accept the proposal of a fourteen-year-old boy," Sienna chimed in.
Maximillian looked disapproving, retorting, "I did suggest that we could stay engaged even after I come of age, until you're ready."
Sienna leaned in, her tone laced with a smile as she addressed Maximillian, "Being used as a pawn in your family's succession wars after being engaged to me? That doesn't sound very pleasant to me."
"That being said," Sienna leaned back, grinning at Ezra, "if it were the old me, I probably would have accepted this offer. I was so stupidly competitive a few years ago, wanting to reach extreme heights in my business ventures no matter the method. Luckily, I met you back then, Ez. As embarrassing as it was, learning from a kid's words to take things at a slow pace and just go with the flow, well, it still helped me."
Ezra grinned back, teasing, "So, will you treat this kid to a meal then? Or, wait, you can help me promote my friend's books."
"Oh? Who's the author?" Sienna inquired.
"Faye Harvey. You know, the one whose book I recommended to you a few days ago?"
"That was a pretty good book. I'll see what I can do," Sienna agreed.
"Thank you, sis."
"So I only become a sis when I'm of use?" Sienna laughed before standing up and turning to Maximillian, who had been observing Ezra. "I'm pretty busy, Mister Carlisle. As such, I'll be taking my leave if you may."
Maximillian contemplated saying something, but he remained silent, offering a nod instead. Sienna, noticing Maria setting up a small speaker at the front of the café, turned back to Ezra with curiosity, her eyes silently inquiring about Maria's intentions.
Ezra scrunched his face up, revealing to Sienna with a complaining tone, "Look at her, sis. She's making me dance in return for helping me hire my friend."
"What?" Sienna snorted and burst into laughter. Turning to Maximillian, she asked, "Hey, Mister Carlisle, since I had to take away time from my busy schedule to meet with you today, help me record this, won't you? Send me the video afterward."
Without waiting for Maximillian's response, Sienna patted Ezra on the shoulder, still laughing, and made her way out in a jubilant mood.
Ezra turned to Maximillian, deadpanning, "Don't listen to her."
Maximillian raised an eyebrow, observing, "She could have the owner send her the video, but she asked me. Do you know what that means?"
Ezra replied, "That means you're about to witness another unfortunate soul in a more embarrassing spot than you, just so you can feel good about yourself."
"No," Maximillian said, taking out his phone camera, "that means she's going to maintain the business relationship with the Carlisle family, despite me seemingly making her uncomfortable today. I have an obligation to record you embarrassing yourself in your pursuit of philanthropy."
"It's called basic human decency to help a friend in need. Besides, being selfish won't spare me from any such embarrassment either. I saw it today with my own eyes," Ezra responded firmly.
Maximillian's brow twitched, and he gave Ezra a pleasant smile that felt rather mocking. "Do your best. I will diligently record everything. Don't you worry; this moment shall be saved. You won't be able to forget it."
Ezra smiled back, leaned in, and turned Maximillian's face towards the CCTV camera in the café, implying that Maximillian's own scene could be retrieved from Maria's computer.
Maximillian then turned to Maria, who was passing by, and suggested, "Owner, I really think you should at least install some stands for customer privacy in times of need."
Maria chuckled. "Sure, I'll think about it."
That day, in the unfortunate company of other bewildered waiters from Maria's café, who had also been reluctantly dragged into the dance alongside Ezra, he demonstrated a dance style that can only be described as "uniquely creative." His profound dancing prowess was, of course, starkly contrasted with the other two waiters, who appeared as if they were engaged in a slow-motion interpretive dance background routine.
Ezra's passionate and powerful performance left the other customers, passersby, and even his acquaintances laughing so hard that they might've considered joining in on this avant-garde dance revolution. Meanwhile, Maximillian stood there, eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and confusion, witnessing Ezra's confident moves that seemed to defy the very laws of rhythm and coordination.
The crowd forming around Ezra was not just capturing memories; they were immortalizing an unforgettable spectacle on their phones. Ezra's parents received an influx of videos, each showcasing their son's "unique" dance style, surrounded by the radiant flashlights of amused onlookers. Needless to say, Ezra's parents found themselves in fits of hysterical laughter, thoroughly entertained by their son's unintentionally hilarious dance escapade.
Even Louis, Alice, and Celeste had received a barrage of videos showcasing Ezra's dance performance from countless angles. Each video seemed to capture a new dimension of his uniquely interpretive dance style, providing entertainment for days to come.
Despite his online persona as an elegant model being thoroughly shattered, Ezra managed to amass even more fans and followers on his Instagram page after this incident so it was probably an unintentional win for him. Maximillian had never witnessed such a jubilant scene before. Ezra appeared to be friends with everyone, and the crowd enthusiastically joined in, dancing alongside him. Maria brought out two additional speakers, amplifying the joyous cheers of the crowd.
Maximillian found himself unconsciously smiling, and it was only when Ezra approached him and asked, "Did I dance that well? You're grinning like a fool," that he realized his own happiness in the midst of the infectious celebration.
"Not even close. You were pretty horrible. I'm just laughing at you."
"Sorry, your voice got lost in the crowd. I didn't catch any of that. So, I danced well, didn't I?" Ezra laughed. He then turned his attention to the lively scene before looking back at Maximillian. "You seem to be recording this too, right? Send me the video later as well. With everyone dancing and recording at the same time, their videos will probably be low quality and shaky."
"Ask the owner. She seems happily recording from the window. Hers must be better than mine."
Ezra stared at Maximillian for a moment before expressing disapproval, "Can't you take a hint?"
Maximillian stared back, slightly confused, until something clicked in his mind. "You want my number? You wanna be friends?"
"Sure. You seem like a cool guy. It would be nice to have a stud like yourself for a friend. Besides, I feel like our vibes match a lot, hmm?" Ezra nodded.
"Did you sense any potential friendship vibes during our previous argument? Did it feel like we could get along?" Maximillian raised an eyebrow skeptically. Nevertheless, he upheld his promise to Ezra, committing to send him the video and share his contact information. The ambiance of the café, the friendly patrons, and their convivial relationships had already won him over. There was something about Ezra, with his warm grey eyes and carefree demeanor, that intrigued Maximillian.
As their relationship developed, Maximillian would later reflect on this video, amused and grateful for inadvertently capturing a snippet of their initial encounter. At this moment, though, he simply stood there, savoring the present with Ezra, a stranger who would eventually become the focal point of his world. They were surrounded by a jubilant crowd, immersed in the energetic atmosphere of cheers, dance, and loud music, while the sky gradually transitioned into a deep, inky blue. Flashing lights moved around, creating a vibrant scene that resembled a cinematic masterpiece.
It was quite a cinematic moment—an unforgettable snapshot in time.