The sound of the café door chiming had become familiar to Gianna, but there was something about Adrian's arrival that always shifted the atmosphere. He had started coming in regularly—sometimes after school, sometimes in the evening—but never saying much beyond his coffee order. It was almost like an unspoken routine between them.
Gianna tried not to let it bother her, but each time he stepped through the door, she felt a subtle pull, like the universe was nudging her toward something she didn't quite understand.
"Black coffee, right?" Gianna asked as Adrian stepped up to the counter once again, his usual calm demeanor firmly in place.
He gave her a small nod. "Yeah. Thanks."
She tapped his order into the register, not even needing to glance at the menu anymore. Every time it was the same. Just a simple black coffee. No conversation, no lingering small talk—just the brief exchange of words that seemed to hover in the air between them, leaving her wondering what, if anything, was going on in his mind.
As she moved to prepare his drink, Gianna felt the familiar awareness of his presence. It wasn't just that he was attractive—though he was. There was something more to it. The way he held himself, the way his eyes seemed to watch everything without giving much away. It was like he was always one step removed from the world around him, observing but not fully engaging.
Handing him the cup, Gianna caught the fleeting brush of his fingers against hers once again. The same electric feeling surged up her arm, but she hid her reaction, busying herself with straightening some napkins on the counter.
"Thanks," Adrian said quietly, his voice calm and even. He glanced at her briefly before heading to his usual table by the window.
Gianna watched him for a second out of the corner of her eye before turning back to her work. She didn't know what to make of him. He was like a puzzle she hadn't been given all the pieces to yet, and part of her didn't even want to figure it out. After all, she wasn't looking for complications. But somehow, Adrian seemed to be becoming a regular part of her day, like a song that got stuck in your head even though you didn't know why.
As she wiped down the counter, Gianna's thoughts wandered. Mia had been teasing her relentlessly about Adrian, making comments about how he always seemed to show up wherever Gianna was. She brushed it off, of course, but deep down, there was a sliver of truth to it. His appearances at the café were starting to feel less like coincidence and more like routine.
Adrian sat at his table, as usual, staring out the window with his coffee in hand. He didn't pull out his phone or a book—he just sat there, watching the world go by. The other customers didn't seem to notice him much anymore, but Gianna couldn't help but wonder what went on behind those quiet eyes of his.
The café grew busier as the afternoon stretched on. Gianna moved between tables, refilling drinks, clearing plates, and exchanging the occasional small talk with the regulars. But no matter how much she tried to focus on her work, her mind kept drifting back to Adrian. He was always there, always in the background, and always just a little out of reach.
By the time her shift neared its end, Gianna felt a strange restlessness. She wasn't sure if it was the routine of her day or the unspoken tension between her and Adrian that was getting to her. She told herself it didn't matter—he was just another customer, after all. But the way he kept showing up, week after week, sipping his black coffee in silence, made her wonder if there was more to his visits than he let on.
"Looks like your admirer's back," Taylor remarked with a sly grin, leaning against the counter as she watched Gianna clear off a nearby table.
Gianna shot her a look. "He's not an admirer. He just likes coffee. And last I checked, this was a café."
Taylor chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Sure, but he's here a lot, don't you think? Seems like more than just a coffee habit to me."
Gianna rolled her eyes, brushing off the comment. "People like routine. It doesn't mean anything."
Taylor shrugged, smirking. "Whatever you say. But you have to admit, there's something mysterious about him. And you've been working here long enough to know that most guys his age don't just sit in cafés by themselves."
Gianna didn't respond, but she couldn't completely ignore what Taylor had said. Adrian was different. He didn't act like the other guys who came in, with their loud conversations and constant need to be the center of attention. He was quiet, observant, always in control of himself. But that only made him more intriguing—and more frustrating.
As the last few customers trickled out and the café began to empty, Gianna found herself glancing toward Adrian's table again. He was still there, his coffee half-finished, his gaze distant as if lost in thought. He hadn't moved much in the last hour, and she wondered what could possibly be on his mind that kept him so still for so long.
With her shift nearly over, Gianna made her way back to the counter to clock out. She didn't look in Adrian's direction, though she could feel the weight of his presence even as she wrapped up her tasks. The quiet tension between them was starting to become a familiar part of her routine, like the hum of the espresso machine or the steady stream of customers.
It wasn't until she was getting ready to leave that Adrian finally stood up, his cup empty. He walked over to the counter, placing it neatly down as always. Their eyes met briefly, and Gianna felt that same flutter in her stomach, though she hid it well.
"See you around," he said in that low, calm voice of his.
"Yeah," Gianna replied, her tone neutral but polite. "See you."
Adrian nodded slightly, then turned and walked out of the café, the door chiming softly behind him.
Gianna stood there for a moment, watching the door swing shut before shaking her head. It was the same every time. Brief words, brief glances, and yet it felt like there was so much more beneath the surface that neither of them were willing to acknowledge.
She grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder, and headed out into the cool evening air. Her thoughts were a tangle of questions she didn't have answers to, but she didn't let them linger. She had too much going on to worry about some mysterious guy who seemed content to stay on the edge of her life