CHAPTER FOUR
Isabella's POV
"Why are you so fidgety? Just relax, and we'll bring you your drinks," the rude bartender said to me. She noticed how often I was looking around at everyone in the coffee shop. I wanted to make new friends today, but her attitude already put me off.
"I'm paying for my coffee, so you can't talk to me like that," I replied, but she just laughed nervously when her boss walked in.
"What's happening here?" the boss asked, signaling for her to be quiet.
I felt a bit uneasy about revealing her behavior, but I decided to speak up. "I was just having a loud conversation with this bartender."
"Oh," the boss sighed in relief. "Please let us know if you're not being treated well." She shot a nasty look at the rude bartender. I rolled my eyes at how quickly she believed me and returned to my seat, raising my eyebrows at the bartender.
"Can you get me my coffee? You really don't want to lose your job," I said with a smile, but she pulled up a chair next to me and sat down, holding my hands and looking into my eyes.
"I'm sorry for how I treated you. I was upset and couldn't control my feelings. This job is all I have in Willow Creek. Thank you for understanding, stranger."
"My name is Isabella," I said, trying to pull my hands away since her apology felt a bit forced. "Now, can you get me the drinks?"
"Of course, ma'am," she said with a playful salute and a soft laugh before heading off. I continued to glance at the other customers, feeling too shy to approach anyone. There were other women like me, along with adults and kids scattered around the café.
"Here you go, ma'am," she said, while another woman complained from the other end of the coffee shop. The place was short on staff, and that was enough to make me reconsider my visits. I sighed in frustration, gulping down my coffee as I placed another order.
"Please make your payment before we can serve you your coffee," she informed me. When I checked my wallet, I realized I was out of cash. Great. That meant I couldn't buy more frames to write notes to the mysterious guy in the big apartment across from mine—Mister Noah.
"You can go. I'm finished for the day," I told her, and she nodded, lowering her head as she walked away. Just as I was about to leave, a woman with striking red hair and a lovely face, probably in her mid-twenties, called me back.
"You left your keys behind," she said, and I quickly turned around to check. It was a tiny single key. She must have had incredible eyesight to spot that from afar.
"Thank you! I could have ended up sleeping outside in the cold tonight," I said gratefully.
"If you really lost it, you could have crashed at my place instead of being out here," she replied, her eyes locked onto mine. A bright smile spread across my face. Why was this stranger being so kind to me?
"I'm Sienna, but don't bother asking for more," she sighed, and I took a seat right in front of her, intrigued by our conversation. "Now, your turn."
"Sure," I said, clearing my throat. "I'm Isabella, and my cottage is just down the road, not too far from here."
"Oh, so your place must be really close to the 'mighty one,'" she said, scrolling through her phone. Who was she talking about?
"Don't mind me; I was just teasing. I saw how you handled that rude girl. I honestly wouldn't have been as nice," she added.
"Thanks for the compliment! But you seem nice too. I think you would have done more than I did," I replied, but she scoffed.
"Well, first impressions matter, right? This is mine. I wouldn't help her out. She's rude, and if that's what keeps her here, so be it," she shot back with a smirk.
I was about to smile at that, but then I noticed the lady was whispering. "How did you catch that?"
"What she said?"
"Y...eah?"
She rolled her eyes and let out a soft laugh. "Maybe I was just born with this skill. I can hear people from quite a distance."
I chimed in, "And you can spot a single key from that far away."
"Are you really keeping tabs on me? You must be quite the inquisitive one," she replied, and we both shared a laugh.
"Yeah, I actually am. That curiosity is what led me to become a writer," I said, and she raised her voice a bit, recalling something.
"Oh, that's interesting! What do you write about?"
"Fiction. The world around me. Serenity," I replied, glancing around at the chaos of the place. I could easily write a thousand words in twenty minutes. "I could write about you too, but unfortunately, no one would publish it, just like my first book that almost made it."
"What happened with that?" she asked, but our conversation was interrupted by the sound of a truck outside. I quickly stood up to catch a glimpse of the man stepping out of the vehicle.
It was Noah. He was here for coffee as well. Was he following my movements, or did he just want to appreciate the piece I left at his doorstep?
"The mysterious man. Only God knows what he's thinking. Always so composed and cool. He might be the most attractive guy in town, but since he hardly speaks..." Sienna whispered, and I quickly placed my fingers on her lips.
"Shh. He's coming over," I said, settling back into my chair. I could feel his strong presence as he entered the coffee shop. The staff attended to him before he even stepped inside, showing him a level of respect that indicated he was someone significant in this village.
"Have you ventured anywhere besides your cottage?" Sienna asked, pulling my focus away from Noah.
"Not really. I was about to drive down the street when I got a flat tire," I replied, glancing back at Noah, who was quietly sipping his coffee.
In the middle of the street? Girl, you were playing with fire.
I could feel his gaze locked onto mine, but I was too nervous to look back. A lump formed in my throat; despite my curiosity about him, I sensed there was a hidden reason behind his reputation as the quiet master.
"Do you want to meet him?" Sianna blurted out, catching me off guard.
"I never said that! Just stop." I laughed lightly, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I really need to go. Like, now."
With that, I dashed toward my car, anxious that he might have overheard Sianna. I completely forgot to grab her contact card. As I opened the car door and turned the key, I heard a soft knock behind me. I assumed it was Noah, but I was mistaken. It was the bartender.
"What do you want?" I snapped.
"Someone asked me to give you this letter," she replied, handing it over. I quickly tore it open.
"Don't ever disturb my peace of mind again," it read in bold letters. I rolled my eyes, but before tossing it aside, I noticed it was signed by someone named Noah. That was just what I needed—another heartbreak. I drove away, tears streaming down my face, feeling like a person everyone despised.