KAYA
"It's D-Day. I almost feared you wouldn't arrive."
I simply rose a brow at Eve as she conspicuously stared at the door, warm brown eyes narrowed.
"I don't go back on my word." I mused.
"Good to know. I'll be cashing on those 'words' of yours a lot more now that I know." She smirked, and I narrowed my eyes in what was slightly a playful manner.
Emile's was far from buzzing with activity, but there were a good number of customers occupying the seats. One of which was taken up by Erex in his crisp white shirt and dark trousers. The smell of ever-present coffee mixed with freshly baked vanilla goodies filled the inside of the café.
"I came as soon as I could." I shrugged and took my cup of Mocha Latte. "Now, where are they—"
I was surveying the café, trying to spot the gaggle of 'mean girls' as Eve put it, when a shrill laugh cut through the air. Eve cringed and looked heavenwards, while my eyes flew towards the source of the indignant cry.
"This has 2 shots of espresso in it and three pumps of syrup! I asked for just one!" A girl of about twenty hissed at the waiter attending to her, and I tilted my head.
"I got you exactly what you ordered, Miss." The waiter smiled through his teeth, and she scoffed.
"Make it again." She turned away, holding out the drink that he took with a roll of his eyes before making his way back. You could see his fed up expression as he walked over with an angry addition to his steps.
This kind of customer truly did suck. I'd had the opportunity to observe a few previous targets, affluent ones, who liked to pull this kind of stunt. Apparently, it was a self-declaration of status that stoked their own egos and superiority complex.
The five girls and a woman in her mid fourties occupied a table that was directly opposite Erex, who, I noticed, took a deep breath the second this event took place. He didn't look up, but it did look like he was going to try and wrap up his work so he could leave quickly.
I'd observed him enough these past two weeks to know he liked to come here and spend some evening time while working on some of the cases we had and gathering information. It was nothing too sensitive, but I suppose he liked the ambiance of the place. I couldn't deny that it was a small corner of peace and cottage core, autumn kind of aesthetic in the middle of the bustle city of Chicago that was surprisingly what people would categorize as 'pleasant'.
"Why aren't you serving them today?" I questioned Eve once she came out from the side, her apron off.
"Because I couldn't. I took a break. Also, my co-workers decided to spare me today." She tiredly explained. "I just...I really can't deal with them today, and I think they all realized I'd hit my limit with that group." She murmured, watching as the other waiter took the new order. "Poor guy."
"Ah, I see." I sipped on my drink as we stood off to the side.
"So, what's the plan?" She eagerly turned to me.
I rose an unamused brow. "There is no plan."
Her eager eyes turned dark. "You can't do this to me."
I faked a chuckle and patronizingly patted her shoulder, "Don't worry. I'll try a little something."
"You better make it work, or the deal is off."
I waved her off and turned on my heel, savoring the taste of coffee. Or well, pretending to.
When I sat down across from Erex, the man didn't raise a single eyebrow. I chose to silently observe as well, scrolling the data on my phone and keeping an eye on the group of girls from my peripheral.
They'd been vocal with their surprised gasps when I sat with the handsome man but got no response from either of us.
"Hm, so what brought on this change in your pattern of ignoring me?"
Finally, Erex lifted those Caribbean blue eyes of his to mine, a single brow raised while he set down the papers in his hand.
"Am I not allowed to be here?"
Leaning back in his seat and folding muscled arms across an equally well-formed expanse of chest, he tilted his head at me. His tone was devoid of emotion, but his manners exuded amusement.
"We've been coming to this place for two weeks around the same time, and you don't even greet me, acting like you don't know me. Now suddenly this?"
I shrugged, letting the corner of my lips tilt upwards slightly. "Very straightforward. Mm."
He shrugged unapologetically.
I sighed dramatically and kept my coffee down. "You never acknowledge me either."
"If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who waged this war." He rose a brow as if in accusation.
I put on a show of trying to hold back a smile. "I'm not starting that discussion again. We all know who was truly at fault."
Erex scoffed, glancing outside and shaking his head. "So? Why are you giving me the pleasure of your company?"
"Do you not like it?"
"Should I?" He met my gaze full on, searching for something I didn't know about.
I folded my arms on the edge of the table, spotting Eve behind him, who was giving me thumbs up and glancing towards the neighboring table full of the eavesdropping women.
"I'd like to hope so."
A beat of silence passed, and his blue eyes narrowed in suspicion, beautiful depths of oceans that they were.
"What do you like more? An Americano or a Caramel Mocha Latte?"
His sudden off-putting question would have probably surprised me if I could feel it. But his question simply made me pause.
Because what did I like more?
I didn't have a preference.
I simply tailored my likes to my personalities.
The disguises I kept changing every two days.
I never had to cultivate a personality so stable and long-lasting.
My answer would give him an idea about my new personality, though, so I had to be doubly cautious. And yet an impulsive answer slipped out: "Mocha."
"With blueberry muffins?"
"You've been observing me." I stated.
"The same way you've been staring unashamedly at me, yes."
I let out a soft chuckle. "Some would call that creepy, Erex."
His eyes flared for a moment at my usage of his name, and I acted like it was nothing.
"Some, yes. But not you." The confidence with which he stated it would have had women feeling something for sure. Perhaps a shiver down their spine or a blush on their cheeks, neither of which I could force.
Erex leaned forth, his arms folded over the edge of the table, too. Mimicking my pose and reducing the distance between us, the entirety of his intense persona breached my personal space.
"You sound really sure. I'd call that presumptious."
Whispers broke out at the other table, and I knew that even though they couldn't clearly hear us, the women there would be drawing conclusions by now.
I looked at Erex, observing if he'd pay them any attention, but his unwavering attention was aimed at me. The taste of warm caramel on my tongue was the kind of feeling that washed over my entire being as I basked in the glow of the attention.
Instead of answering him straight away, I chose the route of distraction and success. Dragging out the conversation would lead nowhere. Acting distracted, as if there was a genuine thing that caught my attention, I diverted the conversation.
"Oh, there's something on your collar—"
I rose up from the seat, bending so my chest was right in his face as I leaned closer, my mouth near his neck. My blonde waves fell forward, and my hands rested on either side of his folded arms for balance.
And then I sensed it. The moment his muscles stiffened as I closed the distance between us.
His chiseled jaw clenched, "What—"
I blew on his neck softly, teasingly.
He sharply inhaled.
And so did I. A lungful of his masculine scent. Lingering mint and his signature cologne, a scent that gave me a feeling like the one I experienced when I was freshly showered and clean.
Erex didn't pull away as I blew once more, as if his breath was caught up in his throat. I took my sweet time and brushed my lips against the crisp white collar of his shirt in the process.
Once I pulled back and settled back in my seat, I was met with a man who looked like he was holding himself back from doing something sinful. Tightly clenched jaw and eyes like chips of ice, swirling with the sea blue of the caribbeans, Erex fixed me with a stare so intense that a weaker woman would have been weak in the knees.
Erex exhaled slowly, rotating his neck as if trying to brush away the phantom feel of my breath while I blinked up at him innocently.
"Done."
The women at the other table now seemed to be speaking louder, and I could feel their indignant gazes rolling over me.
"Well, I took up a lot of your time, I'll get going now!" I smiled brightly, aware he'd see through the ruse before grabbing a hold of my empty cup so I could throw it out on the way.
Erex wasn't a fool. He'd be suspicious of my intentions, but that'd be alright. It'd get him more interested in me. The very fact that he let me get so close to him spoke a lot about how much I'd already impacted him. That was progress.
I had a perfect alibi about the incident, thanks to Eve.
Erex opened his lips, but I didn't wait to hear him speak before leaving.
I made a small detour once I threw the cup away and was out of Erex's view. When I entered the washroom, I was expecting a confrontation.
I did my business and then washed my hands, counting down the minutes before I'd be ambushed. If I was understanding the situation correctly, then these women would not let me walk out of here unscathed after laying my hands on 'their target.'
"That was quite the show you put on out there."
The elegant-looking older woman I'd seen on the table with the other college girls stood with her hands folded across her chest. Blood red lipstick and vivid mascara adorned her face. I surveyed quickly for the others, but no one else followed, and she'd locked the door.
I gave a polite smile. "I'm sorry?"
"How long have you known him?"
"Um, sorry?" I continued with the ruse of a woman taken back, a naive one.
She rolled her eyes, "Erex Di'Castillo. Now stop pretending. I haven't seen you here before, but that action to mark him as your territory did not go unnoticed." She raised her chin.
I tilted my head side to side as if in contemplation before nodding in understanding. "What we have is between us. I don't think a third party needs to know."
I met her eyes, and she didn't shy away from the death stare. She held her ground, and the skintight dress she had on highlighted her wonderful figure even as her face twisted as if she'd swallowed something bitter.
"He'd make a good husband." She turned to face the mirror and took out a tube of lipstick.
I rose a brow.
"I wanted him for my daughter." The dark-haired woman started to apply the lipstick, and I patiently waited for her to finish it off. Acknowledging the power move, I decided to let her get this win.
"I see."
Once she finished touching up her make-up, the woman turned back to face me. "I admire your confidence. I can see how he's intercated more with you than he has with any of the other girls. And I can respect that."
Seeds of suspicion sprouted within me.
Had I been wrong?
I'd presumed she'd be an older mean girl version of Regina George indeed. Maybe some spiteful back and forth, hair pulling and bitch slapping. But instead, this woman was tackling this in such a composed manner that it threw me off.
She continued, "I'm Yvonne. And that man out there is dangerous. That's all you really need to remember." She turned on her heel, leaving me behind.
I let myself process her words, my brows knitting together to feign confusion even though the intercation had actually left me with questions.
Yvonne unlocked the door to the washrooms, pausing at the threshold to give me one last look, "Don't forget who you are. Good luck."
And just like that, she vanished.
As I went to follow her, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I paused and took it out.
Unknown: Have you made a decison yet or should I proceed?
Attached was a picture of when I leaned over the table to blow on Erex's collar just moments ago.
If he'd wanted to, he could've exposed me already. But the fact that this man on the other end of the screen was still holding out meant I was useful to him and he wanted me on his side rather than outing me as the Mafia Spy I was. Whatever the reason, I'd have to take the risk and wait it out.
I was well aware of the consequences that would befall me were these messages to fall in the wrong hands. I had some decisons to make. Autonomy I'd never been granted before.
But I couldn't be rash. For all I knew, this entire thing with Jones and the unknown messages could be a set up by Marcello or the Mafia itself. No one could be trusted and I was susciptible to deceptioon from all ends.
I had to tread carefully because my battleground was full of landmines.
I only had to choose which ones I'd step on.
🎭
A/N
Okay. I need FEEDBACK.
What are your thoughts about the progress in this chapter?
Eve and Kaya's developing relationship? What about the conversation between Erex and Kaya that, uhm, ended up in something entirely different?👀
The ending, though? What of the strange woman, Yvonne? And the other women vying for Erex's attention? Theories, guys, are welcome hehehehe.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm gonna be swamped from tomorrow because going back to college and hostel. Flight. Then catching up with studies and SO MANY ASSIGNEMNTS ugh. But anyways, that's a part and parcel of college life.
Thank you SO much for 2.5k+ views😭♥️means so much to me. Please don't forget to vote, it's a crucial aspect and matters to me as a writer on wattpad. It makes me feel like I've got solid readers lol. And of course I appreciate every single comment. It makes my day. Either way, thank you if you're reading this.
Take care y'all! Till next time then <3
~Skyler