After the lady left the café, I resumed cleaning. From the counters, I turned my attention to the corner. Winter was resting now, his eyes closed and arms crossed. He looked peaceful, but my mind was anything but. With my heart beating rapidly, I trudged over to Lindy, who was wiping down tables.
"You REALLY don't see anything there?" I pointed at the place where he was sitting.
Lindy stared at me with an incredulous expression. "Caroline, you're acting really weird. There is NOTHING there. Not even a shadow."
I gulped, lowering my arm awkwardly. "I...I think I need to sleep. Lots of it."
"Okay then..." Lindy nodded slowly, suspicious.
I turned around, still in doubt. I must be seeing things...I need to see a psychologist...
"OH NO!"
"W-what!" I jumped back a step.
"I have a date with Tony tonight!" Lindy cried. "It's—what time is it?!"
"7:30?"
"I need to go!" Lindy gasped. "But—cleaning! Tatiana would kill me!"
Suddenly, I got an idea. "Calm down," I grabbed the towel from her. "I'll do the cleaning for you as a small thank you for what you did for me today."
"Are you sure?" she was already undoing her apron.
"Completely sure. I need some time to, uh, stabilize my mind," I looked over my shoulders at Winter. He was fully awake, rubbing his eyes like any normal human and blinking at me innocently.
"You're the best, Caroline. I owe you!" Lindy shouted as she rushed out of the café with her coat and bag.
I waved after her, my smile remained frozen on my face as I watched her run. Once she was out of sight, I quickly locked the front doors and whirled around to face Winter.
"What are you?!" I stormed over to the table, confronting him. "Why can't they see you? No...why can I see you?!"
"What?" he widened his eyes slightly.
"Are you a ghost? An evil spirit sent to take revenge on me?" A flurry of gibberish spilled from my mouth, but I was too scared to make sense of myself.
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if he was about to laugh. "That's an interesting theory..."
"Don't try to evade the question!" I exclaimed shakily. I am definitely going to a psychologist. There is nothing left for my sanity.
"Actually, you're wrong," Winter looked into my eyes with a serious expression in his violet eyes.
"Huh?" I frowned slightly.
"I'm actually an elf sent from the North Pole to confirm your Christmas present."
His face was completely void, his mouth pulled into a firm line. His eyes didn't betray anything, and I felt a surge of joy enter me.
"Really?!" I slipped into the chair across from him and leaned in closer. There was so much I wanted. A new boss, a puppy, a plane ticket to Hawaii, a boyfriend—
"Sorry, not really," he broke into a grin, and I flushed red.
"Y-you lied!" my face fell. Moreover, I just kept being embarrassing and going over the top with my crazy delusions.
"Well, there's probably elves out there," Winter did a half-shrug. "It's just that I'm not an elf or a human. I'm something else."
Exasperated, I rose from my seat. "Look, I'm gonna have to go now. I need to sleep. I'm probably so stressed that you've become a product of my imagination."
Although I am wide awake and full of questions, I turned, ready to leave but felt a hand tugging me back.
"Wait," said Winter.
Slowly, I peered over my shoulder, feigning calmness. Contrary to his name, his hands were strangely warm. My heart was beating out of control, but I still managed to stammer out a reply.
"What is it?"
"The girl that came in earlier when you were closing...you made her a drink, right?" Winter's gaze was still fixed on mine.
I wasn't sure where he was going with this, and I answered slowly. "Yeah, it was a caramel macchiato..."
"Could you make me one?" he flashed me a blinding smile.
"Wha—" I sputtered in surprise. "You can't be serious!"
"I really want to try one," Winter's expression was like that of a child's. It was such a contrast to his usual teasing face that I couldn't refuse.
I sighed. "If I make you a drink, will you promise to leave?"
"I will," He nodded, leaning back in his chair.
"Okay, fine," I bit my lip. "Just sit tight."
I walked behind the counter and started with a steaming cup of milk and vanilla syrup from the machines. Next, I topped the cup with frothing milk foam before adding the hot espresso coffee in. Before I added the caramel drizzle, I turned to Winter.
"Do you want any design on your macchiato? A picture? Words?" I asked him.
He pondered for a moment before answering. "Us."
"Huh?" I lifted my head to stare at him. "Us?"
"You and me," Winter clarified in a sincere tone. He didn't seem to be joking.
"Why us?" I pressed further.
"Because you're important to me," he said simply.
I was taken aback by his directness once again. "We just met! The way you said that makes us sound like we're...related or something!"
When I looked at him, he didn't reply, only staring at me with a wishful glisten in his eyes.
Looks like I'm not getting out of this one... I lowered my head and shook my head, placing the caramel tube to the drink. With my best try, I managed to draw the two cartoon figures over the foam, albeit crooked. I patted the light collect of sweat on my forehead and carefully carried it over to Winter's table.
"Here," I said as I placed the hot cup before him.
He studied the drink with close inspection, inhaling it and tapping the side of the cup curiously. After a moment, he finally lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip. I held my breath without thinking, waiting for his reaction.
"This is amazing," Winter's eyes were wide with excitement. Sheer happiness reflected off his face, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're so cu—" I slapped my palm over my mouth before I could finish my sentence. You're saying way too much today. WAY too much. Caroline, stop!
Winter didn't even seem to notice my slip-up. "It's so sweet and savory. This is a truly divine drink," he murmured to himself.
I laughed. "I've never seen someone so enamored with a cup of caramel macchiato. Seriously, what are you?"
When Winter didn't answer immediately, I stopped laughing and glanced at him. His expression was soft, as if he was thinking deeply. I was wondering about what to say when he suddenly opened his mouth.
"Do you believe in angels?"