When Suspicions Arises

Walking into the luxurious room, Noel took the time to admire the dark blue interior, the chandeliers all along the walls, the gold pillars and the paintings all along the walls.

This was above the café? Noel thought, impressed. I wondered why those specifically wearing name brands would climb up the café when they could have just gone to a five-star restaurant. Guess I know now.

And Eden owns this? Impressive.

Pulling his hood over his head, Noel took a seat behind the seat he was supposed to meet Eden and whoever is with him in, taking out his computer, he placed it on the table and began ordering some drinks and snacks.

But not before staring with disbelief at the price of this upper café's menu.

Four hundred for coffee? Is it made of gold or something? He thought, sighing. Well, whatever. I have spent more for sillier things.

Each seat is in something like a booth. It is soundproof, so it is completely private, away from prying eyes that is why Noel has a device on him to write out what they are talking about into words on his computer.

This means that no one will bother him, except for the waiters to deliver the things he ordered.

How you place your order here is that, in the boot, there is something like a tablet attached to the table, with a pen. You can use that pen to scroll through the menu on the screen and pick your orders.

After you are done, the total will be shown on the screen, including taxes, and you can add remarks or anything extra you would like with your orders.

Just the coffee and a cake totalled to seven hundred in Noel's tab, which annoyed him greatly. But he was able to get a free cake as a first time customer so that kind of made him feel better.

You can also choose how urgently you feel want the orders to come. From five minutes to ten minutes. Or you can just ignore that completely. There are extra charges for a faster process.

After you make your order, you pay and, when they are done, they come to give you your order, not looking you in the face.

This place is where important talks take place, hence the soundproof booths and the fact that you don't have to provide an ID, just a membership card for this place or a one-time invitation.

Noel was able to forge the invitation he got so he has one of it and someone else has another, that someone being the actor Kadin hired.

Noel is not going to meet Eden and his group personally. There is a reason no one can tell what he looks like. They always sent in actors on behalf of Noel.

This is not common, at all. The client wants full confidentiality, and if they use an actor, then there is no proper confidentiality. Noel knows this, and so do a lot of the people, that is the reason why they do not necessarily want to work with him.

He is efficient and does good work. But in a world where even just one secret is leaked out could get you killed, no one is willing to take much of a chance on Noel, unless they are so desperate.

So that means my new boyfriend's organization is pretty desperate to come looking for me. Noel thought, looking up the very few, blurred pictures of Eden in the public. Seems someone does not like being seen either.

I knew there was something about him I wanted to explore. He thought, a smile coming on his face as he looked at every picture on the screen, which were, about, three. I wonder though, why is someone as powerful as him interested in me?

Not one picture of me exists, anywhere in the world. Well, not a very good picture anyway. I don't think he could have known who I was. Right?

So it doesn't explain why he is interested in me just from one night.

Pausing, Noel rested his head in his hands. Well, I am no different. I got swept away by his whims and now we are dating, after knowing each other for one night. Great.

Is there nothing about h-? Noel paused and looked to the door of his booth, the smell of rain and cinnamon filling his nose as his heart did a summersault. He's here. Wait, how do I know that??

Snap out of it, Noel. He told himself, shaking his head to take his mind off it. Focus.

Feeling the movements on the floor below him, Noel could tell when they are moving and finally sitting down. The actor Kadin hired messaging that he was in.

Showtime.

__________________________

Ages stared at Eden sitting beside him in the booth, Celt sitting to his right and Fern beside him.

"Why did you two come?" Eden sighed, staring at the two. "Wasn't it supposed to be me and Ages?"

"Celt came to me today and begged to take him." Ages said, shrugging. "I thought, why not? You have always said that he needs to do more."

"Yeah, but if you two are here, this might just take longer than it needs to be." Eden pouted, looking at the clock on his phone. "He is taking his sweet time."

"We just arrived, boss," Fern said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I think you should give him some more time than twenty seconds."

"He isn't punctual, that is already a bad sign." Eden pouted, leaning his head back on the wall behind him. "You know, I feel like I am going crazy. On your way to our booth, I felt like I smelt a soft vanilla scent."

"We are in a restaurant. I am sure you will smell something like that." Ages laughed, pulling up the menu. "Is there anything you want?"

"I want my boyfriend." Eden sighed, resting his head on the table. "If you can't do that then I don't want anything else."

"Boss must seriously be in love to be like this," Celt said, laughing. "Is he really that pretty, boss?"

"Not just pretty, he is also strong and stoic, when he smiles, his hand always rest on his top lip … the sound is … and everything just … disappears." Eden sighed deeply. "Great. Now I miss him even more."

"Didn't you meet him just yesterday?" Ages asked, looking at him with concern. "How can you feel this much for someone you just met?"

"I don't know," Eden said, groaning while continuously running his hands through his hair. "But I remember my father telling me that was what he felt the moment he met my mother. So I understood immediately."

"H-how did you meet him, boss?" Celt asked, trying his hardest to make sure Eden doesn't remember that he hung up on him and that seemed the best way to do so. "I heard of things like love at first sight. The world slows down, you two make eye contact and lights spark everywhere."

"I don't think it was something as fancy as that," Eden said, looking in the distance with a wistful look on his face before it was replaced with disgust.

"W-what? What's wrong, boss?" Celt asked, fear running throughout his body the instant he saw his expression.

"Bruce. I don't like him."

"Why not?" Fern asked. "You were praising him only a day ago."

"I know." Eden groaned, resting his head on the table. "But … I saw him sleeping with HIM."

"No." Celt gasped as Fern's eyes widened and Ages struggled to not laugh. "You watched them do it?"

"No. No. They were done by the time I got to the room, but I did see them on the same bed … naked." Eden glared at the table. "The thing is, if Bruce never brought him to that room, I may not have met him but at the same time … he slept with him before I got the chance to. I am so bitter."

Before anyone else could say anything, a knock came on their booth door and a kind looking black-haired man peeked into view.

"Hello. You all must be my clients." The man said, stepping into the booth. "I am Whisper. It is very nice to meet you."

"And you as well." Ages said, getting to his feet and handshaking the man. "Please have a seat, we are about to order something to eat, is there anything you want?"

"Nothing really." The man said, smiling kindly at them as Celt and Fern introduced themselves. But Eden was staring at him closely, almost as if he was sizing him up.

"I-is everything ok?" The man asked, trying to keep the eye contact with Eden but his gaze was too intense.

"I knew it," Eden said, pointing to the man. "I had a suspicion of you the instant you walked in here. Now they are confirmed."

"What are you talking about, boss?" Ages asked, sighing with exasperation.

"What did you notice, boss?" Celt asked, the two leaning in, trying to see what he was talking about.

"That man is-"