A CUP OF POISON

Silence hung in the air as Laleen's smile slowly faded. She stood motionless for a moment before turning away, heading back to the staff counter. A gasp escaped her lips when a hand abruptly seized hers, causing her to stumble backward in surprise. 

Her brown eyes met the intense gaze before her, recognizing the familiarity in it. Slowly, her eyes dilated, mirroring his growing anger at her stunned expression and gaping mouth.

The man sat there, devoid of a smile.

"Drink it," he commanded, his voice cutting through the air like ice, chin indicating the cup of coffee on the table.

Laleen blinked, his impatience leaving her little time to process the shock that overwhelmed her.

"Huh?" Laleen's eyes flashed with streaks of confusion, her dumbfounded expression evident.

The man, however, grew even angrier at her perplexed question. He hissed, the sound cutting through the air and sending shivers down her spine.

"Drink it," he repeated, his tone lower and decidedly more menacing than before.

Her eyes bulged as his words registered. Slowly, she shifted her gaze to the innocently placed cup of coffee on his table. Why did he want her to take a sip? Did he suspect it was poisoned? If so, why had he taken a drink himself?

Little did Laleen know, he wasn't concerned about poison. Rather, he wanted her to taste the 'poison' in the form of a coffee she had prepared.

She pursed her lips, eyes fixed on the brown drink before her. A wave of injustice hit her chest, and she slowly returned her gaze to the man.

To her surprise, he appeared much calmer than moments before. Leaning back, he crossed one leg, resting it on his knee.

"To think you'd dare to serve me poison," he mused, eyes narrowing in mock amazement.

Come to think of it, wasn't she the girl who kept her head bowed the entire time? Good heavens, he had forgotten!

The name had strangely stuck, much to his surprise. Not that he cared.

Was she attempting to get back at him? He paused his thoughts, glancing around.

A scowl formed on his face—they were alone.

The perfect opportunity to try play games with him.

"You poor thing," Shane whispered, tutting sympathetically. Forgiving her for anything else would have been easier, but she just had to mess with his coffee!

Laleen's heart skipped a beat when he broke into a warm smile. One of his hands gracefully gestured towards the coffee on the table. His voice, void of initial anger, softly said, "Have a sip, girl."

She eyed the coffee, hastily conjuring words. Something about the way he put it made her feel like she might have genuinely served him poison! 

"I can't possibly..." She tried to protest, but he cut her off with a sharp warning.

"Don't waste my time," he snapped, eyebrows knotting in annoyance.

Laleen swallowed, taking a hesitant step forward. This felt all wrong. Her fingers trembled as they reached for the coffee on the table.

He hadn't given her time to process her thoughts. This was the same man from three months ago. Just like then, she had stared into his eyes, unable to hear his heartbeat. Various emotions surged through her, but they were quickly overshadowed by the injustice she felt. It was just one cup of coffee! Why was he so irked? And she had made it just like her boss did.

As she brought the cup to her lips, her gaze lifted to the man in front of her. The man with shiny shoes – truly a cruel man.

But if that's what he wanted, then it was alright. Just a sip would do, wouldn't it?

Her gaze turned frosty, surprising him. He smiled as he gestured for her to proceed, and she sighed before finally bringing the cup to her lips and taking a sip.

Wait, did this count as a kiss?

Just as she indulged in the self-satisfying thought, the taste of the coffee she had made assaulted her taste buds – a wave of intense sourness. Her face contorted into a grimace, hastily retracting the cup from her lips and placing it gingerly back on the table.

Meanwhile, Shane stared at her, eyes gleaming with amusement, relishing her reaction more than necessary, and making no effort to hide it.

Laleen returned his gaze, her face still wrinkled from the sour coffee experience. Why did it taste so different from her boss's?

"It is sour ," she began, her voice shrinking.

Shane almost rolled his eyes. "Isn't it?" His voice filled with mock sympathy at her grimace.

Laleen nodded a very slow nod knowing she was in trouble. Bowing her head, she apologized, "Please forgive me"

Shane stared at her for a second before his eyes furrowed. "Tell me, girl, are your eyes married to the floor? When I'm speaking, look at me."

Laleen responded with rapid nods as she raised her head to meet his gaze. His black eyes lacked warmth, and despite him being seated, it felt like he was looking down at her.

A thought crossed his mind, and he inquired, "Have you ever made coffee before?"

Laleen quickly shook her head. Making coffee was never part of her duties; she used to be a princess, for heaven's sake!

Shane scoffed, surveying the coffee shop as if it were filled with dirt. How could someone with no coffee-making experience be working at a cafe? He couldn't help but question the effectiveness of the establishment.

As if sensing his thoughts, Laleen hastily bowed again. "Please do not leave us a bad review. It was totally my fault," she spluttered.

She heard a tired sigh escape his lips, and she raised her head in surprise. A sigh was not what she had anticipated.

Staring at him hopefully, she watched as he swiftly arranged the papers he had been working on. He seemed to have lost all interest in speaking to her, paying her no further attention.

Then, she observed him standing up with the files in his hands. It was only then she realized his towering height as his black eyes lazily stared down at her for a moment.

Suddenly, the file in his hands landed at her head before she could react. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, he was retracting the file from the top of her head where he had hit her.

Surprisingly, it didn't hurt; instead, it had the opposite effect. Laleen felt her heart flutter in her chest.

"Go learn how to make coffee, or better still, quit your job," he advised, his gaze boring into hers. He wasn't exactly smiling, infact, his brows held a frown.

Then he walked away, draping his jacket at his back as he left the shop.

A surprised smile graced Laleen's face as she watched him leave, her eyes shining dreamily. In that moment, she could have sworn she fell in love right then and there.