Crushed Berries and Coffee

The first thing Dervan noticed was the scent of crushed berries and coffee beans the moment he stepped into the local cafe. A crease formed between his eyebrows as he paused for a second. His eyes instinctively moved, briefly glancing toward the counter where the staff were working.

The frown on his face deepened and he continued to walk as if nothing had happened. 'This scent…' he thought. 'Have I perceived it somewhere before…?'

'Oh… Oh my God!' Alessia's heart nearly came out of her mouth as she lowered her head to hide her face when Dervan looked in her direction. 'Did… did he just look this way?! What… what is someone like him doing in a place like this?!'

She clasped her hands together and placed it on her lowered forehead. 'Please don't come here… please don't order anything...' She prayed fervently in her mind.

"Is something wrong?" Shawn's voice sounded from behind her, nearly making her jump out of her skin.

Alessia immediately composed herself, placing a hand on her chest as if to calm her wildly beating heart. "It's nothing."

The space between Shawn's brows wrinkled. It looked like he didn't believe her but after a moment he simply shrugged and carried on with what he was doing. He clearly wasn't in a mood to ask.

Alessia glanced at Dervan from the corner of her eye and watched as he went to take a seat at a table that was positioned by a window, farthest from the door.

'Hah... thank God...'

She pursed her lips and frowned after a while of serving other customers. 'Is he not going to order anything though?' She thought, trying not to stare at him for too long. '...well, all the better for me then…. maybe he walked in here by accident.'

She knew that was a ridiculous thought, but she wanted to so badly believe it.

Alessia let out a breath and tried to concentrate on her work. Every now and then she would take a peep at Dervan only to see him solely focused on his phone.

'Did he… did he really walk in here by accident? He's just been on his phone the whole time…' Alessia thought, getting increasingly convinced. 'He's probably trying not to make it too obvious…'

Time passed by and with every minute Dervan spent inside the small café, Alessia felt that the air around her was becoming heavier and her skin prickled.

'Urgh… when is he going to leave? I just hope Shawn doesn't pay him any mind…'

"Hmm…" She heard Shawn hum from beside her after that thought, and she wanted to curse her horrible luck. "That customer has been here for a while now… why won't he order anything?"

'Argh! Mind your own business!' Alessia swallowed the urge to scream. "I… don't know."

"This won't do." Shawn concluded as his eyes shifted to his coworker. "Do you think you could go and ask him what he wants, Alessia? I will cover for you in the meantime."

Alessia almost shrieked aloud and her face paled. 'No way! Absolutely no way!' She yelled inwardly. 'He just might recognize me and he thinks I'm rich! If he sees me here…'

"Alessia?" Shawn called after she was silent for a while.

"Yes?" She flinched. "So–sorry, I'm a bit shy when it comes to talking to people first, you see…"

'Please... just… mind your business, will you?' She begged in her heart. 'He's probably not ordering anything because he doesn't want our low grade coffee…'

Shawn laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, you're just going to ask him what he wants, it's not like you are asking him out on a date." He said, gently guiding her to the front of the counter. "Go on. Like I said, I'll cover for you~"

Alessia bit her lip. 'Why you–!' She fumed inwardly, then let out a breath.

She then lowered the cafe's branded cap on her head and took out a small notebook and pen from her apron pocket.

Phew… She breathed. Maybe... just maybe he wouldn't recognize her. After all, she was one of the many people that attended the party that night and she was wearing a mask! There was no way he would be able to remember who she was, right?

Alessia just had to hang onto that sliver of hope as she approached him.

"Umm… hello Sir?" She greeted with her pen and notebook at the ready, prompting his piercing emerald eyes on her. She nearly stiffened. "You have been sitting here for a while… Do you need anything?"

Dervan stared at her for a long moment, then his brows furrowed at her as he seemed to be in thought.

Alessia's heart beat faster in her chest and she strained a smile that made her bruise ache. She rolled the pen in her hand nervously. 'D–does he... see something familiar…?'

"I'll have black coffee." He said finally before he looked away. "No sugar."

Alessia blinked. "Al… alright." She said, "Is that all?"

Dervan nodded.

The moment she got back behind the counter, she felt all the tension from earlier leave her shoulders, making her slouch. She let out a soft sigh.

'He didn't recognise me… right?'

"What was his order?" Shawn asked.

"A cup of black coffee." Alessia told him. "No sugar."

Shawn nodded and got to work. A few minutes later, Alessia returned to Dervan's table with his order.

He took out a clean five seri note and placed it on the table.

Alessia blinked in surprise as she picked up the note, a little taken aback. "This is too much. The coffee is only two seri."

"Consider the rest of it tip." Dervan said, his attention going back to his phone without so much as another glance her way.

"...Thank you." She appreciated it before going back to work.

Dervan watched her retreating back and he narrowed his eyes at her. He took a small sip of his coffee and nodded as an amused smirk curved his lips. His fingers drummed on the table absentmindedly. 'What did she say her name was again…? Ah yes… Ava.' He paused and his lips thinned. 'I wonder what happened to her face.'