The doors to Blue Dreams Café swung open.
A handsome young man in a gray plaid shirt walked in, a large bouquet of fresh red roses in his hand.
His light brown hair was combed back and neatly styled, his amber eyes gleaming with anticipation as he checked his watch.
It was only 5:40 PM. He was twenty minutes early, since the agreed time was 6:00 PM.
Though he had never been the type to arrive this early for a date, he knew very well that the girl he was about to meet was in an entirely different class from the girlfriend he had quickly grown bored of.
No, she was no lowly flight attendant like his narrow-minded girlfriend, but a supermodel.
A very successful one, in fact, who also happened to come from one of the filthiest rich families in S Country.
Hence, it was only logical in his mind that she deserved much better treatment, especially since he knew the girl had a habit of being early, even for casual hangouts whenever she met his girlfriend.
As predicted, just five minutes after he arrived, the front door opened again.
The girl who walked in wore a black bodycon dress that flattered every curve of her perfect figure.
Her long, wavy hair was dyed a warm shade of golden walnut, her makeup flawlessly done. Her face brightened instantly the moment her beautiful deep blue eyes landed on him.
"Marja, baby," he called out, pulling her into a hungry kiss.
"Niklas!" Marja quickly wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, kissing him back eagerly.
Then her beautiful features tightened slightly, her voice dropping with concern. "You're sure Kaija doesn't know this place?"
"She doesn't," Niklas said quickly with a confident smile. "She's working today. Still really into that lowly job."
Marja's eyes softened, along with her voice. "Aw, I feel bad for her. I know she needs the money, but pushing trolleys and serving people coffee on a plane? I don't know how she even puts up with that."
"She could never be as amazing as you, baby," Niklas brushed it off, pressing another kiss to her pink lips. "You made the cover of Dazzle magazine again! Congratulations!"
"Stop!" Marja pouted as she pushed him away, her cheeks flushing faintly. "You're making me shy again."
The lovey-dovey couple shared another fiery kiss, before finally settling into their table.
Little did they know, at a table across from them, the girl they had just talked about had overheard their entire conversation.
She had been waiting for them since 5:00 PM, her body covered head to toe in black, her face hidden beneath a cap and face mask in that same matching shade.
Her eyes, a blue as deep as the blonde girl now passionately kissing her boyfriend, were concealed behind oversized sunglasses.
Those eyes sharpened into cold blades as they fixed on the phone she held upright on the table, its camera pointed directly at the couple she had come to spy on.
"That's right, baby, give her a kiss. Good job," she murmured, her voice so low only she could hear.
Her fingers tapped the shutter button continuously, gaze focused as if she were the director of the scene unfolding before her.
"Now kiss him back and squeeze him, Marja," she continued. "That's another great shot."
Soon, she had a hundred photos of her boyfriend and her best friend cuddling and squeezing each other on her phone, taken from the best angles at the best possible moments.
A satisfied smirk lifted on her face as she reviewed the results of her hard work.
On the table, the orange juice she had ordered and paid for earlier was now finished, nothing left but ice.
With no reason left to stay, she rose from her seat and headed for the front door, her hand swiping across her phone as she composed a text.
"The next time you text someone, make sure you check who you're sending it to, baby. We're done, Niklas, you and I. Here's my early wedding gift, if you two ever make it."
The message was sent along with all the photos she had taken of them just minutes earlier.
At Niklas's table, a soft ding sounded from the pocket of his pants.
"You have a message, baby?" Marja asked, her arms still wrapped around his neck.
"That sound would be my email, babe. Probably just some junk," Niklas replied, his brow drawing together in irritation at the interruption. "But I'll check it real quick. Could be test results from my latest exam."
Unfortunately for Niklas, what awaited him was no exam result.
The moment he opened the email, his brows shot up along with his eyelids, his face tightening in shock as the phone froze in his hand.
Almost immediately, he sprang up from his seat, making Marja flinch.
"Kaija Sepala!" he shouted, his gaze darting furiously left and right. "Where the fuck are you? Show yourself! You fucking stalked us?"
He stormed frantically from table to table, to Marja's utter confusion, searching for the face of the girl who had just sent him that email.
But no matter how many shoulders he yanked or how many faces he leaned over, he couldn't find her.
She was long gone, strolling aimlessly down the street, her hands tucked warmly into the pockets of her jacket.
"Well now, mission completed, I guess," she muttered to herself, blue eyes drifting toward the deepening blue of the evening sky above.
"What should I have for dinner today?" she went on. "Hmm, maybe dim sum? Or pizza? Or should I just go home and make some noodles? Oh, speaking of home, maybe I should change the door lock as well, since Niklas still has my keys… hmm."
A weary sigh slipped from her lips. "Wow, who knew breaking up could be so troublesome."
Before she could decide what she wanted for dinner, her phone vibrated in her pocket.
It wasn't Niklas, who was probably still fuming inside the café, but a number she didn't recognize.
"Hello?" she answered anyway, assuming it was a delivery driver.
The voice on the other end was cold and mature, and strangely familiar to her ear.
"Is this Kaija Sepala's number?"
"Yep. Who's this?" she asked, still unable to place the voice.
"This is Charles Kosonen," the voice replied. "I was on your flight earlier today."
No answer came, only the faint sound of her breathing on the other end.
Sensing her silence, Charles continued. "Anyway, regarding the matter I wanted to discuss with you earlier, I hope you're free now, since it's already 6:01 p.m.
"In case you haven't had dinner yet… would you like to have dinner with me?"