Ava stepped into Britney's Café and was immediately greeted by the warm scent of freshly baked pastries and brewing coffee. Although the café was only half full, the chatter of customers filled the cozy little space.
Ava could have taken the side entrance that led directly to the small apartment she rented upstairs, but after the emotional morning she'd had, she needed some comfort food.
As she walked inside, she spotted her fellow waiter, Nathan Davis, setting a plate down in front of a customer.
He caught sight of her and waved.
"Hey," he mouthed.
She smiled and waved back, allowing him to return to his work, attending to another customer.
Behind the counter stood Britney, wearing her headphones while wiping the place down, as usual. Completely absorbed in whatever she was listening to, she didn't notice Ava approaching.
Ava sighed and waved a hand in front of her face.
"Hello, earth to Brit."
Britney jumped in surprise before relaxing and pulling one side of her headphones away.
"Oh! Hey, Aves," she said with a grin. "Didn't see you there."
Ava folded her arms.
"Britney... are you seriously wearing headphones while you're working?"
Britney spread her arms dramatically.
"Hey, I am the boss."
Ava shook her head at the answer.
"How this café continues to attract customers is beyond me."
"I credit my sunny personality. People can't resist it."
"Or maybe it's because your shirts never seem to button all the way up."
"You can't prove that."
Almost on cue, a customer got up from his seat and made a beeline for the exit. As he glanced toward Britney, he nearly stumbled, barely managing to stop his coffee cup from crashing to the floor.
Ava raised an eyebrow.
"You were saying?"
Britney rolled her eyes with a smile.
"He's just clumsy."
"Uh-huh."
Britney leaned against the counter.
"Anyway, enough about my impeccable management skills. How's your day off?"
Ava's smile faltered for the briefest moment.
"It... was fine," she lied.
Guilt immediately flooded Ava's being. The thing was that Britney was not only her boss but also her closest friend, and she didn't like lying to her.
But she knew Britney wouldn't approve if she knew where she had gone today.
"Yeah? What'd you get up to?" Britney asked.
Ava was scrambling for another lie when Nathan wandered back over carrying a mug.
"She probably went somewhere boring like the city museum," he said, looking at Ava.
Ava was about to speak when Nathan set the mug on the counter before addressing Britney again.
"That lady says we got her coffee wrong. Again. Apparently she wanted it lukewarm, even though she omitted to mention this when she ordered."
Britney groaned.
"Ugh, I have had it with that woman."
She then snatched the cup.
"I'm definitely spitting in her drink."
Nathan blinked when Britney said this before looking at Ava.
"...She's joking, right?"
"I'm honestly not sure," Ava said with a laugh as Britney walked away toward the coffee machine.
Nathan looked back at Ava.
"So... What's with the all-black look?"
The weary expression on Ava's face wasn't feigned.
"Please don't ask."
"Okay," Nathan said, always the nice guy. "Can I at least ask how the visit to the museum was?"
It was common knowledge to everyone who knew Ava that she regularly frequented the museum to get inspiration for her painting side hustle.
Even Nathan, who had been working with her for a short time, knew this.
"No museum today, I'm afraid," Ava answered. "I went to the mall."
He sighed in relief.
"Well, I'm really glad that you used your day off to go somewhere actually fun this time, Ava."
"Museums are fun, Nathan," she told him in a dry tone.
He gave her a skeptical look. Nathan, being twenty and a college student, found places like museums extremely boring.
"We'll agree to disagree," he said diplomatically.
Nathan then froze, his face clearing as if he suddenly recalled something.
"Oh! I almost forgot, your boyfriend came looking for you earlier."
Ava blinked.
"Blake?"
Nathan nodded slowly.
At this, Ava immediately started to feel guilty.
Guilty because while she'd gone to her ex's trial,pining for him, her boyfriend of a whole year had been looking for her, thinking about her.
Ava focused again as Nathan kept talking.
"Yeah. He came in to see you, seeming very... nervous, for some reason."
Ava was still considering this bit of information when Britney returned to the counter, carrying the corrected coffee.
"That's no mystery, Nate. Guy is always nervous."
"Britney..." Ava warned, looking at her friend with disapproval.
"What? It's true," Britney said as Nathan took the fresh cup from her hand.
She then turned to Ava again.
"You know, Aves, I don't know why you're in a couple with someone so... peculiar," she continued.
"Blake is not peculiar," Ava protested. "He's a perfectly nice guy. Maybe just... a bit awkward."
"Peculiar and weird."
"Brit!"
"Alright." Britney shrugged. "I admit he's a nice guy, but with your looks, you could totally do better."
Ava just sighed at the statement, saying nothing.
Brit didn't know.
After everything that had happened five years ago, not a lot of people wanted to date her at all. At least not men like Blake, who were kind, came from wealthy families, and had respectable backgrounds.
Prison had that effect on people's love lives, she guessed.
"Excuse me... is my coffee coming sometime today?" a loud voice said, pulling Ava from her reverie.
They all turned to see the source of the annoyed voice.
Standing at the counter was a sharply dressed woman in an expensive business suit.
The moment Ava saw the woman's face, her stomach sank, realizing that she knew her.
Mary Ashford.
"I'm guessing you're the one the nice lady that keeps changing her order," Britney asked the woman.
Nathan beat the customer to answer . "Yep, It totally is."
Of course it was Mary Ashford, Ava thought. She should have realized this when Nathan said they had a bitchy customer.
Ava groaned internally. Why couldn't it have been literally anyone else?
For one hopeful second, Ava prayed Mary wouldn't recognize her.
That hope lasted exactly one second as Mary's eyes immediately widened at the sight of her.
"...Ava Morgan, is that you?" she exclaimed.
Ava didn't answer, wondering how she was going to go about this whole disaster.
"You two know each other?" Nathan asked curiously, looking between them.
Ava forced a polite smile.
"Y-Yes. Mary and I used to work together at an auditing firm."
Mary smiled at this, or rather, smirked.
"Come on, Ava. We didn't just work together. We were totally rivals, both hoping to one day make partner," she explained to both Nate and Brit.
At her words, Nathan's expression became confused.
"What? I didn't know you used to be an auditor, Ava."
Before Ava could answer, Britney stepped in, coming to Ava's rescue as usual.
"Nathan, I think Table Six is trying to get your attention over there."
Nathan looked over and frowned when he confirmed this.
"Oh. Right. Excuse me."
He reluctantly walked away, a little bummed that he didn't get to hear more about the Ava's past , the past that Ava had never mentioned to him during all the time they'd worked together.
As Nathan left, Mary turned back to Ava. She waved her hand around the small building.
"So... I'm guessing this is what you're doing now, working in this café?"
"Yes," Ava finally forced herself to say. She knew there was no use hiding it, especially since her Employee of the Month picture was hanging on the wall.
Mary's eyes shone gleefully at her answer.
"Well, I have to admit... even I never imagined you'd end up here." Mary's gaze drifted around the café. "But I guess that's what happens to a thief."
At this, Ava's composure finally broke.
"Don't call me that, Mary. I am not a thief," she said through gritted teeth.
Mary smiled at the heated reply.
"So you kept saying, Ava, even as the police dragged you away in front of me and all of our other colleagues."
Ava kept quiet at this, not trusting herself to speak. Each of Mary's words was like a dagger to her heart as she remembered that horrible, horrible time.
"Tell me," Mary continued. "How did they let a criminal like you out of jail so quickly?"
At this, Britney stepped forward and placed the coffee on the counter with a little more force than necessary.
"Your coffee, madam."
Mary smiled pleasantly at her, picking up the cup.
"Why, thank you."
She then looked at her fancy watch before turning to Ava, the cordial smile still on her face.
"Looks like I have to go now, but it was... interesting to see you again, Ava."
Having said this, she slowly spun on her heel and made for the exit, her heels clicking against the floor.
As soon as the café door closed behind her, Britney folded her arms.
"Now I really wish I'd spit in her coffee," she said.
Ava let out a tired breath at this, forcing a smile.
"It's okay. Her behavior toward me is nothing I haven't experienced from some of my other former colleagues."
"That may be so, but no one is allowed to insult my employees, especially one who is also my best friend," Britney said vehemently.
"It's fine, Brit, really," Ava tried to reassure her, though the words rang hollow.
The other woman opened her mouth as if to protest before closing it again at the sight of Ava's closed expression.
When she did, Ava spoke again her voice overly bright.
"On other topics, can I get a croissant and a coffee to go, Brit? I'm really starving."
Britney studied her for a moment before nodding.
"Coming right up."
Five minutes later, she returned with a paper bag and a takeaway cup.
"You don't have to pay. I know money's tight."
Ava accepted the food with a grateful smile.
"Thanks, Brit, but I insist."
Putting the food on the counter, she took out the money and gave it to Britney, who knew better than to protest this time.
"You sure you're going to be okay?" Britney said, regarding her with a worried expression.
Ava just nodded.
"I'll be going upstairs if you need me," she said.
Britney nodded and silently went back to her work.
At the same time, Ava walked toward the staircase leading to her apartment. She intended to eat her food before taking a very long nap in her bed.
Usually sleep was the only thing that made her misery of a life better. It should work this time too.