Chapter 2 — Fate, Candles, and Unwanted Coincidences
948 Words
It had been a week since the Great Celebrity Encounter™—and Elian was finally starting to feel normal again.
Or at least, as normal as someone could feel after getting verbally stabbed by the nation’s favorite movie star over a receipt.
The story had become local legend among his regulars.
Mrs. Han, the retired teacher from down the street, had dramatically gasped when he told her.
“You mean Adrian Vale? The one with the jawline that could cut glass?”
“The same,” Elian had replied, stacking gum packets. “And yes, it could probably cut through my self-esteem too.”
Since then, the incident had faded into the background hum of his little life—coffee in the mornings, customers in the afternoons, and Noah’s chaotic presence whenever he wasn’t off being disgustingly in love with Luca.
The bell chimed now, right on cue.
“Elian, my tragic little shopkeeper!” Noah’s voice announced before the door even finished opening. He stumbled in, hair wind-tossed, grin wide. “You will not believe what I just heard.”
Elian sighed, looking up from the counter where he was wiping down the surface with the focus of a man who absolutely wasn’t avoiding responsibilities. “If it’s another story about how Luca’s cooking ‘tastes like love,’ I’m passing.”
“Not that!” Noah waved him off dramatically, half-tripping over a crate of soda bottles. “I mean—yeah, that too—but no. This is big.”
“Define big,” Elian said, already bracing himself. “Because your ‘big’ last week was a stray cat wearing a sweater.”
“This one’s human-big.”
Noah leaned across the counter conspiratorially. “Guess who’s staying at the new bed-and-breakfast down the road. The one we supply candles and dry groceries to.”
Elian blinked. “You’re not—”
“Oh, I am.” Noah’s grin widened. “Adrian Vale. The man, the myth, the menace. Right there in our neighborhood.”
Elian groaned, rubbing his temples. “You’re kidding.”
“Would I joke about this? Actually, yes. But this time, I swear it’s real. Luca’s cousin works part-time there—he saw Adrian check in two days ago. Alone. In a black cap and sunglasses, all dramatic like he’s in witness protection.”
Elian slumped against the counter. “Out of every bed-and-breakfast in the city, he picks ours?”
“Fate,” Noah declared, snatching a chocolate bar off the shelf and unwrapping it. “You two are cosmically linked. He came into your store, destroyed your peace of mind, and now he’s literally down the road. That’s destiny, babe.”
“Don’t call me babe.”
“Destiny, my babe,” Noah sang, popping chocolate in his mouth.
Elian grabbed the half-eaten bar from him. “That’s for paying customers.”
“Bill me later,” Noah said through a grin. “Anyway, I say you should go say hi. You’re basically friends.”
“Friends? He glared at me like I stole his dog.”
“Some people flirt with smiles, others with emotional trauma. Don’t judge.”
Elian gave him the flattest look known to mankind. “You’ve been spending too much time with Luca.”
“Probably.” Noah hopped onto the counter like always, swinging his legs. “But seriously, aren’t you at least curious what he’s doing here? The guy doesn’t exactly scream ‘quiet getaway.’”
“I’m not curious,” Elian said, though that was a lie. “I just hope he’s someone else’s problem now.”
“Aw, you totally are.” Noah poked his arm. “You’re thinking about him right now.”
“I’m thinking about how to evict you from my counter.”
“Deflection. Classic sign of interest.”
Elian snorted and went back to organizing the display of instant ramen cups. “He’s an actor, Noah. A rich, famous, grumpy actor. I’m a nobody who sells snacks. What possible world do we have in common?”
“The one where he walks in again needing help, and you save the day with your sunshine energy.”
Noah wiggled his eyebrows. “You’ll see. You’ll be his soft place to land.”
“Or his next verbal punching bag.”
“That too,” Noah said brightly. “Oh, before I forget—Luca and I are still on for movie night tonight. You’re not backing out again.”
“I didn’t back out,” Elian protested. “I… rescheduled. For the sake of my sanity.”
“Uh-huh. Be there at eight. We’re watching a rom-com, which means you’ll suffer, which means I’ll be entertained.”
“Heartwarming.”
Noah slid off the counter, already halfway to the door. “Try not to faint if Adrian comes in again. And eat something, El. You’re starting to look like one of those ghostly Victorian poets.”
Elian threw a packet of chips at him. “Out.”
The door jingled as Noah left, laughing.
And just like that, the shop was quiet again—except for the soft buzz of the lights and the hum of the rain outside.
Elian exhaled, resting his chin in his hand.
He told himself it didn’t matter that Adrian Vale was nearby. That he didn’t care.
But that tiny spark of curiosity—the one he tried so hard to ignore—kept flickering.
What was Adrian Vale doing in a quiet little town like theirs?
And why did Elian have a sinking feeling that their paths were about to cross again—whether he wanted them to or not?
- Writer
