Lauren had always been good at tuning things out. Background noise. People whispering. The occasional rude comment from strangers.
But this? This was different.
The moment she stepped into the café, every head turned. Conversations dropped into hushed murmurs. Phones subtly lifted, cameras angled in her direction.
Her stomach clenched.
She hadn’t even ordered her coffee yet.
Margaret, who had been walking beside her, immediately noticed. “Oh, hell no,” she muttered, loud enough for a few people to hear. “You’d think they’d never seen a regular person before.”
Lauren tugged on her sleeve. “Just ignore it.”
Margaret scoffed. “Oh, I plan to. Right after I tell that guy in the corner to put his phone down before I shove it up his—”
“Margaret,” Lauren hissed, grabbing her wrist before s
