CHAPTER 2- A Second Encounter
1065 Words
Sofia spent the entire jeepney ride home thinking about Alexander Valencia.
Not because she wanted to.
But because her brain refused to let the incident go.
Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the coffee spilling onto his expensive white shirt.
The embarrassment alone was enough to make her want to disappear.
Yet somehow, that wasn’t the part she kept remembering.
It was his smile.
A genuine smile.
The kind that reached his eyes.
The kind that didn’t seem fake or forced.
The kind she never expected from someone like him.
Sofia groaned and covered her face with her hands.
“Why am I even thinking about this?”
The elderly woman sitting beside her gave her a strange look.
Sofia immediately straightened.
“Nothing.”
The woman continued staring.
Sofia turned toward the window.
Great.
Now she looked crazy.
By the time she arrived home, she was determined to forget everything.
Alexander Valencia belonged in a world of luxury hotels, business meetings, and expensive suits.
She belonged in a world of scholarships, part-time jobs, and overdue bills.
Their worlds would never cross again.
Or so she believed.
The next morning passed normally.
Classes.
Assignments.
Presentations.
The usual chaos of university life.
By afternoon, Sofia found herself back at the café.
The familiar scent of coffee beans filled the air.
Customers occupied most of the tables.
Everything felt normal.
Safe.
Predictable.
Exactly how she liked it.
Until the café door opened.
The bell above it chimed softly.
Sofia looked up.
And nearly dropped the stack of cups in her hands.
Alexander Valencia had returned.
Her eyes widened.
“What is he doing here?”
Anna immediately noticed her reaction.
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
“Don’t tell me.”
“What?”
Anna leaned closer.
“The handsome billionaire.”
Sofia rolled her eyes.
“He’s not a billionaire.”
“Millionaire then.”
“That’s not the point.”
Anna grinned.
“He’s looking this way.”
Sofia refused to look.
She absolutely refused.
Unfortunately, fate seemed determined to embarrass her again.
“Good afternoon.”
A deep voice spoke directly in front of her.
Sofia slowly lifted her head.
Alexander stood at the counter.
His expression was calm.
His eyes held amusement.
And somehow, he looked even more handsome than yesterday.
Not that she noticed.
At least that’s what she told herself.
“Good afternoon,” she replied professionally.
Alexander glanced at the menu.
“I’d like a cappuccino.”
“Sure.”
A brief silence followed.
Then his lips curved slightly.
“No coffee accidents today?”
Sofia closed her eyes.
There it was.
She knew it.
She absolutely knew he would mention it.
“I was hoping we could pretend that never happened.”
“Impossible.”
“Why?”
Alexander leaned slightly against the counter.
“Because it’s probably the first time someone has ever attacked me with coffee.”
Sofia stared.
Then laughed despite herself.
Several customers glanced toward them.
Neither noticed.
For the first time in weeks, Alexander felt relaxed.
Normally people treated him differently.
Some became nervous.
Others became overly polite.
Many simply wanted something from him.
Business opportunities.
Money.
Connections.
But Sofia?
She treated him like an ordinary person.
It was refreshing.
Dangerously refreshing.
Meanwhile, Sofia couldn’t understand why he kept talking to her.
Surely someone like Alexander had more important things to do.
He ran one of the country’s largest corporations.
Why was he spending time inside a small café?
More importantly…
Why was he smiling?
“Your coffee.”
Alexander accepted the cup.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Instead of leaving, he glanced around.
Then pointed toward an empty table.
“Mind if I sit there?”
Sofia blinked.
“It’s a café.”
He laughed.
“Good point.”
Before walking away, he paused.
“See you around, Sofia.”
Her heart nearly stopped.
He knew her name.
Wait.
How did he know her name?
The realization hit immediately.
Her name tag.
Of course.
Still.
Hearing her name from him felt strangely different.
And she hated that it affected her.
Over the next week, Alexander continued visiting.
At first Sofia assumed it was coincidence.
Then twice became three times.
Three became four.
Four became every day.
Eventually even Anna noticed.
“He’s definitely here for you.”
Sofia nearly choked on her drink.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Anna smirked.
“You should hear yourself.”
Sofia ignored her.
Yet deep down, she couldn’t deny something felt different.
Each day their conversations grew longer.
They talked about books.
Movies.
Food.
Travel.
Dreams.
For someone who supposedly had everything, Alexander seemed surprisingly interested in ordinary things.
And Sofia found herself looking forward to his visits.
That terrified her.
Because feelings were dangerous.
Especially when directed toward someone she could never have.
One evening, as the café prepared to close, Alexander arrived later than usual.
He looked exhausted.
His tie was loosened.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes.
For the first time, he appeared human.
Not a CEO.
Not a wealthy heir.
Just a tired man.
Sofia frowned.
“Rough day?”
Alexander looked surprised.
Then he smiled softly.
“You can tell?”
“You look terrible.”
He laughed.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
For a moment, neither spoke.
The café had grown quieter.
Most customers had already left.
Outside, rain began falling.
Alexander stared through the window.
Then he asked quietly,
“Do you ever feel like everyone expects something from you?”
Sofia blinked.
The question caught her off guard.
“Sometimes.”
“What do you do?”
She thought for a moment.
Then smiled.
“I remind myself why I’m doing it.”
Alexander remained silent.
Listening.
“For me, it’s my family,” she continued.
“When things get difficult, I think about them.”
Something flickered in Alexander’s eyes.
Admiration.
Respect.
Maybe even envy.
Because unlike Sofia, he wasn’t sure who he was doing everything for anymore.
And for the first time in years, he wanted to find out.
As the rain continued outside, neither realized that this simple conversation would become the beginning of something far more dangerous than friendship.
Something neither of them could stop.
Something called love.
To be continued in Chapter 3: Curiosity…
- Writer
