Chapter 9: The Unwelcome Feeling
794 Words
Bill barely remembered the drive home.
The streets of Todu passed by in a blur as one image replayed in his mind.
Maya.
Laughing.
Standing beneath the streetlamp with Daniel Walker.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"What is wrong with me?" he muttered.
He had known Maya for only a few days.
She wasn't his girlfriend.
She owed him nothing.
Yet the thought of another man making her smile unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
His phone buzzed through the car's speakers.
Steve Brown.
Bill hesitated before answering.
"Hey."
"You sound miserable," Steve said immediately.
"That obvious?"
"I've known you since we were kids. Where are you?"
"Driving."
"Good. Come pick me up."
"I don't really—"
"That's not a request."
Bill couldn't help smiling.
"Fine."
⸻
Twenty minutes later, the two friends sat on a bench overlooking Lake Ashford.
The evening breeze carried the scent of fresh rain across the water.
Steve handed Bill a bottle of soda.
"You've been quiet all week."
"I've just had a lot on my mind."
Steve studied him.
"No."
"What do you mean?"
"When you have work on your mind, you complain about your father."
Bill chuckled.
"When you're quiet like this..."
Steve pointed a finger at him.
"...it's a girl."
Bill looked away.
Steve's eyes widened.
"I knew it!"
"You don't know anything."
"I know enough."
Bill sighed.
"Her name is Maya."
Steve leaned back against the bench.
"Tell me everything."
Bill found himself describing their first meeting, the oranges scattered across the road, the charity gala, the bakery, and finally Daniel.
When he finished, Steve laughed.
"So..."
"So what?"
"You're jealous."
"I'm not jealous."
Steve raised an eyebrow.
"You just spent ten minutes explaining why another guy shouldn't be making her laugh."
Bill opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Steve grinned.
"My friend..."
He patted Bill on the shoulder.
"...welcome to the beginning of love."
Bill shook his head.
"It's too soon."
Steve smiled knowingly.
"Love doesn't own a calendar."
⸻
The next morning, Collins Bakery was busier than usual.
Customers lined up at the counter while the aroma of fresh bread filled the room.
Maya moved quickly between the display shelves, greeting each customer with the same warm smile.
Daniel stood near the window, finishing a cup of coffee.
"You've always been this busy?"
She laughed.
"Only when everyone decides they want breakfast at the same time."
"I can help."
"You'll only slow me down."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
Gladys walked past carrying a tray of muffins.
"Oh, she's serious."
Daniel placed a dramatic hand over his heart.
"I've only been back in town for two days, and you're already bullying me."
Gladys smirked.
"It's how we say welcome."
The three of them laughed together.
Just then, the bell above the bakery door chimed.
Bill stepped inside.
His smile faded ever so slightly when he saw Daniel standing beside Maya.
Daniel noticed him first.
"Morning."
"Morning."
Maya looked up and smiled.
"Hi, Bill."
That one smile was enough to brighten his mood.
"I was nearby," he said.
Gladys coughed into her hand.
"Again?"
Bill laughed awkwardly.
"I promise Todu isn't that big."
"It suddenly seems very small," Gladys teased.
Maya rolled her eyes.
"Ignore her."
"I've been trying."
Daniel extended his hand.
"I don't think we properly introduced ourselves yesterday."
Bill shook it.
"Bill Thompson."
"Daniel Walker."
For a moment, neither man let go.
The handshake remained polite.
But firm.
Almost like an unspoken challenge.
Maya noticed the tension immediately.
"So..."
She clapped her hands softly.
"Who wants coffee?"
"I do," both men answered at the same time.
Gladys bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.
"This is going to be interesting."
⸻
Across town, Clara Lopez parked outside the Thompson Group headquarters.
She stepped out of her car carrying a small gift box.
The receptionist smiled.
"Good morning, Miss Lopez."
"Is Bill here?"
"I'm afraid he hasn't arrived yet."
Clara frowned.
"He usually comes in early."
She thanked the receptionist and returned to her car.
As she drove away, one thought lingered in her mind.
Bill wasn't avoiding work.
He was avoiding the life his father had planned for him.
And somehow...
She knew Maya Carter had something to do with it.
Clara tightened her hands around the steering wheel.
"I won't lose without a fight," she whispered.
Back at the bakery, Bill accepted a cup of coffee from Maya.
Their fingers brushed again.
This time...
Neither of them pulled away immediately.
For just a heartbeat, the noise of the bakery disappeared.
Neither Bill nor Maya noticed.
But someone else did.
Daniel.
And for the first time since returning to Todu...
He began to wonder if he had already come home too late.
- Writer
