Chapter 6: Everything Beautiful Ends Eventually

The dawn of a new day washed over New York City, casting long shadows and golden hues along Madison Avenue. Kafka, ever the early riser, was already bustling around The Brewed Haven, preparing for another day. She moved with the ease of someone who had found her rhythm, her sanctuary.

As she arranged freshly baked pastries in the display case, the door chime jingled, signaling the arrival of her first customer. To her surprise, it wasn’t the usual morning rush of regulars. Instead, a young woman with striking red hair and an air of confidence stepped inside. She looked around appreciatively, her emerald eyes taking in every detail.

“Good morning,” Kafka greeted her warmly. “What can I get for you today?”

The woman smiled, her gaze settling on the large menu board behind the counter. “I’ll have a caramel latte and one of those blueberry cream-filled croissants. They look delicious.” Her green eyes smiled like a child. She looked strangely innocent yet very mature with her floral dress reaching just below the knee. Kafka admired how beautiful the lady was.

With a ‘Got it’ and nod, Kafka began preparing the order. As she worked, she couldn’t help but notice the woman’s curious demeanor. There was something almost familiar about her, though Kafka couldn’t quite place it.

“Is this your first time here?” Kafka asked, handing over the latte and croissant.

“Yes, it is. I’ve heard great things about this place from a friend,” the woman replied, taking a sip of her latte. “I’m Franz, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Franz. I’m Kafka. I hope you enjoy your time here,” Kafka said, offering a friendly smile.

Franz took a seat by the window, savoring her croissant and latte. She glanced outside, her eyes briefly meeting those of the butler across the street as he entered Die Böse Jungen. Kafka followed her gaze, curiosity piqued once again.

The morning continued smoothly, with a steady stream of customers filling The Brewed Haven. Kafka’s mind, however, kept drifting back to Greed and the mystery that surrounded him. The butler’s words from the previous day echoed in her mind. “Mr. Greed is very observant. He takes note of the details around him.” I mean by the way Greed looks, he does look like someone who takes in every little detail with great importance. She just can’t help but think of ways how she would approach Greed without looking suspiciously desperate. If she wants to be closer with the owner across the street she needs to have a plan, but how? They live in a different world, with different roads they’re walking.

As the lunch rush began to die down, Kafka took a moment to herself. She stood by the counter, wiping down the already spotless surface. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door chime. Looking up, she saw Greed entering the café, his presence as commanding as ever.

“Good afternoon,” Greed greeted her, his voice surprisingly soft.

“Good afternoon,” Kafka replied, her heart rate quickening. “What can I get for you?”

“I’ll take your recommendation from yesterday—a caramel latte,” Greed said, his blue eyes locking onto hers.

Kafka nodded and began preparing the latte. She moved with practiced ease, but her mind was racing. Why was he here again? Was he just being polite, or was there something more? Her mind was like horses galloping for their dear lives with questions. Did Greed read through her and was just here to be polite or mess with her mind. Her feelings! She had been staring for quite a while now, realizing this, blood came rushing to her cheeks. “Are you okay?” Greed asked, concern painted on his face. She felt Greed’s palm touch her forehead. She gasped and recoiled in surprise. She thought she was being electrified. ‘No!’ she definitely felt electrified. Greed’s palm was warm and it had the faint scent of mint and sandalwood. It might be milliseconds but she felt it. And now, she wants to feel it again.

“My apologies, I thought you might have a fever,” She looked up to see Greed’s expression turned dull for a very brief moment, then back to his usual serious, cold look. She wanted to ignore it, but did she cause it, because she recoiled from his touch? Does she have that kind of effect on Greed? She felt glad and terrible at the same time. ‘God, how embarrassing!’ She nudged herself to stop herself from overthinking. ‘Right, latte, caramel latte!’ she beat herself out of her reveries. But is he really disappointed?

As she handed him the latte, Greed’s expression softened. “Thank you,” Greed said and he turned around and walked towards one of the tables near the window. ‘There it is again!’ she caught it just as Greed was turning around, the dull expression from earlier. Did she really make Greed sad?

To redeem herself, she brought Greed her special blueberry cream-filled croissant to pair with the latte. As she put it down on the table, feeling a little courageous, she said “I was just a little surprised, no need to apologize,” she smiled, she made sure to give him the most reassuring smile she could muster “On the house. Hope it could cheer you up a little.” She couldn’t believe how soft her voice was but hopefully it reached him.

Hazel eyes met ocean blue ones. “Thank you, Kafka.” Greed said with a smile. Hearing her name being called out like that, and the smile surprised her yet again, it made her heart swell.

Their moment was cut short as another customer entered causing the chime to ring. ‘Well, everything beautiful ends eventually’ she thought. Still, no one can ruin her afternoon anymore. Her heart was full, it was a short exchange but now she knows how to approach the owner across the street.

As Kafka made her way to the counter, she was greeted by the smiling customer. “Hello, Franz. What can I get for you this afternoon?” Kafka was already on cloud-nine. Franz grasped the air and commented “You sure look like you had been blessed by the heavens. I’ll get the specials.” Kafka smiled, embarrassed “It’s nothing like that,” she does not want to be busted, not while Greed is still present and can definitely hear their exchange. “By the way. Franz, I’ll be including a new pastry on the menu starting tomorrow. A special. I’ve been thinking about what you said this morning and I thought why not,” she found an excuse to change the subject. Since Franz first visit to the cafe this morning they had been sharing some information about each other. It’s like, they’re besties already. Franz, surprisingly, is very outgoing and random. Kafka found herself immersed and almost like they knew each other for so long, she is as engaged as Franz.

“Oh, great. You’re too kind.” Franz loves pastries, she’s part Italian and her grandmother used to have a bakery. Kafka’s blueberry cream-filled croissant brought Franz back to those treasured memories and she gave Kafka various recommendations. Her favorite is blueberry muffins. It was her comfort pastry so she told Kafka it would be amazing if she could add that to her menu.

As Kafka was handing Franz her order, caramel-latte and blueberry cream-filled croissant, she saw Greed approaching the counter holding the emptied ceramic mug and the untouched croissant. Serious and cold Greed is back. Gone are the smile and the soft crystal blue eyes, what remains is just a darker shade of the depths within those orbs. With a bland ‘thank you’, Greed was out of the cafe.

Kafka looked at the sad, cold croissant. ‘Did he not like croissants or was it the blueberry, was it too sweet?’ she’s back to overthinking again. “He should’ve said so, if he didn’t want it. He said thank you, though” Kafka felt like she’s about to cry. But it's not about the untouched croissant. Did she cross the line with her little courageous move, was it too much. She’s sad. No, she’s angry and annoyed and confused and embarrassed. Her sight is getting blurry. She’s tearing up. ‘No!’ She took a deep breath to calm herself. Franz is still right in front of her, looking confused as she is. “Please, enjoy.” she tried to smile, Franz looked like she was about to say something but decided not to and just turned around and walked towards the same spot she was at this morning.

When she thought things were getting better, it got worse. The very reason she was in cloud-nine was the very reason to cause her thunderstorms inside.