Notebook.ai

@emilyevewrites January 22, 2022

It felt like hours, but in reality… Eve still wasn’t entirely sure how long she’d been writing. Eventually, the river of inspiration dried up, and her fingers hovered in hesitation over the keys. She lifted her glasses up on top of her head again and sighed longingly.

“Finished already?” Katherine’s voice teased from behind her.

Eve closed her eyes and laughed wryly. “Something like that,” she remarked before opening her eyes again and turning to face her best friend. “How long has it been?”

Katherine tilted her wrist to check her watch. “Hmm… half an hour. Can you come start your shift now? Celia is leaving in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes,” Eve sighed, reaching out to shut the screen of her laptop. As she followed Katherine back to the counter, she couldn’t help herself. “What was her name?”

Katherine flashed an amused look over her shoulder. “Who’s name?”

Eve inhaled slowly. “The girl who was in here, say… half an hour ago?”

“Selene,” Katherine remarked casually. “A very… pretty name if you ask me.”

Eve wasn’t sure why, but Katherine's comment made something in her stomach twinge as she took her place behind the counter, not bothering to slip an apron over her extremely fashionable top. The rest of the day seemed to fly by — surprisingly. Before Eve knew it, it was only an hour before closing time.

@emilyevewrites January 25, 2022

(Bump)

@Fenrir January 26, 2022

Selene spent the next few hours of her shift attending to her customers and putting away new inventory. While exhausting, Selene loved her job at the little bookstore. She love her patrons, both the regulars she had seen almost every week, and the new ones, especially the new ones. Any opportunity she could get to recommend her favorite books or help find the next favorite, she’d always take.
As she hauled another stack of new arriving books, Selene stole a glance up at the analogue clock on the wall behind her work desk. Chewing her lip indecisively, she looked around her little shop. There weren’t many patrons around, save for a few tucked away in the crevices of the shelves, most in a world of their own. There typically was a lull in customers around this time so Selene saw no harm in heading out for a few moments. Tapping her customers or waving to get their attention, she apologized for disturbing them then told them she’d be heading out or a bit, if they had any questions or concerns, she’d be across the street.
Double checking everything was alright, Selene grabbed her bag and practically ran back to the cafe, worried she may had been to late in catching her.
Gripping the straps of her crossbody satchel bag, she scanned the area, disheartened to see the spot the girl once occupied now empty. “Excuse me, have you seen the woman who was here a few hours ago?” She asked one of the baristas she recognized from that morning. “I-“ She paused, not really sure hat she had wanted to say. She hadn’t gotten that far yet, all she knew was that she wanted to see her again, maybe even talk. “I was just wondering who she was and if I could possibly get her number.”

@emilyevewrites January 26, 2022

Katherine looked up from cleaning the counter and slung her towel over her shoulder as prepared to take an order, but instead, she found herself looking at the girl from earlier. She smirked a bit hearing the question and headed over to the coffee machines to clean those instead of the counter. “Eve! Register!” she called.

“Can’t you get it?” Eve’s British-tinted voice called back.

“Nope!” Katherine replied.

Eve sighed and came out from a back room. She was still not wearing an apron, and her Manolo Blahnik heels clicked as she walked over to the register. Not paying attention to who it was because she was fixing her hair into a bun, she began her greeting. “Hello, welcome to All-City Coffee. How can I help—?” She looked up and froze, meeting eyes with the girl from earlier who had given her the drawing. Her mouth fell into an "O" shape.

@emilyevewrites February 05, 2022

(bump :))

@Fenrir February 06, 2022

"oh! I don't want to cause any trouble, I can always come back…" Selene trailed off, seeing that it was futile. She tapped her fingers against the counter nervously, quickly glancing behind her just in case there was a line behind her. Her attention snapped up when she saw the lady from before emerge from the back of the shop. Selene his an amused smile at seeing Eve still in her casual clothes instead of work attire.
"h-hey," she managed out, giving a small wave, offering a shy smile. "I-i'm Selene! I-i'm mean, you wouldn't know that since I didn't give you my name…oh…u-uhm…I was sitting behind you you this morning. I gave you the picture? Not that I expected you to keep it! I-i'm oh God.." she sucked in a breath, cheeks red from rambling, "I just wanted to say hi. I'm really sorry for not introducing myself earlier, you probably thought it was weird for a stranger to randomly walk up to you and give you a picture of you. Now that I say that out loud, that actually sounds creepy…not that I was trying to be creepy!" She fidgeted with her hands for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts. "I was just wondering you'd like a coffee sometime? Or maybe hang out? I run the bookshop as cross the street." She pointed behind her with her thumb. "If you ever wanna drop by or something."

@emilyevewrites February 11, 2022

Eve blinked and listened intently as Selene spoke – rather, rambled – about the events from earlier. "Well, I own All-City Coffee," she began slowly, "so if we go for coffee, we could maybe try somewhere my employees aren't staring me down like a hawk. She glanced over and saw Katherine watching them, obviously not cleaning. "I could fire you, you know," Eve told her.

"But you won't," Katherine retorted. Even so, she turned her back and began to clean.

"But I might," Eve muttered, facing Selene and her words again. She blinked quickly to focus herself. "Anyway, I wouldn't mind going to a bookstore either. You said you run it? And the picture from earlier… it's very nice," she murmured quietly, not wanting Katherine to eavesdrop.

@Fenrir February 11, 2022

Selene gave an akward laugh, amused by the interaction between the two. "Yeah, I'd like that. I don't really know the area all that well but I'd be willing to explore." She bounced on her heals, a mixture of nerves and giddy excitement. Was this considered a date? Wait did that mean she just asked somoke out? Selene took another deep breath and mentally shook herself. No, she barely knew this girl. This was a chance to make a friend at best.
"Mhm! Me and big brother run it." She rummgaed through her satchel bag, pulling a small ornste business card. "Seraphine's Indie Book Seller"
"You're more than welcome to drop by anytime you'd like. That goes for your curious coworkers too." She smiled softly, gaze flickering towards where she had seen Katherine dissapear to. Her attention snapped back to Eve's, a rosy tinge appeared in her cheeks. "I'm glad you liked it! Honestly I was worried you'd think it was creepy, considering it is a picture of you. By any chance did you ever figure out what you were going to write? I saw you kind of struggling in front a blank document."

@emilyevewrites February 12, 2022

Eve looked playfully suspicious as she took the business care from Selene. She turned it over to observe the ornate designs and read the card's details. "Seraphine's Indie Book Seller. Joey and Selene Jensen," she read aloud. She looked up, and her brown eyes widened. "Oh, don't you say that! You'll give her ideas, and she'll spread them! That's the last thing I need."

Katherine was smirking where she stood behind a backing that separated the front counter from that back where the coffee was made. "Too late, the ideas are already in motion."

Making sure to face Selene, Eve rolled her eyes. "Thanks," she remarked sarcastically to Selene, but she shook her head and smiled to show she wasn't actually upset. Then the topic of the drawing returned. "Yes, I was a bit confused at first, but never mind that now. It's nice to see you've come back and you're not just some creepy one-time stalker." She flushed a bit as her writing was brought up. "I-I did, actually," she admitted with a small smile. "It was a little bit after you left, actually."

Suddenly, Katherine came out from behind the back holding two cups of coffee. One was Selene's drink she had ordered earlier, and the other was the drink Eve had finished while Selene was in the cafe. "You two go sit and talk," she said extending the drink towards Selene and slipping Eve's into her fingers. "I've got this, it's a slow day anyways."

@Fenrir February 16, 2022

“I’m so sorry!” She apologized between fits of giggling as she looked between Eve and Katherine. “I hadn’t realized you wanted privacy.” She found her breath after a bit and nodded with a sweet smile, it only growing when she saw Eve’s own grin. “But of course, it’s my pleasure to indulge your friend’s schemes.”
She perked up and nodded “nope! Definitely not creep.” She reassured, waving a hand in the air. “Just a simple observer. I’m glad you found your inspiration, whether it was brought on by my drawing or not.” Selene watched Eve for a few moment, finding that she quite liked seeing the girl blush. It was a nice change, giving Selene a break from all her flusteredness.
“Oh, thank you so much, really. But I have to get back to the store, it’s still my shift. You’re more than welcome to join of course if you don’t mind hanging around while I tend to customers and do inventory.” She offered, looking at Eve with a hopeful smile.

@emilyevewrites February 28, 2022

"Do not indulge in her schemes," Eve playfully scolded. "She schemes enough on her own, along with the other riffraff I hire…" As Katherine rolled her eyes, Eve continued. "On another note, I'm so sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to make it over to your bookstore toda–"

Katherine was quick to put an elbow in Eve's back, which caused the woman to abruptly stop talking and groan softly. "Nonsense! She doesn't know what she's saying. Of course, she'd love to go. Her shift is actually almost over, and she owns the place so it can be over earlier if she wants it to be, right?" She batted her lashes innocently, and Eve sighed.

"Alright, I suppose it wouldn't hurt–"

Again Katherine interrupted Eve by pushing her out around the counter. "Yay! Go!"

Eve rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you're so eager to be rid of me," she remarked, finally able to finish a sentence as she took her coat from the hanger by the door and slipped her arms through the sleeves. She tossed her mane of dark hair out from under the collar, sighed, and smiled pleasantly at Selene. "Shall we?"

@Fenrir March 07, 2022

Selene waved her hands in the air as two went back and forth. “Really, it’s no trouble if you need to stay here. My doors are always open if you prefer to drop by another time, I understand you’re busy and it’s probably better than sitting around a bookstore.” She reassured profusely, taking a small step back to excuse herself until She saw Katherine pushing Eve around the counter. She chuckled softly and gave an apologetic look to Eve.
“She’s a pushy one, isn’t she?” She smiled and took a sip of her drink, bouncing on her toes. The second coffee of the day probably wasn’t the best coping mechanism to ease her nerves but it kept Selene from fidgeting. She nodded and opened the cafe door, waving hand through. “After you.” She looked back at Katherine and mouthed ‘Thank you, I owe you one.’ Over her shoulder as she waved and followed Eve outside, a giddy smile on her features.
“Maybe you’ll get more inspiration for your story,” She mused as she jogged to Eve’s side, taking another swig of her drink. “After all, what better inspiration for a story than other stories. Maybe I can help you find a book that’ll help. Was there a specific genre you were thinking of focussing on?” She asked, running ahead and opening the door. “Welcome to my home.” She waved to the small corner bookstore, smiling proudly.

@emilyevewrites March 08, 2022

"She is," Eve agreed, rolling her eyes. "I can't quite remember the reason I hired her in the first place. I think it was because she was promising…" Behind her, she was unable to see Katherine winking and mouthing 'You're welcome' back to Selene as she waved.

The woman was sipping from her drink, and she nearly spat it back out at Selene's suggestion. "Oh, um… yes… possibly," she remarked, taking another healthy swig from her coffee to distract herself. "I don't particularly keep to a certain genre, though. I write whatever I'm inspired by at any particular moment…"

A small smile of amusement drew on her features as Selene hurried to open the door for her, but she only saw it as a kind gesture, not what it was potentially supposed to be. "Thank you," she murmured, nodding to the girl as well as she stepped into the bookstore.

The scents immediately overwhelmed her. Inside, it smelled like the pages of books and… vanilla? Eve sighed softly, taking in the rows and stacks of books around her. "Oh, this is amazing," she murmured. She continued inside, almost like she was in a trance and being led haphazardly around the store. Her fingers brushed over the spines until she found one interesting looking and plucked it from the shelf. She looked at home.

@Fenrir May 16, 2022

(sorry for ghosting for so long but I am back!)
Selene smiled as she followed behind Eve through the threshold of the book store. She was so excited to show someone her home, the thing that she was so passionate about. All she wanted to do was gush about all the books she recommended, the candles and tea that went best with a cozy book, her favorite reading nooks around the store, the new additions of books that were coming into the store the next week! But she stopped short of diving into her obsession, just long enough to notice the dreamy look across Eve’s face. Paired with the warm glow of the various lamp fixtures above, casting dot and star shapes and the fairy lights Selene and Joey had managed to string up throughout the years, she looked spectacular.

Eve breathed a small sigh before slowly skirting around Eve and heading over to the check out counter, deciding to let Eve discover the same world Selene adored so much. She was almost positive the store could speak more volume than she ever could.

“Please enjoy yourself. Let me know if you have any questions.” She said softly, smiling before letting Eve lose herself among the book, trinkets, nooks and crannies of her beloved bookstore.

@emilyevewrites November 20, 2022

(I think as far as ghosting goes… I win XD But I’m back now lol)

Eve looked over at Selene and smiled warmly. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Her eyes roamed the shelves, and her nimble fingers occasionally slipped a book out to read the back cover. She let the aroma and ambiance of the bookstore take her away from her lonely life, and she pretended, if only for a moment, that she was fine.

Finally, she approached Selene again behind the counter. "This place is wonderous," she said, her eyes alight with joy. "Thank you for showing me."

@Fenrir December 14, 2022

(glad you see you back!)
Selene watched a few moments as Eve disappeared into the shelves, recognizing familiar wonder in the girl's eyes that matched own everytime Selene entered her shop. Not wanting to make her first impression even more akward, Selene eventually settled into her worn office chair and began looking over inventory, every so often peeking up when she caught sight of Eve through the shelves. She bit her lip to hold down a giddy smile before she finally was able to focus…for no more than 5 minutes.
"Of course! I'm glad you enjoyed it. You're more than welcome to stop by anytime you'd like. Well, obviously since this is a public store but you know what I mean…." Selene's sighed softly, giving a soft embarrassing laugh. "A-anyways, I'll be here…everyday…so if you have any questions about the store then you'll know somone and it'll be less weird." She reasoned, smiling through even more awkwardness. "Oh and about your story if you ever want help with that I'd be more than happy to help!"

@emilyevewrites December 17, 2022

"Yes, of course!" Eve replied eagerly. "I'd love to come by whenever I can! And if you ever want to pop over across the street, Katherine will probably give you loads of free coffee. And any of my other employees would be charmed to meet you, I'm sure."

At the mention of her story, the woman's mouth opened, closed, opened, and closed again. "Ah, uh… thank you," she said shyly. She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and sipped from the coffee Katherine had pushed into her hand before they left All-City.

Eve paused to look around the bookstore again. "Goodness, it's lovely here," she sighed, her features softening in the atmosphere of the shelves. "Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed, turning back to Selene with an excited light in her eyes. "Don't you work here with your brother? Can I meet him?"

@Fenrir January 05, 2023

"I'll keep that in mind the next time I pull an all nighter. And I would love to meet your coworkers." Selene nodeed her head in thanks, smiling to herself when she caught Eve's suddenly timid response.

"It really is." Selene agreed, following Eve's gaze around her bookstore. "You know how some people say you need to separate work and home? It's not like that here. This like our home away from home, out customers are like our extended family. Sure there are some days where we don't want to be here or deal with each other's crap but that's just like a regular home."
Selene couldn't help but let out another delighted laugh at how excited Eve seemed to have all the energy in the world. "He does actually, joey-"

"You call I come dear sister!"
Joey announced, the little bell ringing as Selene's brother and another boy came waltzing in, bags of takeout dangling from there hands. "And I have brought with me food…oh and a stray cat."
Selene laughed and not so subtly gestured towards Eve. "Perfect timing. Before that though, Joey and Kai, this is Eve, Eve this is my brother Joey and his boyfriend Kai." She introduced, winking at Joey as he nodded his head in greeting. "So this is the cute girl you were telling me about before, hm?" The wink could have been all but invisible to Joey and he wouldn't have cared, seeing his sister blush was worth it.

@emilyevewrites January 06, 2023

"They'd love to meet you," Eve murmured into her drink right before she took a sip. She hoped to drown the words as she spoke them. Slowly, she was coming to the realization that this girl – this enchanting, slightly mysterious, adorable girl – would be in an out of All-City often. The thought made the dark-haired woman's heart rate pick up.

Eve grinned as she listened to Selene explain the store's atmosphere. It was strikingly similar to All-City. Selene had already seen the dynamic between Eve and Katherine play out, and to an extent, it's how she interacted with all of her employees. Not that there were too terribly many of them. Eve had herself, Katherine, and about ten other women who worked as baristas.

She jumped a bit as the store's bell signaled an arrival. "Perfect timing indeed," she remarked quietly. She smiled politely at the couple. "Hello." She nodded her head back at Joey, but his remark made her eyes widen. Several thoughts raced through her mind, one after the other. She told him about me? Does she think I'm cute? What exactly did she tell him?

Eve glanced over at Selene to see the other girl's face was all red. She was sure that hers had probably formed a pink flush on her cheeks as well.

@Fenrir January 17, 2023

Selene was frozen in place for what seemed like forever. "I-!" She cleared her throat and forced herself to suck in a breath. Meanwhile as Selene was trying to compose herself, Joey arched an eyebrow and almost challengingly grinned at his sister. Selene clenched her jaw and gave her brother a glare, promising worlds of pin once they had gone home. "Y-yes actually." She finally admitted, refusing to look at Eve, fearing she'd die of embarrassment, or worse, find rejection in the beautiful girl's features. She wasn't sure she could hadn't that so soon into their meeting. "She runs the coffee shop across the street you like the croissants and mocha from." She explained, relieved when Joey nodded in recognition. "We got to talking and I offered to show us our little shop."
Joey smiled proudly, glancing down occasionally when Kai latched onto his arm before he looked back up to Eve. "Well, I hope you like out little slice of heaven, I can already see you've taken a liking to its owner. I hope you'll come by more often. If you want, I brought more than enough food for all of us if you'd like to join us for dinner." He offered, lifting the two bags in his hands with an innocent grin.

@emilyevewrites January 18, 2023

Eve shifted her weight from one foot to the other as the silence became deafening. Finally, she heard Selene's affirmative response, and Eve lifted her head with an expression of shock and a soft smile on her lips. But the other girl wouldn't look at her, so the momentary happiness faded from her face. Maybe she hadn't really meant it, she thought, locking her eyes on the lid of her coffee cup which was stamped with the All City logo.

When Selene's brother Joey began to speak again, Eve's dark eyes flitted up to meet his briefly. "I do," she agreed quietly. "It's really lovely here. And the members of the staff are very lovely."

Her eyes widened slightly at his offer, but she shook her head and caused the dark waves framing her face to sway slightly from side to side. "I can’t, really. I’ve overstayed my welcome as it is. I wouldn’t want to intrude any further into your evening,” Eve replied. "And I should be getting back to help Katherine close up. It was really lovely meeting you all."

With that, she headed out the door into the chilly evening air. It was only a few steps from the bookstore to the crosswalk, and she waited patiently for the light to change. She tugged up her scarf and exhaled a cool puff of air into the early night.

@Fenrir January 21, 2023

Joey slowly nodded as he watched both women become flustered by one another without even knowing. "Yes, they are lovely, one in particular I'm sure you're becoming quite fond of." He noted softly, chuckling softly when Selene's eyes widened, her cheek reddening in what Joey could describe as a mixture of embarrassment and anger, the latter most likely directed to him.
Joey waved a hand as he guided Kai to the front counter and set all the food down. "Believe me, I've known people to come in here and stay from open till close. You wouldn't be intruding on anything, isn't that right, Selene?" Joey gently nudged his sister, finally being able to get her out of her her own head, at least enough to look up and nodded, "No! Not at all. I- we would love it if you stayed." She agreed, flicking her gaze up to Eve's for a quick moment and offering a small smile before settling down to eat. Her small smile faded slightly when Eve mentioned she had to get back to work. "Ah, yes. Yes of course. I guess we'll see you around then." She nodded slightly and slowly began rummaging through the bags of takeout.
Joey waved as Eve left the store before immediate turning back to his sister and tapping her shoulder. "What are you still doing here?" He whispered-yelled,
"Eating, what does it look like?" Selene replied, brows creased in confusion, was she supposed to be doing something else?
"Oh my poor sister, no wonder you're still single. Go give that girl your number!" he urged, tearing off a piece of paper from the log book and scribbling Selene's number on it and handing it to his sister. "Go!"
Sele hesitated for a moment before she jumped up from her chair and ran out the door, searching for a few moments up and down the sidewalk before catching a glimpse of Eve at the crosswalk. She mustered up the very little courage she had and jogged towards her. "Hey, uhm Eve! I-I sorta forgot about this before," She stammered out, willing herself not to shake as she offered the scrap of paper. "Just to keep in contact, if ya want! I know you work at the coffee shop but if you ever wanna talk outside of work or something, you'll have it just in case, ya know?"

@emilyevewrites January 21, 2023

Eve's patience with the light began to dip into impatience after a few moments. Why wasn't it changing? She looked over and saw the lights for All City were still on. Good, so Katherine hadn't left yet. Eve was going to have a few words with her once she got back. Mainly about forcing her employer out of the store fifteen minutes from closing time so she could go on a–

Her eyes widened at her own thought process. No, it wasn't what she'd thought it was. She was just getting to know the girl who had come into her shop earlier. She was mysterious and alluring and really adorable. The woman smiled to herself at the words Joey had spoken, and she found them to be true. She was becoming quite fond of one of Seraphine's Indie Book Seller's employees.

Still, she'd needed to go. The situation had become oddly tense between Selene and her brother, and Eve felt too awkward to be involved. It still felt intrusive, even with how much Selene and Joey denied it.

The setting sun caught on a few of her dark brown flyaways and illuminated them so they looked almost golden. Eve shifted from foot to foot while she waited. Finally, the light panel showed the "Walk" sign. She took one step onto the street and stopped when she heard her name. She was glad the chilly air made her cheeks pink on its own. That way, as Selene approached, she had an excuse to hide her blush.

She listened to the other woman and smiled while reaching a gloved hand out to take the paper. Her eyes studied the number before looking back to Selene's face with a soft gaze. "Alright. Thank you. Enjoy your dinner," she remarked with an easy smile. With that, she hurried to cross the street before the light changed and she had to wait again. Once she was on the other sidewalk, she turned back to see if Selene was looking and give her a brief wave before striding back into All City.

Katherine was waiting behind the counter with a knowing smirk. "How'd it go?" she asked immediately, not even trying to pretend that she hadn't been waiting for Eve to return.

@Fenrir January 27, 2023

Selene dumbly nodded as she heaved in a much needed breath. "Thank you, have a great rest of your night," she smiled softly, wrapping her arms around herself as she only now realized she had ran out into the chilly night air without a jacket. Despite the cold, Selene didn't want to move, not until she knew for sure Eve was safe inside. She stood at the cross walk light, letting people pass her as the sign changed from walk to stop. About to head back inside, Selene turned but paused, glancing over her shoulder briefly only to find the other woman waving. Selene laughed and waved back before scurrying back to the warmth of the bookstore.
She slouched against the store door once inside, a giddy little smile played at her lips before she remembered she still had an audience. She looked up to find Joey smirking at her from the counter, Kai glaring disapprovingly at his boyfriend. "So, when's the first date.?" Joey asked, ducking and hiding behind Kai when Selene smacked his shoulder. "There is no date! a-at least not yet…we're just friends! I-I think!" She whined and settled back down in her chair. "We just met today, at least give us a chance to get to know each other." She mumbled through a bite of food, blushing furiously at even the thought of dating someone as incredible as Eve. "Besides, I'm not even sure she's into women. Maybe that just how she acts around all girls."
Joey rolled his eyes and began to eat in defeat, "Yeah, girls she likes." He muttered.

@emilyevewrites January 28, 2023

Eve shook her head and hung up her coat and scarf. "It was fine," she said simply. "Quit being nosy." After checking to make sure the paper Selene had given her with her phone number on it was safely tucked in her coat pocket, she paced over and came around the counter.

Immediately, Katherine frowned at her. "Eve. I love you. But could you get your head out of your ass? It's not a hat." (This line is sponsored by Pitch Perfect except it's not 😅)

The woman whipped around, her eyes blazing. "Excuse me?" she demanded. Sure, she'd known Katherine since high school, but now she was her friend's employer. And talking like that would give Eve plenty enough of a reason to fire her.

Katherine sighed tiredly. "Oh my God, couldn't you see that girl was fawning over you? She drew a gorgeous picture of you! Then, she came back to see what you thought of it! And she wanted you to go to her bookshop, which is conveniently located across the street. I had to basically shove you out of here to get you to go, and you come back all smiley and… oh my God, you're blushing so hard right now!"

Eve quickly turned away to hide the rising pink tinge on her cheeks. This time, it wasn't from the cold. "I-I'm not," she stammered. "It was purely cordial. She showed me around, but her brother and his boyfriend came back, so I didn't want to stay any longer. Now, could you help me close up? I don't want to have to pay you overtime."

@Fenrir February 11, 2023

(Thats a great quote? not quote? wonderful line 😂)
Once the three had finished eating and tidied up the shop, Selene headed her brother and Kai towards the door. "Take the night off, both of you. You've worked and annoyed me enough today, you in particular Joey." She gave Kai a gentle squeeze, sharing a secret eye roll with him before he took a grumbling Joey's hand and tugged him to the entrance of the store.

"Stay safe, I love you, see you two tomorrow!" She called, tugging the cardigan around herself closer as she watched the pair walk off into he night towards their apartment a few streets away. She smiled softly, her gaze sliding over to the coffee shop across the street.

Her thoughts wandered as she watched waitresses picking up the last of the coffee cups and plates left behind and the last patrons making their way out, arm in arm and breath clouding in the cold night air. For a moment she wondered if Eve had stayed to help close up or if she had turned in early and was already home. Before Selene could fall into the trance of searching for the woman behind the windows, she turned back to her own little corner of the world and turned the lights down low, the fairy lights and fake fireplace the only source of light within the store as she began looking over last minute inventory.

@emilyevewrites April 19, 2023

(It is! Sorry for disappearing… again 😅)

Katherine rolled her eyes, but she did grab a pack of Chlorox wipes and headed for the cute wooden tables placed around the small shop.

Eve stayed behind the counter a moment and glanced at her coat. Specifically, her gaze locked on the pocket with a little piece of paper in it. Sparing a quick look at Katherine to make sure the other woman wasn't watching, Eve reached for her jacket and took the paper out. She entered the number in her phone and slipped the paper back in her coat. For some reason, even though Selene's number was now listed in her contacts, Eve didn't want to get rid of the paper.

Eventually, the women both left the shop. Katherine turned off the lights while Eve waited for the door to shut behind them so she could lock it. Once a swift tug on the handle proved All City was closed for the night, Eve headed down the sidewalk to the apartment building right next to the coffee shop, and Katherine headed to the curb to hail a cab.

Eve made sure that her nosy friend was out of sight before looking over to the little bookshop she hadn't noticed until today. She took off the glove of her right hand and fingered the paper in her pocket. Something inside her, a little string, seemed to be tugging her in the direction of that bookshop.

But Eve shook her head and ignored it. Instead, she went back to her normal routine: heading upstairs, getting into her apartment, and putting on her comfort show, How I Met Your Mother. It was cheesy sometimes, but Eve liked it. She was specifically attracted to the different romances throughout the show. She still hoped that someday, somehow, she could find someone and end up like Marshall and Lily or Barney and Robin or Ted and Tracy.

@Fenrir April 20, 2023

(Its all good!)
It took Selene an hour to get through the new inventory meant for the upcoming week. Granted she did check hr phone every five minutes or so just in case she missed a message from a certain somone but eventually she settled with the notion that Eve probably wouldn't text her until the next day if at all. She shut the ancient tomb that was the inventory catalog and packed up her things in her satchel bag to head home for the night. She tugged on a thick cardigan and thre her bag over her shoulder before making one more lap around the store, turning off the all the lights before she locked up the front doors.
Thankfully, her apartment was only a few blocks from the store so it was easy enough to rush from street to street even through the chilly night. She dropped everything on her person the moment she went inside and practically made a b-line to her bathroom for a well deserved hot shower. Once she was more relaxed, Selene curled up on her couch, piling heaps of blankets ontop of her, ready to watch a movie before she headed off to bed. She put on Practical Magic, something easy since she didn't think she could focus on what was happening for long. Between the thoughts swimming in her head of Eve, the store, her family, and her desperate want to sleep, Selene didn't have the capacity to think on much else.

@emilyevewrites April 22, 2023

Eve entered her apartment with a quiet sigh. This was her peace. Her sanctuary.

Immediately, she hung up her coat and purse while slipping out of her boots. Once that was done, she made her way to the kitchen and heated up a bowl of leftovers from the night before. Then, of course, she sat on her couch and ate her dinner for one quietly and in peace with the familiar show playing in front of her.

But suddenly, she reached for her phone and instinctively clicked on the 'Contacts' app where Selene's number was already up and waiting. Eve hit the 'Message' button, and the beginning of a text thread popped up. At the sight of it, panic hit her.

This wasn't a part of her routine. Her routine was normal and steadying. It kept her safe. Secure. Away from anyone who could hurt her. But the longer Eve looked at the waiting keyboard, the more she debated herself. Finally, with her heart racing, she typed up a simple Hi, it's Eve and stared at it for five minutes as Barney, Ted, and Marshall argued in the background. Finally, she summoned up her courage and hit send.

@Fenrir May 01, 2023

Selene was in a state of carbohydrate handgover and sleepiness, having had enough energy to actually get up and make a late night snack but clearly not enough to bring herself to bed. She had been settled in the corner of her couch with a dozen blankets and her cats as she finished off the first movie of the lord of the rings. "3 hours down, 6 more to go," she murmured, choosing the next movie and scratching her cat's chin as she sniffed at Selene's bowl of ice cream, something she would consider and midnight masterpiece. In an ornate little bowl, Selene had two modest scoops of chocolate ice cream, crushed oreo cookies, brownie bits from left over brownies she had made the day before and sprinkles, all topped with a healthy serving of fudge syrup. She gently nudged her cat away and found a pillow cat toy filled with Cat nip and lavender more appropriate for her to play with.
As she was about to settle in and finish off her ice cream, she saw her phne light up underneath one of the blankets. At night, Selene kept her hone on silent since Joey liked to send random text at the ungodly hours of the night. She was going to ignor it, lie about being asleep tomorrow morning when he eventually asked why she never answered to his absurdly funny meme or about his essay long commentary on why 80s and 90s media is superior to modern media. But then she immediately thought of Eve. Surely she would be asleep by now, especially after such a long workday at the cafe. And what if it was her brother after all? Selene bit her lip between her teeth, working up the courage to politeply ignor whoever's message appeared on her screen until the next morning, or, arguably more pressing, answer a potential message from Eve. She paused the movie and hesitantly opened her phone. At the top of the screen a little banner read "Messages: Eve"
Selene nearly locked her phone trying to type in the password but eventually got it open. She read and reread the message and the sender, wanting to give some time in between messages so it didn't make it seem as if she was desperate. She smiled to herself and finally typed back "Hey, ya found me!" she paused and then quickly sent another message "I mean well obviously, I gave you my real number." She cringed slightly, already feeling her cheeks growing warm. She sighed softly and leaned back in her couch. She started the movie again but barely heard anything at all, too focused on her screen to pay any attention, much to the dismay of her attention seeking cat. "Anyways…what are you doing up so late? Shouldn't you be asleep by now after such a long day at work?"

Romance in the Real World [Closed]