Chapter 140: Going Nowhere
Derek Haven was a man of logic. He was not one to believe in things like spells and magic. But this time he was starting to believe that there might have been some truth in all of that superstitious stuff. There had to be some sort of spell over Bee’s Diner.
That was the only thing that made sense.
When he had walked into the diner, his intent had been clear. Get in, apologize. If she accepts, great. If not, then he would see what to do. But so long as she knew that he was not some pervert, he would be able to live with himself.
But that was not what ended up happening at all.
For once, he had walked into the diner and things had aligned in his favour, in that he found Emily on her own. That was it. That was the chance that he had been waiting for. All he had to do was apologise. But the moment that he opened his mouth, the words that came out completely betrayed him. There was no apology in sight.
"May I trouble you for some tea and muffins? He found himself saying, instead of getting straight to the point, and apologizing for the misunderstanding that they’d had the last time they had seen each other.
Derek felt a smile stretch over his face all the while his internal self was screaming. What are you doing? Apologize! Explain! That is what we came to do. And as he stood there smiling like an idiot, Derek was waiting for her to attack him for having such audacity to just walk in and make an order, like things were just dandy between the two of them.
But it seemed that whatever it was that had Derek in its grip the moment he walked into the diner, it also had Emily in its clutches as well. Rather than attack him like he was certain that she was going to do, she smiled too.
Leaning slightly against the counter behind her as she looked at him. "Of course, sir, take a seat and I will bring out your usual. Tea and muffins, right?" He nodded and she continued to smile at him before turning back and heading towards the kitchen.
It felt as though the two of them were not in charge of their own actions, as though there was some puppet master high above them pulling the strings, and no matter what they wanted to do, they could only move in ways that the puppet master allowed and never do anything of their own free will.
It was enraging and it was also very scary. But still, caught in the trap that was Bee’s Diner, Derek made his way to a table by the corner, and then he sat down waiting.
A few minutes later she came back with his order and placed it in front of him. But by then the chance to talk was greatly diminished. Derek was no longer the only customer in the diner. There was someone else. And right after placing his meal in front of him, Emily went to help out that customer.