Page 22 of Caffeine & Chaos

“Yeah okay... sure, talk to you tomorrow.” Mandy hung up.

While Nadia’s rational mind could grasp Mandy’s perspective, her heart remained sympathetic towards Travis. She couldn’t quite pinpoint why it affected her this way; after all, she had easily moved on from plenty of Travis’s in the past without losing any sleep over it. With a shrug, she reached for the remote on the table and switched on the TV.

The news caster’s voice blared through the screen, catching Nadia off-guard. “The story broke earlier today that Markus Brown, Vice President of System Seven Marketing, was arrested and detained yesterday afternoon.” Nadia shot forward off the couch and was instantly glued to the screen. The reporter continued, “we have now learned that he was picked up for soliciting prostitution, possession of cocaine, and aggravated assault. When CEO Ryan McKellen was contacted for comment, he responded via email:

‘We are deeply saddened by the news of our former colleague Markus Brown’s arrest. We were aware of some difficulties he was having and made the decision two days ago to let him go. We hope the job loss was not a contributing factor to his error in judgement, however it was the right decision for the company. We hope that Markus gets the help he needs to work through this difficult time in his life.’

As the recap cut to another story, Nadia switched off the TV. His sudden exit from the lighthouse made sense. Relief flooded through her, the pieces clicking into place and soothing her frayed nerves. The phone call from his secretary must have been related to this.

Nadia mulled over the situation, considering the possibility of Ryan’s public relations team hastily working to manage the fallout. Had the company truly let him go two days earlier, or was that just the narrative they were feeding the media to salvage their—and Ryan’s—reputation? She could almost see Ryan’s furrowed brow as he toiled late into the night with his team, concocting a plausible narrative. Having been immersed in enough business discussions in New York, she understood that crisis management always entailed crafting a story for the media.

Nadia rolled her phone over and over in her hand. Should she contact him about the news broadcast? Would he want to talk to her about it? Maybe she shouldn’t meddle. He might be the kind of guy who liked to keep his business and personal life separate. There was so much she didn’t know about him.

Saving Ryan’s number to her phone, Nadia rose and made her way to bed. However, halfway down the hallway, she halted, pondering how he had come by her phone number. She mentally replayed their swift exit from the lighthouse following his secretary’s call. Their conversation during the hurried boat ride had been minimal, and once they reached the visitor’s center, Ryan had promptly departed in another vehicle. Part of her unease about that day stemmed from her inability to reach him. She was certain she hadn’t given him her number.

Nadia attempted to brush off her concerns and proceeded to her room. It was evident that Ryan had his methods of gathering information, and she wasn’t entirely certain she cared to know what they were. She slid out of her dress and hung it over the purple and grey accent chair in the corner of her room.

As was usual lately, her attempts to assuage her concerns failed. While she was glad Ryan had reached out to her, a persistent sense of unease lingered regarding his seemingly effortless ability to uncover whatever he desired.

Just as Nadia was on the brink of drifting off to sleep, another nagging thought crept into her mind: was she truly prepared to step into the spotlight? Initially, when she had Googled Ryan, it all seemed surreal, seeing him featured in almost every major business magazine. But now, the reality was sinking in. Ryan McKellen was a major player. A business mogul and a public figure. While he might not be as instantly recognizable as a movie star, he undoubtedly lived his life under constant scrutiny, mindful of his reputation at every turn. One of the things Nadia cherished about her life away from her family in New York was her freedom and anonymity. Was she ready to relinquish that for a relationship with Ryan?

“Hi.” Ryan stood at the counter with a half smirk on his face, pulling his hand from behind his back to reveal a rose.

Nadia beamed at him and teased, “Kind of cliché don’t you think?” Despite her teasing, she reached for the rose and plucked it out of his hand, bringing it to her nose to enjoy its rich fragrance.

“Romantic gestures can be kind of cliché, but don’t pretend you don’t like it,” Ryan countered, his gaze sweeping up and down her appreciatively. “I’ll take my usual order please.”

“If you think one rose will make up for those daisies you sent me the other day, you’re dreaming,” Nadia quipped, chuckling as she took another whiff of the rose. But when Ryan remained silent, she glanced up, noticing his furrowed brow and narrowed gaze fixed on her face.

“I never sent you any daisies, Nadia. What are you talking about?” The playfulness in his demeanor vanished.

“What? After...” Nadia looked around, and leaned in, talking quietly, “the last time you were here. The bathroom.” She nodded at him, thinking she would jog his memory.

“No, Nadia, I didn’t send you any flowers.” Ryan frowned at her again. “Do you mean to tell me that someone sent you flowers in my name that day?”

“Well, no, I guess not. There was no name attached to the bouquet, I just assumed...” Nadia felt heat rising to her cheeks. Why had she jumped to the conclusion that he would have sent her flowers after that? It was silly of her to have assumed anything in the first place.

“Hey,” sensing her embarrassment, Ryan’s face and voice softened, “don’t feel silly. I should have sent you flowers after that.” He squeezed her hand on the countertop. “I promise you that when I do send you flowers, they won’t be daisies.”

“Good, because I deserve much better than that!” She joked.

Ryan chuckled, his easygoing manner resurfacing as he seemed to let the matter of the mystery flowers slide. Nadia couldn’t help but admire him as he stood before her. His smile could thaw the ice off Antarctica. Hell, she mused, maybe his smile was the real culprit behind global warming.

“Come and sit down with me, there’s something on my mind that I’d like to ask you.” Ryan gestured to one of the round tables near the bookshelf. It just so happened he was gesturing towards the very same table she had sat at with Travis.

“Sure, but let’s take a window seat instead,” she said, avoiding that table altogether.

“Do you think I could get my coffee before we sit down? Last night was another late one and I could use the caffeine.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sorry. After the whole daises thing, I just sort of forgot.” Nadia went to walk back around, but was held back by Ryan, holding tightly to her hand.

She glanced back at him, and his eyes locked onto hers like a tractor beam, anchoring her in place. His intense gaze felt like a scrutinizing examination, leaving her feeling utterly exposed. What was he looking at? It was the same unyielding stare that had left her feeling vulnerable when she first attempted to flirt with him in the café. Nadia broke free from his gaze and hurried around the counter to prepare his coffee. Yet, she couldn’t shake the sensation of his eyes following her every move.

As Nadia brought his coffee back to the table, Ryan rose to his feet, pulling out her chair with a gentlemanly gesture. Taking his mug from her, he waited until she settled into her seat before gently pushing her chair in. As he leaned down to perform this simple act, he breathed in the scent of her hair, sending a tingling shiver down her spine at the unexpectedly intimate moment.

After a brief pause, he took a seat opposite her, clasping his hands together in front of his face. A faint smile danced on his lips as his gaze wandered somewhere beyond her.

Nadia kicked him playfully under the table. “Hey Romeo, are you gonna just stare off into the sunset this entire time or are we going to have a chat?”

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