Page 7 of Caffeine & Chaos

As her eyes came into focus, she looked up to see a smirk spread across his sharp features as he stood defiantly before her. He stared at her for a moment then left the washroom and closed the door behind him.

Nadia was reeling as she struggled to comprehend what the hell just happened. She collapsed against the wall; her heart thudding, loins burning, pantyhose ripped, clothes dishevelled, and head spinning. The feelings of ecstasy were quickly replaced by searing anger and righteous indignation.

Fury coursed through her veins, directed both at Ryan and at herself, again. She berated herself for yielding to him so easily. Everything had happened so fast and to make matters worse she wasn’t even convinced she wouldn’t do it all again if given the chance.

Nadia stared at herself in the mirror, grappling with the intensity of her distress, finding herself overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness and isolation as Ryan’s departure seemed to strip the room of its light and warmth, leaving her alone to sort through the toxic slurry of emotions.

A knock at the door nearly made Nadia jump out of her skin. “I’ll be done in a minute”. She had to straighten her clothes, regain her composure, and somehow get back to work. At the very least she had to get out of the bathroom.

Him.

Ryan stepped out of the bathroom and quickly pulled his jacket closed, attempting to conceal the raging hard-on protruding beneath his slacks. As he buttoned the jacket, he noticed the tremble in his hands. This behaviour was insane. He straightened his collar and smoothed his hair back before leaving the hallway. If he didn’t feel in control, he could at least give the illusion of being in control.

Ryan was aghast at himself as he hastily maneuvered between the tables and patrons in the bustling café. His inability to control his impulses regarding Nadia had reached alarming levels. She monopolized his thoughts, and now, his irresistible attraction to her seemed to pull him like a gravitational force, dictating his every move. She had him in a strangle hold and didn’t even realize it.

His original intention had been to visit the cafe and ask her out like a proper gentleman. However, he hadn’t anticipated her resistance, nor her attempt to embarrass him in such a manner. No other woman had ever shown him such disdain, especially after the courtship game had begun. He thought he had played her just right in the bar, expecting her to be putty in his hands the next time he saw her, yet Nadia proved to be like no other woman he had pursued before. The simple fact that he had to pursue her was evidence of that.

He reached his table, swiftly downing his coffee before grabbing his briefcase and making his exit. As he left, he couldn’t help but notice Mandy, the other barista, glaring at him. It was clear that she and Nadia were friends, and it seemed Nadia had confided in her about the incident at El Palenque.

How could he have misread Nadia’s signals so drastically? Did Mandy suspect what had just transpired in the bathroom? The mere thought of such a scandalous story spreading like wildfire through tabloid magazines made him shudder. He had to get himself in check. He had spent too long carefully crafting his reputation to allow reckless actions like these to tarnish it.

Once he was out on the street, he let his guard down for a moment to collect himself. It felt like his entire body was vibrating. He was acting like a love-crazed teenager instead of the commanding, balanced, and professional man that he was.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He was a self-made billionaire. With a flick of his hand, he could topple entire corporations. He could have any woman he desired, at any moment. Now he had to reign in his impulses and regain control over the situation, dammit.

His little pep talk only served to drive him closer toward the sole inevitable conclusion: he didn’t want any other woman. He wanted Nadia.

A steadying calm settled over him. His track record spoke for itself; he always got what he set his mind to, and Nadia was certainly his in that washroom. He smirked, reliving the moment; the heat coming off her body when his fingers hit that sweet spot was hot enough to cauterize a wound. She was ready to sing his praises; he could have had her shrieking so loudly the people on the top floors of the high-rises would have heard.

Ryan checked the time on his watch and swore. It was a little after ten AM. He had business to attend to and he was already running late for a meeting with a client that represented a very large account. He pulled his phone out and called for a car to come and get him.

Her.

“Oh my god Nadia, what happened?” Mandy looked at her with shear morbid fascination. She could smell a scandal and wanted to be elbow deep in it.

“Do you believe me now?” Nadia was still processing what had happened in the washroom. Though irritated with herself for letting it happen, she couldn’t deny the thrill that coursed through her veins. As the initial shock wore off, she was surprised to find that instead of anger, she felt a rush of nerves and exhilaration for what lay ahead.

“Oh, hell yes. I watched him follow you in there. His suit was all screwed up when he came out. You’ve got to tell me everything!” Mandy was practically salivating. She lived for a juicy story, and this was as juicy as they come.

“Ssshhh, keep your voice down. We’ve got customers. I will tell you about it, but not here.”

“Ugh, okay later for sure. I am dying inside!” Mandy looked her up and down, “And you might want to just ditch the pantyhose for now. They are looking pretty haggard.”

It was against the owner’s policy to wear a skirt with bare legs to work, but judging by the state of her panty hose, there wasn’t going to be a way around it. There was a long run stemming from the hole Ryan had poked in them along her thigh. Besides, it was a cruel policy; this was Miami for God’s sakes. She went into the back and took them off.

When Nadia checked her phone at the end of her shift, she saw she had a missed call. It was a New York area code. After everything that happened, she couldn’t handle a conversation with her mother. Talking to Valentina was an exercise in patience and artful lying, and Nadia couldn’t see herself being able to muster up either of those things. She resolved to check it later when her phone beeped to indicate a voicemail had been left.

Exiting the back room clad in her street clothes, Nadia noticed Mandy engrossed with a customer. Seizing the chance, she quietly slipped out of the cafe. All she wanted was the comfort of her own home, a long shower, and a generous pour of wine—perhaps straight from the bottle.

It wasn’t that Nadia didn’t want to confide in Mandy; after all, she was her best friend. However, she needed to sort out her own feelings about Ryan first. Caught in a whirlwind of emotions, she found herself oscillating between sheer infatuation and utter fury.

The walk home seemed to stretch on endlessly, each step hampered by the weight of the day’s events and the jumble of emotions swirling inside her. The simultaneous rush of excitement and unease left her feeling disoriented. When she finally got to her building Tim opened the door for her and she smiled gratefully at him.

“Good afternoon, Miss Moore. Lovely day today.” Tim was one of the daytime doormen at her building. He was a kind and professional older gentleman who seemed to take a special, but non-sexual, interest in Nadia.

“Hi Tim! Today has been a spectacular day, actually.” The words tumbled out of her mouth so naturally. Spectacular? She didn’t understand herself.

“Well, it’s about to get better.” Tim led her over to the front desk where a large bouquet of flowers was waiting. “A courier dropped these off for you today. It looks like someone is quite taken with you.”

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