Page 26 of Falling For The Billionaire Rockstar

“Hello?”

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The aroma of coffee seeds, scones, and old books filled the air as I walked into the bookshop. I thought it was weird that she had chosen such a place for our meeting spot. Usually, people would choose a restaurant or a place with a larger crowd.

Apart from the barista who looked up at me as the bells above the door chimed and offered me a smile, there were only three other people in the entire shop. And it wasn’t even a very big space.

But I wasn’t complaining. I liked the ambiance. The major lighting of the room was dim, and the theme of the shop was brown—khaki-colored walls, white tiled floors, beige round tables, coffee brown leather seats, and mahogany shelves.

On each table was a slim reading lamp, which made sense because the golden-brown fluorescent light was way too low for anyone to read comfortably. I made my way to a table at the farend of the room, as per Olivia’s request. I wondered if she was deliberately trying to seem mysterious.

“You must be new around here?” A light voice called out as soon as I’d gotten comfortable on my chair. I looked up to find the barista now standing beside me, a ginger smile brightening her small, round face.

“Oh yes, I just came into town for a quick business trip.”

She nodded. “I thought so. You don’t look like the type who drinks coffee or reads books,” she said lightly.

I smiled as I squinted my eyes in thought, then I looked back at her. “So tell me, what type do I look like?”

She shrugged. “The kind who drinks whiskey and obsesses over contracts.”

I chuckled. “Well,obsessedis a strong word, but you have a keen eye, I’ll give you that.”

She chuckled. “So, are you waiting for someone, or do you just want to explore a new identity?”

“Unfortunately, I’m too boring for the second option.”

She smiled softly. “No one’s too boring to explore themselves. You just haven’t tried yet.”

I wondered how she would feel if she found out I used to get on stage in front of a crowd of screaming people and sing at the top of my lungs. I was glad I was only popular in my niche.

“So what can I get you while you’re waiting?” She lifted her pen and notepad.

“Oh, I’ll just have a coffee. Black, no cream. And a slice of gingerbread.”

She nodded as she scribbled on her pad. “One cup of cappuccino and a slice of gingerbread coming right up.” the barista winked at me, and I couldn’t help but smile at her wittiness as she walked away.

The bells chimed again, and my eyes shot straight to the door. For a second, I could’ve sworn the Grim Reaper had walked intothe store, scanned it, and decided I was the one going to die that day.

Olivia wore a pair of black jeans under a black jacket, her face concealed by black sunglasses and a black cap, with equally dark hair running down the sides of her face. Making a beeline for my table, she sat down.

She took off her glasses and looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes. “Russian spy or freelance assassin, I can assure you I don’t have the information you need.”

She rolled her eyes. “Haha, a tremendous sense of humor.” She looked around as if she really was scared of being caught. The barista walked back to our table and placed the coffee and bread.

“Thank you,” I said.

The barista nodded and turned to Olivia, blinking rapidly. “Um . . . what would you like to have?”

“Nothing, really. I won’t be here long,” Olivia said.

The barista nodded and was about to leave when I placed a hand on her elbow, saying, “Actually, I think she’d love this gingerbread as well.” I ignored the look Olivia was giving me, and the lady nodded again before walking away.

“I see you’ve made yourself quite comfy here,” Olivia commented.

“What can I say? The barista is really sweet,” I replied.

She chuckled, her smile brightening her face. There was an awkward silence, and then she leaned forward. “Look, I just want to say that—”

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