Evangeline was so upset with her decision to end it with Alonzo, and that told her more than anything else that she’d gone way too far in her fantasies. There never was an Alonzo and Evangeline. Not. Ever. Yet she was on the verge of tears most of the day as if she’d really broken up with her boyfriend. It was ludicrous. Ridiculous. It just showed her how naïve and strange she was still. A mythical boyfriend. A criminal one at that. What was wrong with her? She lived in her head too much. She always had.

Alonzo had been coming into her shop for a year. He barely spoke to her. Even when she had admitted she missed him, nothing had changed. Did she even want it to? He was everything she despised, and yet her made-up world had been completely formed around him. And they all knew it. Everyone knew it. She hadn’t even been under the radar about her interest in Alonzo, and that was mortifying. Absolutely mortifying.

Timur was still in the shop. He’d made no more attempts to talk to her with all the customers and she was grateful but wished he’d leave. He hadn’t made the mistake of coming back up to the counter for another latte either.

She worked hard, but time went by fast because she was so angry over her own stupidity. She spent the hours chastising herself while she worked. That took her past noon and into her lightest period. Customers tapered off around one thirty, and by two the store was in what she always referred to as “the dead zone.” She welcomed that period because it gave her a chance to restock, get off her feet and take a short break.

When the last customer left the shop, Evangeline heaved a sigh of relief and took a much-needed bathroom break. When she returned, Timur was at the door. He casually turned the sign from open to closed and he locked the door. With a key. His own key. She knew it was his because her key was safely in the coat pocket of her jacket in the kitchen closet. Without a word to her, he moved behind the counter and into her kitchen.

“What are you doin’?”

“They’ll be coming in through the back door.” He spoke tersely.

“You aren’t takin’ over my shop, Timur.” She lifted her chin. This would really get her into trouble, but she didn’t care. She marched over to her phone.