"I'm good, babe," she replied coolly. "Just another delayed flight. You look like you had a sleepless night."
His shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "It's the upcoming exams. I've been staying up late studying, you know."
"Right, I'm sorry for taking up your precious time," she said lightly, smirking. Perhaps studying Marja's body could also be considered studying, she thought.
"But how did you know this place, babe?" he asked, his tone cautious.
She gave him her brightest smile. "Oh? Weren't you the one who told me about this café?"
He drew his brow together, his voice turning anxious. "Did I?"
"Of course you did! Check your messages, babe. You texted me just yesterday."
Niklas stared at her, his face confused. Then he pulled out his phone, swiping. It didn't take long for his brows to go from furrowing to shooting upward.
"Kaija, this... this is..." he stammered, leaning toward her with a sorry face. "Yes, yesterday I wanted to invite you to this place. I probably mistyped, or maybe my mind was on something else. Or maybe it was just autocorrect."
She couldn't help but find his clumsy effort to cover up his crime amusing. She kept her smile on. "Did you? Well, why don't you check your email, babe? There's something else I'd like you to see."
She swiped through the photos and hit send from her phone. There was no way she'd give Niklas her phone to see them. He might've slammed her poor phone on the table or thrown it away.
Ding.
The message had arrived.
Niklas lowered his gaze to the screen again, more hesitant now, and opened his mail box. The moment he did, his eyes widened at once. He looked at her, then at his phone with the most terrified expression she'd ever seen of him, his fingers frantically swiping up and down the screen.
"Kaija... this... How did you...?" he stuttered.
"The photos look great, don't you think? Maybe the two of you should consider hiring me as the photographer for your wedding album."
His face contorted further. "You fucking stalked us?"
Her face lit up brightly, her tone just as light. "How else was I supposed to find out you were cheating on me with my dear best friend, babe? I only wanted to see how good the two of you look together with my own eyes."
Then her smile turned into a smirk. "So, how long has it been now? One year? Two years? Or all four?"
He slammed the table, his voice rising. "Since I found out you're the kind of bitch who would kneel and bend for money, Kaija."
She gave him a bored look. She'd already heard enough of his insults by then. Still, his volume was so high that all eyes in the café immediately landed their way. Murmurs started filling the room.
Niklas went on. "And it's more than just that, I mean, have you ever looked at yourself? Compared to Marja? Marja's a supermodel. She's successful. She's working with prestigious brands. She's on magazine covers. She's rich, she's hot, and she has class. She does her makeup, wears her best clothes whenever she goes out with me. Unlike you, who's always stuck in the same jeans and sweaters!"
"I see," she sneered. "Well, I'm terribly sorry I've disappointed you that much, baby. You must have felt so ashamed being with me. We're done, Niklas, you and I. Have fun with Marja."
She rose from her seat and grabbed her bag, ready to leave. Suddenly, Niklas lunged forward and seized her wrist in a painful grip.
"Stop right there!" he shouted. "Are you just gonna let me go like that? Tossing me away like trash? You don't even have the decency to show a single sign you're sorry that it was you who sabotaged what we have? You don't even want to fix this?"
Kaija scowled with a tired sigh. She tried to pull her hand free, but his grip was too strong. She'd already given up on him so easily — offering to break up, letting him be with his dream girl whom he'd just praised so highly. What else did he even want?
"Let go of me," she raised a brow at his.
Her indifferent defiance only seemed to anger him further. "I'm not done talking to you!" he yelled.
She looked around for a waiter to ask for help, but before she could, a male voice came from behind her.
"Let go of her."
Niklas's furious gaze shifted past her toward the source of the voice. She turned slightly toward where he was looking. The eyes that met hers were green like polished emerald, and they belonged to a face so familiar to her.
Juho?
His name almost slipped from her mouth, but she was too stunned. She hadn't noticed he was in the café.
There were more than a thousand flight attendants in the airline, but Juho here was from the same batch as hers. He was twenty-five this year, only three years older than her. They'd come to the same interview, trained in the same class, sat through the same final exam. Yet ever since training started, she'd never talked to him. Never flown with him once.
"This is a public place, buddy. It's not nice to scream at a lady or treat her like that," Juho said, his tone flat.
Niklas shot back angrily, "It's none of your fucking business!"
Still, Niklas's hand loosened around her wrist until he finally let go. It seemed her now ex-boyfriend still had some shame left in him. Reluctantly, he grabbed his backpack and headed for the door.
Once Niklas was gone, Kaija let out a sharp exhale, thankful that she no longer had to deal with whatever grudge Niklas was still holding toward her. Then she turned to Juho, her cheeks blushing faintly, her voice small. "Thank you so much, Juho. Sorry you had to witness something so… disturbing."
Juho gestured toward her wrist, his tone soft with concern. "You okay?"
"Oh, I'm okay. I should go." She hurriedly turned toward the door.
"Wait! Miss!" someone suddenly called after her.
Kaija turned around. It was a waiter. He awkwardly pointed at the table she'd just sat with Niklas. "Uh… your friend from earlier, he didn't pay yet."