Emerald Chains

01. The Cafe

"Welcome to Fresh Roast Cafe, what can I get for you today?" asked Raelyn, standing behind the counter, waiting to serve her next customer.

"I'll just have a flat white. To go, thanks." replied the middle-aged woman.

Raelyn turned around and grabbed a coffee cup from the bench. Reaching up on her tiptoes she leaned into the fridge and pulled out a new carton of milk. Her long brown hair tied in a low ponytail swept against her lower back.

Raelyn finished up the last touches on the coffee and handed it back over to the woman. "Have a nice evening," chirped Raelyn, her smile showing off the dimples on the corner of her mouth.

Raelyn Morgan had been working at the cafe for around three months now and didn't mind the work at all. It was a well-paying job considering she was only 22 and the type of work and the hours were regular which allowed her the flexibility to study. She was in her final year studying a Computer Science degree at Wilde University.

The cafe where she worked was large and modern. Light wood floors matched with stark white walls covered the entire space. It was surrounded by large, lush, indoor greenery that extended to the height of the ceiling. Hanging down from the ceiling were round glass pendant lights that created a warm and inviting environment. Carefully placed throughout were multiple wooden tables for both large and small groups. It was often used as a place for informal business catch-ups so it was a very lively cafe.

The street lights were starting to come on out the front of the cafe when Susan, the store owner, shouted out from the back storeroom. "Okay dear, I'm going to head off now. Are you ok to close up?"

"Sure thing Susan. I'll see you tomorrow". Raelyn shouted back.

Raelyn was on close in the cafe most nights. It had been a long shift and it was close to 6 pm which was closing time. Raelyn was just finishing wiping down the tables when Ethan walked in.

Ethan Ryker was a cop, more specifically an undercover cop. He was on an assignment to investigate one of the managers of the finance department at Wilde Enterprises. He was suspected of diverting funds to a drug trafficking operation in Brooklyn. The police had intel that the guy wasn't working alone and it was up to Ethan to investigate, get himself close and infiltrate the drug trafficking ring.

He went by Ethan Reed while undercover. Keeping his first name meant it was easier on the job so he just switched up his last name.

"Hi Raelyn, how's it going this evening?" asked Ethan as he walked up to the counter. Raelyn followed him from the tables she was wiping down and walked behind the counter. "Good thanks, Ethan. Just the usual for you this evening?" replied Raelyn in her soft, cheery voice. "Yes, thank you," Ethan said as he ran his hand through his hair. His voice was deep and husky which only enhanced his stature further.

Ethan was a very attractive man. Standing at almost 6ft tall his frame was very muscular and towered over Raelyn at her smaller 5ft 5 height. He had an angled jawline with a small amount of stubble around his chin enhancing his rugged features. His hair was dark brown and long enough to extend down to the middle of his forehead. He was wearing his usual tailored fit, dark-grey suit which outlined the well-built muscles in his arms and his eyes were a deep magnetic blue.

Ethan spent most of his evenings in his apartment running over case file notes. At only 24 years old he had already spent the last 2 years working as an undercover cop. Due to his job he couldn't afford the luxury of dating, it was too high risk so he tended to avoid women as best he could. With his high-pressure job, most of his time was spent working but that's what he trained for, it's what he thrived on and he was good at it.

Every evening on his way home he would stop by the cafe. He found himself needing his coffee to work through his notes of the day and run over his case file in the evening. He worked most evenings, usually finishing up around midnight.

He liked the young woman who worked nights in the cafe. She had a very warm and kind personality. She had only been there for a couple of months but it was very easy to be relaxed around her. Ethan had been working on the case for almost 4 months now and it was nice to get used to a familiar face.

It wasn't very often that Ethan struck up an idle conversation with anyone he didn't need to. He was normally very short clipped and straight to the point which helped keep his distance from people. With Raelyn however, the conversation always seemed to take on a course of its own and he found it hard to maintain his normal harsh attitude with her.

"Any plans for the weekend?" Ethan asked, pulling money from his wallet and placing it on the counter.

Raelyn finished frothing the milk and slowly poured it into the coffee cup. "There are a couple of outdoor art exhibitions this weekend. I thought I might take a walk around and have a look. It looks like the weather will be nice for it."

Ethan couldn't help but notice how beautiful Raelyn was. He found himself appreciating her porcelain skin, her full soft pink lips and how her slender body tapered at the waist to give her a perfect hourglass figure. You could tell she worked out as you could see her toned arms under her short-sleeved white top. Her eyes, a deep emerald green contrasted well with her aura. There was something about her that radiated a fierce and fiery personality, yet this remained hidden underneath her shy and kind exterior, only to be seen in brief moments.

"How about you?" Raelyn paused with the coffee in her hand, stretching it out towards him. He didn't make a move but continued to stare into her eyes. She pressed again, "Ethan?"

Quickly tearing his eyes away from hers Ethan cleared his throat, picking up the coffee she offered and took a sip. Managing to clear his thoughts he responded, "Just working this weekend. We have a large contract in Asia that needs finalising".

Their conversation continued for a brief period discussing Ethan's work, which he often made exaggerations on to hide the truth about his real work. He was good at lying, it was part of his job after all. The two of them continued chatting as the only ones in the cafe, enjoying each other's company and the quiet surroundings of the evening.

When Ethan finished his coffee he placed it on the counter. "I'll see you tomorrow". He proceeded to head towards the door and waved to Raelyn on the way out, his thoughts now back to his work and the rest of the night ahead.

Raelyn locked up the cafe and stepped out into the brisk night air. She put on her jacket and wrapped her arms around herself, keeping the cold air at bay. It was already 7 pm by the time she finished her clean up and she walked quickly towards the nearest bus stop which was just across the road. The bus arrived at 7:15 pm and took 40 minutes for her to arrive home.

She walked up the steps to her apartment on the second floor, unlocking the door and stepping inside. She took off her coat and placed it on the coat rack in the hall.

"I'm home" Raelyn shouted as she proceeded into the living room.