What the Heart Wants

The cafe was empty, but Lily didn’t know when it had happened. Sunlight made the place seem bright and perfect, almost heavenly. As if nothing bad could ever happen in such a place. Her cup of tea sat, cold and untouched, beside the book she’d been staring at. Not reading; her mind was too fragmented for that. Instead, she’d been staring at the page, lost in her thoughts while listening to the cafe sounds around her. At some point, it had grown silent, and that was when she looked up from the page.

The creak of the kitchen door made her turn with a spike of fear in her heart. Only an employee, the last remaining in the cafe. The young man gave her a look full of pity before grabbing a tray and disappearing into the back.

Lock & Heart Cafe had its hours listed on the glass door. 6 to 6. Even without looking at the clock, Lily knew by the rays of sunlight beaming down on her that it wasn’t closing time. But the sign hanging on the door had been flipped to closed, and everyone else was gone.

Fear crept across her skin, even though she had nothing to fear. Despite the uneasy feeling growing in her gut, Lock & Heart was a special place. She’d known that it would empty out at the right time. One phone call was all it took. She closed her book and looked at the clock. Only seconds away from 3:33. The hands ticked. As soon as the time arrived, the kitchen door opened again, and a man walked out.

Mr. Topher Heart didn’t look like a cafe owner. Lock & Heart was like something from a romantic movie: all warm colors and a welcoming open concept. Mr. Topher Heart was closed off, even at first glance. A black suit, a black button-up underneath his jacket, and a gray necktie. He looked like the type of man who’d burn a cafe to the ground, not own one.

When his dark eyes met hers, Lily held her breath. Though his expression didn’t change, she felt goosebumps spread across her skin. He strode toward her table, the sound of his shoes on the tile floor like the countdown to a bomb about to explode.

“Mrs. Lily,” he said, sitting across from her. To an outsider, it could look like a meeting with the Grim Reaper. The man’s stoic expression would lead anyone to believe he was the bearer of bad news. Which, of course, he sort of was. Lily wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt, tucking her feet farther under her chair to keep herself from getting up and walking away.

“Mr. Heart. You’re right on time.”

Finally, the man offered her a little smile. It didn’t reach his eyes.

“I always am.”

From his pocket, he pulled out his phone. Lily let out a sigh and dug her nails into her thighs.

Mr. Topher Heart looked at her untouched tea, the unread book, and shook his head. “Brace yourself.” He unlocked his phone and slid it across the table toward her.

Lily didn’t look right away. She stared at Mr. Heart, the man she’d met by chance. The man who’d promised he’d make everything right in her life. If he got the job done, she owed him. Not that she truly cared. Yes, Mr. Topher Heart might be scary, but he wasn’t a monster. He only did what she asked, and whatever favor he called in wouldn’t be more than she could handle.

“Mrs. Lily?”

When she stared at him still instead of the phone, his hard gaze softened. She was searching his face for some clue, some sign that everything was done. That she’d look at the phone and see what she wanted to see.

“Or,” Mr. Topher Heart said softly. His smile returned, crueler than before. This smile did reach his eyes. Instead of triggering her fight-or-flight instincts, Lily relaxed. A sense of calm washed over her. “Or should I say, Miss Lily?”

A laugh bubbled up in her throat. She looked down at the phone, her own smile spreading across her face. It didn’t match her appearance. Just like Lock & Heart, Lily looked like a cast member of a romantic movie. A white sundress patterned with yellow carnations. Her wild curls tied up in a sloppy bun with a few loose strands around her oval face. Ballet flats and an adorable bag the same color as her dress. Everything matched perfectly and screamed that she was a warm and welcoming person. But her smile, the one she wore when she looked at the first photo, matched Mr. Topher Heart more.

She reached for her untouched tea to take a sip, no longer too sick to her stomach or distracted to enjoy it. Even though cold, it was refreshing. As she swiped through the pictures, Mr. Topher Heart stood and went to the counter, returning with a slice of lemon bread.

“On the house,” he said as he nudged the plate in her direction. “I suppose you haven’t eaten today.”

“You’re right.” Lily had been too nervous; her stomach tied into knots. A normal person wouldn’t get their appetite back while flipping through pictures of a dead body cut up into pieces, but Lily didn’t consider herself to be normal.

A year and a half living in fear, worried every time she opened her front door to step outside, was done. The paperwork she’d tried so hard to get finalized no longer needed. Only time would finish the legalities of her situation, but the pictures set the real ending in stone. She slid the phone back to Mr. Topher Heart. He’d get rid of the electronic evidence. No matter what, he could hide anything from data to a dead body.

“I’ll reach out when I need you,” Mr. Topher Heart said when he stood, glancing at the clock, which was about to hit 3:36. “Sit and enjoy your treat for as long as you’d like. My staff will clean up afterward. Pleasure doing business with you.”

Lily didn’t watch him go. The tap of his shoes on the floor faded away as she let out a happy sigh. Relaxing into her seat, she sipped her cold tea once more and reached for her free lemon bread. The sun through the window warmed her skin and whatever was left of her soul. It proved to be good day after all.