chapter 2

Chapter 1Lila had never been one to believe in love at first sight. In fact, she’d always scoffed at those rom-com movies where the heroine meets her perfect match and, within minutes, is swooning in his arms. No, she wasn’t some kind of helpless romantic. She was practical. Logical. The kind of person who preferred spreadsheets over spontaneous poetry and hard work over dreamy daydreams.That was until she laid eyes on the little café nestled on Maple Street.It wasn’t love at first sight. It was... well, it was something—something bordering on infatuation, with just a hint of "I might need therapy for this." Lila stood across the street, coffee cup in hand, staring at the weathered sign that read Ben's Brew & Bakery.It was the kind of place you’d expect to find in a small town movie—quirky, cozy, and the kind of café where every barista seemed to know your name, your order, and maybe your grandmother’s maiden name. The windows were adorned with fairy lights, the smell of fresh coffee wafted into the street, and a giant chalkboard out front announced, in colorful, almost too-perfect handwriting: Try Our New Strawberry Shortcake Muffins!Lila had no idea what a strawberry shortcake muffin was, but she knew one thing: she wanted one.She took a deep breath, adjusting the strap of her bag. Here goes nothing.As she opened the door, the little bell above it jingled, and Lila stepped into the warmth of the café. The atmosphere was cozy, with mismatched furniture and an entire wall dedicated to framed photos of smiling people—mostly elderly couples, with a few hipsters tossed in for good measure. A soft indie song played in the background, and a few locals sat at tables, chatting or working on laptops, blissfully unaware of the chaos Lila was about to unleash.Behind the counter, standing like a brooding sentinel of coffee beans, was Ben.He was exactly how she imagined—tall, dark, and... well, there was a slight hint of "I-just-got-out-of-bed-and-didn’t-comb-my-hair" in the messy yet strangely appealing tousle of his hair. His plaid shirt, rolled up sleeves, and the smudge of flour on his cheek suggested he worked hard. Real hard.Lila approached the counter, feeling like a girl who had just entered a rom-com without a script.Ben glanced up at her with the kind of look that suggested he hadn’t quite made up his mind on whether he was annoyed by her presence or mildly intrigued. He didn’t smile. In fact, he barely looked interested.“Can I help you?” he asked, his voice low, as if the sound of her existence was an inconvenience.Lila opened her mouth to say something, but it took a beat longer than she expected. She felt like she’d just been hit by a truck of awkwardness. Was he annoyed by her? Or was this just his face?“I—I was just wondering about your strawberry shortcake muffins,” she stammered. “Do you, uh, really make them yourself?”Ben raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the muffin display. “Yup. Made ‘em this morning.”“Are they good?” she asked, trying to sound casual, as if she didn’t desperately want to know if she was about to make a life-altering decision by eating a muffin.Ben took a slow sip of his coffee, seemingly sizing her up. “If you like muffins,” he said flatly, “you’ll probably like them.”Ouch. Not the warm welcome Lila was hoping for. But she couldn’t back out now. She was already too deep into this.“I’ll take one,” she said, forcing a smile, trying to ignore the fact that her heart might be racing a bit faster than usual. She had absolutely no idea why she was suddenly so nervous. It was just a muffin. And a grumpy barista.Ben picked up the muffin, then, without a word, wrapped it in a napkin and slid it across the counter. He didn’t even bother with the usual small talk. The transaction was as cold as his coffee.“Thanks,” Lila said, feeling a little unsure of herself now. She grabbed the muffin and took a step back, not entirely sure whether she should bolt out of there or sit down and eat in peace.But before she could make up her mind, he spoke again.“Just so you know,” Ben said, glancing at her with a slight smirk, “there’s a reason I keep the flour in a separate corner.”Lila blinked. “What?”“I don’t want people to accidentally start a bakery in the back of my café.”For a moment, she just stared at him, trying to process. Was this a joke? A warning? Or had she just walked into a place that prided itself on passive-aggressive humor?“Uh,” she managed, “is that a thing people do around here? Start bakeries in cafés?”Ben shrugged. “No, but you look like the kind of person who might try.”The smug grin he shot her only added to the confusion. Was he flirting with her? Teasing her? Or just genuinely suspicious of people who walked into cafés asking about muffins?“Well, don’t worry,” Lila said, suddenly feeling bold. “I’m just here for the muffin. And maybe... a job. I’m looking for a place to start a bakery.”That caught his attention. Ben’s eyebrow shot up. “A bakery, huh?”Lila nodded, her excitement bubbling over now that she had found the courage to speak her mind. “Yeah, I’ve always wanted to open my own place. You know, like a little bakery where people can stop by for coffee and cupcakes and maybe get a hug from the baker if they’re lucky.” She chuckled nervously, realizing she might have said too much.Ben looked at her for a long, silent beat before speaking again. “Well, just so you know, this is my café. I don’t share. Especially with people who think muffins can become their entire future.”Lila felt her cheeks flush, but she wasn’t about to back down.“Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be in the back corner,” she said with a grin. “I’ll just be over there... plotting my bakery empire.”Ben didn’t respond. He just turned and walked away, clearly unimpressed.But Lila wasn’t about to let that stop her.After all, how hard could it be to turn a café into a bakery? And how hard could it be to win over a brooding café owner who clearly had zero interest in her idea?In the end, Lila decided one thing for sure: her life in this small town was about to get a whole lot more... complicated.