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THE HOTEL ROOM
The hotel room was silent, interrupted only by the hum of the air conditioner. Alice sat cross-legged on the bed, her short hair falling to the side as she watched him attentively.
Nate took a deep breath before opening the notebook.
"There are several names," he said, carefully flipping through the first pages. "They're not organized in any particular way, but some have notes scribbled in the margins."
"What kind of notes?" Alice asked, leaning forward.
Nate read aloud as he skimmed through the names.
'Lonely.' 'Reserved.' 'Quick-tempered.' 'Sociable.' 'Distrustful.' 'Kind.' 'Aggressive'…"
Alice frowned slightly.
"We can rule out the 'aggressive' ones for now. No point in taking unnecessary risks without information."
"Agreed," Nate replied, flipping the pages carefully. "Let's look for someone approachable. Someone easy to talk to."
His eyes stopped on a page with cleaner handwriting, without cross-outs or warning marks.
"Here," he said, pointing with his finger.
Alice moved closer, her golden eyes scanning the lines.
"Claire Evans," she read quietly.
Nate read the note aloud.
"Claire Evans, 26 years old. Waitress at a café in Georgetown. Kind, charismatic, empathetic. Very persuasive. People open up to her easily."
Alice raised an eyebrow, her gaze fixed on the paper.
"Very persuasive, huh?" she commented with a hint of a smile.
"Better that than someone with 'violent tendencies,'" Nate replied with a sigh. "Besides, she's nearby. Georgetown is only fifteen minutes away."
Alice leaned back on her hands, thoughtful.
"Then we start with her."
.......................................
The sun lit up the streets of D.C., reflecting off the shop windows as Nate drove toward Georgetown. The car's air was cool, and the hum of traffic filled the silences between them.
Alice was going through the notebook again, flipping the pages carefully as she tilted her head, reading Nate's margin notes to understand them better.
"It says here she usually works breakfast and lunch shifts," she noted, pointing to the entry.
Nate nodded, switching lanes.
"Then we're right on time."
At one point, Alice leaned over to show him the address clearly, bringing the notebook so close that Nate's arm brushed against hers.
Alice's fresh scent, a mix of something cold and clean, filled the small space between them. A flash of that night's memory cut through him sharply: her lips, the warmth of her hands, the closeness of their bodies, and how quickly it had all stopped after it had started.
Since then, they had continued sharing a bed while Nate slept, but nothing beyond a few kisses had happened again. The tension lingered whenever they brushed against each other, leaving them in that uncertain space neither of them spoke about.
Alice looked up in that moment, and their eyes met for a moment too long.
She quickly looked away, closing the notebook and resting it on her lap, her lips parting as if to say something before she fell silent.
Nate felt heat rising to his neck, clearing his throat as he focused on the road.
"Thanks… for pointing out the address," he said, in a tone that tried to sound casual.
Alice tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, though it didn't need adjusting, and looked out the window.
"You're welcome."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, but they could both feel the tension, like a quiet reminder of what had happened between them and what hadn't been mentioned since.
Thankfully, the drive was shorter than expected, and before they knew it, the residential streets gave way to the brick facades and café-lined sidewalks of Georgetown. Nate parked in front of a small restaurant with a blue awning that read:
"Millie's Diner."
He turned off the engine, letting out a sigh as he looked at the entrance.
"Let's see what we can find out."
Alice nodded, adjusting her sweater before opening the door.
They both stepped out, with the notebook tucked into Nate's backpack, breathing in the fresh morning air as they approached the diner's entrance.
The place was warm and simple, with polished wooden tables and the smell of fresh coffee mixing with the scent of bacon and toast. Nate and Alice entered like any other couple, not seeking attention, shrugging off their coats before sitting at a table by the window.
They settled across from each other, the notebook safely in Nate's bag, while they chatted lightly, letting out soft laughter between phrases as if they were just sharing an ordinary morning.
However, both kept their eyes sharp, calmly scanning every corner.
"What if she doesn't work here anymore?" Alice murmured quietly, leaning toward him as she pretended to look at the menu.
"She might have switched jobs, Nate. We don't know when this entry was made."
Nate shrugged naturally.
"I had to eat anyway, so it's not a waste of time," he replied with a half-smile. "Besides, if she's here, it'll be worth it."
Alice let out a soft laugh, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed around the café while people chatted around them.
A few minutes passed before a slender woman with her hair tied up in a messy bun, warm eyes, and a smile that seemed to light up each table she approached, emerged from the kitchen.
They recognized her immediately, sharing a brief glance.
Claire Evans.
They watched as she moved from table to table, greeting customers with familiarity, leaning in to listen intently as people seemed to open up to her with surprising ease, sharing details of their day, their kids, small problems, all with a flow that seemed almost inevitable. Laughter followed her from table to table, and a genuine appreciation sparkled in the eyes of those who looked at her.
"Definitely charismatic," Alice whispered, not taking her eyes off her.
Nate narrowed his eyes slightly, tuning his ears as he picked up fragments of conversations.
"…I don't know how to explain it, Claire, I just felt so lost, and now… thank you for listening…"
"…tell your daughter it'll be okay, and remind her she can always come talk to me if she needs…"
It was as if people couldn't help but trust her with everything, and she responded with genuine warmth, tilting her head, touching their arms in a reassuring way, leaving words of encouragement that seemed more effective than any professional advice.
Finally, Claire approached their table, notebook in hand, with that easy smile that felt familiar, even though it was the first time they had seen her.
"Good morning, you two!" she exclaimed with a cheerful glint in her eyes. "Wow, you make a cute couple. How long have you been dating?"
The comment caught them off guard, but Alice answered naturally, her lips curving into a light smile.
"We just started seeing each other."
Claire raised her eyebrows with a wider smile, letting out a soft laugh as she leaned on the table slightly.
"Well, it shows you have chemistry," she said in a tone that was both playful and kind. "You have that… glow, you know, when everything's still new and exciting."
Alice looked down, playing with her sweater sleeve while Nate gave her a brief look before turning back to Claire.
"Thank you," he said sincerely, shifting in his seat. "What would you recommend for breakfast?"
"Oh, that's my favorite part!" Claire said, pulling out a pen as she glanced at the menu. "Today we've got blueberry pancakes, spinach and feta omelets, or if you're in a hurry, our freshly baked apple muffins."
Nate ordered an omelet with coffee, while Alice simply said in a soft voice,
"Just coffee for me, thank you."
Claire pursed her lips slightly, tilting her head with a playful smile.
"Just coffee? Come on, you need something in your stomach with it. We've got avocado toast, something light, or a muffin… do you like apple muffins? They're small, I promise it won't be too much."
Alice blinked, hesitating, glancing at Nate for a moment before looking back at Claire.
"Well… I guess a muffin would be okay."
Claire clicked her tongue, jotting it down.
"I knew you'd say yes! I'll be right back with it."
With a quick wink, she walked away with the same energy she had arrived with.
Alice watched her walk away before slowly turning her gaze back to Nate, raising an eyebrow slightly with a look of mild astonishment.
"She's definitely charismatic, seems easy to talk to, but I don't feel like it's anything extraordinary," Alice commented as she watched Claire move away.
Nate frowned slightly before speaking.
"I don't think those 'abilities' are that strong, but my father must have believed they had the potential to grow."
Alice nodded.
"So you think he wanted something from the people in the notebook."
Nate grew thoughtful, following Claire with his eyes as she handed a coffee pot to another table.
"Let's see how much Claire knows."
After a few minutes, Claire returned with their order, setting down the plates with a quick smile before turning to attend to another table. She didn't linger, and every time it seemed she would return to theirs, another customer would wave her over, calling her with a gesture or a casual question that she answered warmly.
Nate watched her with growing frustration as he cut a piece of his omelet with his fork. Without Claire noticing, he ended up eating Alice's portion of the muffin as well. In the end, only their coffee cups remained, steam mixing with the diner's hum.
Nate turned the cup in his hands, watching Claire as she moved from table to table, leaning in to listen to an elderly man laughing with her or smiling as she helped a group of students take a photo.
"We'll have to find a way to ask without sounding too direct," Alice whispered as she leaned toward Nate, her golden eyes following Claire's movements.
Nate took a sip of coffee before nodding.
"I have an idea," he said, setting down the cup and raising his hand naturally to get Claire's attention.
She saw him immediately and approached with a smile, pulling out her small notebook and quickly flipping it open with her pen ready.
"Would you like anything else, you two, or should I bring you the check?" she asked with a bright glint in her eyes.
Nate rested his elbows on the table, smiling as he replied,
"The check would be great, please."
He turned his head toward Alice with a cheerful gesture.
"I told you it was worth coming. My dad was right, this place has incredible food."
The comment made Claire, who was jotting something down, pause mid-motion before looking up with curiosity. She slowly lowered the notebook, looking at him closely, her smile now mixed with genuine interest.
"I knew you looked familiar," she said, her tone filled with quiet excitement as she leaned slightly toward the table. "Tell me, what's your father's name? If he were a regular, I'm sure I'd remember."
Alice lowered her gaze slightly, hiding the spark of interest in her eyes as she let Nate speak.
Nate kept his calm smile as he held Claire's gaze.
"Richard," he replied softly.
The name seemed to hang in the air for a second as Claire blinked, searching her memory.
Claire mouthed the name a few times, moving her lips as if testing the sound.
"Richard… Richard…" she murmured until her eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh! Of course, I remember him. He used to come in quite a lot, about… a few months ago?"
Her expression changed as she looked at Nate with curiosity.
"Why hasn't he been around lately?"
Nate lowered his gaze slightly, turning the empty cup between his fingers.
"He passed away a few months ago," he said softly.
Claire's smile immediately faded, replaced by a sad expression as she let out a small sigh. Without thinking, she sat down next to Nate, placing a hand gently on his arm and giving it a soft squeeze in a sincere gesture.
"I'm so sorry," she said in a low voice. "Your father was a good man."
Alice tilted her head, a mix of curiosity and caution in her eyes as she watched the gesture before calmly commenting,
"I'm surprised you remember him, with all the people you must see here every day."
Claire let out a small laugh, though her eyes still looked nostalgic as she gently pulled her hand away.
"I remember Richard because… well, he was particularly handsome," she confessed with a small smile, biting her lip, "and because he was one of the few customers who actually cared about my personal life."
She leaned back, crossing her arms thoughtfully.
"Usually, everyone who comes in here just wants to talk about themselves. They tell me their problems, their frustrations, and I like listening, I really do… but with Richard, it was different. He wanted to know how I was doing."
Nate's brow furrowed slightly, sadness flickering in his eyes.
"How much did you talk to him?" he asked carefully.
Claire smiled with a nostalgic air, staring at a point in the distance before refocusing on them.
"He basically asked me if I was happy with my life," she explained softly. "It might sound strange, but he was direct. He said he noticed I liked helping people, but he wanted to know if I was happy doing it."
She passed a hand over her apron, adjusting it as she spoke.
"I told him I started working as a waitress when I was sixteen to help out at home. For a while, I felt frustrated, like I'd never get out of this job. And Richard… he seemed insistent on offering me something more."
Alice and Nate exchanged a quick glance, their attention fixed on every word.
"Did he offer you a job?" Alice asked calmly.
Claire nodded.
"Something like that. He didn't give me many details, but he said I'd have to leave town and maybe not come back for a long time, that it would involve a lot of responsibility, but I'd have everything I wanted."
She paused, letting out a small, dry laugh.
"Honestly, it sounded like a scam, you know? A complete stranger telling me I could have 'everything I wanted' if I went with him. But Richard… he had a seriousness about him; he didn't feel like someone trying to take advantage."
Nate swallowed, his hands tightening around the cup as Claire continued.
"I told him no. I was happy with my life now. I love my job, I love being able to listen to people, to help them, to give them a bit of hope on their hard days. That's what motivates me to get up every morning."
She sighed softly, lowering her gaze with a hint of sadness.
"Richard didn't take it badly. He just nodded, a little disappointed, and never brought it up again. After that… he just stopped coming."
A brief silence settled over the table as the diner's hum continued in the background, letting Claire's words linger in the air.