Marina's back
When Marina returned to work, the atmosphere in the café shifted instantly.
Jane and Asha exchanged glances across the table, silently communicating like they'd suddenly developed telepathic powers.
Ben, mid-bite into his third empanada, furrowed his brow. He'd been watching them for five minutes, trying to decode their Morse-code eye contact.
Finally, he slammed his hand on the table. "Okay. Do you two have a problem with me? Is it the way I chew? Is it the empanada count?"
Both women froze. Asha bit her spoon. Jane narrowed her eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Jane snapped, feigning offense. "We're just eating. Like normal, non-suspicious people."
Ben squinted. "Or are you hiding something? Is this about the time I accidentally dyed the poodle pink?"
Jane slammed the table back. "Are you drunk? That was last month! And it was lavender!"
"Fine!" Ben stood, dramatically pushing his chair back like he was in a courtroom drama. He pointed two fingers at his eyes, then at theirs, then back again. "I'm watching you. Both of you. Especially you, Jane. You blink too much."
He stormed out of the lunchroom, knocking over a stack of napkins on his way out.
Jane let out a gasp once the door swung shut. "That a weird guy."
Then she turned to Asha, voice dropping to a whisper. "So... who's going to tell our boss?"
"Huh?" Asha blinked, still recovering from Ben's performance.
Jane groaned. "Are we seriously snitching now? I feel like a traitor. Like a soap villain. I need a cape."
"Maybe we should do it together," Asha said softly.
Jane sighed, dragging herself to the sink like she was walking to her doom. "Fine. After closing. But I swear, if Marina cries, I'm blaming you."
She began washing her plate with dramatic flair, the sound of running water filling the silence—like the soundtrack to a very awkward truth.
That evening, Jane and Asha stood in front of Marina's desk like two students about to confess they'd accidentally set the science lab skeleton on fire.
Marina looked up from her paperwork, brow slightly furrowed. "What's this? You're not resigning, are you?"
Both shook their heads so fast it looked rehearsed.
Jane plopped into the chair with dramatic flair. "Boss, that's not what we're here for. Unless you want us to resign. In which case, I demand cake. And a farewell playlist."
Marina raised an eyebrow. "Then you're not satisfied with your salary?"
"No!" Jane blurted, too loud. "I mean—yes! I mean—no, I'm satisfied! I love money! I just—ugh." She turned to Asha. "Help me. I'm spiraling."
Asha gave a small, steady nod. "We need to talk to you. It's... personal."
Marina stood, gathering her bag with graceful precision. "If this isn't about work, I'm leaving."
Jane reached out, knocking over a pen holder. "Wait! Don't go! We have... information. Classified. Emotional. Possibly illegal."
Marina paused, one hand on the strap of her bag. "Illegal?"
Asha stepped in before Jane could dig a deeper hole. "It's about Matt."
Marina's expression didn't change, but her fingers tightened slightly around the strap.
Jane leaned forward, whispering like she was revealing a government secret. "He's cheating."
Marina blinked. "Excuse me?"
Asha nodded. "We've both seen him. With someone else."
Jane added quickly, "Not just someone. The woman who adopted Nibi. She's not just a dog lover. She's a Matt lover."
Marina's hand dropped from her bag. She sat down slowly, her posture still perfect. "You two... how long?"
Jane looked to Asha, who gave her a small nod.
"Since the celebration," Jane admitted. "I thought it was just a weird hug. But then she hugged him again. And again. And then they kissed. And I was like, okay, that's not a cousin."
Marina let out a soft, bitter chuckle. "And you?" she asked Asha.
"Just a few days ago," Asha said, meeting her eyes.
"Is this related to what you told me before?" Marina asked.
"I'm not sure," Asha replied.
Marina exhaled, long and slow. "Did anyone else see?"
Jane raised a hand. "Ben suspects something. But he thinks Matt's a spy. Or a vampire. Or both."
Marina closed her eyes briefly. "Of course he does."
Jane leaned back, arms crossed. "So... what now? Do we confront him? Do we poison his shampoo? Do we release Nibi as a spy?"
Asha gave her a look. "Jane."
"What? I'm brainstorming."
Marina stood again, slower this time. "Let's grab some drinks."
Jane blinked. "Wait, like... now?"
"Yes."
Jane jumped up. "I knew it! I wore my dramatic earrings for a reason."
Asha followed quietly, her expression unreadable.
Marina pushed open the door and walked out with her usual grace.
Jane whispered to Asha as they followed. "She's like a swan. A swan with emotional damage. I love her."
Asha sighed. "Let's just go."
Jane grabbed her bag. "If this ends in karaoke, I'm singing Adele. And crying. Possibly at the same time."
They ended up at a small seaside stall, the salty breeze brushing against their faces. Cans of cheap beer clinked against the wooden table, and the waves whispered like they knew secrets no one dared to speak.
Jane was the first to crack.
"Men are trash!" she declared, already on her third can. "I mean, not all men. Just the ones named Matt. And probably Greg. And definitely that guy who ghosted me after karaoke night."
Asha blinked.
Marina sipped slowly, her eyes fixed on the sea where moonlight rippled across the waves. She hadn't spoken much since they arrived, but her silence was louder than Jane's rant.
Jane slammed her empty can down. "I swear, if I ever see him again, I'm throwing Nibi at him. Full-speed. Fur first."
"She's a Maltese," Asha murmured.
"Exactly. Small but deadly. Like me."
Then, mid-rant, Jane hiccupped, blinked twice, and collapsed face-first onto the table with a dramatic groan. "Tell my plants I loved them," she mumbled before passing out.
Marina didn't flinch. She reached for another can. "Another one," she murmured.
Asha handed it to her without a word.
They sat in silence for a while, the kind that stretches and settles like fog. Then Marina spoke again, her voice distant.
"How did you know?"
Asha hesitated. She thought Marina meant the cheating. "Just a few days ago, I saw him with—"
Marina cut her off quietly. "No... I mean my death."
Asha froze, fingers tightening around her own can. What could she say? That she could smell it? That the air around Marina had once carried the scent of endings?
No one would believe her.
Marina glanced at her, a sad smile curving on her lips. "You don't have to say it." She took another long sip, her voice trembling now. "A few days ago, I found out something... shocking. Matt approached me out of revenge."
Asha's eyes widened, but she stayed silent.
"He tried to poison me," Marina continued. "If you and my brother hadn't warned me, that night I..." Her voice cracked. "I would've been dead."
Her laugh was bitter, brittle. "Thank goodness, right?" she whispered sarcastically, covering her face as sobs broke through her composure.
Asha sat beside her quietly. Then, slowly, she reached for her mask and slid it down.
The night breeze brushed her face, and she inhaled deeply.
The scent that had once surrounded Marina—the scent of death—was gone.
Jane snored loudly from the table.
Marina wiped her tears, then glanced at Jane's sleeping form. "Is she... drooling?"
Asha nodded.
Marina let out a soft laugh, shaky but real. "She's ridiculous."
"She's loyal," Asha said.
Marina looked at her. "So are you."
Asha didn't reply. She just reached into her bag and pulled out a small packet of tissues, placing them gently in front of Marina.
Marina took one, dabbing her eyes. "Thanks."
Jane stirred, mumbling, "If anyone poisons me, I want it to be chocolate-flavored."
Marina chuckled. "She's going to be insufferable tomorrow."
Asha smiled faintly. "She already is."
They sat together, the three of them—one broken, one quiet, one unconscious—beneath the moonlight, letting the sea carry away the weight of what had almost been lost.