Jane sat across from Marcus with one leg crossed over the other, slowly stirring coffee she had stopped drinking ten minutes ago.
Marcus was scrolling through something on his tablet.
“I have a surprise for you,” Marcus said.
She looked at him, uninterested.”I don’t like surprises.”
”You’ll like this one.” He lowered his phone slightly.
“Remember days ago you asked me to find out about the man in the photograph.
The one with Evelyn at the LUXE event you saw online.”
She went still.
“Daniel Marsh.”
Marcus nodded and Jane put her coffee down.
“Spill,” she said.
Marcus turned his phone screen toward her.
She looked at the screen.
A photograph from a fashion event months ago.
“He is kind of her partner,” Marcus said.
“Three years together.
No social media presence worth mentioning.
Keeps himself quiet.”
”Kind of??What else?”
”He is an Architectural consultant.
Works three days a week from an office on Moscova street.” He reached over and scrolled down.
“Goes to the same café almost every morning, corner table if it’s available.
Reads the paper.
In and out by 9:30am.”
Jade looked at Marcus and smiled sheepishly.
“You’re smiling, I see that you’re impressed,” he said without looking up.
Jane tilted her head slightly.
“Am I?”
”Or perhaps something different, no?
You only smile like that when you’re planning something unpleasant.”
”That’s a horrible thing to say to me.”
”It’s also true.”
Jane leaned back comfortably in her chair.
“I want to meet him tomorrow.”
Marcus raised his head up and looked at her seriously, “Not quite advisable, Jane.”
”It is.
He’s been around Evelyn for years,” Jane said thoughtfully.
“Which means he’s either very patient or very stupid.”
”Or both.” Marcus murmured.
“Well, i know he’s probably tired of all the drama, maybe I can use it to my advantage,” she winked at Marcus.
*******************
The café was warm, quiet, and smelled like coffee beans and expensive pastries.
Jane sat near the window wearing sunglasses she didn’t actually need, casually flipping through the menu she had no interest in reading.
Her eyes kept drifting toward the entrance every here and then.
8:12.
8:14.
8:20am
Then Daniel walked in.
He was exactly the same as the photo.
He moved toward the corner table, saw it was free, and settled in with the ease of habit.
He unfolded his newspaper.
The fashion section was facing up.
She could see the LUXE logo from where she was sitting.
She waited for about four minutes.
Then she picked up her coffee and walked toward him.
Daniel looked up when she stopped beside the table.
“Sorry,” Jane said politely.
“Are you using this chair?”
Daniel glanced briefly at the empty seat across from him and amny other empty seats across the restaurants.
“No.”
”Thank you.”
Instead of taking the chair away, Jane sat down.
Daniel blinked once, not annoyed exactly.
Just confused.
Jane smiled pleasantly.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
He folded part of the newspaper down slowly.
“A little late to ask that after sitting.”
”I just recognized the paper,” she said smoothly.
“Not many people still read physical reports.
“Oh — is that the new LUXE editorial?”
He looked down at the paper.
“Yes.
They did a feature on the autumn collection.”
”I’ve been following them for a while.” She tilted her head slightly.
“They’re really something, aren’t they?
The brand, I mean.
What the owner..what she’s built.”
”They are,” he agreed.
“Do you follow fashion?” she asked.
“Not particularly.” A small smile.
“My partner is in the industry.
It comes with the territory.”
”Your partner works in fashion?”
”She runs LUXE actually.”
Jade looked at him with exactly the right amount of surprise.
“Really?
You’re with Evelyn Cole?”
”I am.”
”That’s incredible.
She seems like a remark–good woman from everything I’ve read.” She wrapped both hands around her cup.
“You must be proud.” He nodded and smiled.
Jane leaned back slightly in her chair.
“You know,” she said thoughtfully, “I always wondered how women like Evelyn justify certain things to themselves.”
Daniel frowned faintly.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
Jane stirred her coffee slowly.
“Wanting another woman’s husband, for example.”
“Excuse me?”
Jane finally smiled properly but not in a friendly manner anymore.
“I’m sorry.
I should have said who I was from the beginning.” She extended her hand across the table.
“Jade Smith.
Aidan’s wife.”
Daniel looked at her hand.
He didn’t take it.
“Right,” he said quietly.
“I know this is uncomfortable-”
”What are you doing here?” His voice was even but there was no nice tone in it.
“I saw you come in and I–”
”You saw me come in,” he repeated.
“To this specific café.
On this specific morning.”
She didn’t blink, only rolled her eyes.
“I’ve been in the city,” she said.
“Right, i know.
Are you stalking me?” He looked at her for a moment.
“What do you want?”
”I wanted to see the man Evelyn chose after my husband.”
”She didn’t choose me after anyone.”
”Oh?” Jane tilted her head.
“That’s not what it looks like to me.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened slightly.
Jane noticed and continued gently, almost conversationally.
“You seem like a nice man, Daniel.”
”Get to the point.”
”I think Evelyn still loves my husband.” “No,” he said flatly.
Jane smiled.
“That answer came very fast.”
”Because it’s ridiculous.”
”Is it?”
”Yes.”
”She talks about him?”
”No.”
”She reacts to him.” Daniel doesn’t say anything and that makes Jane smile.
“Aidan’s been in Milan for weeks,” she continued softly.
“Longer than necessary.” She paused.
“Men don’t stay in cities for women they are not in love with.”
Daniel’s voice cooled noticeably.
“And women don’t usually follow strangers into cafés unless something is wrong with them.”
Jane lowered her voice slightly.
“You’re standing in the middle of something unfinished.”
Then Daniel leaned back fully and looked at her with clear irritation now.
“You should leave.”
Jane blinked innocently.
“This is a public café, Mr.
Marsh.” She picked up her coffee.
“You’re welcome to leave if you’d like.”
He looked at her.
She looked back.
Daniel stood up and grabbed the paper from the table, and left.
Jane exhaled slowly after Daniel disappeared out of the café.
“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath.
Because Daniel hadn’t reacted the way she wanted.