Ethan
I got to the coffee shop far earlier than was necessary—close to an hour before Vanessa and I had decided to meet—and proceeded to sulk in the corner like a loser, downing coffee.
I’d long since stopped smelling the fresh-baked goods layered behind the glass counter, and I was far too nervous to stomach the thought of a pastry anyway.
The coffee was making my hands shake.
The bustling cafe at least set a cozy, pleasant scene for a first date. The hum of conversation and jazzy background music soothed my frayed nerves a bit. It all felt worlds away from the chaos of the Mafia world I’d been lurking around in for far too long.
I spotted Vanessa the moment she walked through the door.
There was something about her that just … drew the eye. Something utterly magnetic in her prese
