Strangers To Lovers

"The Unusual Proposal."

In the days following the sad event earlier this week, I asked Donna whether she had ever given the restaurant any attention. She answered in the affirmative. Donna was among the most important individuals in my life and one of my closest friends. She was able to effectively perform that function since we collaborated for most of the workweek. I valued the chance to get to know her and had fun doing so.

She had a charming and friendly quality about her. She often wore her hair in an untidy bun. One day, while working, Donna said, "I need someone like that in my life." She also requested, "Could you fishtail my hair for me?" She was exhausted from the previous day's work, and her mind was asking her to unwind. "Don't worry, you're fine," she said to herself in a whisper as she peered at the wall clock.

She knew the name of the firm she worked for, so she told herself, in a low voice, "Don't worry." She had plenty of time to arrange her hair in the peaceful atmosphere of the coffee shop. As she glanced up at me, she raised an intense eyebrow and asked herself, "Did you see him?" She was talking about my buddy from Michelangelo, the person I described the other night, and I knew exactly who he was. "What's he like?" she inquired.

She said, "For the moment, keep his name in mind," as she looked forward. She motioned for me to complete her hair braid, which I did. I had several issues with the hairtie, which was meant to hold the braid in place. My memory was bad, so I couldn't remember what I did on my 21st birthday. "Do you remember?" I questioned her in response to her question about my memory.

"Why do you ask me that?" he said, seeming surprised to hear himself. Compared to Connor's hotels, Michelangelo's restaurants were noticeably bigger and more opulent. Why did Luke choose to eat here before everyone else when he probably owned many Michelangelo's? Perhaps he received complimentary meals during his stay. After giving her my receipt and telling her I would hunt for him, I quickly discovered the receipt was missing. Given how much he had been drinking at the time he wrote the message, it was foolish to give him money. I hardly had any money left in my bank account after it had been inactive for a while. I want to get the money back.

Donna was astounded to see the tip. A message with the mark "forty-three cents" that she came upon had to be significant. It seemed to her that he wanted to meet me. "Oh, no way. I wouldn't want to do that. I'm not interested in working for you. A person like you would be eaten alive. What does that mean?" I inquired, rolling my eyes in relief.

"Your cuteness is your downfall," she said, reiterating the receipt for me to see. Although she continued, "Having that kind of help would be a very positive thing for you," I wasn't sure whether I should take it. It made me queasy to think about it. I could not quite figure out the note's aim, but it did indicate a positive direction. No matter how honest I was, Donna's stern brown eyes made me understand that I should always have some cash set up for contingencies.

Worried about my finances, she said, "How much money have you saved so far, and how much have you earned on your own?" I agreed with her that robbing a drunk person of their money was like robbing a newborn of their sweets. But there was something uncomfortable about this.

With a little crumple, she groaned and decided, grudgingly, not to retain the money. My gut urged her to return it, and if she had kept it, I would have been ashamed of her. With a gentle sigh, "I'm giving it back," she said. I supported her choice. Although the ten thousand may not seem like much to others who are affluent, family meant a lot to us.

I said, "Yeah, it is important to us, isn't it?" She remembered talking to the man from Michelangelo about how he valued every dollar more than others who were affluent. As Donna bent down to help me, I said, "Your cuteness was your downfall."

Declaring, "I'm returning the money," she said. They clearly understood the value of money when they said, "I'll probably do the same."

Luke thanked her as she delivered his coffee, saying he was looking forward to an email back from me. Donna then turned to face Dylan, who was sitting at a wooden table in the lounge. Dylan folded his hands on his lap and rested his head against the wall, looking delighted.