She made her way to the kitchen window and slid the tray through the opening Of the window. Jane, who is the owner of the diner and head cook, looked up from the grill, her apron streaked and stained with flour and bacon grease.
"A man just walked in," Jane said, nodding her head toward the entrance.
"That's Good," Maya muttered, already reaching for a menu and napkin roll. "Maybe this man'll order more than a side of toast and leave a good tip that isn't in loose pennies."
She turned around and was shocked.
The man who'd just entered looks like someone passing through . He didn't look like he belonged here at all.
His coat was made of black wool. His shoes were polished leather. And his umbrella folded neatly under his arm, it could probably cost more than her month's rent. He was a tall man,with broader shoulders, and carried himself like someone used to having people serve and worship him.
He looked like the kind of man who appears on the cover of a Forbes magazine, not standing in a simple town diner with a neon sign and a menu that hadn't been changed for the past ten years.
He wasn't happy, he looked a bit pissed.
Maya was so curious but had to push aside the feeling of curiosity that stirred in her mind and put on her best service smile for customers.
She walked to his table so skillful, like a waitress who had been doing the job since she could carry a tray. "Welcome to Beth's diner " she said, pen position above her notepad. "Are you lost or just hungry?"
The man looked up at Maya with striking eyes. Slowly, he wasn't in a rush at all. His eyes were blue and shiny as glass. He scanned her face with detachment, not rudely exactly.
"Coffee please " he said as His voice was sharp and low.
" Black"
Maya raised a brow. "And how would you like your attitude to be served dear,Light roast or extra bitter?"
He paused and made the faintest twitch of his mouth, almost like a smirk trying to break through from his lips.
"Extra bitter will do," he replied to her, and faced whatever he was reading on his phone.
Maya took to her heel and walked away, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder. What the hell was a man like that doing in a place like this?. She thought to herself.
Back at the counter, Jane leaned close and lowered her voice. "You see his car?"
"Nope."
"Black Maserati. Parked right out front."
Maya blinked. "In this weather?"
"In this town," Jane corrected. "Pretty sure I saw something about him on the news. That's ethan Blackwood."
Maya frowned. "That name is familiar..."
"Tech billionaire. CEO of Blackwood Global. They just opened that AI development hub in New york."
Maya peeked discreetly at the man seated in the corner. Ethan Blackwood. Of course. The name clicked now there had been something on her news feed about a ruthless acquisition deal and a stock surge. Still, she hadn't imagined he'd be so... human. And intense.
She carried the coffee and brought it over to his table. As she placed the mug down, he looked up again at her. This time, his eyes lingered.
"Thanks," he said, a little more quietly.
"You're most welcome," she said, placing the check beside the mug. "Tell me if you need anything else. Like direction back to civilization."
That twitch of a smirk returned, just slightly more defined this time.
She walked away before it could turn into anything.
---
The diner began to thin out as the rain fell heavier outside. Ethan hadn't moved. He sat with one hand curled around the coffee mug, the other hand scrolling through something on his phone. Maya glanced at the clock, it was fifteen more minutes until her break.
She kept herself busy cleaning tables and topping off drinks, but her thoughts were all about the man in the corner. What was a billionaire doing at a place like this? His car might have probably broken down. though with all his money, she was surprised he didn't have a helicopter to airlift him out of inconvenient places like this one here. Maya thought.
Still, something about the way he sat tense, distracted, and more alone than someone like him should ever look, that made her pause.
Finally, her timer buzzed.
Maya grabbed her worn denim jacket and slid into the booth opposite him with a cup of coffee of her own in her hand.
He looked up at her.
"You're on your break?" he asked, voice cautious.
"Yup." She sipped her coffee. "And you've been nursing that cup for over an hour. Thought I'd make sure you weren't planning to die quietly here".
The corners of his eyes moved, just slightly. "Not today dear". He replied.
"Good. We charge extra for that."
He stared at her for a moment, then said, "Do you talk to all your customers like this?"
"Only the ones who look like they're trying not to be noticed while clearly being the most interesting thing to walk through that door in a year."
He huffed something that might've been a laugh.
"Ethan Blackwood," he said finally, offering a hand.
"Maya Hart." She shook it. His grip was warm. Firm. Polished like everything else about him.
"Nice to meet you, Maya."
"Likewise, Mr. Billionaire."
"That's not my legal name."
"It's how people around here will remember you."
He looked out the window. The rain didn't stop. "Car broke down. Towed to some garage down the street. They're waiting for a part."
"Guess you're stuck."
"Apparently."
She bent her head, examining him like a puzzle closely. "Must be hard, Being forced to stay among the peasants."
He smiled fully for the first time.
"You'd be shocked to know how quiet living here is".
"Quiet enough to think?"
He nodded. "And that's usually when I get into trouble."