And maybe his own sobs, but he didn't want to admit that. Closing his eyes for a long moment, he finally let himself wonder if he'd ever see his home again. When he'd set off on this mission, it had seemed exciting - thrilling even - to visit strange worlds, research alien life, and make enough to return home a very wealthy man. He lifted his shirt up and looked at his damaged ribs. It wasn't nearly as exciting now.
Chapter Three
They appeared to be under some kind of media blackout, it seemed, even though cellular and data services were mostly back. The news hadn't made a single report about the downed ship yet. The closest Hailey saw had been a comment that the asteroid didn't look anything like what had been expected. Of course, that hadn't stopped YouTube and social media. She scrolled through her Weblife page, reading all of the conspiracy theories. Oddly, they disappeared just as fast as people were posting them.
Locals all knew it was real, but she couldn't blame anyone else for being skeptical. Granted, that also didn't stop the National Guard from putting her quiet little tourist town on lockdown. "Quarantine," they called it, stating that the object - they were still just calling it an object - could be radioactive, biohazardous, or even weaponized. Hailey didn't really know what that meant, but she'd heard enough people complaining about being turned away at the city limits that she knew better than to try.
Not that she needed to. This was home. Hailey had always wanted to live on the beach. She'd spent her teenage years dreaming of Florida, but that was out of her price range, so she'd come here. Initially, she'd found it by Googling apartments for rent on the beach. Now, eight years later, she couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Haven was small enough to feel comfortable, busy enough all year long that she could make enough to pay her bills, and the beach was everything she'd dreamed of.
But speaking of work, she had a shift tonight. While the sun sank lower in the sky, she tossed on her green polo and grabbed her burgundy apron, then headed down the block. Her job wasn't even far enough away to drive. The only reason she had a car was for groceries - which she probably should get. If people couldn't get out, then there was a very good chance that deliveries wouldn't get in.
With her shoes smacking on the sidewalk, she made a mental note to grab a few things after she got off work. It didn't take long to get to the Pink Flamingo Cafe. It took longer to get inside. The line at the door was shocking, making her wish she had a key to get in the back. Instead, Hailey squeezed past the customers, explaining to a few that she was not cutting; she was trying to help serve them. When she finally got behind the counter, Carter shot her an appreciative glance.
"Been like this all afternoon," he said. "Guess the tourists are stuck for a bit. A couple of places closed for the day. Something about alien ships crashing." He lifted one shoulder in an attempt to shrug with his hands full.
"Hopefully it also means amazing tips." She tossed him a smile, then dove in.
Over and over it went: coffee, cappuccino, latte, espresso, she made them all, and then some. A few customers were obviously from larger towns, wanting sugar-free syrups and designer flavors, but the Pink Flamingo wasn't really that kind of place. It was a local seaside coffee house. They focused more on serving many cheap and simple beverages with a few cold sandwiches, and less on the really exotic stuff.
For the most part, the customers got their drinks and left. A few stuck around long enough to finish eating, but one man wearing a dark hoodie claimed a table at the back and sat for most of the evening. He seemed overly interested in people-watching, but Hailey didn't really mind. Under his grey knit hat was a mop of disheveled, shaggy, dark brown hair, and he was exceedingly easy on the eyes. She must have glanced in his direction a few times too many because even Carter noticed.
"You still seeing Miles?" he asked a little too casually.
She rolled her eyes, squeezing past him to grab another package of paper cups. "Not after he stood me up last night."
"Well, I'm pretty sure that guy's vanilla latte is long gone. If you happen to," he slid a drink toward her, "offer him my latest screw-up, I won't say shit. Made it the same way as his last one - with almond milk."
She took the cup carefully, thought about it for about two seconds, then made her way around the counter. Carter hated her ex and hadn't made a secret of it. Then again, Miles had been her ex, then her boyfriend, then her ex again more times than even she could count. It all depended on if another cute girl paid attention to him. Hailey knew she wasn't a looker. Miles made that very clear every chance he could. She also knew she could do better than him, but she sucked at meeting new people. Besides, the few times she did have his attention, things seemed so passionate. She always ended up convincing herself that this time would be different. It never was.
When she got close to his table, the gorgeous man looked up, blinking in surprise, but said nothing.
"Um, vanilla latte, right?" She placed the drink on the table. "We made an extra by accident, same way as your other. You're more than welcome to it."
He tilted his head slightly, and the faintest hint of a smile crossed his mouth. "Thank you. I'm a little short on cash. Hadn't planned on staying here this long."
"Trapped by the National Guard lockdown, huh?"
He smiled a little wider. "Something like that."
She knew she was blushing so decided to make a hasty retreat. "Well. Yeah. Um. Nice accent by the way."
Then she fled back to the counter. Damn, she sucked at meeting people. Carter was grinning at her, but thankfully, he didn't say a thing. He was probably just pleased that she'd actually made an effort. Granted, it was less work to give away a screw-up coffee than it was to trash it. Well, that was what she told herself, and kept trying to tell herself, until she looked at the cute guy again. His eyes were locked on her.
For a moment she couldn't think of anything else. There was something about him that was almost magical. He was gorgeous, that was certain, but it wasn't the only thing about him that captivated her. He seemed to have an otherworldly charm, like something from a fairy tale. Sitting there, the guy observed everything that passed him by, almost as if he was taking mental notes, and he looked like something straight out of a movie.
Carter brushed past her, breaking the moment. Hailey focused on the drink she was making, feeling her cheeks get warm. The place was busy - super busy - so what was she even thinking, daydreaming about some hunk in the lobby? She passed the macchiato to the woman who'd ordered it, and was so distracted she almost forgot to charge her. Hopefully, the cute guy hadn't noticed. Then she moved on to the next person in line.
An hour before her shift was over, the line finally died down. Carter sighed and slipped off his apron, then patted her on the back. "Ok, I'm outta here. You gonna be ok?"
"Yeah. Can you check the schedule and see who's coming in to close tonight?"
He ducked inside the door to the office, then leaned his head back around. "Tanya. If it gets busy, call her. She's always asking for overtime, and Kent said he expects it to be like this for the next few days."
She nodded, waving at him without looking up. "Can do. Get home before your kids fall asleep."