Kent sat in a small, quiet café near the chateau, his notebook open on the table. It was Monday, just two days after the crazy pigeon picnic with Gaesha.
He had planned to work—maybe sketch some chateau windows or think about repairs—but his pencil had other ideas.
On the page in front of him was a drawing of Gaesha. Her messy hair, her big, happy smile, her eyes all crinkled up with laughter.
Kent hadn't meant to draw her. It just happened. And now, he couldn't stop staring at the sketch.
"Why her?" he mumbled to himself, his fingers tracing the pencil lines.
Gaesha was loud, messy, and so not his type. But she was stuck in his head, all the time, like a song he couldn't stop hearing.
The café door swung open with a little jingle, and Gaesha walked in. She was carrying a big bag of pastries, her apron poking out of her jacket.
When she saw Kent, her face lit up, and she waved. "Kent! Hey, hi!" she called, her voice bright as she bounced over to his table.
Kent's heart jumped, and he quickly slammed the notebook shut. "Gaesha," he said, trying to sound calm. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm delivering stuff," she said, holding up the bag with a grin. "Muffins for the café. They ordered a big batch today. What about you? What are you doing here?"
"Coffee," Kent said, nodding at the cup in front of him. "And work. I needed a quiet place to think."
"Oh, that's nice," Gaesha said. She didn't wait for an invite and plopped down into the chair across from him. "Can I sit with you for a bit? I'm done with my deliveries for now."
Kent raised an eyebrow. "You're already sitting," he pointed out, his voice flat but not mean.
Gaesha laughed, her eyes sparkling. "True! I guess I am. So, how's your week going, Kent? Tell me everything."
"It's fine," he said, keeping his answer short. "What about you? How's your week?"
"Oh, it's been so busy," Gaesha said, leaning forward with a big smile. "The bakery's been crazy! So many orders, and I've been baking non-stop. Oh, and Mia says hi, by the way. She thinks you're cute, you know."
Kent frowned, his face getting a little warm. "I'm not cute," he said, his voice gruff. "Tell her I'm not."
Gaesha giggled, resting her chin in her hands. "But you are, Kent! You're super cute. Especially when you had all those feathers on you at the picnic. Remember that? You looked so funny!"
"Don't remind me," Kent said, shaking his head. "That was a mess. A big, silly mess."
"It was a fun mess, though!" Gaesha said, her voice full of excitement. "I keep thinking about it. The birds, the feathers, us laughing—it was the best picnic ever, don't you think?"
"If you say so," Kent said, his tone dry. He took a sip of his coffee, trying to hide how her words made him feel a little warm inside.
He kept the notebook close to him, hoping she wouldn't notice it. But Gaesha's eyes were sharp.
She pointed at the notebook with a curious look. "Hey, what's that? Is that your work stuff?"
"Yes," Kent said quickly. "It's just plans. For the chateau."
"Oh, let me see!" Gaesha said, reaching across the table with a big grin. "I want to look!"
"No," Kent said, pulling the notebook back fast. "It's boring. You won't like it."
"I like boring things," Gaesha said, not giving up. "Come on, Kent, don't be shy. Show me what you're working on. I really want to see!"
"It's private," Kent said, his voice a little sharp this time. He held the notebook tighter, hoping she'd stop asking.
But Gaesha didn't back off. "Private?" she said, her eyes going wide with excitement. "Ooh, now I really want to see it! Is it secret chateau stuff? Like hidden rooms or something cool?"
"No," Kent said, shaking his head. "It's not that. It's just… sketches. That's all."
"Sketches?" Gaesha said, tilting her head. "Of what? Buildings? Or maybe birds? You know, like the ones from our picnic?"
Kent hesitated, then said, "People." The word slipped out too fast, and he winced, wishing he could take it back.
"People?" Gaesha said, her smile growing even bigger. "Who? Who did you draw?"
"No one," Kent said quickly, his ears turning red. "Forget I said that. It's nothing."
"Kent Sivan," Gaesha said, leaning closer with a playful look. "You're hiding something, I can tell. Show me, or I'll start guessing. I'm really good at guessing, you know."
"You won't guess," Kent said, trying to sound sure. But his face was getting hotter, and he knew he wasn't hiding it well.
Gaesha tapped her chin, pretending to think hard. "Hmm, let's see… Is it me? Did you draw me, Kent?"
"No," he said, but his voice cracked a little, and his ears were bright red now.
"You did!" Gaesha said, clapping her hands together. "Oh my gosh, I knew it! You drew me! Let me see, let me see!"
"It's not you," Kent said, but he didn't sound convincing. "Just drop it, Gaesha. Please."
"You're such a liar," Gaesha said, laughing. Before Kent could stop her, she lunged across the table and grabbed the notebook right out of his hands.
"Gaesha!" Kent said, reaching to take it back. But she was too fast. She flipped the notebook open, and there it was—her face, her smile, all drawn in pencil.
"Whoa," Gaesha said, her voice soft as she stared at the page. "That's me! Kent, you really drew me! Look at this!"
Kent snatched the notebook back, his face burning. "It's nothing," he said, trying to sound calm. "It's just practice. I was messing around."
"It's amazing," Gaesha said, her eyes wide with wonder. "Look at my eyes! And my hair! You got every little detail. You're so good at this, Kent."
"It's rough," Kent said, looking down at the table. "I was just bored. That's all."
"Bored?" Gaesha said, raising an eyebrow. "You drew me because you were bored? I don't believe that. Nope, not at all. I think you like me, Kent Sivan."
"I don't," Kent said, but his voice was too quiet, and he couldn't look at her. "It's just a sketch. It doesn't mean anything."
Gaesha smirked, leaning back in her chair. "Sure, sure. You're an artist, Grumpy. And I'm your muse, aren't I?"
"You're not," Kent said, finally looking up at her. "You're annoying. That's what you are."
"And you're blushing," Gaesha said, pointing at his face with a big grin. "I caught you, Kent. You can't hide it from me."
Kent shut the notebook with a loud snap and shoved it into his bag. "Stop it," he said, his voice firm. "It's not a big deal. Let's talk about something else."
"But it is a big deal!" Gaesha said, her voice full of excitement. "You think about me, Kent. That's so sweet! I didn't know you were this sweet."
"I don't think about you," Kent said, but his words didn't sound true. "I just… I saw you. In my head. That's all."
"Aw," Gaesha said, putting a hand over her heart. "You see me in your head? That's so adorable, Kent. I'm flattered!"
"It's not adorable," Kent said, his frown deepening. "It's just work. I was practicing."
"You're such a liar," Gaesha said, laughing softly. "You're soft, Kent. You try to hide it, but I see it. You're all soft under that grumpy face."
"I'm not soft," Kent said, crossing his arms. "And I'm not grumpy. Stop saying that."
"You're both," Gaesha said, her voice warm. "And I love it. I love how you are. Hey, will you draw me again sometime? Please?"
"No," Kent said, shaking his head. "Once was enough. I'm not doing it again."
"Oh, come on, please?" Gaesha said, giving him her best puppy eyes. "I'll pose for you. I can make it fun! Like this—look!" She stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes, making a silly face.
Kent couldn't help it—he snorted, a small laugh escaping him. "You're ridiculous," he said, shaking his head. "So ridiculous."
"See?" Gaesha said, dropping the silly face and grinning at him. "You laughed! I knew I could make you laugh. I'm good for you, Kent."
"Maybe," Kent said, his voice quieter now. He took another sip of his coffee, using the cup to hide his face a little.
Gaesha stood up, grabbing her bag of pastries. "I have to go," she said, sounding a little sad. "More deliveries to do. But thanks for the sketch, Kent. It's my favorite thing now."
"It's not for you," Kent said, looking up at her. "I didn't draw it for you."
"Too late," Gaesha said, winking at him. "It's mine now. In my heart, at least. I'll keep it there forever. Bye, Kent!"
"Bye," Kent said, watching as she waved and walked out of the café. The door swung shut behind her, and the little jingle of the bell faded away.
Kent sat there for a moment, then opened the notebook again. He looked at the sketch of Gaesha, her smiling face staring back at him.
"Stupid," he muttered to himself, but he didn't mean it. He didn't erase the drawing. Instead, he closed the notebook gently, his fingers lingering on the cover.
Gaesha was loud, messy, and impossible. But Kent couldn't stop seeing her, and deep down, he didn't want to.