After observing the area from afar for around 15 minutes, Elsa finally deemed the quaint café threat-free. The place should've already been secure, since it was located just a few doors down from their apartment building, but it didn't hurt for her to double check. Who knows what the burly moron and his fat techy could have missed when they initially cleared the location. But apparently it was safe, so it seems they did one thing right – hopefully they'd be able to decently execute the plan as well instead of turning it into a complete cluster fuck which, of course, she'd have to fix. Elsa did put extra thought into creating a plan that even Kristoff's simple mind could comprehend. Just as long as he keeps to the plan. God forbid he ends up talking to the target during the approach… he'd probably bore Anna to death with his pointless stories. That was probably the primary reason why Elsa chose to be the first (and only) one to make contact with the girl. Predictably, Kristoff objected to Elsa's plan when she briefed the two last night, however she didn't offer any compromise. She was tasked with Anna's protection after all, might as well protect the girl from her idiotic helpers. Kristoff's pouty look of disappointment was just a plus.
She made her way to the coffee shop, forcing her way across the busy intersection. The blonde strode through the crosswalk calmly but radiating contention, practically daring any driver to get in her way. The blatantly callous act granted her several obnoxious horn blarings and amusing shouts from the uptight drivers who sat frozen in their places, none brave enough to actually challenge the audacious blonde crossing before them.
Café de Flore was the title of her destination. Through the frosted windows, you could tell that the humble coffee shop was quite crowded, however the ambiance somehow beamed with peace and tranquility, a safe haven from the hustle and bustle of the street corner just feet from the entrance. Elsa stopped just shy of the door, choosing instead to seat herself at one of the small round wooden tables available outside. Most of the customers were located indoors, protected from the icy chills of the French winter breeze. But Elsa didn't mind, the cold never bothered her anyway. And besides, this way she wouldn't have to deal with the annoying tourist crowds, instead she could just focus on the mission. Anna would be inches away when she passed by. Inhaling the sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee escaping the half-open café door, Elsa relaxed into the surprisingly comfortable chair and opened up her "French for Dummies" book. There was still about half an hour until Anna's meeting, might as well unwind a little and enjoy the cool winter morning. Though she already knew everything in the book, maybe she'd actually be able to finish a page without Krist-
"Morning Frosted Flakes! Are you set?"
Kristoff's voice buzzed into Elsa's concealed earpiece, like an annoying mosquito that wouldn't leave her the fuck alone.
Elsa let out an exasperated sigh. The man's voice seemed to have single-handedly extinguished all traces of the former tranquil atmosphere surrounding the blonde. She knew the pathetic title was aimed at her, yet she ignored the inquiry and attempted to clear her mind and focus on her book.
If he can't stick to the fucking call signs I assigned, he's not getting an answer. Moron can't even follow simple directions. Now then…where was –
"Hey Frosty, can you hear me?"
Elsa continued to ignore the bumbling idiot. A few seconds of pleasant silence passed, broken again by the clueless "intelligence" agent.
"Um…Kai, I think Goldilocks' earpiece is broken."
Goddammit, where does he come up with this shit? Elsa kept her eyes trained on her book, which was still opened to the first page. She inhaled sharply when out of the corner of her eye she spotted Kristoff a few doors down trying (and failing) to discreetly grab her attention. Passersby tried not to stare at the overgrown man in the shabby business suit, who was half hidden behind a doorframe, waving his big dumb hand out in the street for no apparent reason.
"Elsa, can you hear me? Elsa, come in."
How the fuck did this man become a CIA agent?
Fearing that the dumbass might compromise the mission before it even began, Elsa reluctantly gave in and replied into the microphone hidden under the collar of her white topcoat, expertly speaking without so much as a bend in her lips. It probably helped that the message was short and concise.
"Shut up."
Kristoff obviously didn't take the blunt command very well. Elsa could practically feel his intense glare attempting to break through her thick skin as she continued her reading.
"What the hel-"
"Err…Kris… Um… I believe she may want you to stick to the call signs…"
Thank you Kai. At least there's one person with some fucking competence around here.
Elsa smirked as she heard a deep sigh through her earpiece indicating that Kristoff would submit to her protocols. She decided to answer the original request instead of waiting for him to ask again, knowing Kristoff won't be annoying her for much longer.
"Kilo 1, this is Alpha 1. In position."
Elsa almost snickered as she heard an agonizing groan over the link. That's right bitch, two can play at this game. She turned the page. Now we're getting somewhere.
Elsa felt a light tingling sensation on the back of her neck, knowing all too well what it meant. Someone was approaching from behind her. Her suspicions were confirmed as she heard the light footsteps drawing near. Elsa kept her eyes trained on the book, pretending to be engrossed in her concentration. Though she needed to keep in character, Elsa tensed up, readying her body in case she needed to defend herself. A man appeared at the side of the table and stopped, Elsa noticed the white apron tied to the front of his body in her peripherals and relaxed. She looked up from her book and was greeted with a smile from the young French waiter.
"Bonjour! Que désirez-vous, ma chérie?"
"Bonjour Monsieur. Ummm…" The blonde pretended to fumble through the book, though she already knew that the waiter was asking what she wanted to order. The waiter saw the woman struggling and smiled, quickly switching to English, though maintaining his heavy French accent.
"Bonjour…ehh…how do you say…eh, good morning. I was…uh…asking what would you…um…like to eat," ending with a chuckle to lighten his difficulties.
Elsa smiled at the man, showing her appreciation at his attempt to lighten her false strife.
"Um… Je voudrais... un... café…?" Elsa replied hesitantly, reciprocating his accommodations, but pretending to be unsure of her pronunciation and vocabulary.
"Right away, Madame," the man responded, gleaming at the blonde's attempt to learn his native tongue. "Is that…eh…everything?" Elsa politely nodded and the man left to attend to his other customers indoors, leaving the woman to resume her reading. Just as he left, Kai's voice buzzed in her ear.
"Alpha 1, this is Kilo 2, looks like our target is arriving a little early this morning. Her phone signal is approximately 100 meters from your position and headed your way, probably coming from inside a vehicle.
Elsa concealed her reply with a fake yawn as she looked up to discreetly scan the vehicles passing by.
"Roger, Kilo 2, what type of car am I looking for?
"Err…standby,"
Elsa heard a flurry of typing and clicking coming from Kai's microphone.
"She appears to be travelling in a black Bentley Continental, can't make out the license plate from this angle. Hold on, looks like they're pulling over now. Kilo 1, car should be at your 12."
"Roger, I see it," she heard Kristoff chime in.
Elsa could barely make it out from her position, but she saw a glimpse of the car as it pulled off to the side, literally feet from where Kristoff was positioned. Oh god, Kristoff, don't fuck this up.
"Kristoff, don't move until I give the signal," Elsa reminded, she couldn't have the idiot jumping the gun, especially not when the objective was within reach.
"Roger that," Kristoff replied, "…oh sure now she doesn't use call signs…" Elsa heard him mutter.
"Your mike is on idiot," Elsa retorted, slightly annoyed.
But she quickly forgot her irritations as she watched the car door open out of the corner of her eye. It's time…
The girl let out a loud yawn as she stretched in the spacious backseat of the car. It was definitely way too early to be out and about. She sputtered out a lock of auburn hair that fell in her mouth during the yawn. God, what she wouldn't do for a few more hours of sleep…. Yet after half an hour of riding in this dang car, here she was, going to meet her wedding planner. She should probably stay awake for that…. The soft, gray leather seats certainly weren't helping the cause though, try as she might, the girl could not find a position that was uncomfortable enough to keep her attentive.
Just as she was about to nod off into a much-wanted nap, the driver broke her sleepy daze.
"We're almost there, Ms. Walker."
The statement earned a jolt from the girl, surprised at the sudden sound, followed by a strong exhale as the redhead pouted, realizing she wouldn't be able to take a nap before starting her day.
"Ugh, for the thousandth time, Oaken," she started with a smile, "I told you to just call me Anna, remember?"
"Yes, Ms. Walker," the broad-shouldered man in the front seat replied with a smirk.
"Ugh," Anna let out a chuckle.
He laughed as he glanced up to the rear view mirror and was greeted with Anna's playfully glaring teal eyes. The man really had no need for formalities; he's worked for Anna's father since she was a little girl, almost fifteen, maybe close to twenty years so far. And the majority of his time was spent with the redhead, ensuring her safety, though there hadn't been a single incident where her life was in danger. But, as her father firmly told him, "you can never be too careful." And, after learning about the accident that had befallen the family, Oaken understood.
"OH!" the girl exclaimed, snapping the man away from his thoughts. She finally took in her surroundings and spied the coffee shop farther down the street. There's no way she'd be able to stay awake in that meeting without some caffeine in her system, no way.
"Hey Oaken, could you drop me off on the side there?" she asked, leaning forward and pointing to a small clearing on the side of the road that was otherwise filled with parked cars. There probably would've been a car parked there, had it not been for a driveway leading up to two large doors that looked rarely used.
"Ms. Walker, I can find a parking space fir-"
"Come on Oaken, I'll be fine! I'm just gonna grab some coffee, you can meet me in the café after you've found a spot, okay?"
The driver let out a sigh. After years of working with the girl, he certainly realized how headstrong she could be, even about little things… like dropping her off instead of parking. He knew full well that if he didn't stop, she'd practically jump out of the vehicle, just to prove a point, so, reluctantly, he pulled over.
"I'll meet you there soon. You know the rules, stay put, girly," Oaken replied.
The girl was halfway out of the car when he finally stopped, hearing a distant thank you as she scurried onto the sidewalk. He stayed in the spot for a few seconds, watching the girl prance away, making sure Anna wasn't in any danger, before he pulled back onto the street to resume his search for a parking space.
Anna took a deep breath as she stepped out of the car. The frosty air was a stark contrast to the toasty warmth of the Bentley, forcing her to pull the dark violet sweater tighter around herself as she snuggled into the fuchsia scarf wrapped around her neck. "Sheesh, Anna," the redhead muttered to herself. Why the heck did I choose to wear a skirt today? Geez, I shouldn't be allowed to dress myself. Although she wore white leggings, her legs were sufficiently frozen. A few more seconds and Anna would've started running to keep warm, but she slowly forgot about the cold as she slowed her pace to take in her surroundings. The cloudy white skies, frost-covered windows, hazy morning air, it all came together to create a beautiful French winter wonderland that left her in amazement. She didn't leave her family estate very often, she had no need to. But whenever she did, she'd always take in the sights, admiring the buildings, the weather, the people, even the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It all never ceased to amaze her, how everyone always had places to be and things to do. Speaking of things to do…
Anna came back to earth and realized she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk. A whiff of freshly ground coffee beans caught her nose, reminding her of the original mission. Oh yeah! Coffee! The girl followed the smell of coffee. Ooo! Maybe they have something chocolatey too! The thought almost made Anna squeal with delight.
She continued walking, approaching what seemed like the entrance to the café she saw from the car, inhaling the aroma of freshly brewed caffeine goodness. There were a few tables outside the half-open café door, though one table in particular caught her eye.
There was a blonde woman seated at the table closest to the door. Strangely enough, she was the only customer seated outside in the cold air, and she was alone. The girl seemed to be reading a yellow book, though Anna couldn't make out the title from afar. There was something about the woman…Anna couldn't quite pinpoint it. Something made the blonde stand out, among the morning traffic and the growing number of pedestrians passing by. There was a tranquil aura about her, a feeling of safety and serenity that contrasted the early morning haste, though it matched the picturesque winter wonderland that Anna admired earlier.
Anna watched the blonde (stared is more accurate) as she continued to make her way to the café. The woman closed her eyes and put her book down to cover a yawn, then ran a hand through her golden locks. Anna was captivated by the girl's movements. Somehow, all at once and without trying, she appeared confident, calm, composed, graceful, gentle, kind – virtues that Anna always wished she could display as effortlessly as the blonde. And speaking of blonde, her hair…. it was just…. How the heck did she do that? Is it just naturally that amazing? Was she born that way? There's no way anything THAT perfect was just born that way….
The redhead felt a slight tinge of jealousy, puffing her cheeks in a slight pout. Every morning was a battle between Anna and her wild hair, most times resulting in Anna conceding, choosing instead to put her hair in two simple braids. And the blonde's composure and grace…it came so naturally, while Anna struggled not to trip over her own feet or bump into any inanimate objects that were unlucky enough to be in her path.
"Gosh, she's perfect…" Anna thought aloud.
The blonde reopened her eyes, which instantly locked onto Anna's.
Wait, what? Crap, did I say that out loud? Oh, no, she heard me. Oh no, no, no, she's looking at me. She heard me. Oh geez, kill me now…. She's looking at me. Wow, she has really pretty eyes. I've never seen anyone have that shade of blue. How is she so gorgeous? Wow she's still looking at me. Wait…why is she staring at me? Wait, wait…oh no, I've been staring at her this whole time! Dang it Anna, you doofus. Why do you have to be so socially awkward around everyone? She must think I'm a creep! Dang it Anna, look away. LOOK AWAY!
By now, Anna was only feet from the blonde's table. For some reason, the woman didn't look away either, instead she greeted the approaching redhead with a gentle smile. Anna would have returned the greeting had her jaw responded to her mind's commands. Instead Anna discovered that it lay agape, to the redhead's utter dismay. ANNA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!
Anna had lost all functionality of her body and to her horror, her legs were still advancing to the café door, soon she'd be inches from the blonde. WHY ARE YOU STILL STARING?
Suddenly, something big hit Anna from behind, knocking her off balance. She tried to regain her balance, but instead she tripped over her other foot, causing her body to spin around and tip backwards. With a loud shriek, Anna succumbed to gravity's pull. Her eyes were finally forced away from the blonde, as they squeezed shut while the redhead braced herself for impact with the cold, hard cobblestone sidewalk.
But the impact never came.
After a few seconds, Anna cautiously opened her eyes. Once again she was greeted with a familiar pair of icy blue eyes and warm smile. But now those eyes and lips were closer, much, much closer, leaving her completely speechless.
"Glad I caught you," Anna heard the blonde say as she felt her warm breath against her cold cheek. Gosh… even her voice sounds amazing.
"I… I… I…" was all Anna could manage. Apparently within the last minute, she'd forgotten how to look away, close her mouth, walk, and now talk. Great Anna. Just great.
The woman giggled at the stammering redhead. She opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly something else caught the blonde's attention, causing her to look up. Anna, seemingly released from her trance, regained control of her senses and looked for what caught the woman's attention. She discovered it was a waiter walking towards them, carrying a tray. He looked a little funny, but Anna couldn't quite figure out why.
Anna watched the man approach them. He stopped at the edge of the small table and cleared his throat. Just as he was about to speak, she finally realized what was wrong. It had nothing to do with the waiter, it was her. Her eyes widened and quickly darted back to the blonde's face as her brain registered the earlier conversation. "Glad I caught you"…. Wait, what? She caught me?! Anna frantically looked around to take in her surroundings. To her horror, she found her body sprawled out across the blonde's lap. So that's why her face was so close…. Anna was quickly piecing things together.
Wait.
I haven't moved since I fell. Wait, wait, wait…. I've been in this lady's lap this entire time?! I've…I've just been laying here? Oh no, oh no, oh no….
Anna let out a squeal as she flailed her arms and abruptly jumped out of the blonde's lap and back on her feet. To the redhead's horror, one of her flailing limb nicked the edge of the waiter's tray. Anna watched the scene unfold in slow motion, the tiny ceramic cup tipping over, unleashing a splash of steaming black coffee that cascaded off the side of the tray…landing right where the redhead previously lay. Directly on the blonde's lap. Directly on her coat. Directly on her WHITE coat. Anna winced as she helplessly watched the coffee leave its mark. The waiter ran back into the café to grab a wet towel.
"OH… OH my gosh! I um, oh my god, I'm so so so so so sorry. Crap crap crap crap," Anna tried desperately to convey her apologies. She quickly grabbed a handful of napkins off the table, knocking over the salt and pepper. Anna proceeded to frantically dab the rather large stain on the woman's lap. After a few quick dabs, Anna suddenly realized exactly where she had been wiping.
"OH!" Anna jumped back to give the blonde her probably much desired personal space, bumping against another small table. "Oh my god, what am I doing?! What have I done? Oh god, I'm really really really sorry. I completely ruined your coat! Oh god, the stain will never come out, you look terrible!"
Anna's brain couldn't keep up with her mouth and just realized what she said. "Oh! Wait… no, no no, it doesn't look terrible, I just meant the stain, the stain looks terrible. You, you're gorgeous, I mean like, wow gorgeous. Wait, what? Just shut up, Anna. I…um…gosh I'm so so sorry…." Anna bit her lip to keep her rambling mouth shut. Gosh, she totally hates me now. Oh god, I'm so horrible. Dang it, Anna, you're such a klutz. People should never allow you near nice things.
After a brief period of self-deprecation, Anna snapped out of her inner chastising to review the carnage before her. She realized the blonde was watching her, those icy blue eyes still inviting. And she was…Wait, what? The blonde was…laughing?
Anna, now thoroughly confused, nervously looked at the woman. "I'm…um…I'm so sorry…"
The blonde, apparently amused, shook her head as she started calmly dabbing the stain with the napkins left by the redhead. "No, no, it's fine, it's completely fine." The woman finally stopped the retouching, giving up on the attempt to salvage her coat. She looked back up at the nervous girl standing before her and smiled, "I, um…I didn't really like this coat anyway haha."
The waiter returned and offered the blonde a damp towel, which she quickly refused. She assured the waiter that she was fine and waived off his unneeded apologies. It took some persuading, but finally the man conceded, ceasing his pardons. Instead, the waiter quickly returned to café to remake the blonde's order. This ordeal allowed Anna the time she needed to regain most of her composure.
The redhead rejected the blonde's earlier lie, "Nuh uh. No, no, no. Nope. I owe you a new coat.
A gasp escaped the blonde, "Oh my! No, no, I can't accept that."
In an attempt to appear more imposing, Anna straightened herself, crossed her arms, and stuck out her chin. "Too bad, you have to. No returns. No exchanges," the redhead insisted with her mock confidence.
The sudden change in character caused the blonde to smile at the girl. That smile proved to be the redhead's downfall. When Anna noticed it, her ruse instantly shattered, revealing her nervous, rambling self once more.
"And…um…besides," Anna started, "I can certainly afford it. Oh! Wait! No, no, I'm not saying your coat is cheap or anything, I just…um…I just have the money, so don't worry or anything…. Not that I'm trying to brag or anything, I just –"
"What's going on here? Is everything okay?" A familiar male voice inquired. Anna spun around to see Oaken quickly approaching, the large man slightly out of breath.
"Oaken! I – "
"I take my eyes off of you for a few seconds," Oaken started, interrupting Anna. "And when I turn around, I find you draped over a stranger's lap!" The man wasn't upset. He never got upset with Anna – something that naturally required a great deal of tolerance. Instead, the hefty bodyguard was more shocked than anything else. He never expected Anna to run into such a situation and so quickly too.
"Care to explain yourself, Ms. Walker?" Oaken asked.
The girl in question struggled to formulate a reply. "Um…well I…uh…I…. Um, well… you see –"
"It was my fault really, sir," the blonde stated, rescuing Anna from her difficulties. "I accidentally tripped her…. I was just trying to stretch my legs and well…um…I guess I was paying so much attention to my book that I didn't notice her walking past me at the time and well…" the woman gestured to the coffee stain and the messy table before her, "I guess you could say we… got acquainted…." The blonde ended the explanation with a nervous laugh.
Oaken studied the suspicious woman. "And you are…?"
"Um…my name is Elsa. Elsa Winters…" the blonde replied hesitantly.
Elsa…so that's her name…. That's such a pretty name, darn I wish I had a pretty name…
"Oh!" Anna shook away her thoughts. This time Anna rescued the blonde from the interrogation. "Elsa, this is Oaken. Oaken, meet Elsa. I'll be buying her a new coat!" The man opened his mouth to object, but the redhead continued, "Wait, wait! Before you blame her, I was the one who offered to buy it. The whole mess was, uh… my fault after all."
Oaken let out a sigh. "Very well, then…" he replied reluctantly as he checked his watch, "Well then. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Winters, but we must get going now." The broad-shouldered man turned to leave, but waited for the redhead.
Anna turned and was about to follow him, but she suddenly remembered something. "Oh!" The redhead spun around and pulled out her smartphone. She tore off one of her gloves to unlock it and held it out in front of the blonde. "Hey, um…I should get your number, to um…get you that new coat and all, haha" Anna tried to explain.
The blonde laughed at the flustered redhead and took the phone from her covered hand. Anna watched the woman enter her contact information, noticing a suspicious smirk form on the blonde's face while she also hid the screen from Anna's view. When the woman was done, she returned the phone to its owner.
"Thanks! Um…I'll be in touch," Anna stated as she reached out and grabbed her phone, her bare hand brushing against the blonde's. Anna's breath hitched at the contact.
"Looking forward to it," the blonde responded with a smile, the same smile that had been Anna's undoing earlier.
Anna stood and stared at the blonde for a moment. Realizing that she had somewhere else to be, the redhead quickly spun around, "Well…um…bye!" She started walking away alongside the large man. Anna remembered the blonde's smirk from earlier when she was entering her number, so she unlocked her phone to see what amused the woman.
'Coffee Girl'? She entered her name as 'Coffee Girl'? Eh, I guess that's not so bad… Anna suddenly noticed the picture for the blonde's contact info. Wha-… How the heck? Oh, you… Somehow the blonde was able to take a picture of the coffee stain on her coat and set it as the contact picture.
The waiter returned with Elsa's remade order. "Merci, Monsieur," the blonde replied with a smile, the waiter bowed with gratitude as he withdrew. She picked up the small cup, following the redhead with her eyes as she left with her large companion. Elsa watched as the girl looked at her phone and discovered her doing, smiling innocently as the redhead shot a playful glare back at her. Anna kept her teal eyes on Elsa as the blonde took a sip of her coffee. Walking blindly, the redhead naturally veered to the side, bumping into her bodyguard. The light collision produced a small squeak from the girl, almost causing Elsa to spill her coffee as she laughed. Anna snapped her head back around and lowered her gaze, embarrassed. Elsa watched her stare at the ground and shook her head with a laugh.
"Too adorable…." Elsa muttered to herself as she settled in her chair to enjoy the rest of the relaxing morning.
"Hey lover girl, your mike's still on," Kristoff's teasing voice crackled in her long forgotten earpiece.
"Jesus Krist, fuck off," Elsa's retorted in annoyance.
"Oh ho! Ms. Feisty pants is clever!" Kristoff's laughter echoed over the channel.
Elsa buried her head in her hands out of frustration, letting out a deep sigh.
So much for that relaxing morning….
A/N: Phew! That was a long chapter! Hope you all found it as adorable as I did :). Sorry it took so long! Life's been quite busy and I really wanted to do their meeting justice. Thank you all for bearing with me :D