Zed Necrodopolis watches as his driver pulls into Royal Gardens Plaza. It may only be late morning, on a weekday no less, but the plaza is vibrating with life. People wander along the colorful sidewalks, sit and eat in the white and gold food pavilion filled with the new solar powered tables with free chargers, and shop around the stores lining the plaza. It's all around a good time, something that makes him smile while also sad.

Royal Gardens isn't the same plaza as it was when he was a kid, which is a good thing, but it's still jarring to see how much it's improved over the years. He used to come with his family all the time as a kid.

His head of security, personal bodyguard, and closest friend all rolled into one, pulls to a stop outside of his mother's old restaurant. Zed climbs out of the blacked out SUV, heading towards the entrance of Dezzy's Delicious Diner.

At twenty-seven years old, Zed's learned a few things about making an entrance. His family has a reputation of being the most elusive and wealthy family in Seabrook's history, and with the title came the territory. Every public appearance is carefully crafted, and nobody knows where he is unless he wants them to.

He strolls into the diner, knowing his presence has drawn the attention of just about anyone in there. The elusive businessman Zed Necrodopolis, making his first public appearance since the mysterious disappearance of his father three weeks ago. Wynter's going to love the headline. He tipped off the editor in chief of the Seabrook Sentinel about his surprise appearance at the diner, and with a quick glance he spots one of her best journalists and photographers 'hiding' in a booth in the corner.

If there's one thing his dad taught him about making it in this business, it's that nothing is more important than power. Maybe not his power, but the power a name carries can be dangerous. It's power that gets the exclusive, high-profile newspaper at his beck and call. It was power that got Mayor Wells re-elected for three terms in a row, and power that got her out of office the second she stepped out of line.

He walks up to the counter, removing his sunglasses to appear at least somewhat approachable. Being rich and scary was one thing, but having power meant having a certain level of likeability. Otherwise, the name and the money meant nothing. Then he'd just be a rich asshole, not the most formidable mob boss in the country.

Zed puts on his best smirk, ready to charm the cashier year and practically make her day. He has a way with winning people over, after all. He locks eyes with her and — holy shit. He's swept up in the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he's ever seen. The most beautiful eyes and cutest nose and dazzling smile, her beautiful face framed by messy blonde curls pulled back in a high ponytail that he wants to pull out and play with all day…he could go on and on. She's…wow.

The woman before him has his heart pounding within seconds, his palms clamming up out of fear of severely embarrassing himself in front of her. A small voice in the back of his head reminds him of the people watching, of the appearances he must keep up to keep control, to keep power over everything.

But god damn, if this woman's smile doesn't have power over him. A terrifying, intense power that makes him want to give up everything just to keep her smiling, do whatever it takes to take away the trade amounts of pain hidden behind her smile. He just wants to make her happy.

Fuck.

"Hi," he greets, hoping the one word doesn't give away how nervous she's making him.

If it's possible, her smile brightens, which does nothing for his already pounding heart. "Hi," she says in the most angelic voice he's ever heard. Soft and smooth, like an actual angel.

He laughs nervously. He can't let her get in his head and turn him into a wreck. Even though she's the prettiest woman he's ever had the pleasure of laying his eyes on. The entire town has been anxiously watching his every move, ever since he took over the family business in his dad's place. It would be a nasty smear on his family's name if he let a girl he's exchanged one word with ruin it all.

"Um, hi! W-welcome to Dezzy's Delicious Diner. How can I help you?" His heart constricts in his chest, her adorable nerves tugging at the small inklings of kindness he has left in him.

This woman would one hundred percent be his downfall.

"Can I get…two black coffees and…" He looks up at the menu, although he already knows what he's going to get. He and his security detail get the same thing every time they visit. But if he keeps looking at the beautiful blonde before him, he knows he'll do something stupid. Like ask her out on a date, or find out her name and pay off every debt she's ever had — even if it's just for Spotify premium.

"A tuna melt and a BLT."

The woman nods. "Will that be all?"

He glances down at her, smiling. He feels like a teenager, with a stupid crush on a girl he barely knows. "Y-Yeah."

Her cheeks flame in the most adorable way. "For here or to-go?"

"Here."

She nods. "Can I have a name for your order?"

"Zed."

Her eyes flicker to his face for the briefest of seconds. He's so screwed, so irrevocably screwed. He doesn't even know her name, but he'd give up anything just to stay by her side a little longer.

Fuck fuck fuck.

She clears her throat, turning her attention back to the register. "It'll be twenty-five-oh-eight. Will you be paying cash or card?"

"Card."

She shyly looks up, watching as he fumbles with his wallet. No one should have as much power as she does over him. To be able to turn him into a bumbling mess in seconds with one look.

He manages to stick his card in the reader, watching the screen until it gets accepted. The machine spits out his receipt, which she quickly hands to him.

"Thank you."

She smiles sweetly. "Have a nice day!"

He smiles at her in return, moving down to the end of the counter to wait for his food. Without the beautiful blonde in his immediate vicinity, he manages to regain his composure. 'You're Zed Necrodopolis,' he reminds himself. 'A cut throat, terrifying mob boss.'

He spots his financial advisor in training, Willa, through the open window into the kitchen. From the way her eyes widen and she quickly disappears, he knows she wasn't expecting to see him there. She probably thinks that he doesn't know about her "secret" job here. Seabrook is his city. He knows everything that goes on there, down to the last bus route out of town.

He may keep tabs on other places. High end places under his reign, but Seabrook is his home, his territory. The other places are just pawns he collects. Yes, he may have only just inherited the empire, but he made a name for himself king before taking over.

He sees Willa's twin pop up in the window, putting the two sandwiches on the ledge and ringing the bell. She must have switched positions with him once she saw Zed there. It warms his heart that people still fear him, despite everything that's been going on.

And then the blonde counter girl walks up to him, putting down two black coffees, and his world shatters all over again. He should ask her out. Though, with a face like hers, and a smile that could make even the toughest of mob boss's melt, she's probably already taken.

'And,' a nasty voice in the back of his head says, 'if she's not taken, she must have a trash personality. A dumb blonde. Or maybe a stuck up bitch.'

Which he knows can't be true. He doesn't know how long she's been working there, but she had to have been hired either by his mom or by his best friend, neither of which would hire someone rude, disrespectful, or dumb. Though they did hire Wyatt…

She turns around, sliding two trays onto the counter next to the coffees, making quick work to put the drinks on the trays. She smiles at him. "Order for Zed?" she asks teasingly, as if he isn't the only one waiting.

He grins. "Thank you. I didn't catch your name, by the way."

She giggles, pointing to the name tag he hadn't noticed until now. He blushes, laughing nervously and muttering, "My bad."

"You're good. I'm Addison."

He's heard of her before. Briefly, from Eliza, and mostly about work. He can't believe Eliza's Addison is this Addison, this insanely pretty — actually breathtaking — Addison.

"You have a beautiful name," he blurts.

Her eyes widen, her cheeks flaming as she stammers out a thank you. He grabs the trays, walking away from the counter before he embarrasses himself any further.

His security walks into the diner as Zed finds a clear and empty booth. Zed shakes his head, trying to clear his head of all things Addison. Bonzo would kill him if he found out he was this worked up over a girl. First he'd tease him to earth's end, then kill him.

Falling in love is dangerous. His dad always warned him how difficult it was to find love in their line of work. It wasn't just hard finding someone that accepts all of him — the good, the bad, the ugly, even the uglier. But then he'd be putting someone he loves in constant danger. It was a risk, one that shouldn't be worth taking, ever. But, it was a risk that made him. A risk that, with the right person, would be worth it…

Not that what he has with Addison is love. He doesn't have anything with her, actually. Just a weirdly positive feeling in his chest every time he sees her, that makes him want to do things he shouldn't want to do, and have things he knows he can't have.

"You're thinking too loud."

Zed looks up at Bonzo, his head of security and personal bodyguard, and frowns. "Eat your free food."

Bonzo hums, taking a generous bite of his BLT. Zed does the same with his tuna melt. He finished the first half of his early lunch before asking, "Has Eliza texted you?"

Bonzo nods. "Ten minutes."

Zed nods, not adding anything more. He does, however, catch sight of a blonde ponytail walking past their booth. He quickly looks down at his plate, trying his best not to stare at her again. It was one thing not being able to take his eyes off her when he was ordering food. But openly staring while she's just…working? That's weird. And he's not weird.

His curiosity does get the better of him though, and he finds himself glancing over at her every once in a while. All she does is bus tables, but god if she doesn't make it so cute. And the way she nods along to the soft music playing through the speakers. And her walk. Everything she does is just…wow.

Bonzo snaps his fingers in front of Zed's face, whispering aggressively, "Earth the Zed!"

Zed jumps, looking over at Bonzo, his cheeks flaming. "What?" he snaps.

Bonzo chuckles. "Nothing, nothing. Just…" He trails off, chuckling to himself.

Zed frowns, masking his embarrassment with anger. "Make fun of the man who pays you, see where that gets you."

"It's just funny that you're checking out that waitress, that's all," Bonzo says innocently.

"I'm not!"

"You're whining like a child, too."

"I hate you," Zed says without any bite.

Bonzo grins. "You gonna go charm her or what?"

Zed glares. Bonzo didn't seem upset about the crush, which had to mean something else was going on. "Why do you care?"

Bonzo simply shrugs. "You're so much nicer when you get laid, dude."

Zed chokes. He wasn't trying to get laid! He's not some carnal beast who only thinks about the physical. He has a crush, damnit, on the beautiful, adorable, breaktaking waitress!

No, scratch that. He does not have a crush on her. Whatever romantic feelings Addison brings out in him simply do not exist, and he plans on ignoring them until they go away on their own.

On the bright side, Bonzo thinks he's trying to get laid. As long as no one finds out about his crush on Addison, he can pretend it's not there.

Instead of giving Bonzo the satisfaction of a reply, Zed chooses to take a long drink from his coffee, ignoring the bitter taste as it washes down his throat. Black coffee isn't his favorite, but most mob bosses don't drink vanilla bean lattes with two pumps of caramel.

Bonzo finishes off the rest of his sandwich quickly. Zed isn't in as much of a hurry, though, taking a few generous bites here and there. He tries to savor as much of his childhood favorite as he can. Plus, lunch with Bonzo is a nice change in pace from their typical day-to-day.

The bell above the door chimes, and Bonzo nods his head toward it, saying, "Eliza's here." Zed hums in acknowledgement. Bonzo scoots down in the booth, making space for Eliza to join them.

Eliza, the manager of Dezzy's Delicious Diner, Zed's personal computer junkie and all around best friend, slides into the booth next to Bonzo. She sits with her back straight, brown curls pulled back in a neat ponytail, her eyes dark and guarded. She looks powerful, scarily powerful, and if Zed didn't know her so well he might actually be afraid. Actually, because he knows her so well, he's a tiny bit afraid.

Zed finishes off the rest of his coffee, letting his two friends watch him. Eliza, despite being the embodiment of confidence, wouldn't dare start the 'business' meeting. She knows better, and Zed knows she knows better.

Zed places his mug on his tray carefully, finally looking up at his friends. "You're late," he notes.

She spreads her hands, saying simply, "Traffic," as if that answers everything.

Zed hums to himself. She raises an eyebrow, waiting for him to get into why he called an emergency meeting at the diner. He neatly folds his hands on the table, and finally says in a quiet voice, "We lost 9th Avenue."

"We?"

Zed nods. "Yes, we. And a little birdie told me that they aren't stopping there."

Eliza frowns at him. "You called a very public meeting to tell me this." It's more of a statement than a question.

"And for other reasons." Zed fights the urge to look over to the counter, where he knows Addison is. Watching them, maybe. Or maybe helping a customer, or cleaning. All he knows is she's there, and she could possibly figure him out and hate him and everything he does.

But he hadn't come in knowing Addison would be there. He needed to make a statement, even if it was just in a small way. Even without his dad there, Seabrook belongs to the Necrodopolis family.

"Family dinner," he states. "Tonight. Food will be served at seven, be there by six thirty. Bring your girlfriends." Zed turns his eyes to Eliza and adds, "Bring her brother, too. Dress appropriately, we have things to discuss."

Zed stands, grabbing his empty mug and half eaten sandwich. He crosses the diner, disposing of both in their proper places. Bonzo's right behind him, getting rid of his own food. The two of them head for the door, but at the last second, Zed turns and walks back to the counter.

Addison looks up at him, surprised and a little scared. Zed gives her a genuine smile, pulling out his wallet. He takes out the first bill he comes in contact with, placing it in the tip jar next to the register. People loved generosity. Plus, he does still need to make a statement, though he's not sure if its geared to the report or Addison now.

"See you around, Addison." He throws in a wink, catching the way her face flushed before he turns and heads out of the diner.