Chapter 221: Chapter 221

"So, what's your name, miss?" Sonny asked, his voice casual as he turned to her, his elbow resting lightly on the table, his cappuccino and brownie same as hers. Updates are released by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝓷𝓮𝓽

Aeri glanced at him, her lips curving into a small smile as she set her cup down. "It's Aeri," she said, her voice soft but warm. "And what's yours?"

"That's a beautiful name," Sonny said, his smile widening, his dark eyes catching the light. "Mine's Sonny."

"Yours is nice too. It's pretty unique," Aeri said, tilting her head as she sipped her coffee, the frothy warmth grounding her. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering on the cup's handle.

Sonny raised an eyebrow, a playful confusion crossing his face.

"Is it?" he asked, his tone light as he leaned back, his hands wrapping around his own cup. "I never thought about it like that."

"Yep," Aeri said, nodding with a teasing smile. "You don't hear 'Sonny' every day. It's got a cool vibe, like something from an old movie." She took another sip, her eyes meeting his, a spark of ease passing between them.

Sonny chuckled, his laugh warm and genuine as he sipped his coffee. "I see," he said, his smile lingering. "Well, I don't know anyone named Aeri except the woman I just met, so I'd say you're pretty unique yourself." His tone was playful, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

Aeri laughed, her lips pursing as she tried to stifle the sound, a soft blush creeping up her cheeks. "Oh, come on…" she said, her voice light and teasing as she waved a hand dismissively, though her smile betrayed her enjoyment.

Their shared laughter filled the space between them, a moment of lightness that eased the weight of her earlier worries about Ezra.

Sonny leaned forward slightly, his brownie untouched as he rested his chin on his hand. "So, what do you do, Aeri?" he asked, his voice curious but gentle, his gaze steady and attentive.

Aeri hesitated, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup as she exhaled, her shoulders relaxing.

"Umm… nothing, really," she said, raising an eyebrow with a small, playful smile. "Just living, you know?" Her voice was light, but there was a hint of uncertainty beneath it, her thoughts flickering to Ezra and the house they shared.

Sonny tilted his head, his smile softening as he studied her. "That sounds pretty pleasant," he said, his tone thoughtful. "But I'm guessing there's someone who keeps things running, right? Every house needs a breadwinner."

Aeri's smile faltered for a moment, her fingers pausing on the cup as her thoughts drifted to Ezra again. "Yeah, my stepson," she said, her voice quieter now, her eyes dropping to the table. "He looks after me and the house." Her finger traced slow circles on the cup's edge, her mind replaying their tense morning, the way she'd brushed him off.

Sonny nodded, his expression warm and sincere. "That's a responsible, good son you raised," he said, his voice carrying a genuine compliment as he took a bite of his brownie, chewing thoughtfully. "Takes a lot to step up like that."

Aeri's lips curved into a warm smile, her heart lifting slightly at the praise, though it was tinged with guilt. "Hehe, thank you," she said, her voice soft but genuine as she looked up at him, her blush returning faintly. "He's a good guy. Keeps things together, even when I'm… not always great at it."

After a brief pause, Aeri turned to Sonny, her curiosity sparking as she set her coffee cup down, her fingers brushing the handle.

"What about you, Sonny?" she asked, her voice light but genuinely interested, her brown eyes meeting his. "What do you do?"

Sonny leaned back in his chair, a warm smile spreading across his face as he took a sip of his cappuccino, the foam clinging to his lip for a moment before he wiped it away.

"I'm an agency owner," he said, his tone casual but proud. "Started out designing websites and stuff on my own, just messing around with code and graphics. Then I teamed up with some developers, designers, and editors, and now we run it like a proper company."

Aeri's eyes widened, her lips curving into an impressed smile. "Woah, that's cool," she said, her voice bright as she leaned forward slightly, resting her elbow on the table. "Running your own company sounds like a big deal. Must keep you busy."

Sonny chuckled, breaking off a piece of his brownie and popping it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Hehe, thank you," he said, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "It's a lot of work, but I love it. Keeps me on my toes, you know? Plus, I get to be creative every day."

Aeri nodded, her smile softening as she traced a finger along the rim of her cup, a spark of pride lighting her expression. "Oh, by the way," she said, her voice tinged with excitement, "my stepson's a web designer too." She sat up straighter, her chest puffing out slightly as she spoke, clearly proud of Ezra.

Sonny's eyebrows shot up, his smile widening with genuine surprise. "Damn, I see, that's a surprise," he said, leaning forward, his interest piqued. "That's awesome. So, does he work for some agency, or is he freelancing on his own?"

Aeri hesitated, her brow furrowing as she tried to piece together what she knew about Ezra's work. "Umm… I'm not totally sure," she admitted, her voice faltering as she tapped her finger on the cup, her eyes drifting to the table. "He gets calls from this friend named Jonathan, and then he heads to an office to meet clients, as far as I know. I think he's working on projects, but he doesn't talk about it much." She bit her lip, her mind racing as she tried to recall details, the uncertainty about Ezra's whereabouts creeping back in.

Sonny tilted his head, his expression thoughtful as he sipped his coffee, his brow creasing slightly. "I see," he said, his voice calm but curious. "That's interesting. I don't know anyone named Jonathan in the industry around here, and us agency owners tend to know each other, at least by name. We're always in touch, swapping clients or ideas."

Sonny nodded, setting his cup down and shrugging lightly, his smile reassuring. "I see, Then he must be someone new I guess.." he said, his tone easy as he leaned back.

Aeri tilted her head, her finger resting on her lips as she looked up, her brow furrowing in thought.

"Umm, no, Ezra's been working with him for about two years now," she said, her voice soft but certain as she tried to recall the details. "And he once told me Jonathan's been in this line of business for, like, ten years, if I'm remembering right." She glanced at Sonny, her eyes searching his face for a reaction, hoping she'd gotten the facts straight.

Sonny's gaze dropped to his coffee cup, his expression turning calculative, his brow creasing slightly as he processed her words.

"Hmm!?" he murmured, his voice low as he leaned back, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. A moment of silence passed, his eyes narrowing as if piecing together a puzzle. "That's weird," he muttered under his breath, almost to himself, his tone carrying a hint of confusion.

Aeri caught his words, her curiosity piqued. "What is weird?" she asked, leaning forward slightly, her voice gentle but insistent as she set her cup down.

Sonny blinked, his smile returning quickly as he waved a hand, deflecting the topic with a casual shrug. "No, no, nothing," he said, his tone light but a touch too quick, as if covering his thoughts. "So, your son's name is Ezra, huh? That's a cool name."

Aeri's face lit up, a bright smile spreading as she nodded, her earlier worry momentarily forgotten.

"Yep, it's a good name, right?" she said, her voice warm with pride, her eyes sparkling as she leaned her chin on her hand. "I always thought it suited him. Strong, but kind of unique."

Sonny chuckled, as he took a sip of his cappuccino. "Indeed. Unique like yours," he said, his tone playful, his smile teasing.

Aeri laughed, her cheeks flushing faintly as she swatted his arm lightly, her fingers barely grazing his sleeve. "There you go again with the flattering," she said, her voice teasing but soft, her smile widening as she shook her head. "You're too much."

"Hey…" Sonny said suddenly, his tone shifting to something warmer, more direct, as he reached out and gently grabbed Aeri's hand, pulling her closer from the small table. His touch was firm but careful, his eyes locking with hers, a spark of boldness in his gaze.

"Yeah?" Aeri gasped softly, her breath catching as she leaned in, the distance between them shrinking.

Her face flushed a deeper pink, her heart beating faster at the unexpected closeness, his hand warm against hers. She could smell the faint hint of his cologne, woody and clean, mixing with the coffee's aroma.

Sonny's smile softened, his eyes steady as he held her gaze. "I know a place nearby," he said, his voice low and inviting, a hint of excitement in his tone. "It's got great drinks. Would you like to have a drink with me there?"

Aeri gulped, her heart pounding as she processed his words, her hand still in his. Her mind raced, torn between the thrill of his invitation and the lingering worry about Ezra.

He's so nice… and it's just a drink, right? she thought, her thumb brushing nervously against his hand.

She tried to find the words to respond. "I… um…" she started, her voice faltering, her blush deepening as she looked into his warm eyes, the café's cozy hum wrapping around them, the night outside twinkling with possibility.