That evening, Demitra found herself at her favorite café, her laptop open in front of her as she sipped on a chai latte. She was supposed to be editing her latest video, but her mind kept drifting back to that tour, to Atlas's smirk and those intense, amber eyes. It was annoying. And distracting. And infuriatingly... charming.

"Focus," she muttered to herself, tapping her fingers against her mug. "Lock in, Demitra. This video isn't going to edit itself."

But then, as if summoned by her thoughts, she heard a familiar voice.

"Long night, mami?"

Demitra looked up, her heart skipping a beat. Atlas was standing behind the counter, wearing the café's signature black apron, her locs tied back loosely. A few locs had escaped, framing her face in a way that made her look effortlessly cool. She looked as casual as ever, but there was a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Demitra asked, unable to hide her surprise.

Atlas shrugged, leaning on the counter with a lazy grin. "Got a job here. Gotta pay the bills, you know? Graphic design student life isn't exactly cheap."

Demitra raised an eyebrow. "You? Working in a coffee shop? I figured you'd be one of those 'digital nomad' types, working from a beach in Bali."

Atlas chuckled. "Guess I'm full of surprises."

There was a beat of silence, and then Atlas's eyes flicked to her laptop. "What are you working on?"

Demitra glanced at her screen, then back at Atlas, debating how much to reveal. Finally, she sighed. "Editing a video. It's for my channel."

Atlas leaned in a bit closer, her gaze fixed on Demitra's screen. "Mind if I watch?"

Demitra felt her defenses falter, but she managed a shrug. "Fine. Just... don't say anything dumb."

They watched in silence as the video played, Demitra feeling oddly self-conscious as her on-screen self cracked jokes and went through her daily routine. But Atlas was quiet, watching with an expression that was both thoughtful and intrigued.

When it ended, Atlas turned to her with a grin. "You know, you're actually pretty good at this... for a nonprofessional."

Demitra rolled her eyes, trying to hide the way her chest swelled with pride. "Yeah, thanks. Now go make yourself useful and get me another chai latte."

Atlas laughed, straightening up. "Coming right up, mami."

And as she walked away, Demitra couldn't help but smile, her heart pounding with a strange, unfamiliar excitement.