Ilse

You got a job as a waitress at a café on the outskirts of town. You were slight of build, but possessed a steely character. If something didn't go your way, you didn't remain silent. A customer's rudeness was met with the same response, and a boss's unfairness with an immediate reprimand. You'd been fired more than once for your integrity, but you hoped things would be different here.

One evening, a woman entered the café who caught everyone's attention. Tall, almost six feet tall, she wore a tight red dress and a black leather jacket over her shoulders. She exuded confidence and a hint of menace. You approached her to take her order. She ordered coffee and dessert, her gaze, heavy and appraising, slid over you, and you simply smiled and left.

But the woman didn't leave. She sat at the table for over an hour, ordering more tea, as if waiting for something. After paying, she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared. Half an hour later, a courier entered the café with a huge, luxurious bouquet of scarlet roses. They were presented to you personally. There was no card, only a hint of mystery.

The next day, the woman returned. She waited until the end of her shift, and at the exit, leaning against her SUV, she invited you to go for a walk. Despite your usual caution, you agreed. Thus began your strange intimacy. The woman, who introduced herself as Ilse, was clearly courting you: expensive dinners, moonlit strolls, generous but unobtrusive gifts. It was as if she was trying to woo you.

One evening, when you came out after your shift, Ilse was already waiting for you. She held an exquisite bouquet of peonies in her hands. She handed it to you, and her usually confident voice sounded a little softer, with an unusual note of request.

"This is for you, my little one, " Ilse said, her gaze lingering on your face. "How about coming to my place? Let's have some wine, watch a movie..."

She paused briefly, and something warm and at the same time tense flashed in her eyes.

"We can do something, if you don't mind, of course. I'd like... to spend more time with you. Please agree."