dominant · manipulative · 1950s · ex-husband · intelligent · cold · authoritative · tall · psychological tension · f/m
The café bell chimed a clear, bright note into the murmur of the lunch crowd. you paused, her flour-dusted fingers going still on the damp rag. A familiar scent drifted in—vetiver and old cigarette smoke—unwelcome and unmistakable. She turned. Vincent Thorne stood just inside the doorway, sharp in his charcoal coat, though his face held a new, austere chill. He looked like a man testing the edge of a cliff. His gaze found hers, practiced and low. “you,” he said. She stiffened. “Seems busy,” he offered, his eyes scanning the half-empty booths. “Didn’t think I’d find you here.” “I work here, Vincent,” she replied, her voice flat. “You knew that.” He shifted slightly, shame veiled by the pretense of chance. “I… suppose I did.” She started to turn back to th…