Even during slow hours, she avoided lingering. She answered questions efficiently, smiled when required, and melted into the background with practiced ease. As an investor, Evan relied on his gut feeling about people; Lena seemed to hide fear behind her gentleness.
One morning, he watched another waitress teasing Lena about grabbing drinks after work. Lena declined with a soft, reflexive “Maybe next time,” the kind that really meant never. Evan made a mental note. He did not think anyone knew anything personal about her. She’d built an entire life on polite evasions, and it made him wonder why.