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<div style="font-family: times;
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font-size: 13px;">The cold and the snow were never her favourites; in fact she was far more inclined to enjoy holiday destinations with the opposite weather. Sunny, hot, ocean breezes. The sand beneath her toes, sea birds squawking as they scavenged across the sand and swooped the seas in hopes of finding their next meal. Every day ended with sampling a new gelato flavour, dinners were enjoyed with white wine or aperol spritz. Summer, beachside holiday destinations had quickly become her go-to.<br/>
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The upheaval and eventual ending of her relationship with Clayton however, had forced Kelsie to try to look at things in a new light. It forced her to step outside of her comfort zone and find joy in nooks and crannies she hadn't previously looked in; to view the world with a fresh set of eyes instead of rolling with normality and what she found comfortable.That included, choosing a holiday destination that wasn't the beautiful west coast of Australia, Santorini or a tropical island paradise. Instead, she found herself enjoying the opposite and making the most out of a new adventure.<br/>
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Cerulean eyes cast out across the room and through the window of the lodge. Snowfall had resumed. Snowflakes fell from the sky, smattering across the ground, coating the already white earth in a fresh film of icy powder. Visiting a quaint town during the holiday season - particularly where the promise of snow was apparent - had been on her bucket list for years. Only a week ago had she booked accommodation in the sleepy town of Carrondale, deciding she was going to follow through with her promise to break the normal and avoid her next holiday being beachside.<br/>
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Years ago, they'd lived in a town only thirty minutes from Carrondale, in a quiet suburb where her father worked in the police force and her mother, as a pastry chef. They moved around every couple of years, something she'd discovered at quite a young age, due to her father chasing career progression and grabbing any opportunity they could to succeed. Her mother was a wanderer at heart and enjoyed the change, giving them ample opportunities to discover the smaller towns within the country they lived in. Whilst living in Brighton Le Rivers, they had never visited Carrondale, though she'd heard about the fantastic snow season they received over the Christmas period.<br/>
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The Jarretts had moved whilst Kelsie was in high school, a disruptive experience that had a large impact on her life, and her studies at the time. She'd always wanted to be a professional ballet dancer, yet knew that the process of dancing to such high calibre was strenuous and often lead to disappointment and heartbreak. Hence, why she'd decided to pursue a career in the health sector, as an occupational therapist - thankfully having received the appropriate grades to gain entrance to university, despite the chaos of changing schools in the time period.<br/>
<br/>
Upon researching the town of Carrondale, it didn't take long to discover the popular and only cafe in town was owned by none other than Alexander Winters. A dear friend she'd made whilst living in Brighton Le Rivers which eventually developed into a crush, though she'd never declared her feelings for him. They were young, naive and with the constant shuffling around of her living situation - it never would have worked out. She hadn't spoken to him for some years and having discovered an interview with the local newspaper he'd done a couple of months ago regarding his business venture, Kelsie found herself spiralling to find all the pervy details she could on him. Did he live in town or still live in Brighton Le Rivers? Was he married? Did he have kids? Did he work at the cafe or merely own it? Did his parents still live locally? Did he typically holiday around this time of year?<br/>
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It was only when Kelsie found herself clicking onto Alex's friend's sister's uncle's son's social media page did she feel as if she'd perhaps dug too deep. Though, she did find a small selection of pictures of Alex with a tray full of muffins on his social media page, hinting at the fact he worked at the cafe he owned. A smile caught across her lips as she decided she'd venture into town the next morning to grab a chai latte at the local cafe. After all - it was snowing and it was a small town with very limited options for entertainment other than the usual snowboarding, skiing and ice skating - what else was she going to do?<br/>
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So she tugged on a woollen, camel coloured coat over her sweater, followed by adorning a black scarf around her neck, with a matching beanie and gloves. Upon stealing a glance at herself in the mirror, Kelsie briefly adjusted her honey blonde locks to sit neater beneath the beanie, before retrieving a tube of soft pink lipgloss and swiping a layer across her pouty lips. Shuffling into black boots, she grabbed a set of keys from the table and shoved them into the pocket of her coat before exiting from the cosy room. The cool air whisked around her, chilling her face, causing a gentle pink tint to stamp across her cheeks and nose.<br/>
<br/>
The lodge she was staying in was rather central to town, thankfully. Kelsie decided a walk would be more beneficial rather than driving in - moving her body and amounting a couple of steps was always preferable rather than driving everywhere. The snow fell lightly, littering across her attire in a shimmer of white. Would Alex even be working today? Did he still own the cafe? The interview had been a couple of months ago and there was no telling he'd still own it. Better yet - would he even remember her? They hadn't spoken since their teenage years; a lot had happened since then.<br/>
<br/>
Ten minutes passed before the facade of the cafe came into view. The open sign dangled against the glass door, the soft glow of candles and warm lighting evident from within. A flutter of nerves released through her stomach as Kelsie began to approach the cafe. If Alex wasn't working, at least she'd be able to warm herself up with a hot beverage. Was she to act surprised if she saw him? Or admit she'd known he was the owner? Teeth began to nibble on her lower lip as she entered the cafe, unsure what type of story she'd spin if she happened to bump into him.<br/>
<br/>
The cafe was bustling with people, evidently popular among locals and tourists. The smell of coffee immediately assaulted her senses, along with the gentle wafts of bacon and eggs. Soft chatter filled the room, alongside the sound of the coffee machine operating to deliver a hit of caffeine to waiting patrons. Kelsie sauntered towards the register, disappointment burying into the pits of her stomach as a young woman stood behind, taking orders from the short line of patient customers. <i>Damn. </i>Maybe he wasn't working after all. Her eyes wandered over the glass cabinet beside the counter, noting the selection of sweet and savoury treats. The person in front of her stepped aside, prompting Kelsie to step forward. The red haired woman behind the counter grinned eagerly, revealing a row of braces along her teeth. The name tag pinned to her shirt revealed her name was Fiona.<br/>
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"Hello. How can I help you?" she enquired.<br/>
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"Just a medium chai latte, please. Oh, and one of the toffee macadamia muffins please," Kelsie replied, politely returning the smile. As the girl began to tap her order into the iPad, blue eyes lifted over her shoulder, to the food preparation area. A man with milk chocolate hair caught her eye, though his back was to her. Butterflies swept through her stomach. Alex?<br/>
<br/>
"That'll be $8.90," Fiona announced, placing the eftpos machine closer to Kelsie, whom was looking beyond the woman serving her, devoured by her thoughts. "Um... sorry, ma'am. Just tap your card when you're ready," she said, attempting to regain the blonde's attention.<br/>
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"Oh, sorry," Kelsie laughed, nervous undertone evident. She tapped the card against the machine, a muted beep signalling the successful transaction before she stepped aside. There had been no preparation for what she'd even say to Alex, if it was indeed him. She couldn't help but feel awkward, knowing their meeting was premeditated and certainly not a coincidence. Though, there weren't many other options for coffee in town, so was it premeditated? Or simply a happy coincidence that Alex happened to own the most popular cafe in town?<br/>
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