I

I was sitting outside a small coffee shop, the sky was grey eaten by the dark clouds, cold wind biting through the streets of cobblestone, nonetheless, I was sitting outside drinking a black coffee, admiring the view of the small old street, old buildings surrounding the brand new coffee shop opened just three days ago, even tho, the price was no very fitting for my pocket.

I took a deep breath to slowly let it out in a long grumpy sigh, searching my pockets for a lighter, I lit a cigarette, while opening an old small bottle of rum which poured the little rest into my coffee, just to take the edge out of life.

While I was occupied with my unhealthy routine I heard the opening of the door of the coffee shop, it had a weird french looking name, I didn't really care to memorize the name for I don't think I will come again. Fearing that an employer see me pouring alcohol, my coffee, I quicken my gaze to the opening door. To my relief, It was just another customer, her face, red as blood or a really red tomato, holding her cup with shivering hands, we locked eyes.

Me, not having really any social comforting aura, I just smiled and offered her a cigarette, Jokingly saying "you look red as a rose, have a smoke it will help you out".

I hoped she would refuse my offer and just brush the weird silence and locking of eyes as me just being an asocial cunt, yet to my surprise she took my offer and accepted, putting the cigarette up to her mouth and motioning me with her hand for the lighter.

She sat in an adjacent table, drinking some hot chocolate with whipped cream and those colourful sweet sparkling whatever they are, a drink perfect for a child, the problem was, she was around her twenties, dark red hair, and green eyes, an unusual but beautiful combination.

Thanks to the cold weather I could only see her face, the rest except for her hair, was covered by warm clothes, in comparison, i looked like some type of vagabond, broken thin sweatpants, a black long sleeved t shirt burned by cigarettes embers and full of ash, topping everything with an olive green jacket, a gift from my sister.

Fixing my glasses and with the bravery of rum and coffee, I tried to make small talk, even though I hate small talk.

"so ... what happened, did you fall in love at first sight?.....because you know, you look like the reddest tomato I have ever seen" My voice raspy as always makes it sound like some type of interrogation made by a parent.

"Why do you care?" The young lady said with an annoyed tone, thought I could see a little blushing in her cheeks.

"I don't know, I'm bored and curious" I replied with the same raspy voice.

"Thanks for the cigarette, but i'm in no mood for talking" she told me, paying zero to no attention to me, but very interested in her hot chocolate.

I sighted and came back to my business, watching the sky and smoking cigarettes, the hobby of kings. Some minutes passed and while I was in my third smoke she had just finished hers with a dreamy face, I like to look at people's faces while they dream,I thought to myself, I wonder what they are dreaming about, hopes, illusions, memories from the past, sadness, happiness,etc.

I was in deep thought looking at the clouded sky when a mischievous raindrop fell on top of my glasses. "Bloody hell" I muttered to myself, while the rest of the raindrops started to fall, as so, in a matter of seconds rain dropped from the darkened skies.

I slowly tapped the shoulder of the woman with the dreamy face, waking her up from her sweet dreams. "The sky is crying, better go inside, maybe you could see the face of the sweet prince that stole your heart" I tell her, slightly in a mocking voice.

"Fuck off, I went outside because I didnt want to see her face, in the first place" she replied, in a toying tone.

"Oohhh....was the owner? A little too old in my opinion" I said, making a srhugging motion.

I did met the owner, a woman in her late forties, full of high spirits, not the spirits I'm interested in.

"Not her, she is too old, the..... Forget it" She told me with shyness.

"Well, what about the cashier, she got quite the eyes" I told her while I tried to remember the face of the cashier.

I remember just giving her the cash for my coffee, looked very young, white skin as snow yada yada, blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, small height, around 1,50 I would guess and some big round grey eyes that fit perfectly with her perfect white smile, so perfect that made me self conscious about my yellowing teeth.

The young lady didn't utter a word but watch as the rain started to go even harder

"Bloody hell" I shouted in a whisper, the both of us stood up, she was just a little a bit over my shoulder, so around 1,75, I suck at eyeballing things so don't take it to heart, we went silently into the warm and well illuminated shop to finish our beverages, the owner behind the counter and the cashier watching with big eyes the rain falling.

"If you pour alcohol you ruin the coffee you mutt!!" the owner yelled at me with a frustrated face.

"Who me?" I pointed a finger to myself trying to play dumb.

"Who else, you are the only alcoholic in here" she replied with a disappointed face.

"You got no shame, a professor with no manners, alcoholic, smoker without a groomed beard

And please for the love of god just cut your hair, you look like a junkie" she continued her bombarding of verbs to me, while I just dissociated into my mind.

The lady just sitting in silence in a corner holding her cup with both hands, she was wearing a black jacket with fur on its inside, purple pants, and winter boots, everything to not feel cold in winter.

While the owner, Juliet, kept making a presentation of how I should be, in the corner of my eye I saw the cashier taking some furtive stares to the hot chocolate lady.

"Are you listening to me?!?!" Juliet sprung into action when I didn't say anything and just nodded.

"Yes I am, maam, but I'm happy with how I am, and I'm not looking to make any changes" I said while staring at her grey eyes, the same color as the cashier.

"God help you," Juliet sighed, giving up on me.

"Elisa my dear, why don't you get the rest of the day free, you had worked hard, and tomorrow your classes start, If you are lucky you won't have this good for nothing profesor" Juliet said with a heartwarming smile, without a care that I was still there.

"Yes, miss!!" Elisa jumped like a rabbit to the back of the shop.

"Be careful to not slip and fall" Juliet added, but Elisa had already disappeared from everyone's vision.

"She is a good girl, not that you would know anything about kids" said Juliet, her body facing my way, wearing an orange apron and a standard uniform.

"If she is going to university, I wouldn't consider her a kid" I responded, already tired of standing up.

"Look at you, you are already tired of standing, you are worse than me, and I'M OLDER!!" an undignified look spread over her and over me.

I went and sat on a wooden chair to finish my coffee in peace, Juliet, already interested in another prey.

"By the way, she is single'' said in a mocking voice to the lady seated behind me. She immediately spit her chocolate and looked shocked at Juliet.

"Don't try to hide that you weren't looking at her with lustful eyes" Juliet kept teasing, the lady with no form of defense chose to just look straight into the wall, defeated.

I quickly finished my coffee and went home, trying to escape the scenery that had become the coffee shop.

"Le café de Juliette" I muttered while I looked behind my back to the name of the establishment.

"You don't even know french....."