The strong bitter aroma
of ground coffee beans
drifted in the air, soaking
into my clothes as I made
my way to a table.
Her hand clasped against mine
as she pulled me by the grimy
window that looked out onto an
equally grimy street.
The cafe was decorated to fit
the season's theme. Lights
strung from the ceiling like
drops of rain, a mistletoe
hung from the entry door. A
small murmur of voices
coated the scent of the coffee.
"You really hate coffee, don't you?"
Her voice swooned over the other
voices. "Yet you go to a cafe."
I grabbed a napkin and scribbled
some jumbled words and slid it
across the table. You don't like
the waitress yet you still come
here.
She shook her head as her
curls bounced on her shoulders.
"I like the view," She nodded her
head to her usual spot. "Gives
me perspective."
And I like you.
I wrote in a sloppy handwriting
but before passing it to her,
I quickly scribbled on it.
"Hey, that's not fair. Show
me what you wrote," she
poked my cheek.
I shook my head.
"Well then. Hey, listen, that's
my favorite Christmas song!
Let's dance." She stood up
and pulled my hand, dragging
me to the jukebox. Her eyes
glistened with joy, for once.
"You know, Charlie, you
made this Christmas worthwhile."
I raised an eyebrow at her but
a smile soon spread across
my lips.
"I'm serious. If it wasn't for you,
I'd be making headlines tomorrow."
