Leo and Oli- Another take on Romeo and Juliet

Phil's

We started to make our way down the paved street. The sights and smells were unlike anything I've ever experienced. The buildings were all made from a maroon colored brick and varied in sizes. The sidewalks were narrow and cracked, with vegetation growing out of every crevice. The light posts were scarce. I loved it. It was absolutely beautiful. Perfectly imperfect. I was amazed. However, alongside that amazement was a growing bitterness. How could my mother keep this from me? She was never a good mother, but this was just unbelievable. There was a whole new, exciting world out there, that I had no idea ever existed. She took away my best friend on top of it. I was beyond angry with my mother. We took a sharp left turn, and reached a small clothing shop, simply titled Phil's.

As we entered, I was greeted with the strong smell of cologne. I let out a small cough, trying to be discrete.

Oliver laughed and said, "It's ok. Phil uses way too much cologne. He sprays every article of clothing he sells. After a while, you'll get used to it."

The shop was small, and you could reach up and touch the ceiling rafters. The floor was cement, but someone had laid various rugs on the floor to make it appear cozy. I loved it.

A tall, lanky man came out from behind a clothing rack towards the back of the store. He had thin ginger hair, and bright blue eyes. He had a few wrinkles, mainly around his eyes and the corners of his mouth. Smile lines. He was wearing thick rimmed glasses, that were matte black. He had on a purple suit jacket with black slacks.

"Oliver!" The man announced joyously. "How have you been?"

"Phil, I've never been better! How's business?"

"The same as usual. The regulars still come, but newcomers are hard to find. Speaking of which, who's this?"

"I'm Leonardo," I offered. "I've lived here for a while, but this is my first time in town. You have a very nice shop."

"Thank you, young man! Is there anything I can help you find?"

"He's looking for a white shirt, similar to the once he's wearing. He tripped earlier and landed in some mud," Oliver answered for me.

I nodded and added, "If my mother were to find out, she would be beside herself."

"No problem!" Phil reassured me. "I think I have one just like that in the back! I'll be right back."

He winked at Oliver and wiggled his eyebrows up and down before he turned to search the back of his shop. Oliver rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Phil is the first person I told about my family. He has been like a father to me. A good father, nothing like my biological one. He is the kindest man I've ever met," Oliver gushed about the man in the back.

"He seems great," I answered.

I was somewhere else though. Part of me wondering if leaving would be a good idea. Another wondering why that's even a question; of course I want to leave! And a small part wondering why Phil had winked at Oliver.

At that moment, Phil appeared holding a white shirt almost identical to the one I was wearing.

"It's almost exactly the same!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, yes. The only difference is the sleeves. See the shirt you're wearing has embroidery on the sleeves. This one does not," Phil explained to me, as he sat down in an old, creaky chair.

"That's even better. I hated that embroidery," I laughed.

"Well nonetheless, this is free of charge. A little gift from me to you for your first day in town."

"Thank you very much, sir. That's extremely kind."

"Of course! Now I'm willing to bet that Oliver is going to take you to Louises'. Am I correct?" He pivoted in his seat, directing his question to Oliver.

"You know me too well, Phil," Oliver chuckled. "But I'm going to take him there later this week. He's spending the rest of the week in the motel to take a little time off from his folks."

"Who is Louise?" I inquired.

"Only the owner of the best diner in town."

"Well now I have high expectations," I joked.

"They will be met. I promise," Oliver answered back seriously.