Played like a Phonograph

Chapter 4

Jeremy came to a sudden hault outside the cafe. He was carefully looking inside through the large front window of the cafe. I understood why he was hiding. I traced his eyes to the table that we had been sitting on, at which now sat a tall dark haired girl with a tinge of auburn in them. She had the perfect height every girl dreams of having, probably an inch taller that Jeremy. Her long, wavy strands cascaded down below her shoulder blades, her eyes darted around the cafe, as she held tightly a small cappucino in one hand, one leg crossed over the other and it looked as if she was waiting somewhat impatiently. This apparently was his Anita. She was a beauty and she was leaving him.

" Are you hiding from someone?", Helga chuckled with a surprised tone.

" That girl overthere on the table we sat on, is Anita. She's really here. This is really it. She is offcially going to break up now and I will never see her again." Jeremy stopped and took a deep breath in an attempt to relax the tightening in his chest. Then said, "despite what she did with me, I don't know why I still don't want this to happen. I think I'll miss her, which I shouldn't." Jeremy's voice had a certain level of hurt, surprise and sad sourness in it. For a short moment to me, it felt as if he was just going to break into tears in front of us and the next thing he'd be doing would be weeping on my shoulder, or Helga's. Or both of us. But Helga put an arm around him and rubbed his shoulder. For some reason, that made me flinch and I felt taken aback. My embrace felt empty. At this moment, I wanted to push Helga's arm away and hug him tight, squeezing his chest and kissing him on the cheek, even if that wasn't necessary, and just tell him that it will be alright-- that his current feeling will soon go away and is only temporarily shocking. Nothing like this happened though. 

" I will need you both to come inside with me. I may need your support. You both can sit at a far end of the cafe, while I'm sitting and talking to Anita. Can yo both do that for me, please?" Jeremy asked hopefully, after long sighs.

" If that's what you want, we will help you, of course." I grinned. Jeremy then looked up to Helga for her word and she nodded in agreement. He took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. He walked in first and Helga and I followed a few seconds later. We both sat down at a free table on the opposite side of Anita's. We watched as Jeremy casually walked up to her, smiling.

It seemed to be a nice, friendly start when they both met each other. Then they came to the point of the meeting. Their looks become more serious, but would frequently break into smiles and chuckles on one thing or the other. We watched and stared and tapped our fingertips on the table surface, as the two conversed. Anita would often sip her steaming coffee, but Jeremy didn't drink anything. He was more serioulsy concerned about the conclusion of their conversation and what was going to become of their failing relationship which was blatant.

I blackened everything around me--the facts that Anita and Jeremy were breakign up, that Anita was a stupid bitch to leave him, that I had just met Jeremy a few hours ago in this cafe that is now going to hold a strange, unwanted memory of their break up for me, and the fact that I was already falling for him. I realised how perfect they both looked as a couple. There was something very common in how they both appeared together which made them look great for each other. Something that I felt but couldn't see or explain. It was like some kind of vibe or sensation that came from them at the same time which made part of me want them to not break up and stay together forever. But at the same time, part of me just couldn't see them together, giving me an uncomfortable feeling. Call it jealousy, but it wasn't exactly that. Maybe just a little. I looked at how she tucked her hair and smiled at him and then did the same with a frown and he looked at her with the same warm look, both the times. I noticed every minor movement and expression between them, things that were probably not meant to be noticed.