Red Coffee Shop

Chapter 1

It was a small shop located in a very sparsely populated area of the city. Most of the guests were locals. But, some of them had just gotten lost.

The coffee had a door with an oak coating where a cup of coffee had been carved on a stained-glass window. There were two large windows that gave from the outside, seen to the warm atmosphere of the interior. Clinging to the edge of the window, geraniums made the outside, in greyish bricks, more cheerful. When one opened the heavy door, a small bell rang. Our sense of smell was immediately lulled by the sweet and creamy smell of coffee as we entered. She permeated every corner of the room and it was immediately possible to imagine that for a long-time coffee had been served here. The brick wall was visible from the inside, where the windows were. Opposite, there was a nice corner for the winter evenings. There were four armchairs around a chessboard with a fireplace. Above the fireplace stood a small ledge with a bouquet of flowers. Clinging to the wall, there was a photo of the manager and his family. The light floor was made of wood as well as the dark frame which could be seen on the ceiling. The walls, on the other hand, were painted in orange. He only had three other tables with three chairs each time. There was a library with some old books decorating the different shelves. There were also coffee seeds on the other empty shelves, which could be served in the beverage. The room was illuminated by sorts of old lanterns with yellowish light that made the room even more wintery. It was true that there were more customers in the winter. Sometimes the manager would let music come out of his phone. Sometimes the manager would let music out of his phone. He wanted it to be quiet and peaceful, more like background music.

The counter was on the side and when you entered the small store, you would come to the left side of it. The counter was also made of oak wood. There was a part to pay, a small bakery part which was filled thanks to a baker who delivered delicious sweets every morning. And of course, behind the counter was an incalculable quantity of coffee machines: decoction, infusion, percolation, leaching, were methods that the manager could use to satisfy his customers because he had the machines. There was a golden rule in this café: no instant coffee. From the simple coffee like the cappuccino to the more experienced coffee like the Brûlot Charentais, the manager knew how to finely blend each spice to create a unique taste in each new cup. Frequent customers had begun to get into the habit of asking the manager for "the surprise". The manager would then create a coffee shop just for the customer. If the customer liked it, the manager would save the recipe for the customer's next visit.

When one met the manager for the first time, one could be surprised at his outfit. It wasn't his clothes; however, he wore a brown apron with black trousers and a brown shirt. However, it was both her age and her hair that could question the client. He was only nineteen years old. He had actually inherited the coffee from his parents who were now too old to practice. However, they would come in from time to time to lend a hand. Legend has it that he wanted to go into long study before changing professions. The uncultured will judge that he was forced by his parents. However, coffee lovers knew that this was not true because his way of enjoying coffee was out of the ordinary. As for his hair, it was bright red, tied up in a little ponytail. His bangs, on the other hand, were a little battered.

The day for the young man started at six o'clock. He was having lunch at the cafe. He actually lived above the shop. But he preferred to make his coffee in his shop. Before having lunch, he would prepare the room by, among other things, lowering the chairs from the tables and lighting a small fire. It was his custom to sweep the chairs on the tables in the evening and in the morning he would take them down. He took a cup from the counter and made himself a simple black coffee. Lunch consisted of a small toast and his black coffee. At half past six, the baker came. They were very close and sometimes, when they had both of them on leave, he would see himself with their group of friends. This baker then helped to place the pastries because in some places they would be more visible and more attractive to customers. Then he has a little coffee before he leaves. At seven o'clock sharp, the café opens.