ELENORA
Mondays.
They're rough. Out of all the days in the week, I'm always the most tired on Mondays, which is why I'm at the cafe around the corner from my place waiting for my order.
I pass the time looking up why Mondays are so hard on my phone. I had no idea there's an actual thing called Monday sickness. Who knew?
Chuckling to myself as I skim through hilarious memes about Mondays, I sense someone pass by and sit down across from me; I look up and find Rico smiling.
"What do you have going on right now?"
"Hi, I'm fine, thank you."
He chuckles, as he looks around. "Hi, how are you?"
"What do you want?"
He laughs again. "Man, we can never do things in the proper order can we?"
I raise my eyebrow. "We or you?"
"Nora!" The barista calls out my name. I stand and grab my coffee with a pleasant smile then walk out without looking back.
"Dammit, Elenora, why do you have to be so difficult?" Rico mutters when he catches up to me.
"I'm sorry, my personality rubs you the wrong way. Oh, wait, no I'm not." I sip my pumpkin spice latte. "Weren't you the one who said we should limit our interactions? Yet here you are again." I start to take another sip but he pulls it out of my hands and takes a drink.
A passerby jumps back and scurries away to avoid the spraying coffee. "Yech! How can you drink this shit?" He walks over to a nearby garbage bin and tosses it.
"Hey!" I walk towards the trashcan but he grabs my hand and pulls me in the opposite direction.
"You weren't seriously going to dig that out of the garbage, were you?"
"No." I try to get him to let go of my hand. "What are you doing? Let go of my hand."
"We're in public and people need to see us together, remember?" He explains and I let my hand go limp which makes him laugh. He has one dimple on the left side of his cheek but not on his right.
"I thought it was only for planned events, not normal day to day outings," I mumble as I look around feeling self conscious. He's dressed in a suit and a wool coat to keep warm in the brisk weather; while I'm dressed in an oversized sweater with leggings, mid-calf boots, and a beanie.
"It will sell the image if we're seen doing day to day things," He explains. "I'll take you to the best coffee place in the city."
"I happen to like the coffee at that cafe."
"That's because you haven't tried something better," He grins at me and I focus on his dimple again. "You'll see."
The walk is silent but I'm surprised it's not uncomfortable. I look up and take notice of clouds stretching over the sky. I need to take a drive into the country, this would be a perfect chance to see all the beautiful colors.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
I glance over at him and see a smirk on his face. "It's not because of you if that's what you're wondering. I was thinking about how I need to drive out to the country to take pictures of all the fall colors."
"Hm." He walks to a door and I look up at the sign, Nero Cafè. He gestures for me to walk in after he opens the door. The strong coffee aromas as well as the sweetness from the pastries they sell overwhelm my senses as I step inside.
I scan over the menu and don't know what to order, but I jump when his hand makes contact with my hip and he pulls me closer. I turn my face to him, cheeks growing warm but his eyes are on the menu; this is going to take some getting used to.
"Do you know what you want to get?" But I'm too focused on the fact that his fingers are massaging my hip to answer him. That and the fact that it's not a repulsive sensation.
"Elenora?"
"Huh?"
He smiles and I tense when he leans in to kiss my temple. "Don't look, but there's a photographer sitting in the corner of the cafè." His lips linger on my face.
I swallow. "Um, I don't know what to get."
"I'll order for you, my love." He responds, appearing casual and I narrow my eyes at him. "That's not a look of love, tesoro mio." (my darling)
"Stop it with all the pet names, that's overkill."
"Is it? I thought girls like those?" He shrugs.
"Clearly, I'm not one of those girls."
"Yes, I'm learning that." He leans down and I pull away out of instinct but he holds on to me to kiss my cheek. "Why don't you grab us a table? While I order for us."
This is crazy.
I don't think I can do this. I turn from him and begin my search for a table when I spy the supposed photographer in the corner looking away from me. Rico clears his throat and I know it's meant for me to quit staring and find a table.
Let's see if this guy is a photographer like Rico claims. With a confident smile, I choose the table that's behind him on the higher level of the cafe. He'd have to make it pretty obvious if he was going to take pictures.
Rico walks over to me and sets a drink down in front of me. "I guarantee that's the best cappuccino you've ever had," he says with pride.
I pick up the cup and test the heat, not wanting to burn myself. Hmm. I'm pleasantly surprised, but I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that, especially when I'm still mad about him throwing my drink away earlier.
"It's alright."
"Just alright?" He asks and I nod. "You're lying, you like it, in fact you may even love it, but you're too proud to admit that I was right."
"How do you know I'm lying?
"You moaned quietly after you took a sip."
"I did not."
"You did. But go on, keep lying. I know the truth." He takes a sip of his own cup. "So what else do you have planned today?"
"I'm picking up some things at a local garden nursery for a photo shoot I'm doing tomorrow." What's the point in lying to him? I work, eat, talk to Clara and sleep on repeat lately.
"Okay, I'll come."
"What? Why? Don't you have work?"
He shrugs, taking in the ambiance of the cafe. "I can do it later."
"So...what do you do for fun, besides stalking me?" I take a sip, completely loving the cappuccino.
He grins before taking a long sip of his cup, keeping his eyes on me the entire time. "I like to work out, read—just not your types of books." He winks and my face grows red at the memory. "I'm into cars, vintage ones to be exact." He sets his cup down. "And I've recently started watching that show Outlander."
My eyes shoot up to his. "You have?"
He nods. "I'm confused though. She time travels, but her husband is also with her but doesn't recognize her?"
"No, no, no." I chuckle, shaking my head. "He's an ancestor of her husband's, that's why they look alike."
He purses his lips. "Okay, but then why was she with the red head?"
"Well, I don't want to spoil it for you."
He looks back at me like I'm the most annoying person. "Fine, she marries Jamie–the red head–to keep her safe, alive."
"Sounds familiar."
I narrow my eyes at him. "We're not getting married."
"Not yet," He smirks and lifts the cup to his lips again.
"Never." I focus on my own cup to not get distracted. "I'm never getting married."
"Why?"
"It's not for me."
"How do you know?" He follows up in the annoying, prying way he likes to do, but I change the subject.
"What's your favorite color?"
"Black."
Of course it is, I roll my eyes. I hear some rustling from the plants near us and then a buzzing, whirring sound reaches my ears.
"See, he's taking pictures." Rico's cockiness oozes in his voice. I shift my eyes behind Rico and the guy from earlier is not in his seat anymore. Instead, he's trying to be casual, standing near us but on the lower level. "You didn't believe me, did you?"
I ignore his question and sip my drink; he begins to laugh.
"What?" I set my cup down, clueless as to what is so funny right now.
He reaches across and wipes at the tip of my nose and my top lip. He sucks on his thumb afterward. "You had foam on your face."
"Oh, thanks." I wipe at my nose even though he's already cleaned it off.
"Are you ready to head out?" He holds his hand out for me and I hesitate before I take it again. This time he interlocks his fingers with mine.
"Where's the nursery?"
I tear my eyes away from our hands to see the amusement in his eyes, watching me.
"What?"
"The nursery, what's the name of it? I can call one of my drivers to come get us." He pops a piece of gum in his mouth.
"It's not that far, just a block away." I shiver walking out into the cold air.
"Here." He wraps his coat around my shoulders and his masculine, woodsy scent envelopes me. But I realize I don't smell the scent I was expecting.
"What?"
"I thought your coat would smell like cigarette smoke, but it doesn't."
"I'm trying to quit, that's why I'm chewing the gum." He inspects his phone while reaching for my hand again.
"Why are you trying to quit?"
"Because smoking is bad for you." He manages to text with one hand.
When we arrive at the nursery he helps me pick out what I need for the photo shoot and am surprised to find has a good eye for what I was planning. He asks a lot of questions but I don't mind talking about work, it's fun to explain the why's or don'ts of what I do.
As we step out of the nursery we're so engrossed in the conversation that I bump into someone.
"Elle?" I tense at the familiar voice. I inhale sharply as my heart begins to pound against my rib cage.
"Leo." The hazel eyes that I haven't seen in months, stare back at me.
I blink and then notice the girl next to him, she smiles at me and then at Rico. "Hi, I'm Monica, Leo's fiance."
I'm not sure I heard right. Did she say fiancé?
Yes, the huge rock on her hand is a dead give away, dummy.
My eyes land on the ring on her finger. Okay, I wasn't hearing things. It's okay, this okay.
"Hi, I'm...I'm Elenora." I think I'm smiling, but it's hard to know. I glance back at Leo, who's watching me and I can't wrap my head around the fact that he's getting married. There's a moment of awkward silence that passes before Rico steps in.
I completely forgot he was with me.
"I'm Rico, Elenora's boyfriend." He shakes both of their hands. Leo's eyes linger on the tattoos that adorn Rico's hand and his neck. Under normal circumstances I would notice the squeeze Rico gives my hip when he wraps his arm around my waist, but my eyes are glued on the ring on her hand.
"So...how have you been?" Leo asks, but my mind doesn't register he was asking me something until Rico's fingers dig into my hip.
"What? Oh, I'm good...great. You? Well, obviously you're great, you're getting married. Congratulations." I stutter out and then give him a hug and then his fiancè, too.
Is that normal?
Too late now, accept the awkwardness and move on.
Rico congratulates them too. "Well, it was good to meet you both, but we must be going, we have somewhere to be. Please excuse us." Rico smiles.
"Of course." Leo smiles in return and then his eyes focus on me. "Good to see you, Elle."
Rico steers us around them and guides us away. I start to look back, but Rico stops me.
"Don't."
"What?"
"Don't look back," he says. "You've already given him power over you for the last what? Five months? While he hasn't thought about you once if he's already getting married."
"Wow...that was...harsh."
"The truth is harsh."
The walk back to the apartment is quiet while I reflect on what he said and the fact that I saw Leo again for the first time after so much time. He looks different; he cut his shaggy hair short and he's sporting a goatee now.
I can't believe he's getting married.We were together for nearly two years and it never came up. Okay, obviously with what happened I had other things on my mind and then he left. And now he's getting married.
And she's gorgeous.
After Rico walked me home, he said he had a meeting to go to, but would call me later. I don't even remember saying goodbye, but I'm alone now...completely and utterly alone.
And the tears begin.
________________
"You know what I don't get?"
No one answers, but that doesn't stop me from responding to myself.
"Men. I mean, really what's up with men?" I finish my drink and slam the shot glass down. "Big Mike, hit me one more time, baby!" I tap on the counter.
"I think you've had enough darlin'." Mike throws a rag over his shoulder.
"Nope, I only see two of you. When I see four, that's when I've had enough." I hold my hands up; I think I have two fingers up. I look around the bar. "Hey, where's the band, Mike?"
"We don't have one, Nora, just the jukebox over there, remember?"
I swing my head over in the direction he gestures to and see the machine. "What? When did you get this?"
"When we opened, sweetheart." He smiles, wiping down some glasses.
"Welp, let's get the party started!" I hop off the stool and make my way to this supposed music box. "Let's see..." I squint to see the titles better. "Ah, this one will get everyone on their feet!" I hit the button and stagger back to the bar.
"Come on Mike, let me have it." I gesture with my hands.
Mike doesn't answer right away. "I don't know, Nora...."
"Aw, come on, Big Mike! Don't be such a party pooper! I'm about to bring the house down."
He laughs and then hands me the microphone behind the counter.
I tap it to make sure it's on. "Let's get this party started y'all!" I announce in the microphone.
***
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