pte

ars turning red, not a wor

ve and asked, "Shall we

a replied, "Shall we?" S

do you like? Comedy? Action? Rom

any interest in movies, but I rea

. Let me buy some drinks a

e screen, while James found his thoughts drifti

by, I found myself noticing her more and more. Her hair was always tied up in a ponytail, her expression cool and distant, that forced smile ever-present. One day, when the café was nearly empty, I

one day, she was gone. In her place was a middle-aged woman taking orders. I wondered why she wasn't there. Was she sick? Had she quit? An unsettling wo

had almost given up, I saw her again. She was back at the counter, with her usual cold expression

rst, so I started ordering americanos, even though I didn't drink coffee. This went on for weeks. I would come in,

ng her at the counter. She was busy, as always, her hands gracefully moving from the register to the espresso machine. But somehow, there was something different in the air, a subtle shift that I couldn't quite place

d her hair, asked nervousl