The One and the Cafe

Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over.

I was waiting in the café. It was raining outside, and I stared off into the window from the corner of where I was sitting. Slowly drinking my Coffee. My heart stopped as I saw she was entering through the front entrance. 

You see she was the kind of girl that you see in movies. You know those scenes, when the guy sees that beautiful girl from afar in the crowd, and suddenly everything is in slow motion, the spotlight is just on her and the music starts playing? Yeah well that’s what happened to me. The first time I saw her, I was in college, maybe about twenty years old, I was in my junior year. I was sitting in the dining hall, minding my own business, but yet listening to some of the conversations going on around me. I heard these frat type dudes, talking about all the girls coming into the dining hall. They were rating them on a scale of one to ten, you know typical guy stuff. I’m not going to lie, in my head I was pretending to be a part of that conversation, and doing the same thing. Suddenly this beautiful girl walked in, and I mean B-E-A-UTIFUL, she was the type of girl you dream about. So beautiful, even the guys behind me, didn’t have any words to say about this one. It was quiet from that peanut gallery over there. Let me paint this picture for you. She had long thick black hair, and these eyes, that were terrifyingly captivating. They were brown, but they shined in the light in a way that even today I still can’t accurately describe the way I see them. And then she smiled. Her smile lit up the room and filled the darkest dwellings with a graceful glow that radiated from her. She left me breathless, speechless, heart racing, deep breaths, and shaky hands, you name it. She was gorgeous, if the Looney Tunes Howling Wolf character was there, he would have went nuts, jumping in and out of his seat, banging on the table, and whistling away! I could go and on, so let me stop, before I tell you a whole story of exactly how angelic this girl really is, trust me I could. So anyway those average frat guys behind me, started bickering with one another about who has dibs to get this girl’s number first. I can shorten that story for you though. They all failed miserably. From what she was wearing that day, I remember seeing she was a part of some sorority, but the way her personality seemed from just watching at where I was sitting, she was certainly different than any sorority girl I’ve ever met. I wanted to go up and say something, I really did, and you know what I would have too, but after seeing those eight guys that were sitting behind me fail, kind of took away the confidence I had for one day. I just assumed she didn’t want to be bothered with any guys in general. So I packed up all my stuff, and left the dining hall, without saying a word to her that time. I like to think that it was destiny that stopped me from pursuing her that day.

But today, in this café, four years later, I’m on like the hundredth date with that beautiful girl. 

“What are you thinking about getting?” She asked 

“Simple. Today, probably just a B.L.T. and some fries. What about you?” I replied, coming out of my memories back in college.  

“Ah, you always know what you’re getting right away! I need to read the whole menu, no matter where we go. Can’t you ever just pretend you don’t know yet, for me?” She said with a laugh. 

I smiled, and feeling overwhelmed with happiness. Slipping back into my thoughts. It always feels like a dream with her, after a year and a half of being together, I can still feel that special charm and aura around her. I’m in love, and I can honestly say that this love was different than any other love I ever felt or had. You’re probably wondering what it feels like, and I think I have a pretty great analogy for it too. Well, being in love is a lot like getting on that popular roller coaster that everyone wants to get on, but are too scared. When you get to the park and see the roller coaster, you think it looks awesome, fun, and you’re feeling so eager to get on it. Waiting in line and the anticipation is getting even stronger. Then it’s finally you’re turn to see what this roller coaster is all about, you’ve heard great things, people are looking like they are having a lot fun. And at first you get on the ride, you think to yourself “What was wrong with me?! This was not a good idea, get me off!” But then the roller coaster starts to slowly move up the track, and you’re thinking to yourself, “I can do this, this is not that bad.” Then right when it’s about to drop, you’re terrified for just a moment, but once that first fall is over and done with, you feel great, you’re excited. At that point, you trust yourself for getting on this ride, you let go, throw your arms up in the air, and you want to scream at the top of your lungs because you’re so happy and you’re having a lot of fun. You then think to yourself “This was a great idea, and I don’t want this ride to end!” That is exactly what I think being in love is like, a good way to describe it at least.

So like I said it was destiny that stopped me from pursuing her, the day I first saw her. The way we met, I’d like to blame on destiny too. After graduating college, I never thought I’d see her again, and to be quite honest, I even kind of forgot all about her. My roommate at the time had this thing for theatre. He went to every Broadway, or off Broadway play he could. He was fascinated with theatre. Myself not so much, I respected it, and did think it was really wonderful, I just never got the chance to go to one. I loved the cinemas, so I knew I’d enjoy it if I ever did go. I guess what it was, was that to me it was something I would have done with a girlfriend of mine, if I had one of course. My roommate wasn’t able to go to this particular play for reasons I don’t remember, and he wasn’t too bummed, it was ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and he’s already seen it more times than he needed to, so he asked if I wanted the ticket. It was a Friday night, and I had no plans of going out, so I figured why the hell not, I’ll take up his offer. The ‘Phantom of the Opera’ was always intriguing to me. That night I went to the play, my first play, they were good seats too I might add. I read my ticket and sit down in my assigned seating, and I’m surrounded by a bunch of strangers. To the left of me though, this girl sits beside me. I’m not trying to be a creep or anything and stare at her but from a quick glance she looked like someone I’ve seen before, so I tried to keep me cool. She and all her friends are laughing, then I realize that voice, it sounds so familiar! Sure enough, it was Olivia. That absolutely stunning goddess of a girl back in college. Of course she wouldn’t recognize me, because I never actually said a word to her. Now I must be coming off as a creep because I know her name, and we never officially met. But listen before you go judging me and all that, we live in a world, where you can befriend someone on social media, and not even have had an actual conversation in the real world, and I know you’ve done that before, so again don’t judge me. Sure enough, intermission comes along, and her friends leave for a few minutes to grab drinks, food, the bathroom, I don’t know, whatever you’re able to do during intermission of a play, it doesn’t matter. Point is, her and I were alone. And I wasn’t going to be that scared twenty year old back in college and not say anything this time. So I turned my head, ready to say something. A minute goes by, and that’s when I realize that I’m just staring at her, but it’s not as bad as it sounds! It’s quite comical actually. At this point, she’s looking a little weirded out. Finally words actually come out of my mouth, and thank god it was English too. 

“Hi, did you know the Phantom of the Opera is the second longest running west end musical in history, behind Les Miserables?” I enquired. 

Yeah I said that. Well I never stated that the first thing I said to her was smooth. Just that it was English, and they were actual words. 

“Excuse me?” She said, with a light laugh. 

“Oh, I’m sorry” I extended my hand out for a proper greeting 

“I’m Noah” I said with a smile. 

“I’m Olivia, hmm so you must know a lot about theatre, giving that you know facts of this one, tell me more.” She said with a smile. 

“I don’t know what that was, it’s quite the opposite, this is actually my first one, and I can just be very awkward I guess, however I’m glad that fact was interesting to you enough to want to hear another one.” I said while laughing. 

Then we talked for the next twenty-five minutes, the conversations didn’t stop either, and in those twenty-five minutes, I was already feeling this strong connection with her, it was strange. Of course, it didn’t last any longer though, her friends came back, and the show resumed. The entire rest of the play, I couldn’t stop beating myself up about how I started that conversation, even though the rest of it, was good. That’s just me, over analyzing every little thing. So the thoughts that were going through my head at this point, were basically, she knows I’m embarrassed, she thinks I’m an idiot, maybe even a creep, oh god! For the next forty-five minutes of this play, I was thinking of how I can say goodbye, and redeem myself. All different kinds of variations of how to go about it. By the end of it, I was actually quite confident with myself with how I was going to do it, and if Barney Stinson were here watching me, he would have been beyond proud, and probably have put what I was going to say in his Playbook. I mean it was that good! The time came, the play was over and it was time to leave. 

So I got up, with a smile, looking more confident than ever, and said 

“Okay, well it was nice chatting, good-bye.” 

Yeah, again. What the hell! Not what I was originally going to say! I was just so nervous I completely forgot my masterful, smooth, Casanova way of a plan of saying goodbye and sounded like a dweeb instead. 

“It really was Noah, I hope you have a nice night as well.” She replied with that gorgeous smile of hers. 

As she walked down one way, I walked down the other. Thinking to myself, no, no, no. This is not how I’m going about this. 

So I turned around, ran up to her and asked “Hey, listen Olivia, it’s a Friday night, and I don’t have any plans, would you want to grab some coffee, get to know each other a little more?” 

“That sounds lovely, but I’m actually going out with some of my friends, how about I give you my number and we take a rain check on that coffee?” She proposed with a smile.

So we exchanged phone numbers, and went on our way. I felt great! I decided to walk home, which was about an hour and half maybe even two hours of a walk. But I didn’t care, I was on top of the world! The whole way home, and don’t ask why I was singing this particular song, because I really have no idea why. But I was singing Piano Man by the great Billy Joel, and I was singing it damn well too! People were definitely staring, but I didn’t care, I felt like a king that night or for about two hours. Because when I got home, I started my overthinking again. Yeah I got her number, but now what. You know with every other girl I’ve been with, and I’ve been with plenty, I never knew what to do when it came to Olivia in the beginning, hell, still to this day now that I think about it. Something about her, she was special, and it scared me. And then I realized something. I looked at my ticket, the seat that I sat in, was the wrong one. My ticket said D7 and she was in G6. That whole time, I sat in the wrong area in G7, and that was okay! Because of my slight mistake and whoever else was supposed to be sitting in this spot not showing up, fate gave me the chance to take the girl of my dreams out for coffee. Days went by, and the texting, some phone calls, and a facetime date later. Things were going very well. We finally went on that coffee date too, shared a few kisses after that. And let me tell you that first kiss of ours was something I never felt before. This may sound odd, but as beautiful as she was, I didn’t think the kiss was going to be all that great, just your average kiss like the rest, you know? But my god it was great, it was beyond great, that kiss I actually felt something, I never had a kiss like it, and it sounds so cliché I know, but I guess only people that have been in this situation before would understand. This is going to sound cheesy, and maybe make you cringe, but real love is cringe worthy. I’ll explain. Our kiss was hard yet soft, it was fiery yet so passionate, it was filled with our hunger for each other but it was also filled with love. It felt as if the whole world cheered for us. As if fireworks and explosions went off behind us. As if all eyes were on us. Even if we felt all these emotions we didn’t care, it was just her and I. Again this girl, was just full of surprises for me. Everything with her, just felt new. Even though I’ve felt and have done most of these things with other girls before, it was with her, like I said that everything, just, felt new. It’s hard for me to fully explain what I mean by this but it was all great none the less. 

So to cut these details short, our first date was at the café, and a year and half later, we’re at that same café. 

“And for you Sir?” the waiter said

I gave him my order, slipping back into reality, and away from my memories.  

“Where do you go?” Olivia said with a smile. 

“Hmm?” I asked.

“You seem to get lost every now and again, and I always wonder, where is it, does that mind of yours go?” She asked again with a laugh.

I nodded with a smile, and gently held her hand. 

I thought to myself, she’ll just never understand what it’s like to be with someone you only saw in your dreams. She’ll never realize that holding her hand gives me the greatest comfort. She’ll never get that she’s made me the happiest I could ever be, and with her giving me that unconditional love, was the answer to all of my prayers. And that’s why today, I’m going to ask her to spend the rest of her life with me, because through this crazy span of four years of awkwardness and patience, I know who the one is for me, and it’s her. It’s Olivia. The one that sits before me in this café. 

Author's Note

This is my first short story I have ever written, and about a 10 to 12 minute read. This is just a rough draft for now, and I'm not completely finished yet. Some things I'm aware of, is the excessive use of commas (which I will fix soon!) and I used the word beautiful a lot, I'll be editing this along the way. But if you see anything else that needs work on, please by all means let me know! I really want feedback on my story telling too. I think I'm on the right track here, but would love some constructive criticism.

Thank you for taking some time to read this, I appreciate it! :)
-Dylan

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I did like the story. Love affair should grow slowly and allow time to make the sweet moments last forever. I like the internal thoughts and the good conversation in the story. Thank you for sharing the excellent story.
Coyote