Auburn Ivy runs away from her problems even if it means running away from her family, friends and familiar life. Anthony Kroff is a footballer on the rise but is lonely and lost in the new city he finds himself in. Their lives would have never inte...
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0.1 | from Sabah's hastily written notes on tissue paper: when looking into violet-blue eyes|
She had been coming here for a month or so. Always on Friday evenings. Always alone. Always a single cup of espresso. She looked around my daughter's age if... Maybe that was why I approached her. Besides, you must have noticed, I like company.
"Tough day?" I asked her. Going by her orders, I knew she didn't know a stitch of Spanish so English it was whether I liked it or not.
She looked up with her violet-blue eyes, brushing away the dark-brown strands of hair that fell across her forehead and smiled a tired smile, "Tough week. Tough month. Tough life."
I offered her another cup of coffee and rubbing her temples, she nodded. By the time I brought back two foaming cups, one for each of us, she had laid her head on the very papers she had been checking.
"Um, miss?"
She raised her head and looked much younger, rather like a child, without the frown she usually had. "Sorry," she smiled.
I noted that she smiled a lot. Funny how she still looked tired through her smile. Was there a reason for the tiredness, for the lonely chair beside her, for the never-changing schedule? I wanted to know.
"Its Auburn. Auburn Ivy."
I nodded, feeling satisfied that I at last knew something about this girl with alternatively quick smiles and frowns. "I'm Carlotta. Carlotta Garcia."
It took me seconds of talking to her to realize that Auburn Ivy was an open book one shouldn't be too hasty to open. The minute you thought you knew what was coming next, she would close up like a clam. Still, she was highly vocal and animated on the subject of her job which seemed like the main cause for her frowns.
"If you ask me, there's only one solution to your problem, chica. You need a guy. Not a boring English one but a hot Spaniard."
She laughed and I wondered if my daughter would have such an open, lilting laugh because I didn't and I was envious. "Carlotta, a guy can't help save my failing job."
"But he can make you happy," I countered, pointing out the obvious.
The door chimes tinkled lightly and I turned to look at the new customer, not really liking the idea of leaving the conversation for a caffeine-deprived stranger. A blonde man looked inside uncertainly and my eyes widened with matchmaking prowess as I smiled slyly at Auburn, "Looks like you have a candidate."
***
And Carlotta's story has started. Well, actually Auburn and Anthony's has but you know what I mean. I'm so excited for this. Hope you are too. Let me know what you thought of this chapter as you *hands cups of coffee* sip coffee (or lemonade for the ones who don't like coffee, yes, I remembered).
