A Dim Glowing Light

One Cup of Coffee Please

Ava looked up at the disheartening grey sky and pulled her coat closer, yearning for warmth from the cold and harsh winter. She shivered as she made her way through the crowded street, bumping shoulders with others passing by. Her red shoulder length bob moved forwards and back, creating a pattern to her footsteps. She moved towards the side of the busy street and went on her tippy toes, trying to scout for a place that could offer her some warmth with the darkness and heartbreak that currently surrounds her. Ava's green eyes instantly darted towards the dim glowing light that shone from the street across. Ava squirted her eyes and could see exposed filament light bulbs as the source of the light, coming from a cafe. "Old Express Patio," She said to herself while reading the cafe's name and decided to walk towards this place that was calling her heart.

She pushed against the steel frame door into the cafe. It was not that big but it was big enough to fit the morning crowd but it was also small enough to get a sense of comfort. She removed her beige coat and straightened out her Alexander McQueen pant suit before making her way towards the cashier. She looked up at the blackboard at the back, which listed the different types of drinks that were available. Ava made her way to the cashier and came face to face with someone who completely took her breath away. The woman was slightly taller than Ava and her dark chocolate waves fell past her shoulders. Her eyes were brown, hidden with mystery and another life. Freckles were scattered across her olive skin and her lips. Oh lips were supple, as if it was the forbidden nectar. Ava shook her head, clearing away the thoughts and looked back at the other woman.

"One cup of coffee please," She said. The woman looked at her with confusion. Ava looked down and read the woman's name tag. "Daniela," Ava whispered to herself and looked back at Daniela.

"Miss, what type of coffee would you like," The brunette asked. Her voice rolled out like honey, doing the tango in Ava's ears. She let her mind go into a mushy feeling but kept her ground while talking to Daniela.

"Surprise me," Ava said. She could not believe that she actually said what was on her mind. Daniela smiled at her and gave her a wink before writing something on the cup. The redhead took out her card but was immediately stopped by the woman opposite her.

"Don't worry, it's on the house," Daniela said and gave the redhead a warm smile before leaving the counter to make a cup of coffee. The long awaited aroma of coffee took over the room and filled everyone's noses. Ava closed her eyes and allowed the waft of arabica coffee beans take her away from reality and the glum weather. It didn't take long for Daniela to come back with her special order for Ava. "Here you go. Your surprise cup of coffee," Daniela said teasingly and handed a mug to Ava. She took the mug and gave a soft smile before making her way to the back table at a corner of the cafe. It was only after she had sat down, she noticed the interiors of this place that was providing her with warmth.There were exposed dim filament bulbs hanging over most of the tables, and rustic wooden tables were paired with chairs ranging in different shades of grey. The dark wood sliding on the walls were adorned with lush green ferns and soft jazz music was playing in the background.

Ava could feel a pair of eyes looking at her keenly while she drank her coffee and read a novel on her kindle. The minute her tongue met the warm liquid, she was taken to another world. She could taste the soft sweetness of the coffee, coming from the caramel, the strong arabica taste which had essentially taken over the show and the hint of hazelnut teasing her tongue, wanting more of it. Ava opened her eyes and let out a deep breath of content from what she had experienced. She continued to savour her coffee and could see Daniela staring at her, not breaking her gaze one bit. Ava continued to drink her coffee and read on her kindle until she realised that she had to go before she ended up late for work. She got up and took her belongings with her and made her way towards the door. Before leaving, she turned around and gave the barista a smile before leaving the premises of Old Express Patio.

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A few days had passed and Ava was completely out of it at the law firm. Her mind kept travelling towards Daniela, the woman at the cafe. Something about her just wanted Ava to keep going back to the cafe. Ava was not sure if it was because of the coffee that she drank or the woman itself. She ran her fingers through her short red hair and looked down at the files that had been placed in front of her. She had been working on this case for the past week and it was starting to eat her up. After having enough of staring at those words, she huffed out in frustration and packed away her things before leaving her office. "Carlie, I'm going to head out for today. Just lock up when you're leaving," She called out to her assistant before making her way to the elevators. Ava could feel her heart beating outside her ribs as she made her way closer to the cafe. She gripped the black leather steering wheel of her car as she made her way closer to the Old Express Patio. Before she knew it. She was there, parked outside of the cafe. She took in a few deep breaths and looked at herself in the mirror one more time before leaving her car towards the cafe.

The cafe was empty compared to the last time she was here. But it felt nice. Ava could feel her smile growing wide and her cheeks heating up at the sight of Daniela. Her brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun with a few unruly strands shaping her face. Biting her lip, Ava made her way towards the cashier. "Hey! One cup of coffee please," She says, capturing Daniela's attention. The brunette looked up and smiled at Ava. There was a sparkle in Daniela's eyes when she saw Ava.

"Hey you, the same thing as yesterday or another surprise drink?" She asks the redhead teasingly. A light blush crept over Ava's cheeks. She nervously laughed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I guess you could say that," She said. "I also want to take you out for dinner." She quickly got it out of her system before she had the ability to chicken out. Ava looked up to meet Daniela's eyes and waited for a response. She fidgeted with her rings while waiting for a reply.

"I will let you take me for dinner. But on one condition," Daniela replied. Ava's eyes go wide. What could she possibly want? "I need to know your name. You still haven't told me that," Daniela said smiling.

"It's Ava. Ava Carson."

"Daniela. But you already know that. Daniela Montez."

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3 months later...

Daniela made her way towards the kitchen in her robe and started to take out things from the fridge in order to make some breakfast. She started to cut some fruits and put them in a bowl while humming to the radio. She then felt a pair of arms snake around her waist and pull her back. She looked up and saw her lover's green eyes looking at her with awe.

"Good morning mi amor, what can I get for you?" She said and kissed Ava passionately.

"One cup of coffee please," Ava replied and kissed her lover's temple. She truly felt like she was on cloud nine. 

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𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘢, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺! 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 :𝘋

- 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰 𝘓𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘙𝘢𝘦𝘳