Summer's End - Bucky and Mel Universe 1

Lonely

Bucky and Sam are back in New York from their latest mission. It's an Indian Summer day. They walk down the street towards a small family runned shop. A bell tinkles as they enter.
"Wow, I wouldn't normally expect something like this in the middle of New York City. With this many immigrants, sure I expected a coffee shop, but this looks like something from back home," Sam said.
The two men were walking up to the counter to place their orders. The line had adults, kids, people from all lines of work. They both were looking at the desserts and treats in the case. Items were from from all different countries.
"Remember the beignets we had at Sarah's? They reminded me of the balah el sham they have at this place. They have real Turkish and Ethiopian coffee as well. The problem is deciding what you want before getting to the counter," Bucky as scratching his beard. Since growing it out and keeping his hair shoulder length, if he was wearing a jacket or long sleeve shirt, most people didn't recognize him.
"Yeah, I see what you mean, how about we let a few people cut in front of us?"
"I know what I'm getting, however I'll wait for you take your time."
The two men stood back out of the line. The various hot and cold bowls from around the world, sandwiches, pastries, sweets called to a part of anyone's soul. It was if the owner had their personal finger on your comfort food and drink and was laying it out there before you. The floor was a mosaic of small, blue tiles. The ceiling was done in copper plates. On the walls hung photos of the owners in their home country, some of the staff candid picks, framed child drawings in crayon and pencil, as well as professional oil and acrylic paintings. Many items, even the kids' drawings had price tags with a description. Sam missed his nephews after spending time with them. The drawings were a reminder to see Sarah as soon as he could since they got stateside. The tables and chairs really only matched the group they were with, the whole shop being as eclectic as those who worked it and were served. Towards the restrooms, there was a community board with announcements in various languages. This place wasn't on the main drag or touristy, but it seemed like it called to everyone.
The was a man talking at one of the tables, he suddenly got up and shook the table. He was speaking in Turkish. Two Americans were sitting with him. A man and a woman. Others who appeared Turkish were sitting around the large table. The American woman was translating from the man. Bucky noticed the noise from the table jarring. She asked the Turkish man to please sit down and slow down so she could translate his story accurately for her friend. Must be a reporter, Bucky thought, even years after the snap, people were still giving out their stories trying to find their place in the world, gather what they lost in those years or was taken from them in some cases. Bucky was bored while waiting for Sam to make up his mind. He started to listen in on the group's conversation.
"Please, I know you are upset. I really want you and your family to stay here. My friend is a lawyer. He can help with your case." The woman was trying to be respectful, she didn't make eye contact with the Turkish man.
"You Americans know nothing, we had it hard enough before the snap. Now we have to start all over again."
The lawyer turned his head in the general direction the man was in. He was wearing sunglasses indoors. That wasn't the odd part. The odd part Bucky noticed was the lenses were red. Didn't really go with his grey suit, who was he to judge. "Mr. Majear, please. I am sure with the facts you've shared with me today, that the judge will rule in our favor."
"Mr. Majear, you knew me before the snap. I helped your family out during the snap while you were gone. Helped the with their English and getting your eldest into college. I want to help now," the brown haired woman truly wanted to help the family. Very few people in the world did that for others, let alone family.
"I can't afford this," the Turkish man tried to argue.
"He will do the work for free," now this needed to be a lie, Bucky thought. Perhaps the woman and the man were a couple. They seemed like they knew each other. What couple she benefit from this?
That thought had to wait, Sam finally made a decision and they got back in line. They made their way though the busy shop, towards the front where two tables were. Twisting and Turing as they held their drinks and snack above their heads.
"You couldn't have picked a more busy time could you?" Sam teased.
"It usually isn't this busy this time of day. Sorry, dude."
"Did you just dude me? Don't, it doesn't work for you."
The translator got up from her seat and did not see the two behind her. She ran right into both of them causing the hot drinks to spill all over Bucky's jacket.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she exasperated and grabbed a rag from the waiter's station. She looked clearly shocked and dismayed by causing someone else to have a bad day. She called across the restaurant, "Abdul can you bring me the mop? Get these gentlemen another order of what they were having and put it on my bill." Bucky was more surprised, the woman spoke Turkish and Farsi. She must have served, but her stance and demeanor said nothing that would lend her to being a soldier. Maybe she was an aid worker of some sort in her youth.
A teenage boy brought her a mop and she began cleaning up the mess. She thanked the boy asking him to bring the orders to them when it was finish, in Spanish. Clearly this wasn't Abdul. Names could be anything though. The woman went back to trying to sop the mess up from Bucky's jacket.
"I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz. They'll bring you another of everything you ordered." She was biting her bottom lip, it was adorable. She had on an oversized cashmere sweater, jeans, and brown heels that's were platforms. The heels maybe made her average height if that. She had on hold rimmed glasses and a slouchy knit hat over her long brown hair. She acted like she didn't know who was in front of her or didn't care.
"Mel, what happened?" The man in the glasses asked leaning towards her.
"Sorry, Matt, I just ran into someone and bathed them in their drinks." She faced the Turkish man who calmed down, and apologized to him as well asking if they could continue the meeting tomorrow morning.
Bucky grabbed her hands. "Look, it's ok, these things happen."
She looked up with the greenest eyes he had ever seen and it literally caught his breath. She flicked them down immediately. Bucky noticed a scar on her left eyelid. It was not something that destroyed her face but was a like a mar on a piece of art. From the look of it, it was an old scar, it continued to next to her left ear. Her hair hid most of it. She wasn't wearing make up and had the most beautifully, pink lips he had ever seen. Her eyes darted down immediately as she withdrew her hands from his and hid them in the cuffs of her sweater. Her hands were light like a bird's, yet he felt they had strength in them.
"Like I said," her voice was sultry and hushed without trying, "I'm sorry, here's my card. Please send the bill for cleaning here." She reached into the bag on the back of her chair and pulled a card out handing it to him. She then thanked the Turkish family and turned to Matt. "Do you have what you need?"
Matt stood up and reached for her elbow. She guided him out of the restaurant. Mel, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked back as if to say something but didn't look up. The two kept walking towards the door.
The smell of ginger filled Bucky's nose from their brief encounter. He looked down at the card. It was simple, but elegant. Melinda Cymraeg, Artist, with her social media accounts, websites, numbers, and address. Bucky could have thought of a job that would have fit the woman more.
"It's bad enough you have women falling all over you, but now they are dumping food on you and doing your laundry." Sam was half laughing, but more teasing if anything. "She's a little older than the usual though." Lately, the usual have been in their twenties. Bucky was technically over a hundred. Who knew how long he could live with the super serum in him and after being frozen and thawed so many times. It defines de dating interesting.
"She looked young to me." Bucky said a little miffed. Sure, she had a couple grey hairs, but so did he. If anything, if no one knew who he really was on the street, they'd say they were both the same age. "At least the women you date are fro: your own time period." Bucky just wasn't satisfied with what he was finding dating. Even if what he was going to have would only be for a short while in his extended life and that woman would die before he did, he wanted quality, not quantity. Yes, it was more than safe to say, he was lonely.