In the dark

2

The girl wandered throughout the city with no clear destination to go. She just passed by shops and restaurants without paying them any attention. Just casually sipping on the coffee as she walked down the busy street. People were paying no mind to her, and the same in reverse. For the girl, the people around her never matter. She was used to being alone her whole life. It would affect her in any way if people failed to notice her. Or did it?

She stopped in her tracks with the straw still hanging on her lips. 'No one ever cared to see me before now, so why did he?' she questioned herself. 'Did he even see me? NO! of course not. No one ever sees you. I'm just losing my mind. Blame it on the lack of caffeine,' she continued with her inner monologue. 

The girl heard the familiar sounds of air rumbling up the straw, meaning the coffee cup was empty. She glanced at the cup to see if her hunch was correct. She paused to look around for the nearest garbage can to throw the cup into when someone caught her attention. 

A young, tall, lean man with jet-black hair that hung just past his eyes and a face that screamed, "Hello, handsome!" Who in their right mind could resist such a person? The girl clearly couldn't. She quickly tossed the cup in the can and proceeded to walk in the same direction the man was walking in. 

He walked a few blocks with the girl trailing behind by just a few feet. He stopped at a corner street and looked around before crossing the street. The girl paused for a second, watching him look around. Her mind raced for a second, thinking maybe he saw her before she saw him continue on his path again.

'He didn't see you, you stupid girl, and this one didn't either. Why are you so paranoid all of a sudden?' she scolded herself. She let out of huff and continued to follow him across the street. When he arrived at his destination, he opened the door wide and announced his arrival. With the door opened so widely, the girl slipped in and stood off to the side, being as quiet as a mouse.

"Brother! Are you here?" the young man called out. The man continued his grand entrance as the girl continued to take in her surroundings. The building was spacious, with tables sitting two or four chairs in each place. A wall-to-wall bar was nestled in the back of the restaurant that had all the alcohol bottles placed neatly on shelves going up the back wall. A well-lit, full-wall mirror was used as the backdrop to grab patrons' attention and make them think about the wondering beverages a bartender could make. 

"Back here! In the kitchen!" a voice announced, grabbing the boy's and the girl's attention. They both followed the voice and made their way into the back of the house. If the front of the restaurant was huge, then the back was its equal. The girl followed the man as he rounded metal countertops that were placed throughout the space. Some areas were used as prep, with people chopping vegetables. Others were used as plating, putting finishing touches on the delicate dishes. What was most impressive was seeing who the voice finally belonged to.

The man was the head chef, that she could conclude. He was giving orders and pointing to different sections of the kitchen. He would flip seamlessly over to the other side where the stove tops were running on full heat with various pots and pans on each burner. He would flip this, stir that. The man was a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen. In addition, to his wizardly skills in the kitchen, the man was of equal beauty to that of the man she was following. Gazing at the pair for the amount as they embraced each other in a quick hug, she realized they were brothers. Not just the "he's so close a friend that I call him brother", but a pair of brothers that known each other their whole lives and lived closely with each other. The girl felt a pang of jealousy watching the two interact. 

However, her mood quickly dissipated when the smell of the dishes wafted up her nose. Her stomach followed suit, making a loud grumbling noise and grabbing her attention. The girl realized she was in need of fuel, and she had not eaten in quite a while. She was thinking of only the coffee she had a moment ago.