𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 | 𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘗 𝘢𝘳𝘬 ✧˚ · .

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 ; Simone's Garden

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❝ I'm on my knees in fascination ❞
quote from Reflecting Light, by Sam Philips

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THIRD PERSON'S POV:

December 6th, 1971. 04:17 AM

Bobby had been turning all night. He had trouble sleeping in his cold, box-roomed apartment. The cold that nipped him through the thin blanket lying on top of him & the buzzing noise of the city around him often lead to nights like this. He wondered if he had some strain of insomnia, and if he'd be doomed to suffer through nights like these for the rest of his life.
Bobby didn't get a wink of sleep til he saw the sun rise, at five thirty. The sun didn't wake up the city; it's busy people were still hustling along long before it bled it's colours into the streets; they don't call New York the city that never sleeps for nothing.

December 6th, 1971. 12:44 AM

Sitting by the window again, Bobby had dragged the singular chair from the table to the window to wait the passer-bys below, smoking a cigarette between his tobacco stained fingers. He reminded himself of his old man, Bobby's father used to come home after work and sit watching the folks on the street go by. Bobby thought it was because they were too poor for a television & his father was just about illiterate, but who knows, maybe it was just an unshakable hereditary trait.

Bobby sat at his window, throwing cigarette butts into the ashtray just a light another one til he felt compelled to move. The very moment he felt compelled to move was the moment he saw a familiar face leaving Café Verde across the street. Y/n, in her green apron busily walking away as she let her hair down from a ponytail.

Unbothered to arrive to work, Bobby decided on a different activity to occupy his time with.

December 6th, 1971. 12:49 AM

Walking down the street, Y/n heard her name being called. (cba to remember if Bobby was told y/ns name just roll with it for plot convenience).

"Y/n." Bobby's voice wasn't drawn out, it was a quick, attention-catching shout. She turned her head, fiddling with the ends of her hair that had knotted up a little.

Y/n turned her head. Catching up to her in a lazy jog, Bobby had a cigarette tucked between the lips at the corner and a friendly expression painted on his face. He was wearing all navy, apart from a black leather jacket. The man walked up to her as if they had been friends for years, throwing an arm over her shoulder nonchalantly. The girl felt her face get a little warmer; an unavoidable shy grin lifted the corners of her lips, and her gaze met his.

"Going anywhere interesting?" He asked, slowing down from his previous walk to match her walking pace. Bobby took the cigarette hanging off the corner of his lip, holding it towards y/n as an offer, which she politely shook her head as a "no" to.

"I'm looking for somewhere to eat on my lunch break. I'd eat at the café, but there's only small pastries and coffee, it won't fill me for lunch." Y/n spoke in a factually tone, as she had eaten from the café many a time, and noted that their overpriced pastries were only snack items.

"I know a good place. Simone's Garden. It's a ten minute walk from here, how long do you have for break?" Bobby, having wandered the streets of New York many a time, knew almost every nook and cranny.

Y/n hadn't heard of Simone's Garden before. Judging by the name, it sounded like a nice enough place. Maybe somewhere with outdoor seating surrounded by potted plants, large glass windows and romantic table candles. She could picture a dark wooden table set with a soothing shade of red as a tablecloth, and waiters with expensive European accents. She could vividly imagine delicate soft jazz playing in the background, maybe even by a live band dressed in tuxedos with extravagant moustaches.