THE COFFEE HAS YOUR SMELL

CHAPTER 3: PASSING BY

When Alex saw her again, he was passing on the street „James" that night. He was heading at that moment toward one of the famous pubs in the town, „The Danny's," intending to play some pool with his friends. He wasn't alone but with a fellow, Mark Flynn, who had been the person who insisted that Alex should close his coffee shop that evening and spend it with his friends.

Alex hadn't been that eager to go out that night because the melancholy he had felt in the last few days left him kind of powerless. Yet, he couldn't say no to Mark when this one had told him that he wouldn't accept a no as an answer to his invitation. That's why, seeing that his friend insisted, Alex was forced to give up and close the coffee shop for an evening, thinking that it was Friday and the youngsters used to spend such an evening with their friends in a pub or club, and not reading a book.

He wasn't that wrong in thinking so because, on Fridays, he had only a few clients. Only one or two of his regular clients passed by that place on Friday evening, but not even they came every Friday. That's why Alexander told himself that maybe it would have helped him feel better if leaving his place and spent some time with his friends, forgetting about her at least for a short time.

What Alexander didn't want to accept, at least not openly, was that leaving his apartment he started to think that maybe he would see her again if passing by a place. That's why, walking on the streets, because he insisted on walking until „The Danny's," Alex kept looking around, thinking that maybe he'd see her. Yet, he hadn't been that lucky though, and this made him so unhappy. At one point, he even wanted to turn back home but didn't do that because he felt bad about Mark, whom he couldn't explain eventually his sudden desire to return home. At the same time, the man was afraid of not being considered a kind of spoiled kid, a big one actually, who turned back home just because he didn't get that candy he wanted that night.

Nevertheless, while they crossed the street „James," better to say when they passed by the restaurant „The Helm," Alex's heart suddenly pounced in his chest. This happened because he finally spotted a familiar silhouette at one of the tables, which was next to the window. Looking over there, the man smiled because... yes, she was there, the one he had dreamt about in the last few days was there... that woman he had waited for crossing the threshold of his coffee shop again but who didn't come and made him wait in vain for her... was there.

Soon after this, Alex's smile vanished when he saw a man sitting at the same table as his Helen of Troy. „A friend," he thought when he saw her standing up and greeting that man with a large smile on her face. Yet, when that man kissed her lips, and she didn't try to avoid it, poor Alex felt that the whole world collapsed over his shoulders. This happened because he finally understood what he intentionally tried to ignore all those days - she didn't come to his coffee shop again because she had someone she cared about already.

Understanding this, Alex sighed. He felt weird looking at that „Worthy Rival" as he called that man, in his head, because the companion of that Helen of Troy really looked good. That man wasn't only handsome but seemed to be someone she cared about, and the most important thing was that the rival was someone she wanted with her because, soon after this, Alex saw her leaning over the table and, grabbing that man's hand, she told him something and smiled.

Her companion didn't smile though, and Alexander clearly saw this because he kept looking at them through the window. Alex knew that it wasn't fair to do that, spying on them, but he couldn't avoid this. Even so, he told himself that it wouldn't be something wrong if they had seen him there, looking at them, because they might think that he was there and looking at the restaurant because he was thinking about entering that place or not.

Eventually, when Mark touched his shoulder and then asked him, „Something happened, Alex?" he only shook his head and forced a smile. After that, although he would have liked to stay there for a little bit longer, Alexander pointed with his head in front, letting his friend know that it was time to move on. Yet, leaving the restaurant behind, Alexander glanced over there again, seeing his beautiful Helen withdrawing her hand from the hand of her „lover," as Alex thought. Alex even thought that her glance suddenly turned sad, although, before that, he had the feeling that her eyes were shining because of happiness and because that man came there and greeted her with a kiss.