Desolation

eleven

I ran as fast as I possibly could as the wind whipped my ponytail from side to side. I didn't bother to see where Stephen was. All I really needed to know was that he was behind me and I liked it just that way. The idiot thought he could beat me, in his fucking dreams.

I breathed deeply and exhaled everytime my left foot hit the ground. I could see the coffee shop ahead and smiled to myself. I knew I was gonna win this. I tried to keep up my speed but out of the corner of my eye, I could see Stephen gaining on me. Damnit.

I pushed myself to go faster and soon I was ahead of him again. I quickly reached the coffee shop and stood there, trying to catch my breath and waiting for him. I could see him running, more like jogging to where I was. His breathing was erratic and honestly he looked like a mess. I smiled triumphantly at him. He finally stopped in front of me and doubled over trying to control his breathing. I pat him on the back to try and help him.

"Not so fast, are you now?" I remarked.

He straightened himself up and looked at me impressively.

"Honestly I'm shocked but at the same time I'm quite impressed. You're mad fast," he nodded his head.

"Why are you shocked?" I asked while leading him into the cafe.

"I used to play football well soccer I mean, so I know that I'm pretty fast but you just beat me," he looked amused.

We both entered the cafe and immediately I was engulfed with the smell of coffee beans. I loved it. The cafe wasn't particularly huge but they had enough space. There was an island in the middle which had tall stools surrounding it, almost like a bar. There were booths near the windows so that you could see what was going on outside. The interior was something that I liked the most. They had mainly cream and nude colors which made the place look very comfortable and welcoming. There were pictures hung on the walls which were made of exposed bricks. The whole place was bright and beautiful. I smiled.

"What do you wanna get?" I turned back to Stephen who was waiting patiently while I scrutinized the whole area. He smiled.

"Would you wanna take a seat first?" he laughed.

"Right," I lead him to one of the booth by the windows.

I slid into the seat while he sat across from me. He looked around and then finally set his gaze back on me. He put his elbows on the table.

"Do you like the place?" he wondered.

"It's pretty cool, I'm surprised that I haven't been here before," I nodded my head.

He was about to say something but was cut off when a middle aged lady came around to take our order.

"What would you lovelies like to have today?" she asked with a bright smile on her face.

"I'll have pancakes and a latte," I smiled back at her and looked at Stephen, raising an eyebrow.

"Pancakes and black coffee it is," he said while giving the lady a small smile. I don't know why I hadn't noticed earlier but he looked good when he smiled.

"Coming right up," the lady said before leaving our booth.

"So," I started, "You were saying something about playing football," I raised an eyebrow. I already knew some things about him but I also knew that there is always more to learn about people.

"Yeah I used to play professional football since I was in high school. I was the midfielder at Brentford. I would've continued playing but I had an injury for which I had to undergo a surgery. I was able to play after that but I was always a couple seconds late, you know. Then it was just really hard to get motivation so I stopped playing professionally. Although I still play with my friends occasionally. I started modeling after that," he rambled on.