Winter is growing closer and the trees have all lost their leaves. The snow piled up on both sides of the road. The cold builders lowered the traffic light from the main road. Cars late for work honked their horns at the workers who are in the road.
Jesse stood up from her bed and walked towards the window to see what woke her up. A hand softly touches her shoulder and she slowly turns round.
"I'm out for the day, working. Please don't be late for my business party tonight." Tom lowers his hand and nods, picks up his case and walks out the bedroom.
Jesse's eyes follow him until he leaves. She walks into the kitchen and picks up and apple. She remembers her father saying how life can be like an apple, continuous, sometimes there are holes bitten out, but to remember there is the end of the hole. Or that sometimes you can just get a rotten apple.
Jesse wraps up warm in a thick scalf and brown coat. She walks slowly in her black boots as the pavement is a little icy. She walks into the Horse and Cart. It's a loud atmosphere, town drunks gather here. She scans the bar for an empty stool or seat. She walks round the corner, to where the booths are, one is spare and she takes a seat. The seats are red and lightly padded, the brown table is sticky with beer stains. She glances up at the ceilings chunky brown beams.
"Erm... scuse me mam, this is a reserved booth." The shy young waitress looks up at Jesse and attempts a smile. She is wearing a tight skater skirt and a low, white crop top. Her thick blonde hair is tied up with a scrunche and she is caked in makeup.
"Yes sorry I'll move" Jesse smiles at the girl but she doesn't smile back. Jesse awkwardly grabs her bag and squints to find a spare table. At the opposite end there is a dim, round booth with only one gentleman. She walks over and takes a good look at him. He looks saddened and lonely and is spinning an empty gin glass in a circle on the table with his index finger. She sits opposite, to the left of him. She glances up to him and looks down, and then back at him, wondering what he's thinking.
"What do you want to drink mam?" The waitress asked. She had her pen to her pad looking eager to get the drinks. The man's head shot up and he leaned back in a panick. Both girls looked at him in shock. He had green eyes and brown hair. He was wearing a shabby coat and a long, striped scalf.
"I am so sorry. I didn't notice you two were there!" He spoke panicked but somehow softly at the same time. He stared at the waitress and her pony tail. Then he turned to Jesse and looked at her hazel eyes, then down at the table and back to the waitress.
"Two beers please" He directly looked at Jesse and tilted his head as if to ask if that was OK. Jesse smiled back and looked at him to offer to pay. He just smiled back and nodded at the waitress who quickly darted into the kitchen.
"I really am sorry" the man stared at Jesse.
"No no its fine, did you really not notice me?" She asked and pulled the hair out from behind her ear.
"No im sorry I was just thinking, you know?" He asked, (although It wasn't really a question) still dazing into her eyes. Jesse looked away, she didn't feel uncomfortable though.
"What of?" She asked. She'd only just met the man and just wanted to know as much as she could about him. He looked down from her eyes and into the empty gin glass.
"Art. I was thinking of what to paint" He looked up at her waiting for the response.
"I love art. My grandma used to paint" she spoke fast, nearly messing her words up, she found something they were both interested in. The waitress returned with two beers too big for her tiny hands. She placed them with a thud on the table and almost cursteyed to them. The man opened his hand of a gesture to drink. Jesse held the cold pint in her palm. It felt like the cold outside.
"I don't often come to pubs. Just the occasion for inspiration" the man spoke looking down at his drink. Jesse was a little confused relating inspiration to a pub like this.
"I'm confused" she laughed. The man didn't laugh but grinned at his drink.
" You said you liked art?" He looks at her in approval.
"Come to my art gallery tonight and see my inspiration" He smiles at her, into her hazel eyes, hoping she'll say yes.
