Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop |Joji|

Chapter 1: Excuse me

August 30, 2012
As per usual, I was getting ready to go to my job at 7/11. It was slightly after noon, 12:36pm actually. My usual routine isn't really out of this world. It really consists of common human actions. Wake up, smoke a cigarette, brush teeth, shower, self-loath for a good five minutes, put on some clothes and make an effort to cook breakfast. After that, maybe scroll through social media, read what the ignorant fucks have to say and have a good laugh at them. Which I was doing right now, wasting my precious time.

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I started getting ready for work when I saw it was five minutes to 1:00. My shift didn't start until 2:40, but I always went to this little coffee shop near my building to just sit down and listen to indie songs playing softly in the background as I sip my hot cup of latte or mocha. I put on my employee clothes and a pair of run down black converse. I did the most messiest bun ever known to mankind, a little bit of concealer and blush, and I was ready. I closed the door to my bedroom and walked towards the main door. My apartment wasn't so big, you see. White walls, cream-colored tiles, a living room big enough for one sofa, a coffee table, maybe a few potted plants, and a TV. I got the keys from the table and walked outside. After I locked the door, I walked the eternal stairs down to the main floor. I live in the fifth floor, which is a fucking hassle when the elevator in your building is rarely ever fixed.

I decided to walk towards the coffee shop because it's not that far and I'll just come back to get my car. It was probably just a block away from where I live, which is a win win scenario and I didn't mind walking at all. Cars filled the busy street in front of my building, from the oldest run down car to the newest of the year. I always find something new, curious mostly. Like how the open sign at liquor store kind of flickers once or twice every other second. Or how many crack the sidewalk has. It's quite pleasing finding new things in places you've seen many times.

After a few minutes of walking and enjoying the view of the city, I got to the shop. It was your typical hipster coffee place. Wooden columns, walls and floors. Vine plants hanging everywhere and tangling up with the leaves next to it. Giant glass windows in the front part and medium ones on the sides. Christmas lights hanging over what seems like newspaper posters on the walls. And, last but not least, the giant wooden sign in the front that reads "Dulces Vita." As I got closer to the door, I saw a new face sitting at the table behind the giant left window of the building. He was staring at his coffee, stirring it continuously. His hair was not too short, nor too long. Medium, perhaps? As black as night, a little wavy too. He seemed of Asian descent but mixed with another race. He was... beautiful. As I stood idiotically in front of the door looking at this new boy, he seemed to notice me staring. He smiled and, God, I felt what seemed like butterflies in my stomach. I blushed, looked away and tried to enter as fast as possible. I got onto the not-so-full line trying to avoid any eye contact with this guy. When I got to the counter, I ordered pretty much the usual. The cashier already knew what I wanted and my name, because I came here far too often. After she gave me my large cup of coffee, I sat on the farthest table, away from him because I was embarrassed.

After going on a trance listening to whatever indie artist they had on, someone stood next to me and tapped my shoulder very softly. I looked up to see the boy that was sitting in front of the shop.

"Hey, um..." You could see he was having a hard time trying to talk to me. Trying to put words together in order to start a conversation. His voice was so deep. Too deep, in my opinion, for a guy so young and skinny like him. He had the voice of a muscular douchebag. Suddenly, he started speaking again, "I saw you staring at me from outside and I just came to say that you're very beautiful and that I would like to have a pleasant conversation with you. If that's okay with you, of course."