"because I could watch you for a single minute,
and find a thousand things that I love about you"
- anonymous
What if college had more to offer than just books and studying?
What if a café had more to offe...
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I push open the glass door, the little bells hanging above it chiming from the sudden vibrations. That crisp, familiar scent of coffee lingering in the air; the sight of all matters of snacks ranging from sandwiches to brownies behind a clear display caught my eye. Upon hearing someone singing, I looked over in search of the source of the music. My gaze happened to lock with one of the six young men singing up on the platform stage after looking around.
I had just arrived at college yesterday. The new school year started tomorrow and seeing as I was going to dorm here but dreaded finally leaving my family and familiar house behind, I waited until nearly the last minute to arrive and settle in. After unpacking for a while, I decided to leave the bland room and roam around the campus, hoping to avoid running into my roommate for as long as possible. I stumbled upon what appears to be the school café just when I thought I was getting lost.
And just after I found this place, I entered; the desire to fulfill my appetite was growing stronger every moment, ticking like a time bomb. The café name was apparently "Starrbooks", a totally obvious Starbucks® parody that made everyone roll their eyes upon first glance. However, it did live up to its name in the fact that it had copies of best-selling books available for purchase.
Slowly returning to my senses, I faintly flashed a shy smile at the handsome singer who I'd accidentally made eye contact with. In an attempt to escape and not be socially awkward or be caught gawking, because yes, he was drop-dead gorgeous, I ran over to the line to order my usual.
"One small Vanilla Bean Frap® and a brownie, please," I ordered at the register.
"Coming right up, ma'am, that'll be $5.72," the cashier replied.
Walking to the end of the counter, another employee handed me my brownie in a little paper bag as well as my favorite drink. Taking a sip, I scanned the place for an empty table to sit at, which was becoming increasingly hard since the venue was currently filling up quickly. Noticing a group who'd just vacated a table by the window, I scurried over before anyone else could even dream of taking it first.
Still eyeing the singer I kept fawning over, I'd just noticed that they were preparing to sing another song. Meanwhile the six young men kept singing, I enjoyed my drink and snack, unconsciously tapping my foot to the rhythm of their song of choice, Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You".
"I'll make love to you, like you want me to
And I'll hold you tight, baby all through the night"
They all sang with such passion and skill, it seemed obvious that this wasn't something they'd just practiced overnight. The harmonies and pitch were on point, their voices ones that many would envy, not to mention their looks. Once the music had stopped and the singing ceased as well, everyone seemed to freeze.
