Phrenology: E-Lunar (3) Route A (MANUSCRIPT)

Chapter 3: Turn 2 [The Cafe Merlot]

    "It was a while ago," The owner of a small, local drinking business put his favorite hat on one Sunday while he was at work. "when I had met her." 

     The man held two photographs beneath the counter of a bar, revealing a young man with black hair and a black jacket on, the picture having the label 'Cuprite' beneath it.

      "Hm. This sounds like it'll be a fun story, eh, Fitz Coy?" A customer with a bubbly voice held a warm mug of coffee in his hand, sitting at the bar. 

      The man known as Fitz Coy, standing behind the counter, fiddled with that photograph between his fingers. "Her name was... Catalina. She was one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen in my life. She had this amazing complexion, and an even better body. Her smile always made me feel... at ease." 

     "Man, I'm gonna have to pull up a whole couch, aren't I? Stories that have this kind of love in them are always pretty fuckin' amazing, and take forever to be told." The customer yawned, looking back from the bar at the main inland of the Cafe Merlot, to see couches upon couches. 

      "She had long, black hair... and a dark pair of eyes. Her shoulders were broad and... simply delicious." 

      "Oh? Oh, this is that kind of story?" 

      "Hm. I guess you could say it's everything blended into one, just like some of the wines here. For instance, the Chardonemeret- A chardonnay, brandy, with rose petals." 

      "Right, right. Well, go on then!" The customer sipped from his coffee as he sat on a recently added couch, which he himself had brought over to the bar from the inland of the cafe. "This thing wasn't very heavy at all, yanno? Modern couches are pretty light. Most of'em are made cheaply in Berlin, anyhow." 

     "Hm. Catalina and I... were amazing together! She stripped me of my... pain. She took away my ego. She loved me! She was in love with me- And I in her. Ha, literally."

     "Fitz Coy, you dog!" 

     "Ha. Ha. Every night, we would cuddle up in a nice, warm bath... or we'd make sweet love. I'd simply ravage her breasts when I'd gotten the chance." The man now began cleaning and dusting specks off of the bar's counter.

     "Oh boy, Fitz Coy! This is gettin' good. You know, I was never one for oratory pornography... but I might just change my opinion now." 

     Fitz Coy, the right side of his black bow-tie stuck to his shirt from a patch of sweat, inspected a glass and continued to pick at it further with a washcloth. "All seemed so well, but then, as with any relationship, we came to a point where we got into a huge fight, and in the end... I was cruel to her. I was the lesser man when it came to having no solution to conflicts. And I spoiled all those good memories with a bad ending, you see." 

     "Oh. Oh damn, first an erotica, now a tragedy! Make up your mind, man! Actually, tell you what, you tell a damn good story with that insanely deep voice of yours. Say, have you heard about the business known as... Hinge Corporate?" 

      "I believe so. Why?" The deep-voiced man known as Fitz Coy put the clean glass into a nearby dishwasher. 

     He was a man of fine clothes. Fitz had dawned a nice, white button-up with light blue jeans. Everything about his attire contrasted his complexion greatly, which consisted of dark-green eyes and dark-brown hair, parted to the side. Anyone could tell that Mr. Coy was a man of money. How could he not have been? After all, he was the manager of one of the most exquisite cafes in the entire city of Little Japan. 

     "Well, the CEO of that company, whose name is currently unknown, but likes to go by the handle of 'Inquisitor', is currently writing a success-story book! You know. Those things that motivational speakers usually do. Accounting all the ups and downs in his life, and how it all paid off with the 'ups'." The coffee-sucking customer began to shift his position on the couch. 

    "Ah, that's interesting. I wonder what kinds of ups and downs it takes to become a CEO of a large corporation such as Hinge Corporate in the first place. Aren't they a manufacturing company for car-parts?" 

     "Yup, anyway, in the book -- and you'll find this pretty weird, Fitz, I'm sure -- the CEO mentions a hysterical heartbreak as well... over some girl named Catalina, too!" 

     "Hmph, yes, that's laughable and all, but there are a lot of Catalinas in this area, I'm sure it's mere coincidence." 

     "I guess. I never saw the 2069 Census, so. But, man, doesn't it make you feel amazing though, Fitz?" The customer looked up to the ceiling.

     "Hm? What does, Amontillado?" 

     "Ya see, I've got to thinking recently." 

     "That may not suit an avid drinker like yourself." Fitz smirked. 

     "Aw, come on!" The customer, Amontillado, laughed. 

     He remembered that the reason why he had been sipping on this coffee was because he'd reached his drink-limit for the night -- too many Fireballs and BlackTar Rums -- but still wanted to continue sipping down something. "Anyways, I got to thinking- About love. And you know what? There's always a better and more amazing love out there, for everyone! That's not to say any previous loves and dedications don't hold special places, or were rotten, but-" 

      "Oh dear, going off on a drunken stupor again." 

      "Nah, hear me out! Hear me out. Come on, it's like... when I dated this one girl back in junior high... she was amazing. But then later on in high school... I dated this one young lady, and she was- She was superb! Then in college, I met this other woman and she... she was to absolutely die for! They just kept getting better and better as time went on." 

      "Hm. It seems love can do that, yes. It's like a fine, aging wine." 

      "Every time I fell in mutual love with someone, it always was better than the last in some way- Yeah. You're right, Fitz. Love is like a fine, aging wine. Love... gets better as time goes on."

      "Quite." Fitz laughed. "It's much like this... fine wine I have under my cabinet, on the other... side... of... this... bar." 

      "You, uh, um, you alri- You okay, Fitz?" Amontillado suddenly sprung off the couch and stared into the bartender's eyes. 

      "Mhm." The debonair man yawned, his hand shaking, suddenly, behind the counter that separated him and Amontillado. 

     "I guess Café Merlot should be closing up soon. What do you think?" Amontillado put the empty cup of coffee down for Fitz Coy to clean. "You feelin' alright? Maybe you're gettin' overworked." 

     Mr. Coy touched the shaking hand anxiously to his face. "I'll give it... one more hour. Just... one."      

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