✔ DRUNK words, SOBER thoughts ✖ hemmings au

08. Lotus Cove Cafe

LUKE.

I didn't know what the hell I was getting myself into. Why I decided to let Ari take the reigns on this hang out was definitely the workings of the devil or the demon ghost thing from Paranormal Activity, because instead of eating at one of my favorite Italian restaurants, we were walking through a dark, sketchy alleyway.

"Ari, where are we going?" I anxiously asked her. She was several feet away from me, deep in an eerie alley while I stayed closer to the sidewalk where all the light was.

She turned around, "to eat the best pizza ever. Now come on Hemmings, you said you were down. Put on your big boy pants and hurry. I can smell the pepperoni from here."

Ari threw her hands to her hips, letting one pop out with sass. I hesitated, contemplating whether this was a good idea or a terrible one. Alleyways screamed homicide, and I've seen enough episodes of Law & Order to know better. But I took a step forward. And another one. And another one. Until I was walking completely at will to the tiny Asian before me.

"You can smell the pepperoni from here," I took a deep breath in, letting the mouth-watering aroma tickle my nose. I felt my stomach grumble, and I suddenly realized how hungry I was. I had forgotten. My head was so wrapped around the idea of being in a new and contrasting place that food was put at the back of my mind - very odd to say the least.

"Through here Hemmings," Ari pointed to an old set of iron doors. The tops were rounded, and each door was detailed with intricate, cross-hatched designs. Even the bolts that adorned the barricade became a necessary component to the 18th century feel.

Ari grasped one of the handles and pulled the door open. The mixture of cool air and warm smells hit my body, as I was face to face with a long, narrow, dim hallway. Ari walked in first and I followed suit. As we reached the end of the hall, I saw that it opened to a very large cafe. On one side was the retail area - cashiers, chalkboard menu on the wall, milk steamers, and a lighted display case filled with desserts. On the opposite side, were several mismatched couches, cushioned chairs, and the entire wall was made completely out of bookshelves.

People of all ages sat comfortably on the couches, lounging with a book in their hands and a drink to the side. As I observed the room, my head drifting back and forth from the side, the ceiling and even floor, I aimlessly followed Ari to a staircase that looked like it headed to a basement - or to hell, which would not be surprising since Ari is a devil child.

"This is where the fun is," Ari declared with an excited smile, as she looked at me over her shoulder.

As we continued to descend, the commotion of chatter, music, and clanking of silverware became more apparent. The smell of pizza - remarkable. The new space we were in looked like a typical sports bar. There was a stage at the front of the room, tables, chairs, and off to the side was the temple.

"Pizza," I breathed in deeply once again. If getting high off of the scent of a greasy pan of beauty that is pizza, then I'd be so close to heaven I could fist pound Jesus.

I followed Ari through the crowd of people. There were several of them, laughing, talking loudly, and drinking glasses of beer. They were all over the spectrum when it came to looks, but despite their diversity, seemed to all get along well. That never happened in Percival Shores so this was a nice change.

"Mia!" Ari called out with her hands around the sides of her mouth.

A girl who was frantically running around with a clipboard in her hand and a headset attached to her ear stopped her movements and turned in our direction. She was about the size of Ari and waved towards us with a surprised look on her face. She had long, black hair, a metal ring on the bottom left side of her lip, and the same golden skin as Ari's.