Spearmint

15. Muse

March 2017

He watched her almost everyday at work through the large cafe window. He discovered she usually made it there around 8 am and worked until 8 pm. Sometimes she would work later and that was fine with him because he could see her longer.

After the first week of visiting her he had brought his old Polaroid camera, just to snap a few pics of his future wife. He was sure nobody saw him but even if they did, he didn't really care. If anyone did ask he was just a tourist who just happened to love the look of the cafe.

Many girls walked passed him that day, many he would have been glad to take home and have his way with before giving them a quick death and feeding them to his pigs who had grown accustomed to the little treat. He didn't pay attention to any of them, he paid attention to the girl with the honey blonde hair and green eyes that haunted his dreams begging for him to take her home and have his way. He felt like his seventeen year old self once more. He had one taste of a woman and became hooked for life.

He remembered the day faintly, he had been there for six hours already and he had forgotten to pack his lunch. He thankfully remembered his wallet so he got out of his car and made his way into the cafe, his camera in hand. The smell of coffee and fresh pastries slapped him in the face the moment he stepped in. He gazed around the cafe until he spotted her, she was by the window where her usual spot was. She was even more gorgeous in person, he thought.

He decided not to sit in her area but one close by, close enough where he could see her but not close enough to get served by her. He placed his polaroid camera on the table before he waited for someone to come greet him. As the thought came a tall brunette with deep brown eyes greeted him.

"Welcome to Gena's cafe, what can I get you for today? We have light, medium, and dark roast coffee and some fresh blueberry muffins," she held her notepad in one hand and a pen in the other that she had pulled out of her black apron.

"I'll take a medium roast coffee, and I'm not sure. Do you have any recommendations on what to eat, I'm just not a fan of blueberries."

"I haven't tried much but one second," she looked at him with a smile, she turned to face the honey blonde angels area. "Julia, what do you recommend to eat here?"

Julia, the name suited her. It was sweet just like she looked.

"The double chocolate muffin or a slice of the chocolate cake," Julia turned and smiled at them both. That smile melted his heart. He knew in that instant he needed her in his life and he needed to make her smile.

"I'll have both," he smiled up at the brunette.

"Awesome," the brunette whose name tag said Cathandra. She wrote it down on her little notepad. "Any cream and sugar for your coffee?" she asked.

"No, thank you just black," he smiled.

"Perfect, it'll be here in just a moment."

"Thank you, again."

Once the brunette left he watched Julia, she went around tables and asked if they needed a coffee refill as they ate their little pastries. He looked around and made sure nobody was looking before he lifted the Polaroid camera and brought it to his face. He made sure she was facing his direction before he pressed the button, a small flash went off which seemed to catch a few peoples attention but nobody said anything. The photo slipped out of the camera and he took it out and set it beside him.

Cathandra came back and gave him his cup of coffee, a thick piece of chocolate cake with a sliver of chocolate on top with some chocolate drizzle around it, and his double chocolate muffin.

"Thank you," he smiled at Cathandra.

"No problem, let me know if you need anything else," she smiled.

He dug into his chocolate cake almost immediately, he was starved and she said that the cake was good so he would try it.

He was about half way done with his snack when he looked up, she was staring at him, his angel was staring at him. Her gorgeous green eyes were looking deep into his blackened soul. He stared back into her eyes for just a split second before she looked away.

In that moment he knew for sure he was in love. Hopelessly in love.

Later that night when he was home he pulled out the little brown chest that held his birth certificate and passport and put the new Polaroid pictures in them. He had already collected a few and he knew he couldn't leave them on the dresser forever. He gave the beautiful photos a glance before he put the photos in the chest where they would go under the bed for safe keeping.