[ONE-SHOT] A Shake For Two

A Shake For Two

A dream that's like a far off memory, or a far off memory that's like a dream...

Either way, my mind lingers, lingers back to the past when I was out discovering what the world had to offer. I do this every day, stuck in this routine of spending my evenings looking out into the vast Pacific and diving into the nostalgia.

There was once a time when I wasn't stuck in one city. I used to travel all over, competing in dance performances to make it to the master class. I finished runner-up that year, but unfortunately for me, second place is never number one. I moved to Japan so that I could improve and come back to France as a stronger woman, but the money ran dry and now I'm stuck here.

I still remember it like it was yesterday. The day I parted ways with my 3 travelling companions to pursue my pipe dream.

The day I last saw him.

I'll never forget the kiss I gave him at the top of those escalator stairs, the culmination of those 10 months of gathering courage. Of course, he's dense as a rock, but I like to hope that after that he came to his senses a bit.

I wonder where he is now...

Knowing him, probably on a new adventure. Will he ever settle down?

Why should he though, that's the life everyone wishes they could live. That's the life I could still be living if a few key decisions hadn't been made.

At the end of the day, it's completely my fault for when I am now. That's why I need to be the one to fix it. Lunch break is almost over Serena, stop moping and get back to work.

As I turn around and walk back to work, my mind lingers back.

Thinking of you, wherever you are. I pray that our sorrows will end, and hope that our hearts will blend.

It's an old poem I read in my first week in Kyushu. It's about a girl reaching out to her long lost love. Surprisingly representative of my current situation, except I'm not sending any messages out to find him.

Come to think of it, why did I never ask for his number? That was dumb of me.

I was so deep down memory lane that I failed notice I had arrived at my destination. "Mind the step, Serena!" I snapped back to reality, but unfortunately it was too late to stop my pacing, and I fell face flat into the porch.

"Gee, are you ok?" A Brooklyn accent filled my ears. It was Hilda, my boss, who was holding a hand out to help me up, which I accepted.

"Yeah, just wasn't paying attention."

"You've been doing that a lot." Her eyes filled with concern for my wellbeing.

"You know how it is..."

"You're covered in bruises and your nose is bleeding."

I looked down. "Oh..."

Hilda sighed. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Just remember to clean the bloodstain off the porch before Cilan notices..." Cilan is, well, my other boss. Him and Hilda moved here from New York to open this bar/restaurant. Cilan is in charge of the restaurant half, Hilda runs the bar

I'm the designated milkshake girl. On the side of the bar there's a separate counter for them, we call it the milkshake shack, even though it's ingrained in a much larger establishment. It's just a neat name.

"I heard a thump, is everything alright?" Someone shouted from the other room.

"Serena fell on the porch stairs!" Hilda yelled back.

"Oh no, it happened again?" A face popped out from the doorway. It was Haruka, whose face was full of worry.

Haruka is our bartender. She's the only native member of the crew, so she's kind of essential. She's also my best friend here.