The Big Boom [re-writing]

11:46 am [updated]

11: 46 am

Succulents. Lots of succulents.

And cacti. And ferns. And numerous other green plants with scientific names I couldn't pronounce.

We were in a greenhouse.

"Greenhouse Café," Christopher corrected. "It's damn well the earthiest coffee shop I've ever been to. Plus they serve drinks here."

Ferns of various sizes hung from the tall ceiling of this geodesic dome. Cacti of all sorts of thorns and colors and branches were potted neatly in their individual cans or ceramic containers, and strange, prickly bulbs were adorned with flowers that didn't match. The counters of the bar were glazed black marble. The bottles upon bottles of alcohol behind the baristas slash bartenders settled right next to a ton of machines that whirred and brewed. The seating area looked cheap, but the overall setting of the café wasn't –not if you looked up.

If you look up, you see the window panes that framed together into geometric shapes, like the faces of an enormous crystal. Birds lined side by side against the black frames. The thickets of oak trees freckled sunbeams that came through from the outside and a natural light harmonized the food from the inside.

"Why haven't I been here before?" I asked, breathless.

"Drinks?" A waitress asked.

I turned to her with the menu haven't yet opened, unprepared. "Uh, sweet tea would be nice," I said.

"Black coffee," said Christopher.

The waitress nodded and left.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "No 'Grey Goose vodka'? No Bloody Mary or champagne? Merlot? Do they even sell that here?"

He only scoffed. "No. No, but I would like to forget Sarah temporarily without the accomplice of alcohol."

"Why?"

"I'm saving the alcohol for later." He scraped the chair a bit to lean back. "And I want to remember you."

"Remember...me. Why?"

Now that I paid enough attention, didn't try to ignore it every time, I noticed him –as he was noticing me. His eyes held this intrigue as he scanned my face, like trying to hook the story in me he couldn't seem to find, like Nicole was really somewhere in me this whole time and he only needed a look from a better angle to see her. But it wasn't Nicole he was seeing. It was Aubrey.

"You seem like a good time," He said. "And who wouldn't want to remember someone like you?"

I blinked. And then I set the menu down. "I don't like this."

"What, the café?"

"No, you," I clarified. "You love Sarah. You're her boyfriend so I'd appreciate it if you didn't say things like that."

"Were," He enunciated. "We broke up a month before she died."

I gritted my teeth behind my lips. "So?"

"So what are you trying to imply?"

"What are you trying to imply?" I countered.

We had a brief stare-down before we both picked the menu back up and skimmed the options. When the waitress came back with our drinks and asked us what else we wanted to order, we dismissed her and then made eye contact with each other again.

"You say what you're thinking first and then I'll go," He said.

"I can't believe I'm missing Sarah's reception to have a drink with you."