Aster

Chapter Two: Aster.

Jacob

     The sweet smell of the café embraced him with a heaviness filling his lungs in every breath. It was the kind of smell he would expect in such a quaint shop, almost addicting. It elicited him to inhale deeper each time. Jacob gazed around, noticing a bar-like area on the far side of the floor, with two columns on either side of it that held up an overhead lattice where wisteria draped between the checkered spaces and grew like vines around the wooden pillars.

     There was the soft lull of liquid boiling, most likely where the smell was coming from, but he couldn't quite tell from where he stood. Curtains were held up by white ribbons on a window to the wall right of him, and calico cat draped lazily across the windowsill while its tail swayed back and forth in its sleep.

     The girl, whose name he still didn't know, busied herself behind the counter while he planted himself on one of the stools lining the bar, watching the way she moved around the small kitchen. From here, he could see a mural of purple daisies painted on the tiles of a wall farthest from him which she faced. Lights were displayed around the walls of the dining area, shaped like raindrops that illuminated a soft yellow while two lanterns dangled from the ceiling. There was the faintest sound of music playing from a stereo set up and framed with blooming peonies along a shelf towards the left, a television currently off fitted just above it. Beneath it, a medium-sized bookshelf had spines arranged perfectly on each of its four shelves. 

     This felt like exactly the kind of place he'd find a girl like this, soft and inviting.

     Leaning against one of the columns, Jacob noticed a large drawing pad with the same script from the window painted across its solid black cover: Use Me. He couldn't help but let out a low chuckle, taking it within a single hand and shaking the pencil free of its spiraled backside. His dark gaze flickered through the pages, reading what little had been written within its contents. It was strange how, despite his first time being here, it was like he could see the stories of peoples' coming and going through this store with nothing but a little pad and paper. Different names, different stories, different handwriting, they all used this notebook to communicate with her. The man didn't realize he was still laughing.

      The moment she had noticed him holding the drawing book, the girl's full attention was on him, her bright blue gaze staring expectantly. Jacob wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't also been staring at her. She lifted up what looked to be a menu, although it was nothing but a single sheet of laminated paper. Jacob noticed that when she smiled, her eyes arched closed and minuscule dimples popped out on the far corners of them just above her cheekbones. His heart skipped a beat in tune to the music playing in the backdrop.

      She had been pointing to a mug decorated in chocolate shavings over a small swirl of whipped cream. Jacob's brow arched upwards, a smirk on his features not easily hidden, "Are you suggesting that?" He found himself talking slower now, seeing as the girl was able to read lips - to an extent. Animated, she nodded her head and placed the menu on the counter for him to look over, but his eyes remained on her. With a nod of his head as well, he took her up on the suggestion and watched as she pivoted on her heels to go to work.