Pumpkin Mocha Breve

Part 1

Date- March 15

I thought it would just be a normal day. I wasn't expecting my life to change by me going to work like I normally do. It's not like I ever meet anyone of importance. We don't get that much business anyway. The cafe's in New York, but on the outskirts of the city.

I woke up three minutes and five... four... three seconds before my alarm, but I tried to go back to sleep for those three minutes and two seconds. Couldn't waste that beauty sleep. However, three minutes and one second later when my alarm went off, I was still awake. Maybe my body sensed that today was the day my life changed. I rolled out of bed and pulled on my usual white polo and jeans, not bothering to brush my hair. The curls never got neater anyway. I winked at my reflection as I passed the mirror on my wall on the way out the door. I pulled on my favorite sweatshirt to fight the March chill. My messenger bag was slung over my shoulder and my red converse carried me out the door down the sidewalk outside my apartment. I never bothered with public transportation. There was always traffic, every hour of the day, and I walked fast anyway. The bell on the cafe door chimed as I pushed it open fifteen minutes later.

"Morning, Simon!" greeted my coworker Penny cheerfully. She seemed to be in a good mood today. I dropped my bag behind the counter and tied my apron around my waist.

"Morning, Pen," I responded, grinning. Penny'd been my best friend ever since I started college. All of our required classes we had together, and we'd been immediate best friends after Penny helped me with an especially difficult problem in math. When I applied for the part time job at the cafe, it was a nice surprise to find that Penny had the same shifts as me.

The cafe opened five minutes later with the entrance of the most beautiful person I'd ever seen in my life. I thought at first it must be a girl, why else would my brain be reacting this way? But as the stranger stepped closer, I realized it was a guy; a very pretty one. His eyes were the color you'd get if you mixed blue, green, and grey- and it doesn't sound that great, but as they met my gaze I got lost in them. Everything about him was intense. He had soft looking black hair, long for a guy. Most of it was up in a messy bun, but the hair in the front that was too short brushed the base of his neck. He was dressed in a dark green sweater and a purple and green tie, and the long coat he was wearing over it made him look like some sort of dramatic fantasy character. Even without the striking appearance, his boots made sure you could hear him coming from his dramatic sounding footsteps. His skin was pale, standing in contrast with his dark coat and hair. He was an artistic masterpiece.

Needless to say, I was absolutely stunned when he stepped up to the counter. I couldn't get a single word out without stuttering. I could practically feel Penny rolling her eyes behind me as she pulled me out of the way to take the man's order. He said his name was Baz. Baz... must be short for something. Basil? He didn't look like a Basil.

I must have been noticeably staring, because he turned to me, slightly glaring. "Can I help you?"

I flushed bright red. "No, no sorry! You... you just look like someone I know. I was trying to figure out if I'd met you before." I breathed out. Would he accept the lie?

He rolled his eyes, sneering. "We haven't met. I'd think I'd remember a tragedy like you."

I stalked away into the back room, pouting, under the pretense of getting more of something I needed to make his coffee. Penny found me a few minutes later and told me that Baz had left and I could stop being a hopeless romantic now.

I opened my mouth, trying to say something back, flustered at her assuming I had a crush on Baz. Of course I didn't. I had a beautiful girlfriend, Agatha, and I loved her very much. I was just confident in my sexuality enough to realize how damn hot he was. I told this all to Penny, and she laughed.

"Whatever you say, Simon."

The rest of the day passed without anything worth noting happening, besides one of my old college professors, Ebb Petty, coming in to say hello. As I walked home after my shift ended at 4 pm, I thought about the boy that came in that morning. It was stupid, but I wondered whether he was thinking of me too. It's not like he would. He did call me a tragedy, but... I wasn't hurt by it. He didn't seem like he was being serious about insulting me. My brain ran away with the fantasy, imagining some alternate world where I was gay and he kept coming into the shop just to see me. I chuckled to myself. Like that would ever happen. 

It had already been a whole year since I graduated college with my four year degree, but I was still surprised to come home and not have anything to do. No homework, no projects, no tests this week, no impending deadlines constantly looming over me. It was nice. I collapsed on my sofa, turning on Netflix to my favorite show. I opened a new container of ice cream from my freezer. Another plus of being an adult that lives alone is that I can have whatever I want to for dinner. I don't think I've eaten a vegetable in three weeks. Penny usually cooks real food for me so I can at least eat a meal like twice a week, but she's still in college for another three years and she's been doubling up classes to graduate faster. I don't know how she does it. She has A's in all of them. Like most days, I'd been unproductive all day, but I was already tired at around 7 pm. I fell asleep on the couch with the empty ice cream container on the coffee table in front of me.