Edinburgh is for Lovers (l.s.)

ii.

Louis arrived at the cafe the next morning in a huff. His hair a mess from the gusty wind that seemed to follow him his entire fourteen block walk through the city. His nose and cheeks stung from the bitter wind and he dropped his bag on the floor by his usual chair before fluffing his hair out of his face.
He sighed in resignation when his glasses fogged up from the warmth inside. He took them off and wiped the lenses on the hem of his jumper before sliding them back up his nose. He grabbed a few pound notes from his bag and walked to the counter.

"Bit blustery out, ay?" The woman behind the counter chuckled as she put together his usual tea.

"Indeed." Louis rubbed the back of his neck and thanked her when she set his mug on the counter.
He slid a few pound notes to her and gave her a half arsed smile before sitting down at his table.

Louis had been coming to this cafe often since he moved to Edinburgh ten years ago for university, and even more lately, now that he was trying to write his first book. It was the perfect place to write; he got too distracted at home, always finding something around the house that needed to be done in order to procrastinate writing and his potential failure as a writer. He had no excuses here.
He pulled his notebook from his bag and set them on the wooden table top, cursing himself internally when he realized he'd left his pen at home on the kitchen counter. He sighed and rested his chin in one hand as he carefully sipped the steaming tea. He had no intention of asking a stranger for a pen, so he took it as a sign that he wasn't going to write today.
His tea was half gone and his mind was elsewhere as he gazed out the window, so it took him a minute to register that someone had spoken to him.

"Huh?" He looked towards where the voice was addressing him.

"Do you mind? If I join you? Sorry to startle you."

The deep voice that came from this man surprised Louis, almost as much as the fact that his face was so much younger up close.

"Uh, yea. Yes of course. That's fine. You didn't startle me." Louis moved his notebook and mug closer to him so the man would have some space.

"Thank you." He set his bag on the ground and slid into the seat. He wore another suit today, a deep charcoal grey with brown elbow patches. He dressed like one of Louis' old professors, but looked like a student himself.

"Mhm." Louis picked up his mug and took the last few sips of tea.

"Can I get you another?"

"Sorry?"

"Another tea." The man gestured at his empty cup. "It's gone."

"Oh. Uh, you don't have to."

"I'd like to. If you want another."

Louis looked at him curiously but agreed, he could go for another tea.
The man stood back up from the table and went to the counter without asking Louis how he took his tea. Louis frowned as he watched him order, but sighed and leaned back in his seat. A handsome stranger buying him a cuppa was definitely the height of his day so far.
Louis looked up when the man returned with another mug of tea for him.

"Liv made your usual. I assume that's alright?"

"Liv?"

"Olivia. The woman behind the counter."

"I know who she is. Didn't realize she had a nickname." Louis shrugged and took a sip of his tea, made perfectly.

"I don't know if she does. But Liv is short and cute isn't it?"

"I guess so, yeah. It is." Louis agreed. He set his tea down and looked back out the window, cursing himself for not being better at conversation, especially with this attractive man with the deep voice and the tweed suit and the stray curl.