Sweet little Stares

Unique Chapter

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Exclaimed the girl he'd tripped over, when she saw Luke's coffee spilled on the floor. He picked up the glass and tossed it into the small garbage tank on his left side. "Oh my, what a waste." she commented sadly and lowered her head. Luke gave a little jump in shock when he heard her gasp suddenly. The girl raised her head and widened her big almond-shaped eyes and gasped with a half smile. "Oh! There is a small coffee restaurant nearby. It's five minutes from here, I can take you there. I don't know if you have money, do you have money? Oh, but does that matter? I caused this, so, I'll pay. Let's go.” The girl spoke so fast, she barely let Luke take in what was happening. She grabbed the taller man's hand and led him to the cafeteria as if she was in a rush.

Luke was completely surprised of the girl's speed, he could barely keep up with her. It was unusual for a person of about five feet to be able to drag a person of six without any problem. His body looked so delicate and yet the grip that small hand had against his own was quite strong. He sighed when he realized that he was never going to be able to keep up with those little feet in front of him. «I guess I have no choice.» he thought.

Upon reaching the cafeteria, they were directed to a table and the girl quickly ordered the drinks. "I want a vanilla latte, and," Luke cleared his throat so he could speak properly when he noticed that she was waiting for him to say what he wanted.

"A mocha." That said, the waiter nodded before leaving the table.

It took no more than ten minutes for a waiter to approach his table with the coffees on a tray. The girl gave Luke a closed-mouthed smile. "Enjoy it."

Luke cleared his throat and said "T-thank you." He gave himself a mental slap when he heard his shaky voice. Was he nervous about a girl?

«Tch, yeah, sure» he thought.

Without further ado, he took a sip of his mocha and looked around. The cafeteria was quite large, its structure was made of wood and it had a modern style along with touches of the style of the nineties. He was surprised to have never visited that place, not forgetting to mention that the coffee was an excellent charity. Better than the coffee shop that was five minutes from her house.

"Is it good?"

Luke looked at the girl in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"The coffee."

Luke looked at his mug. "Oh, yeah. It's delicious." indeed it was; it was his favorite coffee flavor after all. He then landed his eyes on the girl, who was adding to spoons of sugar to her coffee and he felt like gasping, but ended up opening his eyes wide. He was surprised that she was adding sugar to a coffee that was already very sweet. Before he even got caught staring, he decided to avert his gaze to look around.

The place wasn't that big, but it wasn't uncomfortably small, it also had an 80's vintage style. It was all made with wood and the walls had framed pictures of song lyrics and old artists and actors from the exact 80's; it made the place very interesting. There was also some jazz music playing and it gave a nice and peaceful scenario to the coffee shop. The tables were like those picnic ones but instead of being long like a rectangle, they were made like a medium and comfortably square and the chairs were kind of tall like the tables; Luke's foot barely could touch the wooden floor. A second later he stare at his foot, his eyes glanced at the black boots that were in front of them. The girl's foot were actually four inches far from the floor and he suddenly tried to kept himself from chuckling; because he had to admit that apart from the fact that it was silly, it was also kind of cute.

Wait, what?

"I notice that you have been giving the place a lot of attention, have you came to this neighborhood for a visit?" the girl saw the boy's brow furrow and suddenly retracted her own behaviour "Sorry, no I wanted to sound nosy.

He looked at her as he came back to reality "No worries" he paused for a second; then it hit him. "Wait, you don't know who I am?"

The girl looks up while drinking her coffee. "Mm?" He put the cup in front of her "Have we met before?" She looked away and puffed out her cheeks in a thoughtful way. "Mm, I don't think so, I mean, I would have remembered." she murmured to herself, however, he heard her clearly. She returned her gaze to him and shrugged slowly "According to my memory, this is the first time we have met."

He didn't know what to say «It's a joke, right?»

It had to be a joke. Was it a new game for people to pretend they didn't know him at first and then make him look like a fool? There was no way that girl offered him a coffee like that just because of being kind, nobody did. It was almost impossible for him to believe that this girl did not know who he really was. He even noticed how the employees and the people present in that place had their eyes on him and her. So much kindness seemed suspicious to him, but who wouldn't feel this way after so many bad experiences?

"Oh my God." Luke snapped out of his trance when he heard her gasp. He looked at her quickly and she did the same. His eyes were poking out of the restaurant menu she was holding. "By any chance, do you like cheesecake?" Luke nodded doubtfully. I turn the restaurant menu in the direction of the black-haired man. "Look, they have a strawberry cheesecake special today. Two strawberry cheesecake for six dollars. Six dollars!" The girl was so enchanted, that Luke could feel the sparkle stand out in those emerald eyes, so much so that he felt that if he continued to watch her as he was doing he would lose himself in them. "It is quite a cheap price. That's it, I'll order them." And that's how it was when she called the waiter and after five minutes her cheesecakes were put on the table.

"Do you want anything else?" The girl looked at the boy and when she saw that he refused, she said the same and the waiter took out his notebook. "That would be twenty-two dollars and thirty cents."

Luke gave an inward sigh and started rummaging for his wallet, but just as he had it in his hand, the waiter left the table. Luke frowned. "I said I'd pay for it, didn't I?" He looked at the girl, who was already looking at him with a closed-mouthed smile. Luke nodded and offered her the money the waiter asked for, she frowned and tilted her head "I think you don't understand the concept of "the one that takes you out, pays", is this the first time someone has invited you to a coffee?"

Luke blinked twice "Well, I just ..."

She noticed his somewhat uncomfortable expression and put her elbows on the table to get a little closer "Ah, I see. You're used to being the one who pays, right?"

It can be said that way, people always tend to want something in return.

"You are right, many people do things for their own benefit." She took Luke's hand slowly and closed it with the money in her hand But, just because that is so, it does not mean that people with genuine intentions do not exist .

And then, in that same instant that the two eyes met, Luke noted the sincerity of her words. He smiled somewhat embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have misjudged you."

"I appreciate the apology, however" I push a plate of cheesecake towards Luke "I won't accept it until I take a bite of dessert"

Luke couldn't help but chuckle a bit along with her "Well then, I'll do that"

"Bon Apettite" said that, the door of trust was opened by both of them, allowing themselves to enjoy every conversation they had from there.

Their laughter did not seem to stop and there was always a moment in him that their gazes connected. «Green apple jollyranger» he thought «Her eyes are crystalline and her gaze is sweet like a green apple jollyranger» he had finally arrived at the perfect description.

"Oh! But what a fool I am. I'm Hannah, by the way; Nice to meet you." she confessed and hid a lock of her long, wavy red hair as they walked through the neighborhood. The streets were less crowded, the breeze was calmer and the stars were lighting up the sky along with the moon.

Luke couldn't help but smile widely when those words came out of the girl's mouth. They had spent most of a day together without ever having formally introduced himself and he found it quite funny; it seemed as if they were fifteen-year-olds. "The pleasure is mine Hannah, this is Luke." he said and made a small bow with his head

They both knew something in that exact moment, what defined their relationship was not the time they spent together, but the moments. Because even though they were just starting to met, they surely didn't room each other as a stranger, not after having a good time and surely, not when they noticed that everytime they got the chance to look at each other, there was something in the way their eyes stare with the other; something weird and curiously sweet.