Ian sighed as he entered his local café. He took his reserved seat on the counter and smiled weakly at the worker behind it. “Hey there, Erin. How’s business?”

She smiled at him, “Business is business, Ian. You of all people should know that. You’re in here every day, pretty much.”

He shrugged, “Highest IQ in the city and I lack the basic ability to observe the plainly obvious.”

She assembled his cup of coffee as he likes it and handed it to him. “You look down, what’s up?”

He took a sip lazily, and set it down to the side. “Girl troubles.”

She frowned, and leaned on the counter opposite him. “You know, for as much as it bothers you, I’m surprised you’re not an alcoholic.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Care to talk about it?”

“Part of the reason I’m here.”

“Okay, feel free to splurge, I’ll listen.”

He took another long sip from his coffee, and leaned back lazily in his stool, bringing it up on two legs. “You remember Amber, right?”
“The shorter one? I think so.”

“Well, yeah. She came back to me and asked me out. I told her no, of course. I was seeing someone else. But, really, it hurt me. I liked Amber, like, a whole lot. Probably love. Well, it’s a moot point now. This new girl had me in a vice-grip. So, things went that way. Daily, I got a call from Amber asking for me back, and daily I had to tell her no. But it was tearing me apart inside.”

Erin remained silent, nodding silently in reassurance to continue.

“That stopped about a week ago. Today, she calls to inform me that she’s found a new guy friend, and it was love instantly. They’re moving to New York tomorrow.”

Erin was staring out of the full-wall window at the park across the street. “I see. Is that what’s bothering you?”

“Yeah, and the girl I was seeing dumped me the day before.”

“Ouch, sounds like you’ve had some trouble. Need another coffee.”

Ian nodded, and tossed his cup idly behind him. Into the trash, perfectly, with practiced precision.

“This one’s on me.”

“Thanks, Erin.”

Ian sipped his coffee in silence, Erin quietly gazed at him, thoughts unclear.

People came and went. Finishing coffee, internet articles, and newspapers, and leaving the café at a hurried pace. Back to the bustle of life as they knew it. Ian basked in silence, remaining in his seemingly perpetual gloom. Erin remained silent, save for when customers were demanding things of her. Whenever Ian ran low on coffee, Erin made him another. No words exchanged, her actions just a soft reminder of her presence and support.

A few minutes before closing, the place empty but for three odd people, Ian looks up. “Maybe, I’m making too much of this, y’know?”

She nodded, “Yeah. You almost always do. This isn’t the end of the world.”

“You’re probably right.”

He turned to the window and looked at the fountain, illuminated in the distance, water splashing in colorful arcs. A young couple was sitting and watching.

“Sometimes, you’d think chapters in life wouldn’t have such an unhappy ending.”

Erin stared at the window with him, “You overanalyze things, Ian. And rarely notice the things right in front of you.”

He continued watching the young couple, the lady resting her head on the man’s shoulder. “Like?”

“For one, you’re sitting in a café six minutes after it should be closed.”

He looked around, it was empty save for himself and Erin, and even some of the lights where turned off, and he never noticed. “I can see what you mean.”

“But, that’s just it. You have friends around to support you, and you’re really often too wrapped up in your own little tragic romance novel that you don’t see it.”

He watched in horror and fascination as the young couple kissed. With his reaction, you’d think he was watching a car wreck about to happen. “I’m not sure about that.”

Erin leaned over the counter and checked his coffee. “So, you’ve noticed that I’ve wanted to do this for the longest time?”

“To do wha-”

His voice was muffled by her lips, which had somehow made their way on his.

He closed his eyes and sank into it, letting his instinct tell him that this was a good think. He pretty much melted into her.

After it was over, he fell backwards. His stool still on two legs, and he landed with a particularly loud thud on the carpeted mat in front of the counter. Erin leapt over the counter, even in her work skirt, and helped him up quickly.

“Oh god, are you alright?”

“I saw Paris…”

“Don’t you dare finish that…”

“I saw France…”

“IAN!”

“I saw Erin’s underpants.”

To this day, people believe that they heard a slap come from the café, even when they were as far away as the fountain in the park.

Doesn’t really matter much, anymore, though. They’re still together. Although, no one really knows if this particular one’s going to last. What may feel like love one day could turn out to be infatuation the next. But, doesn’t really matter too much in the long run. Ian’s going to get something out of this, and Erin will probably learn a thing or two, too. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. I’m sure they can move on. Or at least try.

Who knows, maybe I will too.