glass & patron

[Deleted]

The easing of some tension between them delights Lucas, and he hopes they don't have another single customer all day. He takes a long sip of coffee, the familiar bitterness soothing him every single time. If there was one thing he was confident about in life, it was his ability to make a good cup of coffee. He'd had plenty of practice. "Yes, we're old," he says sagely, though he can't help laughing again as she went on. This was how it used to be, the two of them so comfortable around each other, one constantly making fun of the other. It was no secret that everyone had thought they were destined for one another, the whole town had gone into shock when they went their separate ways. "I deserve that. Come on then, fill me in. Who's the guy that changed your mind? My mom tells me every update about your life except the guy stuff, I think she thinks she's protecting my feelings."

[Judith Haddock]

She cringes when he asks her about her college boyfriend. Max had been everything she thought she wanted - artistic, logical, serious, blunt. It was like she made him up in her head and she spent years thinking it was what she wanted. Until Covid happened and she realized she actually hated his humourless soul. "Max. Twenty-six. Enjoyed long walks in the art gallery," Judith avoids eye contact, becoming embarrassed that she wasted so much time convincing herself that he was perfect for her. "Being locked in a tiny New York apartment really makes you realize how much of a bad person someone is," she takes a sip of her coffee, "his favourite animal was a fish. A FISH."

[Deleted]

He grins as she talks, picturing her with a brooding male model of a man, talking about art and walking the High Line. It was the kind of life he had imagined her living on the rare occasion he had allowed himself to think about it. "I know all about being cooped up in a small apartment with someone you realize is basically a stranger to you, yeah." He laughs again; laughter has been coming so easily. He gives a little shrug after he's finished serving another couple customers. "What kind of fish though? Betta fish are pretty cool, obviously sharks are the shit. I hope you didn't break up with him over a love of fish."