(This post was used as a FTS prompt fot the 
- The Extraordinary Café -
- By and 
-
The warm smell of fresh brownies drifted across the cafe, ducking under the tables, squeezing through chairs, urged on by the fans; it flew. A gooey batch, chocolate chips still soft, had appeared on the counter. So loudly rang the placing of the tray, that Matt’s eyes glanced over, his mouth already watering, and so the enticing aroma managed to make him half consider ordering two.
Over Matt’s head, a clock's hand ticked a steady background beat, drawing his attention. For all wandering eyes, it was ten to two; she was twenty minutes late. A huff of impatience escaped his cracked lips, his mind drifting back to the crowded room.
An elderly man sat slouched at the table across from him, his broadsheet newspaper out of place in a room full of faces glazed by the light of phone screens. Matt‘s hand instinctively touched his own in his pocket. If he got it out, his eyes would be glued hard to it, in case the light flashed. His mind knew it would vibrate, but the flash came first. It was an addiction he couldn’t fight. Not to the phone. To her.
His mind buzzed and beeped, unable to fight the itch of wonder…
“...where was she?”
The old man‘s mouth let go of a cough, accompanying the symphony of crinkling as he flipped a page. Matt’s eyes darted up, accidentally catching his gaze, the man smiled at him eagerly folding the paper away.
Matt’s mind shuddered, cursing itself as the man rose, heading towards him. As soon as the stranger came within ear shot, Matt called out trying to put him off.
“Sorry mate, i’m waiting for someone.”
The grin over the worn face widened.
“Someone who still ain’t here yet, ‘ow about a bit of company, to help with the waiting? Whatcha say?”
Put on the spot, Matt’s thoughts already ablaze, he found himself nodding before reason could interject. The flame in his mind was inundated with worries and the urge to call her now - to see where oh where she was. Matt didn’t have the patience for small talk, but it was too late; the elderly man was lowering himself into the chair opposite.
The chair eeking with the slow applying pressure of aching joints, a wry smile found itself on the old man’s lips. In the opposite side of tension: a forced smile began forming on Matt’s dry lips, his hand quivering but extending for an introduction.
"Eh, kid, no need for silly formalities. 'Ow 'bout yah ease up and tell me whatcha ordering 'ere."
There Matt's mind had self-extinguished and heard the World around. His ears caught the titter-tats of boots making squeaks across the marble-tiled floor, cash-registers a singing, rifles of cash and the door bells ringing. His eyes trying to scan the old geezer sitting there relaxed, his mind couldn't but frustrate the odd self-sameness betwixt them. But the voice-box taking charge, he uttered what his mouth had been slobbering over:
"Oh, some brownies. Something small and quick before me 'n' her talk a wee bit on what to get."
"Mmm, those brownies do taste wonderful. Wonder if the taste's been the same these few decades?"
"This restaurant has been here for only a decade at most."
"Sowry, memory’s a bit finicky; guess the general style o’ the diner had thrown my memories outta order."
"Well, may I shoot back a question then?"
"Shoot."
"What's that funny lil' metal thing sticking off your coat?"
"Oh this? Pay no attention-"
"May I see it at least?"
"Well, I guess I must."
A small, metal robot chinked across the coat and the table squirmed when it skittered across the platform. The robot beeping about and igniting its digital eyes, Matt's vision centered the bot skittering around like a spider. Then Matt's ears picked up on the elder man's chuckle, again his mind confused on the self-sameness between them. The spider-bot jumped gleefully, before crouching down when a loud rev of an engine roared outside. All eyes staring before getting back to their usual, the old man's hands scooped it up and chucked it to the air.
A buzzing disrupting the air, Matt’s eyes saw the emoticons flashing across with every gleeful emoticon and new ones to his eyes. Matt's mouth agape and his mind blocking out the outside World to the point that the chocolate goodness of brownies filling his nose up couldn’t snap him out of it. Flapping back to the old man, it sprouted legs and skittered back into place; making an acutely sharp noise before shutting off fully. His hands tucking the bot a bit further in and patting the coat to be safe, an ancient smile was all that was plastered on the old man's face.
His mind in constant flux between being burnt broken and flushed out, his mouth blurted the deadly sentence as Matt leaped across the table!
"Who are you exactly?"
But the elder ducked to the side and his hands had to dust off food scraps on his coat. Head cocked, he looked them all down and they glanced away in stupid shock. Matt groaned and curled away as the old man's feet made their announcement clear enough. Grasping his moaning stomach, the old geezer leaned in that forever scar his ears:
"Take this card, follow the instructions carefully; she'll be needed as well, so don't ignore nor belittle her now. Also order th’ specialty o’ the day: Hazelnut brownies."
A doorbell so sweetly sang for the clicks on the floor by first an old man strolling out then regular folk coming in. Matt's legs carried him to the bathroom, spot-checking himself after the door announced that it was locked - not a scratch dare touch his skin. Hands dusting him off, he realized that yesterday’s specialty was the hazelnut brownie. But pushing to the thought to the side that this could've been one of those old men of tech that heard it from assistants type of ordeal, his hands unlocked the door and still no dice of his love being in sight.
Eyes scanning the card over, they shrunk and strained on each detail before his head shook. Hands tucking it into his shirt-pocket, his final hand-pat rang along with the doorbell. She came in with that nice sundress and that fresh smile on her face, his hands gestured her over as her feet picked up the slack. Gripping the card out, his voice-box began to tremble before her hands held his calmly and their noses nuzzled.
"C'mon Matt, bit o'eroding the shy thing now. I bet it's another of those inventions, please do tell! I love it when you go on about them, especially the ones I help you on~"
"Well, okay Wiktoria, just listen carefully. This is a bit crazier than what your friend made recently, yah know: Dźwięk Corneliusa’s invention?"
"I know, just messaged her recently; been all over the news. But yes. For you, Matt, I shall give you this one time. No interruptions and you shall tell the tale, but no more promises like that afterwards - ever. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Well?~"
Stammered in what to say, his hands grasped hers tighter as his body reared in closer. She repeating the motions, her ears were wide open for him only but his mind couldn't phrase it just right. Letting go and yanking the chair to be placed next to her, his hands yanked the card out and his voice-box stated one word:
"Read."
Her hands gripping the card along with his hands, her eyes scanning the very same lines he had just a few minutes ago, her arms trembling but her eyes perking in with tears, her arms flung around his body and squeezed him tight. He couldn't hold it back either, returning the hug but weakly to her strong grasp on him. A soft murmur of weeps came betwixt them despite being infinitesimally close to each other. Eyes staring at each other, their heads closed the ravine between them and their lips gave a soft but electrifying sense across their body. A waitress's heels clicking the floor, her eyes saw the pair weeping and gave a wide berth while leaning down.
"Everything okay sweeties?"
"O-o-of course. Just a silly thing 'tween me and him. Matt, whatcha wanna order?"
"Oh nothing but the specialty of the house: Hazelnut brownies!"
Two things: Yay a cowrite with mój Ukochany finally and a cowrite finally are back, yay!!!!~
