章 1: The Encounter
"Ouch". I say under my breath; my new denim jeans unexpectedly scuffing against the pavement where my feet once were. Although I'm unaware of what force has hurled me down, my attention is directed to my right hand, which is now empty. As I look ahead of me, a few feet in front of my legs, I see the cardboard corpse of my beautiful tea, solemnly laying on the ground with its perfectly warm guts puddled around it. I couldn't help but let out a small sniffle, it had just gotten to the perfect temperature to sip and I added just the right amount of sugar this time. "My tea.." I sighed defeated, now passing the last stage of grief, acceptance that it is now gone and I should move on.
I look up to see only a mere silhouette of this tea-murdering assailant as my eyes are blinded by none other than Amaterasu, Japanese goddess of the sun, in all her bright glory. As a hand creeps it's way towards me for assistance, I try my hardest to regain composure, hoping my now bitter mood doesn't seep through my skin by touch and infect this convict like some sort of parasite. When I am lifted to my feet from my harsh concrete abode, I am met with an onslaught of pampering and remorse. Constant patting of my clothes to remove the dust and dirt, a mouthful of apologies, and quickly iterated half sentences attempting to explain the event that had just taken place. I begin to realize that I am now in the same situation that my cat is when I step on his tail.
" I assure you I'm fine! It was just a tea it's no matter." I say as calmly as I can, and with as much honest conviction as I can, as my eyes begin to fixate on the individual before me. It is a man, I presume by the voice depth and physique, and he is rather tall. I'd have to say at least 6'3, with a very pretty shade of auburn hair, a word I use scarcely to describe hair. His eyes however, were entrancing to say the least. To call them blue would be an insult, they were clear quartz, shot through with sapphires and the purest white light possible that reflected the very sky into his eyes.
" Again, I'm so sorry for running into you! Please, allow me to buy you a coffee as reimbursement", said the man with both desperation and aspiration. What a weird series of events! First knocked down as I attempt to drink my tea, then to find the perpetrator is this handsome casanova, and then be asked out to coffee by the very same man?
"I don't like coffee, I drink tea." Really? And I wonder how I'm single to this day. Here I am, a grown man being asked out by another rather handsome grown man, and my best response is to be picky of which beverage? For shame!
"Well..." he mutters, probably slightly confused and stumped at my dimwitted response,
"How about the tea shop around the corner? I hear they have amazing Chai and I've been meaning to stop by." Then he shows this angelic smile with a slight confident smirk that rolls like velvet off the left side of his lip. How entrancing and embellishing his smile is, captivating me in seconds with the feelings of trust and empathy. Now now, must remain calm, for all I know he really is just trying to reimburse me. I don't even know his personal preference of mates now do I?
"That sounds fair, considering I was about to drink Chai tea." I let off a little chuckle to make sure he knows I'm joking rather than insulting him. As he looks down at his rather new leather bound shoes, I realize my attempt at comedic relief hadn't been received the way I intended it to have been. One would think all those years of studying Shakespeare's plays could at least give me the ability to use witty sarcasm in everyday conversation. Abruptly, the hand that lifted me from the discomfort of the sidewalk is now out right to me, in which I with instinct like reflexes embrace it with my own hand.
"William James Sortis, that's my name, though most my friends call me Will for short", his smile once again is projected and I attempt my best at such a bravado presentation,
" Names Mason Rius, and it is a pleasure to meet you Will, all circumstances accounted for of course". He chuckled, one point for my use of the English language!
"The pleasure is all mine Mason, all circumstances also accounted for." Gentlemen like and witty, a dangerous combination for a stunning physical embodiment. We both, in rather impressive synchronicity, turn in the direction of the tea shop and walk at a rather steady pace. I find it quite amusing that a person who was heading at such a speed to knock another one down to the ground is now in no rush to any goal or destination. In light of this though, I thought I'd make some small talk,
" So, William, if you don't mind me asking, why were you in such a rush just a moment ago?" I think this is a rather fair question on my part, however his response states otherwise.
"I was going for a jog." He says readily and without hesitation. I pry a little more,
"Oh, so you didn't have a reason for it besides exercise?", my prying is answered with a friendly smile,"Running from the law of course, best motivation for exercise." The sarcasm in his voice was thick enough to be translated by a dane. I laughed and dropped the topic. Alas, my mind of mine begins its own laps around the track of paranoia and self-preservation. Could it be that I am now going to get tea with a criminal? Whom just so happened to of run into me? And is now using me as civilian camouflage and later a possible shield? With his intelligence and looks, he fits the bill. I must remember to keep my wits about me, this cursed mind of mine.
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The tea shop, named "Thea's Cafe" which I found amusing as Thea is latin for Tea, was quaint and beautiful to say the least. The inside was furnished beautifully with rustic themed wooden chairs accompanied by small oak tables or tables made of faux marble, garnished around the borders with steel vinous designs. The floor itself was elegant enough that a mere step caused an echoing effect that would be quickly consumed by the harmonic tunes of classical Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven being played over the Cafe's sound system. A small terrace openly connected to the cafe was similarly furnished, open concept of course for those customers who enjoy the beauty of nature alone with their lunch time meal and beverages. The beautiful grape vine wrapped around the fence enclosing the terrace caught my eyes the most, it being in its fullest bloom of the season. My face has often been a mirror of my thoughts, and Will seemed to have caught on quite quickly to this,"Beautiful isn't it?". I could barely contain my excitement,"Beautiful would be an understatement, yet I'm not sure of any other word that could come close!" I smiled at him, and then looked over his shoulder to appreciate the rather large mirror that consumed majority of the right end wall. Will gave me a small agreeing smile before walking toward the counter. That's when it dawned on me, this is not a date. I had gotten so wrapped up in the moment and in myself that I had forgotten he was really just here to buy me a tea as reimbursement. I shook my head a little at myself, how my mind and heart can run away so easily together is beyond me. I collected myself, remembering to be casual yet not overly friendly as to give off the wrong vibe. Vibe, look at me go using language appropriate for my age, can't tell if I should feel happy or rather disappointed. Focus! "What type of chai do you prefer Mason?" I snapped from my daze, noticing he is several paces in front of me while I stood there like a pole staring at my own reflection, oh how psychology beseeches me. I walk up to him calmly, reading the selection of chai with the intent of prices over flavour, only to realize that the stunning decor of the cafe did not in fact pay for itself, as it would cost a small wage just to purchase a small tea with sugar. I sighed with remorse, I hate the thought of people spending money on me, I feel like a burden or some spoiled child. Far to independent some would say, but I like to think of it as perfectly self reliant. As I skim the menu over once more I find a chai that is at a decent price, and not exactly the worst flavour combination I've ever heard of. As I pointed it out to him I see him shaking his head slightly. "What?" I ask a bit worried that maybe I wasn't actually meant to pick one out and just shrug as some sort of social courtesy. "Have you ever had that one before?" He asked some what bemused by my choice. Despite just wanting to answer with a quaint yes, my straightforward, and rather impulsive nature, got the best of me,"No I haven't.". I admitted, to which he smiled back at me with an air of understanding that seemed too sincere for such a situation like this,"Then I wouldn't recommend it, my friend told me it tastes somewhat like liquorice." My face once again must have given away my obvious disgust, to think such a tea flavour would exist! But then again, Sambuca also existed even in alcohol form. "How about you pick one for me on your own recommendation?" I said a little to ecstatically then I had hoped. This way I could see what types of flavours he likes as well, not that it necessarily mattered. He nodded in agreement and ordered two Zen Chai's. At first I had been taken back by the fact he ordered two, maybe this was a date after all? But then, as I looked up at the menu to see what type of flavour combo it was, my instinct went right to the price which had me gasping. It was quite almost one of the most expensive options on the menu! Not to mention he ordered the large rather then the small I had dropped at our encounter! Surely now I was indebted to him rather than he to me.
The wait for the teas was almost non-existent, though I accredited this to the fact that the cafe was near vacant at this time of day. As Will handed me my rather large tea, I took a deep breath and aligned my words carefully,"Thank you so much for the tea, though a large was very unnecessary, considering I only had a small tea during our little encounter." Not to mention a cheap tea at that. "Oh nonsense, a large is the perfect size as it is satisfying, and let's you drink at your own pace. By the time you reach the halfway mark, the tea is chilled and full of flavour." I couldn't help but smile and let out a small sigh. I know that now that I have thanked him and been reimbursed, as soon as we walk out that door my little fairytale will have come to it's ever-after ending. It was sad really, he is such a fascinating gentleman. "You know," he said, interrupting my melancholy thoughts while sipping his tea,"I had been meaning to ask exactly where you were off to when I ran into you?". How peculiar I thought the question was, but then I thought about how weird it was that I thought the question to be weird! So much thinking, I just need to answer,"I actually had no destination in mind! It was merely my day off and so I thought I'd go for a tea and a stroll around the neighbourhood. I just moved in a few months ago and haven't properly gotten acquainted with my surrounding areas." Not to mention I'd rather not stay indoors and watch TV all day like always, but that's something better left unsaid. He nodded at me with a grin,"So, since you don't seem to be in a rush anywhere, care to sit and finish our teas together? Get to know each other a little better than our initial impressions?". Every aspect of me froze, internally of course as I didn't want to seem too obvious. My thoughts went back to the door, as soon as I leave this all ends right? Maybe he knows that too, and so insists on staying here. "I would be delighted to have tea with you Will." I say smiling, following his gesture over to a two person table out on the terrace. He pulled out a chair for me, something that I haven't heard of since the first Queen Victoria, and I sat down graciously as he sat across from me.
The atmosphere had suddenly gone awkward for reasons unbeknownst to me, I'm one of the most sociable people I know yet I couldn't even think of a starter. Both of us just made repetitive eye contact as we took sips of our tea, then turn our gazes to the nature around us. What a beauty the autumn season is, full of sun and colour, yet a cozy cool air wraps around you only tugging at the scarfs around people's necks and grasping at the end of long sleeves like a child begging for attention. It's the goldilocks of all the seasons, not to hot, not to cold, just perfect. I was then ripped from my thoughts as Will cleared his throat,"You mentioned that you had just moved here not to long ago? Where did you reside previously?" A fair question I certainly thought,"I just moved here from Canada, southern Ontario to be more exact." I smiled rather proudly. He let out a light chuckle, "Canada, eh?" I shook my head profusely at his mockery, we don't say itwr intrigued,"How'd the family take to that?" I couldn't help but let out a little laugh, "Guess you could say that they didn't exactly have an opinion in the matter." I could already tell this was gonna be a fun evening.
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