you and I walk a fragile line

[Stella Elizabeth Gneiss]

It had been far too long since Stella took time out of the day to simply bask in the sunny window seat of the cafe while reading a good book and drinking an amazingly rich cup of coffee. She closed her eyes, inhaling the scent and let it warm her senses before taking a small sip. She readjusted her headphones and glanced out the window to people watch for a moment, and she was glad she had. Catching sight of an interesting character.



Aidan Brennan Griffin

[Aidan Brennan Griffin]

Having taken a half hour to go get some groceries for at home, Aidan made his way back to work. He'd left Adalyn in charge, just until he got back, but recently, she'd been a little absentminded. Opening the door, the little bell above it jingling, his daughter came out from the split doorway that lead through to the music store, ready to greet a customer, but saw her father and immediately took off the apron she was wearing. "I'm going upstairs to study." she told him, leaving the apron on the counter, before taking the bags in his hands and disappearing upstairs. Aidan smiled at her, but she didn't smile back. Teenagers, he thought, rolling up his sleeves and grabbing a pitcher of coffee. "Refill, anyone?" he questioned the customers, his accent still thick, a happy, welcoming smile on his face.

[Stella Elizabeth Gneiss]

Stella bit her bottom lip and glanced down at her half full cup of coffee, perhaps not enough for a refill, but for a waiter as attractive as him, anything was possible. She blamed it on the accent as she lifted her hand to let him know she could use a refill, or rather a better look at his face. "I could use one" she said with a slight smile.

[Aidan Brennan Griffin]

Aidan smiled over at the young woman with her hand raised. He walked over to her with a happy smile on his face. "No matter how full the cup, it's always worth topping it up." he told her, pouring the hot liquid into her cup. Honestly, he liked to talk to the customers. He believed that was why the place had stuck around as long as it had. There was already a cute little cafe not too far from theirs, so he was warned they might not take off. But here they were, six years later, still thriving.

[Stella Elizabeth Gneiss]

"I agree one hundred percent" she said with a smile and looked down at the dark liquid, loving the rich aroma "I have to ask. Where do you get your coffee from?" If she could ever make her kitchen smell as good as this coffee, she'd be set for life.

[Aidan Brennan Griffin]

Aidan paused for a moment and had to think. He changed his beans every so often, so that the flavor was different, to get a variety. "These ones are, I think, from Costa Rica." he told her. "Monte Crisol region. It's sweet and has a silky body, and the after taste, as I hope you've tasted, is rather smooth and buttery." he said. He wasn't a coffee snob. In fact, his daughter picked out the beans. "Adalyn, my girl, she helps pick out the blends."

[Stella Elizabeth Gneiss]

"I just have to say, they are amazing. She has great taste. You both do" Stella said with a nod and a smile, oh that accent, why didn't she come here more often? "I think this place is amazing."

[Aidan Brennan Griffin]

Aidan smiled larger at the woman and nodded his head. He was really that father that wouldn't stop praising his child for every little thing she did. It pissed her off, however. "The more the merrier. No one is going to judge you for drinking heaps of coffee around here." he said. "If there's two things you shouldn't be able to get enough of here it's good tasting coffee and good music."

[Stella Elizabeth Gneiss]

Stella grinned and nodded "So do you sell music here too?" She asked "Because I've actually been trying to find a new taste for myself."

[Aidan Brennan Griffin]

Aidan nodded his head, smiling again as he pointed to a sign in the wall that indicated there was another part of the coffee shop. "Yes, we do. Right through there." he told her. "We have a wide range of different sounds. I try to get my hands on some old vinyls, older music that most kids these days haven't even heard of." he said. When he started, he tended to ramble on.

[Stella Elizabeth Gneiss]

"Well," she said standing, "Maybe you can show me" she said as she started to wall by, letting her forearm brush his seemingly by accident as she walked past. She was a flirtatious girl, that much was true.

[Aidan Brennan Griffin]

Aidan was... A sort of oblivious man. He was charming, but mostly not, quite honestly. He saw flitting as his enemy. It never did anything good for him. However, he sort of knew that she was flirting. Why? He'd watched a boy do it to his daughter and he almost killed him. "Sure, follow me." he said, clearing his throat a little as he started toward the music store next door. "Nate is working today, so he can help you out." he told her, trying to remain friendly but not too friendly. Having someone else help...was friendly, right?

[Stella Elizabeth Gneiss]

Stella nodded slowly "Alright, if you don't have any reccomendations, that's fine" she said giving him a smile and started to walk down the aisle, looking over the wide selection.

[Aidan Brennan Griffin]

Aidan watched the girl walk down the aisle and felt a little like he didn't know what to do. He watched her a moment, before he walked toward her, still holding the coffee pot. "Wait, I have a couple." he said, as he caught up to her. "But, they might not be your taste. Most are from the 80s and they're celtic bands."

[Stella Elizabeth Gneiss]

"You're lucky I have an open mind" she said with a small smile "Ill give anything a try so anything you recommend I'll give it a go."