Love at First Sight

"Nice tank top, Tala. Thug life? Drop the T and get over here. Very you.", Rex says.

"Thanks, Angie got it for me.", I tell Rex.

The chilly night wind nips at Rex and me while we're walking down the quiet sidewalk. Humming a song while Rex continues to lead us to wherever he wants to go; looking around I notice the stores are looking a lot like the stores that are close to Cafe Dolce. Café Dolce, it's a fascinating name, but then again I don't know what it means. Dolce sounds Italian though; we walk into the cafe and head straight to the left corner near the other exit. Sitting at the table, we wait until a waiter comes.

"So, do you know what dolce means?", Rex asks.

"No, it sounds Italian though.", I say while playing with my jean jacket sleeve.

"Well, it is Italian. It means sweet.", Rex tells me.

"Non ho capito, come posso aiutarti oggi (Sorry, how can I help you today?)", we hear someone speak in a different language.

I look up to see someone who has baby blue eyes and when I travel up to see how tall he is; noticing his jet black hair and his or he looks 6'1. Before I could open my mouth, I heard Rex say something in the same language as the boy.

"Ciao Rogue. Questa è la ragazza di cui stavo parlando. (Hi Rogue. This is the girl I was talking about.)"

What are those two talking about? Whatever, I'm hungry so whatever they are talking about can wait. I put my hand over Rex's mouth to make sure that he doesn't keep talking.

"Hi, I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation but I'm hungry but I don't know what I want. Do you think you would tell me any suggestions for please?", I say and ask the boy with a blush painted over my cheeks.

I don't know this boy but whoever he is; damn! Am I in love? He has this mysterious aura around him that I just want to know why. Why does he have such sad eyes even when he's smiling? The boy smiled and was about to start when someone called him.

"Rogue, hanno bisogno di aiuto in cucina. (Rogue, they need help in the kitchen.)", a woman says.

"Torno subito. Spero che non ci vorrà molto. (I'll be right back. I hope it won't take long.)", the boy says.

I watch as our waiter leaves before turning to look at Rex. He better explain to me what he said to the hot boy or else he's going to get it. Rex looks over at me with a smirk on his face. Whatever he's planning I just hope it's nothing too bad.

"I saw you, eyeballing my friend.", Rex says in a playful voice.

"I wasn't eyeballing your friend. Vous ne savez rien de ce que j'ai fait! Alors sors d'ici, petit con! (You don't know anything I did! So get out of here, you little prick!)", I say then continue in French.

"Oh, Tala. You got so embarrassed by my question that you started talking in your home language. I must find out what you said but I'm going to guess since we have time.", Rex says while laughing his ass off.

"Or we could ask each other questions.", I say with hopefulness in my voice.

"Sure, why not. Who's going to start first?", Rex says with a knowing look.

"I'll go first. What's our waiter's name?", I say and ask getting straight to the point.

"His name is Rogue. So yes or no, were you eyeballing him?", Rex says then asks me with a smirk.

"Maybe, I was. Why does he have a mysterious aura around him?", I say while blushing then asking him the question that's been on my mind.

"It's not my place to tell. Do you find it hot that he speaks a different language?", Rex says then asks.

I don't say anything since I'm a little embarrassed about him knowing that I was checking out our waiter. I begin fidgeting with my sleeves; instead of answering his question, I avoid it.

"We should look at the menu to see what we want.", I say without taking my eyes off the menu.

Rex doesn't say anything but does look at the menu. Thank god, he's not saying anything about me avoiding answering his question. It's just something I don't want to talk about especially with him since he may be trying to hook us up. Since it's cold out I'm probably going to get a hot chocolate, but I just got to figure out which one. Should I ask Rex? Umm… Nope.

"Très bien, je suis ba … (All right, I'm ba…) I'm back. What can I get you two tonight?", Rogue starts but stops and speaks English.

"I have a few questions; one is what are your specials? And what do you think I should get?", Rex says then asks.

"Our specials are mixed berry fruit tart, danish with these cream cheese, cherry and blackberry, scones in blueberry, chocolate chip, and cinnamon and sugar, last but not least the pecan cinnamon rolls.", Rogue tells us.

"I think you should… I don't know what you should get, to be honest with you. But I think I know what the girl should get.", Rogue says then tells us.

"You seem to be a simple kind of girl so a double chocolate brownie with hot chocolate with whipped cream.", Rogue says.

My cheeks become hot and I quickly look down hoping he or Rex wouldn't notice my red cheeks. I nod my head to him saying I'll take that. I can hear Rex laughing at me; that stupid jerk is so going to get it when we leave.

"I'll have a pecan cinnamon roll with a lemongrass-lavender white hot chocolate, please and thank you.", Rex tells Rogue.

Rogue nods his head and heads back to the front so he could give the cooks our order. I begin humming 'You are my Sunshine'. My dad used to sing it when I went to bed, sad, or just because he wanted to sing it. I feel tears coming down my cheeks; I quickly wipe away the tears and try to think of something different before Rex notices the tears. I rub my nose with my sleeve and sniffle, fiddling with the seam of my shirt. I look around the cafe; warm and happy, separated from the outside world. I observe the smiling or thoughtful faces indulge in conversation or a good book. I take a quick look over at Rex to see him texting on his phone with a frown on his face. Eager to get my hot chocolate and brownie; I quietly watch the employees do their jobs and my eyes drift to Rogue. I can't help but feel a fluttering in my stomach. He looks over in my direction and grins; not knowing what to do, I stare down in my lap.

"Hey, Tala, I need to call my girlfriend real fast.", Rex tells me while leaving the table.

I don't say anything, and I look and stare at Rogue as he's moving around; I notice him about to look at me, so I quickly look back down and mumble, "Don't look up at him. I don't want to seem creepy."

"Excuse me.", I hear a boy's voice. I flinch and snap out of my thoughts.

"Oh… oh, right. Uh, thanks.", I say.

He sets the food and drink on the table before walking away. I pick up my brownie and dog into it; halfway through the brownie, I see Rex coming back in with a girl. They walk over to me and begin to introduce the girl.

"Hey, Tala, this is my girlfriend Serenity. Serenity, this is Tala, my other best friend.", Rex introduces us.

We both nod our heads to each other already not liking each other. Trying not to show my dislike for his girlfriend but I know she's going to be a problem. Rex leaves and we're left here alone. Wonderful, just fucking wonderful. You can't leave your girlfriend and best friend at the table where they hate each other. I finish up my brownie and begin drinking my hot chocolate.