Chapter One: The Cuban in Monte D'or
Matthew sat in the cold seat, sighing as he looked down at his coffee. The cafe wasn't usually this empty, was it? He was the only one there. Which basically meant no one at all. He was just an employee, after all. It wasn't as if anyone passing by would see anyone there.
Looking outside, he could see each snowflake falling gently to the ground, creating a white blanket on the street outside. At least, no customers would interrupt his coffee break. Not that anyone ever did. They didn't see him. Though, that was fine by Matthew. Really, it was. He almost thought of his invisibility as a superpower, of sorts.
He was snapped out of his thinking when he heard the familiar chime of the door opening. Turning his attention to the sound, he saw a large, tanned man, likely Cuban. There were Cubans in Monte D'or?
Matthew watched as the Cuban walked around the store. He was probably looking for an employee, he thought to himself. Which he wouldn't find. He wouldn't see Matthew, so the Canadian just sipped his coffee as the Cuban looked around. That was, until the man looked directly at him and asked, in an authentically Cuban accent, "Have you seen any workers?"
Matthew was taken aback. This man... could see him? "I... Eh, yes! I'm an employee!" He stood up, a tad too quickly, yet he was strangely eager to help this man. The man who could see him, without Matthew even trying to be noticed.
"Oh, good. This place has good reviews. I wanted to see the menu so I could order?" The man gave Matthew a smile, which he quickly returned with a slightly smaller one as he fetched the man the requested menu. Telling him to let him know when he had selected something, he sat himself back in his seat, once again sipping his cup of coffee. He felt happier. Wait... was he that lonely that it made his day for someone to see him? He shook his head, shaking the thought out of his mind. Don't be ridiculous, he told himself. He had friends... Well, Alfred was his brother, so he didn't really count... Arthur and Francis always argued over him but never talked to him... Kumajiro always seemed to forget who he was, and plus, was he really trying to pass a pet as a friend?.. Matthew struggled to think of someone he could truly consider a friend.
"Excuse me? I'm ready to order." Looking up, he noticed the man had walked up to the table, menu in hand, looking down to the Canadian. Standing up, Matthew faced the man and smiled.
Matthew was speaking in his characteristically quiet voice. "Eh, all right. What will you be having?" The man held up the menu, pointing to what he wanted, for he did not want to attempt to pronounce the French names. Nodding, he told the Cuban that the food would be prepared soon, and he walked into the kitchen. That's where he usually was, anyway. He didn't make a very good waiter, for obvious reasons.
- . : Viewpoint Switched! : . -
Fiddling his thumbs, Carlos glanced around the cafe as he waited for his food to be finished. La Maison Canadienne has the best rating in the city. Why was it so empty? Could there really be only one employee? The Cuban had no idea that it was a holiday, and that most people were spending time with family.
Well, at least the staff here was nice. If you could call the one-man-team a 'staff'. He certainly seemed eager to serve Carlos, and had a sunny smile. Sitting down across from where the Canadian had been sitting, he sat patiently, not wanting to annoy the chef - who was also the Canadian - with inquiries regarding the time at which the meal would be served.
Observing the cafe once again, he analyzed the decor and style of the space. It was... cozy. It definitely wasn't large. There were only five tables. Yet it made the space even more inviting. Smiling, he was staring out the window when his cellphone sounded. Carlos groaned - he knew that ringtone, and he wasn't too keen on answering to him. He let it ring for a minute before he flipped it open to pick up.
"Hello..?" he spoke with an annoyed tone to his voice.
"Carlos? I wanted to know if you had time to talk for a minute o-"
"Not really interested. And by not really, I mean not at all."
"Come on, don't be like that. Just a minute! Please?"
Carlos gave a frustrated sigh. "Fine. For a minute. No more. What is it you wanted to tell me?"
"...I wanted to know if you wanted to grab a drink tonight. I won't try to pull anything. I swear."
"Hmm..." the Cuban tried to sound as deep-in-thought as possible as to not annoy his ex even more. That would just give him another reason to keep talking. "...No, sorry. I have plans for tonight. It's complicated."
"...Complicated?!" Oops. That wasn't the right thing to say. "What do you mean, complicated?! What, you can't figure out which hand to use?! Whatever, you insensitive prick!" and just like that, he heard the familiar ring that told him the other man was no longer on the line.
Carlos couldn't help but laugh at the other's outburst. He could be so immature...
"Is something funny?" upon hearing the shy, quiet voice, he looked up at a curious Canadian holding plates of food in his hands. The smells wafting from said plates were mouth-watering.
The Cuban waved the question away. "Just... an old friend, is all." the Canadian cocked his head to the side but didn't pry further.
"Eh... now then... you must be starving!" seemingly having forgotten the other's bout of random laughter, the Canadian smiled as he set the food down in front of the hungry Cuban.
- . : Viewpoint Switched! : . -
Picking up his coffee mug, Matthew started to walk towards the counter. He wanted to allow the Cuban to eat his breakfast in peace.
"Hey." Matthew paused at the voice, turning back to his customer whom had spoken. He inquired if something was wrong with the food. The man shook his head.
"The food is fantastic. I've never had more authentic Canadian cuisine." the Cuban smiled to Matthew, who had slightly blushed at the praise. "Although it's awfully quiet. Would you like to keep me company?"
Matthew blinked, somewhat surprised. But, this cafe was known for its hospitality, and it was empty in here, so he gave a big smile and said, "Of course." as he sat down. Quite honestly, although he wasn't expecting it, he was thankful to have the company. He normally had nobody to talk to. Or he was too busy working. Either way, he liked the idea of just... enjoying the company of another person. Between college and work, he couldn't find even a second for a social life. When was the last time he had attended a party..?
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the Cuban say something, presumably a question.
"Excuse me? I didn't quite catch that." he turned his attention back to the man.
"You don't have a name tag." he said simply. "What's your name?"
"...Oh. Well, my name is Matthew." Matthew smiled pleasantly. "And you?"
"Carlos. Pleased to meet you!" Sticking out a hand to Matthew, the young Canadian shook it happily, if a bit daintily.
"Out of curiosity... Where is everyone? I was under the impression that this place was popular. The food and decor would suggest so." Matthew blushed once more, but Carlos seemed genuinely curious.
"Eh... well, today is Jour du Souvenir. Err... Remembrance Day. Everyone is at home, with their families."
"Remembrance Day? I see." Carlos sounded like he knew what the day meant.
"Yep! Although, I'll admit... I was still expecting more customers... I take it you're a tourist?"
"Sí, how'd you know?"
"I've never seen a Cuban in Monte D'or before. Plus, most natives would be with family, not alone. "
"That would make sense. This isn't Havana. Not many Cubans in Canada."
"Speaking of which, how are you liking Monte D'or? It might be a bit cold for a Cuban, but I hope the culture makes up for it. Most of our tourists go to Niagara Falls, so we don't get many."
"Actually... I haven't left my hotel room much." Carlos admitted. Matthew frowned.
"Why not? What's the point of coming here if you're going to stay holed up in your room?"
Carlos rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... I really don't know where to go." Matthew looked out the window, thinking of what else he could say. This man was certainly not taking full advantage of all that Monte D'or had to offer... but what could he do to help?
- . : Viewpoint Switched! : . -
Carlos sighed. It was true - there were so many places to go, but he wanted to find the really good niches, the places only natives really go. Yet when he searched, he found nothing. It frustrated him.
Canada looked at him with a twinkle in his eyes. Carlos could tell he had an idea.
"I have my day off tomorrow, and college is out for a few days because of the holiday weekend. I could be your guide." Matthew was beaming. It was odd. At first he'd come off as almost... shy. Now he seemed just the opposite. Why such the large change?
"Well? What do you say?" Carlos turned to the young Canadian and smiled. He wouldn't be alone if he said yes. And he could see the sights of the city. It'd be much more fun overall.
"Well... I suppose that could be arranged." trying to sound cool about accepting the proposition, Carlos stuck out his hand in a manner of making a deal.
- . : Viewpoint Switched! : . -
"Great! I'll see you to-" as Matthew reached towards Carlos's hand to shake it, he had accidentally bumped into a vase of flowers, making them fall into the Cuban's coffee. Matthew gave a quiet, "Maple-hockey!" under his breath.
"No thanks. I don't like flowers in my coffee." Carlos let out a hearty laugh and Canada a nervous chuckle, thankful he hadn't upset the other man.
Pulling the flowers from the coffee, Canada apologized as he cleaned up the spilt coffee and delivered Carlos's empty plates to the kitchen. Carlos furrowed his brow.
He couldn't explain it, but today he felt just a bit happier. Why was that?
As he exited the kitchen, he saw Carlos standing and looking at his watch.
"I have to go. Business to attend to, you understand." Carlos started to don his coat as he spoke. "I'll see you here tomorrow. Err... Here's my business card. My number's on it. That way, if anything changes, you can let me know. I took the liberty of grabbing your business card, too." he smiled as he held up Matthew's business card, with his personal number on it since he was the manager, and handed his own business card to Matthew, who gladly accepted it.
"Hasta luego, mi amigo." Carlos opened the door, gave his friend a wave, and vanished into the snowy morning.
Before retreating into the kitchen, Matthew smiled at the Cuban's retreating figure, even if he didn't know it. He was looking forward to tomorrow's activities with eagerness. But then, the man was just an acquaintance... He shrugged off the thought, pushing the kitchen doors open and disappearing behind them.
- . : Time-lapse! : . -
Closing his laptop, Carlos stood up from his hotel room's desk with a yawn. The sun had set hours ago, and the crescent moon hanged high in the night sky with all of its shining companions.
"I should... get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day." sitting on the bed which gave a complaining creak. This place needs better beds.
And better food, he thought with a grin. The food was good. That didn't mean it was Matthew's food... The entire day, he couldn't get the young Canadian out of his mind. Why was that? He couldn't tell, to be completely honest. Maybe he was just strange, or because he had been the first native he'd conversed with.
He glanced at the clock. "Ten to eleven." he read sleepily. "I need to sleep. I'll be grumpy if I don't." having completely forgotten about his previous train of thought, he rested his weary head on the pillow, turned off his bedside lamp and closed his eyes. He dreamt of maple syrup, autumn leaves and hockey.