She couldn't explain it, explain why suddenly she was dreaming of the day three years ago when she'd met her best friend Arthur, but Madeleine was. Maybe because it was their anniversary today, or maybe she missed Arthur so terribly, her memories were all she had to cling to until the other returned home. Arthur had been away fighting for more than a month now, and though Madeleine received a letter almost every day, she couldn't help but be worried sick. She curled up tighter in her bed, clinging even more to her dreams as they came.
.:.
Three years earlier
Vancouver, Canada
It was a cold and rainy December morning, a morning that Madeleine personally enjoyed, and it all seemed to be going well. She was a barista for a local coffee shop in Vancouver, and though she'd only worked there for a couple months, she got along well with just about everyone she met. Madeleine was a very shy girl, there was not a doubt in anyone's mind about that, but once her shell was cracked open and she was exposed, most would see what a lovely and kind person she really was.
"Maddie~!" Her best friend called as Madeleine walked in, a bright smile on Amelia's face as she made her way over to greet Madeleine. "You're early again, you know. You shouldn't come in until it's time." Amelia pestered with a pout, poking her Canadian friend's cheek. Madeleine giggled and made her way behind the counter, putting on an apron that was labeled with her name.
"Amelia, I like coming in early. Unlike you, I actually enjoy working, especially here." Madeleine smiled at Amelia, who stuck her tongue out in disgust, hopping onto the counter as she watched the other.
"You know…for the time you've been here, I've been thinking….we never see you outside of work, and you never want to hang out. Why is that? Do you got a boyfriend we don't know about~?" Amelia teased, Madeleine nearly dropping the change she had in her hand. She handed the man his change and turned to Amelia with a scowl.
"F-For your information….I-I don't have a boyfriend, and the reason I don't ever hang out is because I have things that need to be taken care of at home." She informed Amelia, turning back and taking another order. "A-And get off the counter and start making these orders, we're busy this morning!" Madeleine barked, a giggle leaving Amelia as she hopped off the counter and starting working. That's usually how their days went. There was gossip, work, lunch with more gossip, talk of plans they would never follow through with; just gossip, coffee, sweets, and lonely nights next to a wine bottle-whiskey in Amelia's case.
Was that really what life was all about? You go to school, you pick up bad habits, and then you kill yourself working? Madeleine seemed to have accepted this, but Amelia on the other hand wanted no part of it.
"I'm gonna find a rich man, marry him, have a couple kids, and we're going to spend our days having fun and seeing the world!" Amelia had vowed one snowy morning, Madeleine laughing at her friend's silly dreams. "Don't laugh at me, Maddie, it's going to happen, just you wait and see! I'm going to get out of this place and I'm going to see everything." She was a lost cause, a dreamer, and Madeleine knew that, but it was nice to imagine.
The start of that day had been the same; they had the same customers come in, ordering the same coffees and snacks. It was a rut that Madeleine had never imagined her life coming to, but just out of high school, there were only so many places she could go. It truly shocked her that Amelia, who was only a year older than she was, talked in such a way. Wanting to marry a rich man so she didn't have to work, it didn't seem right. Madeleine and Amelia were complete polar opposites in every way, but Amelia was really all Madeleine had in the way of friends, and though she could irritate her, Madeleine loved Amelia as if they were sisters.
As it was, Madeleine and Amelia were simply enjoying their afternoon drinks, sharing stories of their childhood, when the bell rang over the door. The two blondes turned, Madeleine catching sight of him first. He was a bit of a tall man, maybe 5 foot 9 inches, with blonde hair and stunning green eyes. The most noticeable feature though was his eyebrows. Upon seeing him, Amelia burst into laughter, his eyebrows reminding her of fuzzy caterpillars. Madeleine on the other hand only seemed to notice how….handsome the man was, finding herself staring. The man truly didn't seemed thrilled by either of them, knowing that Amelia was laughing at his eyebrows, and figuring Madeleine was staring at them as well. With quite an attitude, he walked up to Madeleine and ordered.
"A Vanilla Bean with a slice of pumpkin loaf, please. And if you wouldn't mind, could you stop staring at me?" His voice had an obvious English accent to it, and his last request sent Madeleine into a fit of stammers and eventually telling him the price. Her gaze was on the counter now, her face heating up in embarrassment as she took his credit card, swiped it, and handed him his pumpkin loaf. Amelia, who was finally standing upright, started to make his drink, all the while watching the man.
"So, what's your name? And you sound like, British or something. What brings you to Canada?" Amelia asked, her cheek resting in her hand as she leaned on the counter after handing the man his drink. Trying not to roll his eyes, the man took a bite of his pumpkin loaf and sighed.
"My name is Arthur, and yes, I am from England. Not that it's really any of your business, but I'm here for work." Amelia stuck her tongue out in disgust, Arthur clearly not amused by such childish play. "Listen, I really have to go. Thanks for the drink and food." With that, Arthur turned and started to make his way out. There was a small squeak of a voice from behind him that made him stop and turn in curiosity, staring at Madeleine with a brow raised.
"H-How long are you in Canada for? If y-you get lost, I can…m-maybe show you around?" Her violet eyes were those of a child, innocent and big, with the curiosity strung through them when it came to everything. Arthur sighed a bit and turned to her, tossing his empty bag in the trash.
"Thank you, poppet, but I've been to Vancouver plenty of times; I don't need your help." Arthur replied a bit coldly. Madeleine blinked a bit before nodding to herself, continuing to clean the counter as she had been. Amelia pouted and crossed her arms.
"Hey, you don't have to be such a jerk you know, she was just trying to be nice, unlike you caterpillar brows!" Amelia growled, glaring daggers at Arthur. He simply chuckled and rolled his eyes at her.
"Say what you will, darling. It's all just sticks and stones." With that, Arthur walked out, leaving Amelia blowing raspberries at him and Madeleine wishing she'd just stayed quiet. Amelia looked over at her friend with a sympathetic gaze, walking over and wrapping her in a hug. Madeleine simply continued to clean, as if nothing had happened, and to her, nothing had.
"Don't take what he said to heart Maddie, he's just an idiot! He'd be lucky to have someone like you take him around the city!" She assured, though Madeleine simply shrugged. Amelia huffed in disapproval, poking her friend's cheek. "You know what; I'm taking you out tonight! After work, we're going to get fancied up and go dancing!" Amelia declared, Madeleine looking up at her skeptically.
"Amelia, we always talk about doing this, but we never, ever follow up on it. What makes this time any different?" She sighed and leaned against the counter. "Come on, it's time to lock up." She moved away from Amelia and hung her apron, grabbing the keys to the store and going to the entrance as she waited for the other. "Amelia, come on, I just want to go home." Madeleine said with quite the irritation when the other refused to move. With a sigh of frustration and a glare, Madeleine finally agreed. "Fine, we'll go dancing, but I want to be home by 1, okay?" Amelia squealed in delight and ran over, grabbing her friend by the arm and leading her off.
.:.
It was like being in a sauna, the hot breaths, the sweaty bodies; it was all almost too much to bear. How Amelia could love these kinds of places was beyond Madeleine as she watched her friend from the comfort of her table. She was way out of her element, dressed in a skimpy dress that barely covered her bum or her chest, it was just ridiculous. Amelia had convinced her that, since they were going to a town where no one knew them, such attire would work great with her, and while it was a pretty dress, it made Madeleine just too uncomfortable.
"For god's sake Maddie, would you get the stick out of your ass and come dance?" Amelia growled with impatience, clearly a bit tipsy as she staggered over to Madeleine. Not bothering with her friend's pleas and protests, Amelia dragged Madeleine off her chair and to the dance floor, where she gave the younger blonde a shot of some clear liquid. "Drink, it'll make it easier to loosen up, okay? Trust me." Amelia smiled before leaving her friend in the middle of the dance floor, confused and scared.
"…What have I got to lose?" Madeleine mumbled, tipping her head back and downing the liquid. She regretted it immediately when she started to cough hard, the liquid fire burning her throat as it made its way to her stomach. It was stronger than anything she'd ever tried, knowing what it was the moment the burning started. Vodka, Amelia had handed her vodka? She groaned softly, starting to make her way out of the crowd, but not before a soft voice whispered in her ear.
"Where are you going, love?" The voice asked, his accent sounding Eritish, though a bit slurred, his breath warm on her skin as his lips caressed down to her neck and then her shoulder. Madeleine froze for a number of reasons, the two main being that a complete stranger was pressing against her like two sardines in a can, and she recognized the voice. She started to turn, but the man kept her in place, moving back to her ear. "No…stay just like this, please?" She could smell the alcohol on his breath, and part of her told her she should move away and just go sit down, but as the vodka made its way through her, she couldn't help but want to dance with him.
It didn't take long for the two to start to grind into each other breathlessly, the smell of sweat and alcohol strong between them. The man had, for the most part, kept his hands to himself, keeping them solely on her hips to help her grind and dance in unison with him. It was an amazing feeling, one that she'd never experienced before, and she wanted more of it. But it all seemed to end a bit soon, the man pulling away and leaving her dazed. She looked around frantically for him, but he was already gone. She couldn't help but feel dejected, a soft sigh leaving her as she staggered to her table, grabbed her purse, and left the club. Where Amelia was, Madeleine had no idea, but all she knew was that she was tired, drunk, and a bit miserable now. Despite the weather, she removed her shoes that had been killing her all night, and started home.
.:.
The morning came too quickly for Madeleine, who was, in every sense, hung over, and very sleep deprived. For who knows how many hours, she had been staring at her ceiling, trying to clear her mind and figure out who the man had been. Surely it wasn't the one from yesterday afternoon, the one that had completely rejected her. But if it was, did he maybe not recognize her? Was that why he danced in such a way with her? Sighing, she pushed herself up from her bed and got into the shower, thinking of the mystery man, who she would probably never see again.