Down Queen Anne Avenue, along Mercer Street, and then strolling on Aurora Avenue, Niles and Daphne walked hand in hand in deep conversation before realizing that they were just a few blocks from the Space Needle.
"Oh my Niles. We've walked quite a ways."
He glanced the way she was looking to see the Space Needle. "Why yes, I guess we have. I hardly even noticed."
"It's getting so cold. And there's something else we haven't noticed: rain clouds have crept up on us."
He slipped his arm around her slender waist. "Let the reputation of Seattle come down upon us. Our love can brave anything Mother Nature can conjure up."
"We'll duck into the next coffee shop?"
"Of course."
They picked up their pace until they came upon Bellino Coffee shop on 2nd Ave. It was faced with large windows. "Here we go." Daphne led the way to its entrance.
"Wait a minute." Niles looked for a street sign. "We're just a few minutes from Café Nervosa. Let's just go there."
"It's getting a little late for fancy coffee, isn't it. Let's just duck in here for some hot coco."
"I - I'm not sure about this place. It's not one of my regular haunts."
"Oh come on now. How many 'regular haunts' do you have other than Café Nervosa and your wine club. Where's your sense of adventure?"
Niles hesitated, but a clap of thunder sounded and a flash of lightening light up the street for a few seconds. Niles looked to the sky with concern. "Perhaps you are right. I am seeing things your way much clearer now."
They hurried inside and, much to their amazement, found the place empty except for one customer sitting at one of the tables off to the left wall and two employees behind the coffee bar: a man and a woman.
The place was painted in a rustic yellow with a chandelier that was more antique style that glamorous with four light bulbs and frosted glass covers over them which were aimed to the black ceiling. There was a large decorative mirror on the wall to the right and the place was filled with small tables with cushioned chairs all around them. A light-brown colored leather sofa, which faced the coffee bar, was in the middle of the floor aligned with the mirror on the wall.
"This is a quaint little nook, isn't it?" Niles commented.
"It sure beats the bloody weather."
They walked up to the counter where Daphne looked at the man's name tag who stood behind the register.
"Good evening and welcome to Bellino Coffee, how can I help you."
"Good evening James," Daphne said cheerfully. "We'd like two large cups of hot coco."
James smiled back. "And your name please?"
"Daphne."
"And Niles." Niles added. "You can put both of our names on each cup… because we're in love."
Daphne playfully gave him a nudge with her elbow. "Silly."
"Great. Daphne and Niles, I'll bring them out to you if you'd like to have a seat."
"Oh and could you froth some milk for mine?" Niles spoke up.
"Certainly."
"Oh and could you dust mine with a faint whisper of cinnamon?" Niles said as he paid for them.
"Sure."
Niles and Daphne turned to choose a place to rest their feet, but Niles turned back. "Since our drinks are different, perhaps you should put just our names on them."
"Okay," James sounded off as if he was getting just a little irritated.
The couple turned towards the tables again, but Niles came back. "Oh, I know! You could print 'Daphne loves Niles' on her cup and 'Niles loves Daphne' on mine."
One could tell by the expression on James' face, that he had had about enough. He nodded. "I would be excited to do that sir."
"Come along Niles." Daphne gently tugged on his jacket.
"Thank you James." He stuffed a ten dollar bill in James tip jar.
Daphne found a table and took a seat. She waited as Niles dusted off his seat with his handkerchief. She leaned over the table and took ahold of his hands. She said with sparkles in her eyes, "Niles tell me something about yourself that nobody else knows."
Niles thought for a moment. "Nobody… knows… that we're here."
She smiled at his remark. "That's not what I mean. Give me something good; a juicy little tid-bit about yourself."
Niles thought as the heavens flashed again and the rain started.
