~Chapter 11
Several days later, Maria and Liz were working at the café. Maria's shift was going pretty slowly, there were only a couple of customers sitting around. Maria finished her table and went back over to the counter where Liz was. "You know what Liz, today's been a total bust. I had this feeling all day that something exciting was going to happen."
"Like what?" Liz asked.
"I don't know," Maria shrugged. "It's just a feeling I guess." She sighed. "I guess-"
The bell at the door clanged against the glass as another customer came in. Liz looked up, and Maria didn't take notice as she was chattering a bit as she straightened things on the counter.
"Well, Maria- maybe it was a person." -Liz said.
"Hmmm..?" Maria looked over to Liz.
Liz nodded at the customer that just came in. "Maybe 'Mr. Excitement'?"
Maria then looked over at the guy who had just walked into the crashdown café. He was looking about curiously, a bit amused, and he seemed out of place in the café and in Roswell, New Mexico in general.
Maria watched as he walked over to the counter. He was young, maybe her age, but he had the poise of an older person and he walked gracefully in his nice clothes: a navy blue suit with a lighter blue dress shirt underneath and a gold tie, with his dark blonde hair combed back professionally. He was tall and looked confident.
When he approached Liz at the counter, Liz asked, "Can I help you?"
"Yes you can. I hope. I am not familiar with Roswell. Where is the Ambassador Hotel?" -the man asked.
Liz gave him directions, but Maria didn't pay attention to that. For some reason she was mesmerized by him. She was looking at his profile. He had perfect lips, lightly bronzed skin, and beautiful cheekbones.
When Liz finished giving the directions, Maria asked him, "Would you like to order anything?"
And then he turned his attention to her and noticed her for the first time. Maria almost squealed when she saw his eyes. They were a golden brown color and wide and beautiful. He was too perfect. And he wasn't from here. He intrigued her.
"Yeah, I'll have a cappuccino." And then he hesitated, "You do have those here right?"
"Yes. This may not be New York City, but we are still civilized. at least, most of us." -Maria said.
He smiled in amusement. Her heart beat furiously. Oh God Maria, get a grip. Haven't you sworn off guys for like.. a long time? She chastised herself. He's just a guy after all.
Liz went to wait a table and Maria turned to get his cappuccino. When she came back, she asked.
"So where are you from?" She asked as she set down the drink in front of him.
"New York City." -he said.
And then it was Maria's turn to smile. "Oh. Well, figures." She said. And then she said, "I'm Maria." And held out her hand.
He looked at her and then to her hand and took it. "Maria who? I'm Gabriel Winston." He shook her hand and Maria was almost shaking inside.
"Deluca. Maria Deluca. What do you think of Roswell?"
Gabriel glanced around out the windows of the café and then back to her. "Quaint."
"Quaint???" Maria said.
"And it has a certain charm." Gabriel said and then, "Do you get bored often?"
"Well, believe me Mr. Winston, Roswell has more excitement than you know." -Maria said.
Gabriel just looked at her as he sipped the cappucino. Another customer came to the counter and Maria went to ring them up. As she was busy with the customers, Gabriel Winston walked to the door. As he passed her, he smiled briefly. Maria watched him go. When she walked back over to where he had been, she felt a moment of loss. She picked up the twenty dollar tip he'd left and looked towards the door. No one had ever affected her that way upon first meeting them. Not *any* one.
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Several days later, Maria and Liz were working at the café. Maria's shift was going pretty slowly, there were only a couple of customers sitting around. Maria finished her table and went back over to the counter where Liz was. "You know what Liz, today's been a total bust. I had this feeling all day that something exciting was going to happen."
"Like what?" Liz asked.
"I don't know," Maria shrugged. "It's just a feeling I guess." She sighed. "I guess-"
The bell at the door clanged against the glass as another customer came in. Liz looked up, and Maria didn't take notice as she was chattering a bit as she straightened things on the counter.
"Well, Maria- maybe it was a person." -Liz said.
"Hmmm..?" Maria looked over to Liz.
Liz nodded at the customer that just came in. "Maybe 'Mr. Excitement'?"
Maria then looked over at the guy who had just walked into the crashdown café. He was looking about curiously, a bit amused, and he seemed out of place in the café and in Roswell, New Mexico in general.
Maria watched as he walked over to the counter. He was young, maybe her age, but he had the poise of an older person and he walked gracefully in his nice clothes: a navy blue suit with a lighter blue dress shirt underneath and a gold tie, with his dark blonde hair combed back professionally. He was tall and looked confident.
When he approached Liz at the counter, Liz asked, "Can I help you?"
"Yes you can. I hope. I am not familiar with Roswell. Where is the Ambassador Hotel?" -the man asked.
Liz gave him directions, but Maria didn't pay attention to that. For some reason she was mesmerized by him. She was looking at his profile. He had perfect lips, lightly bronzed skin, and beautiful cheekbones.
When Liz finished giving the directions, Maria asked him, "Would you like to order anything?"
And then he turned his attention to her and noticed her for the first time. Maria almost squealed when she saw his eyes. They were a golden brown color and wide and beautiful. He was too perfect. And he wasn't from here. He intrigued her.
"Yeah, I'll have a cappuccino." And then he hesitated, "You do have those here right?"
"Yes. This may not be New York City, but we are still civilized. at least, most of us." -Maria said.
He smiled in amusement. Her heart beat furiously. Oh God Maria, get a grip. Haven't you sworn off guys for like.. a long time? She chastised herself. He's just a guy after all.
Liz went to wait a table and Maria turned to get his cappuccino. When she came back, she asked.
"So where are you from?" She asked as she set down the drink in front of him.
"New York City." -he said.
And then it was Maria's turn to smile. "Oh. Well, figures." She said. And then she said, "I'm Maria." And held out her hand.
He looked at her and then to her hand and took it. "Maria who? I'm Gabriel Winston." He shook her hand and Maria was almost shaking inside.
"Deluca. Maria Deluca. What do you think of Roswell?"
Gabriel glanced around out the windows of the café and then back to her. "Quaint."
"Quaint???" Maria said.
"And it has a certain charm." Gabriel said and then, "Do you get bored often?"
"Well, believe me Mr. Winston, Roswell has more excitement than you know." -Maria said.
Gabriel just looked at her as he sipped the cappucino. Another customer came to the counter and Maria went to ring them up. As she was busy with the customers, Gabriel Winston walked to the door. As he passed her, he smiled briefly. Maria watched him go. When she walked back over to where he had been, she felt a moment of loss. She picked up the twenty dollar tip he'd left and looked towards the door. No one had ever affected her that way upon first meeting them. Not *any* one.
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