Coffee and Cigarettes

Monday

"This sucks. Majorly."

Van, no matter how hard he tried could not forget the honey-haired girl. Her emerald eyes were continually in his vision, her perfect lips spoke in his ear. He was in love.

At least, that's what he'd like to believe.

Either way, it was all annoying as hell. To want something he couldn't have. He didn't even know her name for Christ's sake. He knew nothing about her except that she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He knew nothing about her, but that didn't stop him from imagining things. He heard her asking clever questions and laughing at his sense of humor. Her adoring eyes on him, and her lips to his.

He was in love.

At least, HE thought so...

"This Monday keeps getting better and better..."

I can't believe that the library is only taking volunteers and no real job applicants! I'm an ENGLISH teacher. Why, God? Why?

Hitomi had spent the rest of the afternoon quartering the city and filling out applications everywhere. At obvious spots like schools and the less obvious such as bars and cafés. Several of the bars she had gone to had had leering men and jeers from people telling her they hoped she got the job. She shuddered at the memory.

Well, even if the library wouldn't hire her...damn them...she could still relax with a book. She felt that she had earned it.

I want something I can sink my teeth into, I think. Gormenghast will do nicely.

She ran her fingers along the spines of the books until she found the large volume she was looking for. She dragged Mervyn Peake's wondrous work off of the shelf and found a slightly less than comfortable chair to curl up in; legs tucked underneath her and book open in her lap. She was the picture of utter contentment.

Van, determined to undermine his one track mind, headed for the library to check out a book to occupy himself. As he walked down the aisles of books he considered getting a job.

It's not like I need the money...but with Celena gone, maybe I should get one for something to do during the day. Maybe the responsibility of it would be good for me. Maybe....naaahhh.

Now...what book shall I read today. Dune, perhaps? Yeah, who can pass up one of the best science fiction books ever written.

He started towards the science fiction and fantasy section in a determined gait and was almost there when he was stopped short by a shock of honey-blonde hair.

Helloooo.

She had her head down and was completely absorbed in her reading. Strands of hair had drifted into her face but she left them, too caught up in the story to bother about visual obstruction. Her legs were tucked under her slight body and she was curled comfortably into a not so comfortable chair.

Beautiful.

She read too, eh? And not just romance novels by the look of that book. Ask her out, Van. Do it!

Van, after staring for a moment more, straightened his back, cleared his throat nervously and quietly before advancing towards his nameless goddess.

"Excuse me?"

Her head shot up immediately and her vibrant eyes focused instantly on his face. She blushed slightly in recognition and then, "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could help me find a certain book?" Van's voice almost cracked in his nervousness. Where was his suave debonair attitude now? Why, with this girl, was he so afraid of his actions and words?

"Well, I don't really work here, but sure. What book did you have in mind?" She smiled brilliantly at him before marking her spot in the book and uncurling herself from the chair to stand up.

Van's Adam's apple moved visibly as he gulped. Her legs, which had been hidden before by a booth and later because she was sitting on them, were long, shapely and elegant. He couldn't help but stare at her beauty.

Van! The book! Stop gawking you idiot!

"Uh, Dune, actually."

Hitomi had noticed his stare and blushed again but she waited patiently for his eyes to come back to her face and for his hesitant answer.

"Well, you were almost there. It's in the science fiction section. I'll show you. Have you ever read it before?"

"Uh, yes, actually, it's one of my favorites."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"And you couldn't remember the author's name, the genre or where you had gotten it before?"

Shit! Idiot, Van! Salvage it, say something!

"Yeah..I guess I forgot. So, what book were you reading?"

That was weak, Van. Very week. But at least you changed the topic.

Her eyes remained slightly narrowed at the answer but she smiled anyway and nodded.

"I'm reading Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake. Ever read it?"

Van's eyebrows raised. This girl was everything he wanted. She was gorgeous, and liked the same books as him, and well....she was gorgeous.

"Oh yeah, I've read it. Another one of my favorites."

"Really? We seem to have the same taste in books, Mr.....?"

"Fanel. But, you can call me Van."

"Van, then. I'm Kanzaki Hitomi. I suppose as we are on first name basis, you may call me Hitomi. And here, Van, is your book, that you so conveniently forgot."

Van stared aghast at Hitomi as she winked at him and left him standing holding Dune in his nerveless hand. She had known?

Hitomi giggled quietly as she heard the thud of a book dropped to the floor behind her. She tried to stop her racing heart. Maybe...

"Hitomi! Wait a second!"

Van came walking quickly up to her as she turned back to him demurely. He flicked his handsome dark bangs out of his eyes and looked at her face and then at the ground. Face and then the ground.

"Yes?" She couldn't stand here ALL day.

"May I take you out to dinner tonight?"

"Umm, I don't know you that well..."

"So, we talk over dinner, get to know each other."

"I'm actually at a kind of rough spot in my life right now...I wanted to maybe sort it out before I got involved with anything..."

"It's just a dinner, Hitomi."

"I don't have anything to wear...and...." She gulped embarrassed, "I don't have enough money for anything fancy..."

"Don't worry about it, come as you are, and it's my treat. I can even pick you up, if you'd like." Van was on familiar ground now, and things were looking up.

Hitomi smiled faintly. "Pick me up from where?"

"Well, your place, apartment, house, whatever."

"I don't HAVE a place, apartment, house, whatever. I was kicked out by the rough spot in my life and I can't move into my parent's house until tomorrow night because they are out of town and I don't have a key. I was planning on a Motel 6 tonight, so it would be picking me up from the library."

Van's eyes narrowed. This 'rough spot' was obviously an ex-boyfriend. Who would dump his Hitomi?

"Well, why don't we just hang out together until dinner? It's only two hours from now."

"Al...alright..." Hitomi smiled shyly and looked at the ground. Thing were looking up for her.

Van was determined to show Hitomi the time of her life in the span of two hours. He failed miserably. They were both nervous, she more so than he, but still. It was awkward for them both. And yet, as time passed they both became more relaxed around each other. The only problem was Van constantly spoke about himself. How he had inherited a small fortune after his dad died and all about his station in life, the people he knew and the things he had.

Hitomi was in agony. 'He seemed so nice in the library. Who could have known that he was so self centered. He is still nice, but....it is all wrong. This isn't what I want.'

"Ready for dinner then? It's almost 6:30." Van's cheerful face looked at her intently.

Hitomi hesitated for a brief moment before deciding that it was wrong to torture him with false hopes. She could never be happy with someone so arrogant... "Van...I'm actually really tired and not terribly hungry. I think that maybe I'll just find myself that Motel 6 and sleep away my rough spot." She didn't look him in the eyes as she said it.

"But, I thought you wanted to go to dinner with me..." He looked pained and not a little stricken that he had been shot down.

"I know and I'm sorry but it just isn't going to work." Hitomi shook her head sadly.

"But we were having so much fun. We were talking and getting along so well." Van knew he sounded desperate...what the hell, she was worth it.

"Correction, Van. You were talking. I listened." Hitomi smiled one more time and then turned and walked away leaving a very stunned Van.

What have I done?

Hitomi cried herself to sleep in a strange room in a strange bed and thought of what could have been.

Van stared blankly at his blaring television until one in the morning before flicking it off and crawling into bed. He slept very poorly indeed.