"Enjoy," the twentysomething woman said, placing a cappucino cup in front of me. The coffee was a light, light-brown that matched her remarkably straight hair, separated the left from the right by a ruler-sharp part. She flashed a lovely smile, as successful waitresses are wont to do, then moved on to the next table. I tilted my head back slightly, catching deliciously warm beams of sun that pierced though the leafy trees surrounding this outdoor cafe, and, for a while, slipped into that dreamy state where the sunlight fills your brain, pushing aside worry and issues and problems and concern, and shutting your body down into a kind of beautiful lull. I wanted to be left alone, and though I was surrounded by couples no more than an arm's length away, murmuring their quiet conversations, and a few others sitting alone, munching on brioche with razzlebery jam or some other breakfast food, I was essentially alone. Surely no one was looking at me. Certainly no one knew me. And if I had happened to pass into any person's field of view, I would be as unremarkable and anonymous as anyone else. It was bliss. I reached for the cup of cappucino and put it to my lips. The liquid was not especially hot, not bitter. I thought it might need a half spoon of sugar, but then decided it was fine for this moment. A light breeze carried the scent of salt and tropical ocean and sunscreen. I breathed in until my lungs were full. A rather elegant woman to my left was wearing a lovely perfume. Another table just received their orders of eggs Benedict. Beyond the dozen or so small tables of the cafe, men in khaki cargo shorts and white T-shirts walked with women swooshing by in colorful sundresses like gentle waves of mauve and flamingo. lilac and emerald, talking softly and lightly, and moving in a kind of pace just a bit more purposeful than meandering, which is to say they all seemed to have places in mind to be or go to, but were in no rush to get there. My brain was kind of meandering too. Dreamily thinking about this or that. Taking in the vision of a young girl, mildly tanned cheeks, with budding breasts, and a pink flower set just above her left ear.
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