Outside the Hot & Cold Cafe

Angela and Gael sat at an outdoor table, sipping their drinks while people watching. She was having an iced cappuccino while Gael had an iced Americano with two shots of espresso, perfect for a sunny afternoon on Hillberry Isle.

They were in the busy part of the island where a lot of tourists flock. In front of the cafe was an open beach with people sunbathing on the sand, swimming in the sea, and some were even catching short waves to surf. It was apparent that everyone missed the nice weather—what with the storm just recently.

"Action movies or dramas?" Angela asked. They had been asking 'this or that questions' since they arrived and this was their nth one.

"Definitely action. Though… I don't really watch a lot of films or T.V. series for that matter." He took a sip of his drink and glanced at her through his dark glasses. "You?"

"I like action movies with a bit of romance," she answered, a charming smile danced on her lips as she observed the kids playing with sand on the seashore.

He thought so. Placing the cup back on the table, he asked, "Dogs or cats?"

Angela turned to look at him, pursing her lips as she seriously thought about the question. "You know, I've never thought about that. I didn't have pets growing up, so I don't know much about them… But I guess puppies are cute… the small ones with fluffy fur. Or a fat cat! I saw some in my social media account, the grey fat cats are super cute!"

Gael found the way she thought and answered his question so adorable. He only noticed it now, but she seemed to really smile a lot—or was it her natural resting face? Because even though she wasn't talking, her mouth curved upward and it made her look like she's smiling all the time. Interesting.

She finished the rest of her drink, got to her feet, and pointed to the right where a long stretch of local shops and vendors were stationed. "Let's go over there and check out what they have."

Without complaints, Gael got up and followed behind her. They left their bicycles on the side of the cafe so they could enjoy a good walk through the rest of the area.

What's great about Hillberry Isle was not only the scenery and the beach but also the people. They were all really nice and friendly that the crime rate was so low. Tourists could leave their belongings anywhere and they would still be there when they come back.

There were rows of street food stalls and carts left and right along the first part of the long path while clothes and apparels and other souvenir items were on the second part.

The two took their time checking out the different kinds of food sold in carts ranging from sweet to exotic. Angela went to try out some barbecued meat and shared it with Gael before she ordered a couple of sweet dishes.

"Sweet or savory?" she asked before taking a spoonful of the dessert into her mouth.

Wiping his mouth with his white handkerchief, he stared at her and his gaze zeroed in on the cream that was on the corner of her lips from the shaved ice dessert that she was eating. He gulped and clenched his hand at the sight of it. "Savory," he answered.

"Hmmm… I like both, but I like sweets more."

She froze when he gently patted his handkerchief on her lips. She couldn't see his eyes as his sunglasses were too dark—so unfair. Now, she was staring at him without evening knowing if he was looking right back at her.

Clearing her throat, Angela dumped the empty cup into a trash can and turned to face him, carefully removing the sunglasses off his face. "How could you see in these. They're so dark."

"I got used to it." Gael squinted when his eyes caught the brightness of the sunlight. "I have light sensitivity, so I have to wear sunglasses when the sun is out."

She looked up at him as he raised a hand up to his face to shade his eyes from the harsh light. He was sensitive to light because of the color of his eyes. His grey eyes were so beautiful, it's a shame he had to cover it up.

Handing his sunglasses back to him, she turned around and headed to the second part of the area where there were a bunch of souvenir items displayed on tables. Angela was tempted to buy all of them but she decided to buy only one—a refrigerator magnet that had the island's name on it.

After walking through the long stretch of street vendors, they strolled towards the open beach and sat under a coconut tree—clear water washed the shore before them.

"Jeans and tee or a suit?" she asked.

"Suit," Gael answered. "Dress or pants?"

"Definitely dresses."

Their questions for each other seemed to be very simple, but the more they asked questions, the more they got to know each other's preferences. Their answers—even if they were just a couple of words—described the kind of person they were.

They went on for several more questions and each time, they would either explain their choices or the other asks follow up questions.

Picking up a white rock on the sand, Gael threw it far into the water. "Go to the gym or home exercise?"

"Gym. I'm bad at keeping myself on track, so I need my trainer to tell me what to do." She chuckled.

"I prefer home. I hate crowded places," he said.

"Neither do I… I mean, I didn't mind before. But now, I'd rather not stay out too much. My best friend, Nina, and the gym are mostly the only reasons why I would go out." Angela pushed herself up and got to her feet, her toes digging into the sand as she stood up. She ran her fingers through her hair and asked, "Long or short hair?"

"I like your hair." Gael suppressed a smile and kept his voice toneless. He saw her roll her eyes and shake her head, and when she didn't say anything, he probed, "Clean shaven or facial hair?"

Angela snapped her head and gave him a look. He was brushing the facial hair on his jaw with his fingers and she couldn't see his eyes because of his shades. "Oh, I'm not answering that."

"Oh, come on… I answered your question!"

Turning on her heel, she headed back to the street, leaving him behind. "Nope. Not gonna."

Gael threw his head back laughing as he tried catching up to her.