"If you're free this weekend, perhaps we could go out?" I heard a subdued voice speak from a few tables across. This query prompted the charming young woman the introvert was talking to let out a surprised Eh? I nervously gazed from afar, using the black face mask I donned to wipe away the accumulating sweat on my mouth. As I did, I watched my partner call over a nearby waitress.

"Ah, uniforms. Are you two on break? What can I getcha?" The kind waitress said with a beaming smile and notepad in hand.

"I'll have a latte. As for him, he's just here to watch." Myla replied with a tired tone as she leaned a little bit further into the black lounge chair. The waitress now imitated the young woman from earlier, letting out a stunned Eh? as her gaze wandered onto my concealed eyes. I raised my hands up defensively and shook my head vigorously to clear my name of suspicion. As any reasonable person should, the waitress gave me a perturbed expression - as she walked away with my reputation in this café and only Myla's order with her.

"I wanted to order something too,"

"And what would that have been, a hemlock?" My dear partner asked sarcastically, her cold glare accompanying her quip.

"Thanks for the offer. We can get a drink of one together after work." I replied with my own wisecrack as I removed the black tinted sunglasses from my face. With the veil of darkness now removed from my sight, I took in the soothing atmosphere of the bar café we had visited a few days ago. The solid black highlights and varnished ebony panels invited me to relax as they glistened in the morning light entering through the large windows of the establishment. The day after we had gone to the mall with Keith, he decided to phone Amanda to come here and requested for Myla and me to watch from afar. This ordeal was unknown to Amanda, who came here under the pretense of continuing the meeting they were originally supposed to have with the four of us.

"The need to keep a low profile is understandable but was it necessary to wear such a questionable getup?" My dear partner asked me as I took off my face mask and took a breath.

"I don't get to wear masks too often, alright? They've never been everyday parts of apparel, after all." I responded as the waitress from earlier placed a small cup atop a plate onto the table with a smile.

"Indeed," Myla replied as she took a sip of her freshly brewed drink. Silence washed over us as if the universe ran a quick diagnostic check on itself.

Yep, no reason to wear masks out in public here. Never has been, never will be.

"Anyway, he asked us to make sure things went smoothly, but we also have to make sure all of it still comes from him,"

I stated, removing the baggy jacket I wore and flagging down a different waiter that hadn't seen me in my earlier ensemble. This plan was our way of making sure Keith had the opportunity to begin chasing his goal with only a little interference from us. One the introvert thought of himself and asked us to partake in. As I slightly raised my head to speak with the waiter who had just arrived, I took the chance to continue observing the pair from afar. Amanda was sitting clad in a tie-front white shirt and a flowing olive green summer skirt, the fabric of her clothing as animated as her movements. While as Keith donned a black turtleneck and black jeans, which hugged his body tightly, almost as if it was restraining him. Amanda remained fixated on Keith as her surprised expression showed a hint of a smile. The introvert looked as though he was still searching for the right words as he faced the charming woman with an intent expression.

"I hope it doesn't seem too sudden, but I'd like to know you better and for you to have a chance to hear me as well, so if it's in the range of your capabilities,"

Hey, you're starting to sound too formal.

"I'd like to go on a date." He finished with slight redness on his face and a gleam of resolve in his gray eyes. He was able to say it, and while it was only a few words, I understood the weight behind them and what it took to put them on display. Amanda's smile fully revealed itself as she let out a pleasant giggle.

"Is the idea silly?" The introvert asked.

"It's not that. Sorry about my reaction. It's just I didn't think you'd ask, so I was also planning of asking you out today,"

The roles swapped at that point, as Keith let out a silent Ah with his mouth slightly agape.

"Still, it's nice to see you be the instigator. I started to think you weren't interested in going through with this." Amanda said with a relieved smile as she then put a hand to her chin.

"Though I don't get why you seemed so nervous about inviting me. After all, you called me out here today, didn't you?"

Ah.

The word all popped into our heads simultaneously as we realized the situation Keith had created.

"They're together on a leisurely outing talking and getting to know each othe-"

"Please say no more, even my head's beginning to ache." My dear partner halted me from continuing as an annoyed look showed on her face.

"Then again, I guess you can't call this much of date with those two around." I could hear Amanda say with a giggle as I saw her gaze had firmly landed on our table.

Was it really that obvious?

I asked myself as I removed the dark gray beanie atop my head, followed by a familiar sigh.

That must've given it away, damn beanie.

"Well, not like we could've stayed for much longer, y'know?" I said aloud as I took one last sip of my bitter drink and stood up from my seat.

"Don't "y'know" me. At the very least, you recalled today's schedule." Myla took my cue and finished her coffee, as well. She joined me as we began walking toward the pair.

"We'll leave the rest to you," Myla entrusted to Keith as she walked past him subduedly, a familiar tinge of kindness in her voice, one I knew she reserved for our clients.

I wish she would save some for me. Maybe she's saved some on the side to give me one day. Yeah, let's just go with that.

The introvert replied silently, giving a grateful nod instead.

"Sorry about intruding. Go easy on him, alright?" I spoke with a friendly tone as I faced Amanda with a smile.

"Aww, what's the fun in that?" She replied with a playful grin that shone like the radiant rays of light pierced through the windows, giving her expression and outline a captivating aura befitting the summer season. I left carrying that image in my mind as I entered the car, which hot and stuffy air had filled. I exhaled a deep breath as I contemplated the ending of the beginning of my promise.

"Welp, it's a start, at least,"

I voiced to Myla, who had also entered the steaming vehicle, fanning my collar as I did.

"You are strangely optimistic, has the heat already gotten to you?" My dear partner questioned me as the cool breeze of the AC struck my face.

Rejoice, the master of cold has brought forth the winds from upon high to cleanse the heat of summer.

I joked to myself as I thought of a reply to her satire.

"Maybe I'll get a drink. I think I deserve one after this doozy and the heat."

"It'll be hard to find hemlock here. Would you prefer an endless dive in the nearby sea?" Myla proposed with an emotionless but recognizably sarcastic tone.

At least, I think it's sarcastic.

I chose to end our banter there as I took the time to unwind in the cold air both the air conditioner and my partner emitted. My earlier idea continued to float in my now-cooled head.

Guess a drink every now and then wouldn't hurt.

I thought as the day came to pass - without much else of note happening as it did.

The car slowly made its way to the side of the road, the soft whir of the engine and friction from the wheels making contact with the asphalt road humming steadily into the evening scene. I opened the door and stood on the concrete sidewalk - my back turned to a café shining with a faint, rust-like light.

"Thanks for dropping me off here. I already phoned Alexandre about it, but can you make sure I clocked out?" I requested from my dear partner, whose amber eyes collided with the orange hues emanating behind me.

"I'll see to it. Thank you for today's work." She gave her thanks timidly, as the day's work put the both of us in a fatigued state. Our lack of energy gave way to moments like this, ones where we spoke like more typical colleagues during the end of a shift.

"Same to you. See you tomorrow." I replied with a cordial salute, having come to enjoy these instants of pause in our usually abrasive relationship. Myla left without another word, the blanket of light flowing on the vehicle slowly disappearing as its silhouette disappeared into the darkening surroundings. I'm not much of a drinker - I'll admit, but occasionally things happen to line up perfectly to get me in the mood for more than just a late-night solo session with me, myself, and a few cans of convenience store alcohol. This very same occasion was transpiring over the past few days, leading me back to where it all began and ended.

Let's hope their cocktails are as good as their brews.

I thought as I opened the glass door to the shop, feeling heavier than when I came in during the morning. The place remained relatively the same in aesthetics and furnishings - however, it was less populated - The chairs dotting the outside disappeared, leaving only seating inside the establishment. Regarding the patrons, small groups of salarymen sat in which cliques of teenagers once gathered to get their dose of caffeine. While the actual bar, which earlier housed the different components of a caffeinated beverage, now displayed rows of bottles of alcohol and delicate glasses reflecting the soft lamplight of the store. Along with this, the once pleasant and welcoming atmosphere was replaced with an alluring and serene air. Warm lights engulfed the store, which without the veil of the tinted glass - exposed themselves to be less rust-like in color, and more a sweet honey-hue. I sat down at one of the nearby bar stools, the soft black padding of the seat sinking into the ebony wood frame of the chair. I placed my arms on the table and raised my head to order.

It's been a while since I've been at a bar. I guess I'll get something simple but sweet. If I recall, my usual order was,

"I'll get a dai-"

"A daiquiri for him, bartender." I could hear a familiar and charming voice say from behind me as the stool beside me shifted.

"That's what you used to get when we went out for drinks, right? Simple but sweet was what you called it." A young woman clad in a flowing olive green skirt and a white tie-front shirt sat down beside me - her torso shielded from the nighttime cold by a short but loose beige jacket.

"Amanda? What are you doing here?"

"Well, after the two of you left, Keith and I talked for a long while. He liked listening to me talk, and what can I say, I got lost in the fun of conversing. Ah, I'll have an Old Fashioned." The bartender, who donned a dark brown waistcoat and uniform similar to the shop's earlier baristas and waiters, nodded silently before wiping away two glasses and starting our drinks.

"And well," Amanda continued. "I hung around here after Keith left and decided to get a drink before I went home. I didn't think I'd run into you, though."

"Summer heat got to you too, huh. I came here for the usual reason."

"Hard day's work?" She inquired, taking note of my uniform.

"Yep." We conversed naturally, almost like old friends, which in a way, we were. Our drinks arrived, and we both took small sips of the sweet, refreshing beverages, the liquid smoothly going down my throat as I exhaled a weary breath.

"Still, that Keith felt a lot more alive this time around. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that was your doing." Amanda pondered as she put her glass down gently, the orange liquid slightly sloshing.

"You got me there, but trust me, everything he said came from himself," I replied, putting down my glass, as well.

"I know that, don't worry. Still, knowing that and seeing you here means you had a rough work week, right?"

"You really don't have to worry about me so much. It's all part of the job, after all."

"You used to say that line back then too." She said with a slight pout as she raised her drink to her lips.

"Well, yeah. But I made a promise, remember?" I reassured her with a kind smile, but her face took a more solemn disposition.

"About that, you don't have to worry about my relationship so much. I don't want you to think you're repaying me for everything we went through. You're just as responsible for all the good memories we made, just as I am for how it all ended." She replied, taking another sip from her drink, the glass now covered in white, condensed air.

"I thought about that too, but that doesn't stop me from wanting, no, needing to do this. I'm past blaming anyone for what happened to us. All I have now are two people I want to see happy." I held onto my liquor tightly, failing to raise it to my mouth to drink as my mind spun with the conversation. Amanda let out a short laugh as she covered her mouth with her delicate hand.

"That sounds a whole lot different than when I first saw you again. You're starting to sound a lot like your old self now." She finished the rest of her beverage and held onto her glass, shaking the ice cubes.

"At the very least," She faced me with a worried smile. "You spend so much time agonizing over other people's emotions and relationships. I just don't want you to forget your own, m'kay?" The charming young woman stood up, her green skirt dancing in the honey-like light.

"Welp, I should go. I landed that job I was talking about a few days back, and I don't wanna be late for the first week. I'll see you when I see you." She faced me with one last smile, her deep green eyes gleaming in the contrasting colors of the bar. I nodded before giving my farewell.

"I'll keep what you said in mind. Bye then." I spoke in a heavy and quiet tone, her footsteps trailing to the exit as the glass door blew in a slight breeze. I took a sip from my drink, the flavor being less sweet and sharper than earlier. I looked at the outside of the store, catching a slight glimpse of a green flowing fabric before it had left my sight.

My own emotions and relationships, huh.

I put down my glass and the payment for both drinks, opening the store's door as the cold air hit my warmed-up face. I began walking away from the rust-like lights emanating from the large tinted windows of the shop, with thoughts and reflections still circling in my mind.