Life can be so unpredictable sometimes. Like a rush hour, she mused.

You get what you get.

One second you're in love, the next second you're heartbroken.

Nothing is ever constant. It keeps evolving.

"Your beacon is on fire." Rosette's voice filtered in her mind , making her jump out of her skin.

She was dreaming again wasn't she ?!

Quickly, she glanced down at the beacon cooking and sighed in relief.

It so wasn't burning.

"Scaring you is fun ." Rosette chuckled." What's on your almond mind? Spill." She urged while cleaning her station, bending down and picking the scraps of onions in her palm.

If only spilling was that easy. .

She smiled sadly thanking the lord above that Rosette couldn't see her face because she was picking up scraps of food from the floor.

"I'm afraid I might overspill." Rita tried to laugh but honestly it got choked in her throat.

"I'm ready for it. Get it off of your chest , honeybunch."

Well, Rita thought for a minute.

She had no one beside her in this town, all she had were some fantasies and a guy who was so out of reach , so out of her league that she couldn't even wish to have him.

But the heart want what it wants. .

"If the guy you love...don't love you back then what should you do?" Rita asked flipping the beacon on the other side, kitchen filling up with the noise of oil sizzling up.

Rosette's working hands stopped and she glanced up at her , a thoughtful look on her chubby face.

"To be honest, I would say you're wasting your time. One sided love is a big no no. .but," she pursed her lips., " I also get that you can't control your heart . .hell! I have still got the hots for my school crush but that's beside the point, " she waved her hand.," The whole point of love is to see the other person happy right? So whatever and whomever they choose beside you , " she shrugged her shoulders, " be happy for them. "

Rita nodded, dishing out the beacon on a sparkling white plate.

"Say . .are ya talking about that hot ass guy ? He don't love ya ?" Rosette asked curiously , standing up.

Bull's eye!

Rita turned towards her, her almond eyes had the you're-right look.

Honestly, she didn't know what to say because life had always been cruel towards her. First whoring out, then falling in love, then getting out of the gutter and now this. .

At least she had the rights to her vagina now. .she thought bitterly.

Rosette  placed her beefy hand on Rita's shoulder , she had a grim look on her ruddy face.

"Rita, do not fall in this rabbits hole, child. There are good guys out there ready to die for you. Do not put yourself through bullshit like that. Remember , you're no Alice who found her way back through the hole. This is real life. The real deal. Real shit."

That was the first and probably the last time Rita had seen her so serious so worried for her sake.

Her heart warmed up a little and she covered her hand with hers.

"I'll try. .to move on."

"Atta girl!"

Rosette got back to her station , whistling her favorite tune. .giving Rita a smile .

And then right there, Rita made a promise to herself.

She would move on.

Find a good ol chap and just settle down.

Because she was wishing for the moon. .

And. .

It belonged to someone else.

Besides . .

He didn't come after that day.

Out of sight out of mind right?

××××××××××××××××××

The bell chimed announcing a customer at. . ., she glanced at the wall clock, 8 PM.

Sighing with exhaustion, she took the little pad out of her pocket and a pen. Her shift was ending at 9 and then she would go out, chill, have fun . .shop if she could afford.

She did some savings too and she was proud of it.

Every penny was earned with hard work and determination.

With her head down and writing order#67 she walked up to the corner table .

The customer was already seated .

She didn't even glance at the him or her.

"What would you like to order?" She droned on like a machine . Her pen ready to jot down.

"The blackest coffee on the market."

She nodded to no one and started writing and–

She froze.

That voice...

Rita dared herself to look up and oh my God! yes ! Indeed it was him . It really was him  in the flesh!

Decked up in a black T-shirt and black pants, a bomber jacket placed on his lap. .messy hair like he ran his hand in them a million times. .hands clasped on the table.

God ! He looked hot! Like a sizzling beacon served on a sparkling white plate!

Did he ever notice the way he affect people around him? The grace in his long fingers, the careless confidence, the aloof aura. .

He was the poster dream of every girl!

Why didn't he ever look up at her? Why did it always have to be her doing the i-know-you talk.

"Hey! Its you!" Rita chirped a cherry smile on her face as she slipped the pad back in her pocket, gripping the pen hard enough to break it.

He glanced at her , at last.

Those midnight eyes looked . . .tired? As if a cloud had descended on them. Darkening them even further.

"Rita."

That's all .

That's all he said.

But just that one word bloomed something in her heart. .

"What's up?" She asked trying to be as polite as he had always been with her.

Actually she wanted to ask about her. Were they still together together or —

"You can sit if you want to." He offered , this time leaning against the chair.

God! How did he know she was eyeing the chair  parallel to him? Dreaming about sitting in front of him? How would that view feel like?

She was not going to let this chance slide.

She was going to breath the same air as him!

And no brown eyes is going to stop her from doing that! She deserved a chance!

"I would love to but first lemme get your order." She said smiling so big her cheeks hurt .

He nodded stiffly.

Turning around, her heart in her throat . .she couldn't believe her luck! She was wrong! Life wasn't cruel to her. . . anymore.

×××××××××××××××

He cupped the cup of coffee with both his hands.

He wasn't smiling, she observed.

"How has life been lately?" He asked and she had a feeling he was just asking for the sake of conversation.

She placed her hands on the table. .a few inches away from his.

"Unpredictable. " She said honestly because it was . .right now anyways.

He smiled a little bit it didn't reach his eyes and her heart felt that.

"Exactly. One second it's rigged in your favor and the next it's out to kill you." He said darkly, raising the cup . .the hot puffs of coffee twirling around in the air.

"Are you speaking from experience?* She asked trying to thread carefully this time.

His dark gaze flickered towards her, almost stopping her breath.

"I don't know about experience but yeah I'm taking one shot at a time. One hit at a time. It's hard but. . . it's worth it." He added, taking a sip of his coffee.

"How do you know it's worth it?"

He didn't even think.

"You don't give up till you're last breath. .sounds like an extremist ," he chuckled darkly, " but it's how I'm . I don't like half ass efforts, half ass people. .half ass everything. "

She nodded lightly, absorbing his words , trying not to give away her feelings .

"You like people who just go for it?" She asked  making him raise his slashed brow.

She wondered what's the story behind that slash. .she would love to trace it someday. .

He placed the half full cup back on table.

"People who go for it are delusional. When you get it, you don't want it anymore. " He said, glancing at her impassively.

"How about love at first sight? I like a guy and he doesn't even know it? Shouldn't I just. . go for it?" She said boldly . How the heck did it come out from her mouth?

He stared at her until she feared she would quack or worse get up and leave.

"Definitely. You should go for it or else you will end up in a blind alley."

"But didn't you say the go for it people are delusional? "

" I did but love is an exceptional case. Everyone has their own view on it. Everyone has different ways of tackling it ." He said lightly , pushing back the chair and getting up, taking his bomber jacket .

She too got up.

"Can you walk with me ?" She blurted out catching his eyes.

His eyebrows furrowed.

"Umm. . I mean can you walk me home? Chris, the sweeper,  was suppose to walk me home but he didn't come today so—"

He cut her off.

"Yeah sure. I'll pay for the coffee on the counter ." He said already walking towards the counter.

The glow she had on her face was blinding the lights around her. Her heart felt so big it didn't fit her chest.

Breath in.

Breath out. 

Finally. .

Finally she was getting a chance at life!

Rita glanced at the half full cup and hastily picked it up. . .downing all the leftover coffee.

Tasting him.

××××××××××××××××××

She pinched herself for the zillionth time.

He was walking right beside her!

His lean frame shadowing her!

She was walking as slow as possible , as humanly slow as possible. Rita didn't want the night to end! Ever!

Hands deep in his pants pocket, he was walking trying to match her snail like pace.

"You seem a little out of space." She mused , glancing at his face .

"I'm. It's. . personal." He said in a clear cut dont-even-try-asking tone.

"Must be worth it." She hummed , using his phrase.

He nodded, lips going skyward for the very first time. A genuine smile.

"More than my life." He said and she knew who he was referring to, her heart crash and burned a little but she didn't let it bother her because this was her night. Her lucky night.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked trying to be nonchalant as they walked in the barely lit alley.

"You're suppose to be sure about love. It's not rocket science. " He sighed and she had to agree on that.

She was sure about him.

"I'm sure too ." She thought out loud making him look at her.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go for it. I'm on your team." He smiled blinding her for a minute.

"You'll cheer for me?" She asked, mocking clear in her voice.

"I do cheer for good people. "

Good people?

He was calling her good?

No one has ever. .

She got speechless.

She stopped in her tracks forcing him to stop too.

He glanced at her questionably.

"Would you accept my invitation for a cup of coffee?" She asked so suddenly so breathlessly. .  she surprised herself.

She was getting bold and bolder.

He kept staring at her.

"I promise I make the best black coffee on earth!" She said brightly , a small smile appearing on his face on her eagerness.

Dennis shrugged his shoulders.

"If you say so."

×××××××××××××××××××