May 4, 1997.
Tony wasn’t lonely; he was perfectly fine being alone. He wasn’t looking for anyone. He didn’t mind the late nights working on Wall Street and then coming home to no one. Tony didn’t mind lying in bed, all alone, staring up at the ceiling.
He walked into the coffee shop that evening, only looking for a shot of energy in a cup. Tony sighed, the warm air trailing behind him as the cold air hit his face. He put his face down, waiting for his body to warm up to the air. He ran his hand across his hair. His dark hair was full of gel from the early morning. He adjusted his round glasses covering blue eyes. Tony’s suit was sharp. His mother gave it to him for his 30th birthday. Italians have a great sense of style. It hugged his body perfectly and made women stare as he walked by. He didn’t notice them. Tony never noticed the women that threw themselves at him. The ones with caked faces, fake nails, ratty hair, and a good taste for money.
The smell of the coffee shop always made him smile. It reminded him of his father’s coffee shop in Kentucky. The smell almost made you taste the coffee before you got it.  He made his way over to the long line, sighing as he took his place. As Tony stood there, he stared down at his ticking watch. Not paying attention, he ran into the girl in front of him. She gasped, dropping the heavy load of textbooks she had in her hands. She sighed, “Oh, goodness. I’m so sorry!” She got on her knees quickly picking up her books and papers.
Tony stared down at her, unable to understand what happened. When he finally was able to understand, he kneeled down. “I’m sorry, I should watch where I’m going.” He said, picking up her ‘Romeo and Juliet’ book. “This is a great play,” He smiled, looking up at her. She pushed back her jet black long hair, looking up. Their eyes met. Him staring into her brown eyes, her staring into his blue. They didn’t speak. They just stared at each other, she slowly grabbed her book.
“Y-Yes it’s a great book.” She smiled and let out a small laugh. She looked young to Tony, only about nineteen or twenty.
“Actually it’s a play...” he chuckled and handing her the play book. His large, veining hand touched her angel soft hands. He quickly pulled away and sighed softly.
She pulled the book to her chest slowly, saying, “Thank you.”
He gave her a nod, feeling different towards the girl. She had a natural beauty. She wasn’t fake.
He quickly got back in line behind her, still having her on his mind. Her voice was so soft; her giggle was like a song to him. He shook his head trying to pass the thought of her. He didn’t need anyone. He wasn’t lonely.
After getting his coffee, Tony went to take a seat in his usual spot, but someone had already taken that seat. Her baby blue Vans tapped against the floor, making him smile. She had on fitting navy blue jeans with a black run-down Pink Floyd shirt.
His eyes slowly met hers once again, “Is there something you need?” she asked him.
He snapped out of his daze, “Oh, I’m sorry. I just usually sit here.”
She giggled and sat up, putting her book to the side. “Is this high school?” she joked with him.
He chuckled, “I guess not.”
He moved over to the table across from her.
Once he sat down, he took a sip of his coffee. It was hot going down his throat. As he stared at the girl in front of him, he knew he wanted to be with her. ‘Come on Tony, you don’t need someone tying you down.’ he thought to himself. But he wanted her so badly now. Her cute smile, her silky hair, the way her eyes sparkle in the sunlight. Tony fought the urge to stand up, but soon he found himself standing beside the girl. He looked down at her then blurred out, “Would you want to go out with me sometime?”
The girl didn’t look up for a while; she slowly sat her book down and sat up. Her brown eyes met his eyes for a third time. Goosebumps ran up Tony’s arms. “I don’t think so,” she said as she picked up her coffee. She stood in front of him, looking up at him. “I’m just not looking for someone right now.” She smiled softly.
Tony didn’t think he was looking for someone either until he laid eyes on the girl.
Tony sighed, looking at his hands then his eyes moved up. He saw the book from earlier, “Rome and Juliet.” He picked it up, opening the cover. Tony saw something that made him smile. The cover had cute writing that read, “Kennedy Smith – West Brooklyn.”