Ann was sitting in the cafe with her third coffee and her laptop, her dark hair gleaming in the sunshine that streamed through the window. She liked to sit near the window and see the people who passed by while she was working. It was a pleasant distraction when she got stuck with her writing. She stared at her screen, willing herself to continue writing the chapter she had been working on for the past two hours. She found herself wishing she was in her studio painting, instead. She glanced out the window, and that’s when she saw him. He’s beautiful, she thought. His dark, wavy hair moved with the gentle breeze, and he smiled to himself as he approached the cafe. Her heart thumped in her chest, seeing his beautiful face lit up with that smile. She watched as he entered the cafe, and walked to the counter to order. The barista was much more attentive than she needed to be. Ann found that irritating.

Taka got his drink, then turned to find a place to sit. He was early for his meeting with a producer he was considering for their next album. Toru was supposed to come as well, but he hadn’t been feeling well, so Taka had decided to come alone. He glanced toward the window and saw a young woman sitting alone, with her laptop. She quickly averted her gaze when she saw him looking in her direction. He smiled to himself. I saw that, he thought. He wondered briefly if she was a fan. There weren’t too many in America. He was able to go most places without being recognized, which was a nice change of pace for him. She started typing, looking as though she was straining to concentrate on her task. 

She was panicking internally. He saw me staring at him! she thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him moving toward her table. Oh! What is he doing? I’m going to die if he comes over here! He’s coming over here!” her thoughts raced, and she tried her best to calm herself and ignore him. He took a seat at the table next to hers and glanced out the window, then looked at his phone, seeming to be waiting for something. He noticed her beginning to pack up her things, and for some reason he felt disappointed. He hadn’t realized he had been hoping that she would be there when he finished this meeting. She stood, shouldering her laptop bag, took her cup and headed out the door. He glanced down and noticed something laying on the floor. It was a flash drive. He bent down to pick it up, and looked up to find her. She had just gotten out the door. He rushed after her, calling out. “Hey, wait!” he shouted. 

She was just about to cross the street when she heard a voice shouting. She turned to see the man she had been watching in the cafe, running toward her. “Wait, you dropped this!” he said, approaching her. She hadn’t expected his accent. She looked to see what he was holding out. “My flash drive!” she shouted, accepting it from him. “This is my life!” “You’re welcome,” he said, smiling. She stared, momentarily stunned by his smile. “Oh!” she said, recovering. “Thank you! I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today. I’ll just go…” She turned to leave.

He stepped forward, holding his hand out. “Wait,” he said. She looked back, wondering why he was still talking to her. He ran his fingers through his hair with a nervous smile. “What’s your name?” he asked her. “Ann,” she replied, hesitantly. “I’m Taka. Would you… like to go out with me?” he asked her. “Me?” she pointed to herself, dumbfounded. “Yes,” he chuckled. She blushed, “Oh… Yes.” He smiled at her answer. “Great! Tonight? We could meet here around… 7?” he said. “That sounds good,” she said. “OK, great! See you then,” he said happily, waving and walking back toward the cafe. 

He walked back in, feeling excited. He couldn’t explain exactly why, but he really liked Ann. She’s really cute, he thought. The producer he had been waiting for arrived, and they had their meeting. They discussed ideas for the album, but Taka had a difficult time focusing. He kept thinking about Ann, wondering what she was doing now, and what would happen when they met later. He tried to decide what he should do. Should he plan the date, or ask what she wanted to do when they met? He shook his head. This wasn’t usually a problem he had. He struggled to pay attention throughout the meeting, and finally it was over. He felt like he had accomplished nothing.

She walked home wondering about this guy, Taka. She wasn’t quite sure why he had asked her out, but her heart soared at the thought of going on a date with him. He was so handsome, she thought. She wanted to know more about him. She hoped that she wouldn’t end up needing to speak Japanese. She understood it just fine but speaking it was difficult for her. She ended up sounding very strange and it embarrassed her. She got home and went straight to her studio. Taking out her charcoal and a large sketchbook, she began drawing him. Her mind was filled with his face, and she knew the only way to clear it was to draw. A few hours later, she had what she believed was a decent likeness of him. She checked the time, and decided she should take a shower and get ready.

In his hotel room, Taka got dressed, still debating on how to go about this date. He felt nervous in a way he hadn’t in a long time. Finally he decided that he should just ask her what she wanted to do, but he came up with two options in case she didn’t know or wanted him to decide. That should cover it, he thought. He left the hotel and started walking toward the cafe. When he arrived, he found her already there, waiting for him. She smiled as she saw him approach. He smiled in return, but he felt even more nervous now. “Ann,” he said stopping next to her. “Hi,” she responded. She looked down, blushing. His heart stopped. She’s absolutely adorable, he thought. “So,” he said, “what would you like to do?” “Oh, um…” she said, thinking. “I figured you must have had an idea.” “I did, but I wasn’t sure if.. I didn’t want to.. Ah. How can I say it?” he stumbled over his words, getting frustrated. “I didn’t want to make a plan without knowing what you might want to do.” he said, finally. 

She giggled. “Oh, I see. I’m kind of hungry. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do, so I didn’t eat.” He frowned slightly. “Since we met earlier?” he asked. “Well, I had a snack,” she answered. “Let’s go eat, then,” he said. She watched as he turned, then followed him as he started walking. They fell into step together and walked quietly. She wondered where they were going. They walked for several blocks, not talking but occasionally glancing at each other and smiling nervously. She had butterflies in her stomach and still wondered why he’d asked her out. It seemed to her as though he was just as nervous as she was. Finally, they reached a small restaurant that didn’t seem to have very much business. “My friend showed me this place one time when I came here. The food is very good,” he said, opening the door for her. She stepped inside and looked around. It was quiet, but clean and the few patrons seemed to be enjoying their meals. 

He walked inside behind her, and a waitress appeared to seat them. She took them to a cozy booth toward the back of the restaurant and gave them menus. They sat down across from each other. He had already decided he would have what he had last time, so he only glanced at the menu. She took a few minutes to decide, and soon the waitress came to take their order. Once they had ordered, he decided that he needed to say something to get her talking. She seemed rather shy, but he wanted to get to know her better. She surprised him by speaking up first. “What kind of work do you do?” she asked. “I’m in a band,” he answered. “Oh! What kind of music?” “It’s Japanese emo rock,” he gave his usual response to that question. “Wow. That must be exciting! Are you here working, or taking a vacation?” she asked. He noticed she had become very animated. Perhaps she’s not as shy as he’d initially thought.

She was very curious now to hear about his music. She’d known a few musicians, but they weren’t particularly nice so she had never spent much time with them. “I’m here to meet a producer that we were thinking of working with. That’s why I was at the cafe earlier. I need to tell him I’m sorry. The meeting went badly because I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” he said, his face becoming slightly red. “Oh,” she frowned, looking down. She had caused him trouble already, she thought. He smiled. “Don’t be upset. I don’t think we’ll work with him anyway,” he said reassuringly. She smiled back, unsure. He reached out to her, and she let him take her hand. He had a very compelling presence. His hand was so warm. Her heart raced, as she watched him cover her hand with his free hand. He looked into her eyes, and she felt no choice but to look back into his dark, beautiful eyes. “Please?” he asked. She nodded, unable to trust her voice to speak.

He couldn’t explain what it was, but he couldn’t stand the thought of her feeling bad, especially when she had done nothing wrong. He smiled when she nodded, but continued holding her hand. It felt very nice to touch her, and he wasn’t going to let go until she pulled away. He cleared his throat, then asked, “What work do you do?” “I’m a writer. I’m also an artist, but that’s more of a side thing,” she answered. “Really? What do you write?” he inquired. “My work spans a few genres, but it’s mostly young adult fiction,” she replied. “Wow, that’s really cool,” he said. She laughed, “I guess it is. I’ve always enjoyed creating something, telling stories. Even my art, it usually tells a story of some kind.” “That’s how music is, too,” Taka said, relating. Once they got started, they talked for what seemed like forever. Their food came, and they continued to talk even as they ate. 

Once they finished eating, he paid and they left the restaurant. In a very gentlemanly way, he offered his arm and she wrapped her arm around it, holding on with her other hand. She felt very close to him suddenly. It had gotten a little chilly out, and she was glad for his warmth as well. He let her lead, and she walked toward her home. As they walked, he asked, “Will I get to see you again?” “I would really like that,” she responded. He smiled widely. Her heart skipped a beat as he stopped, turning to her. “Ann,” he said. “Yes?” “I would like to kiss you,” he stated simply. She blushed, and tried to respond, “I…” she couldn’t make herself say it, so she looked up at him, and quietly nodded. He leaned in slowly, watching her reaction. His lips touched hers gently, and she felt as though her chest was on fire. Her cheeks reddened. He pulled back to gauge her reaction. 

She smiled and giggled, looking down. “Will you… do that again?” she asked. His heart melted. How can she be so cute? he wondered. He touched her cheek and kissed her again, more deeply this time. He pulled away, smiling. She smiled in response, and they continued walking. He put his arm around her, and she leaned against him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. They chatted quietly as they walked, nearing her home. He felt absolutely content, walking with her. It was as though his heart had been trying so hard for something, and it was now able to relax, because he’d found her. They must have reached her home, because she turned, pulling him with her up to an apartment building. She stood in front of the door, looking at him. “I guess I’ll say goodnight, then,” he said, smiling at her. She smiled back. “I had a great time tonight, Taka,” she said. “Me too,” he responded. He kissed her goodnight, waited for her to get inside, then turned to walk away. It was a great end to that day, but he knew that, in fact, it was only the beginning.