Tuning in the Stars

Whatever time of the year you decide to visit it, the café Le Foyer always offers a quaint and relaxing atmosphere. But my favorite season to enjoy their establishment is by far late autumn. That is when they start lighting the immense stone fireplace towering at the far end of the café as an answer to the crippling cold slowly settling in before winter. 

As soon as I passed the threshold, the warmth of the hearth and the crackling of the fire comforted me. The loud banging of the heavy oak door shutting behind me signaled the barista of my arrival.

“Good morning, Paul. Are you here on business or leisure today?” she asked.

“I’ll go with the business order today, Kelly. Thank you.”

Since I’m one of her regulars, she knows that I need something stronger than my usual creamy caramel mocha when I’m here for a writing blitz.

It was a relatively quiet morning for Le Foyer. Even though the café is not particularly spacious, it’s rarely too crowded to find a place to sit. The last time I was there, most of the regulars were sitting at their respective table, but there were also a few new faces. The newcomers are easy to identify because they have that enthusiastic look on their faces. The kind of excitement that can only come from having found a hidden gem like this place. 

There is a strange ambiance that everybody who visits Le Foyer notices. A kind of unwritten rule that dictates that the bare minimum of noise is prescribed. From one glance at the small crowd gathered, you can tell that very few words are exchanged here. And when the occasional conversation happens, it is always done very briefly and quietly. 

I made my way to my own usual spot near a corner next to the fireplace. It’s the perfect table because it allows me to see the entire café. I don’t know why that’s important to me, but it is. It’s also ideal because it’s right next to a power outlet that I use to plug my untrusty old laptop. If the battery isn’t constantly charging, it shuts down after a couple of minutes. The thought of buying a new one has crossed my mind a few times, but I usually keep electronics until they draw their last breath, and I’m a creature of habits.

As soon as I finished setting up my workspace, Kelly arrived with my business order: A doppio, a chocolate chip muffin, and a big glass of water. Caffeine and sugar to ensure optimal focus and mental stimulation and a hefty dose of H2O to stay hydrated and keep my brain moisturized. With that, all the conditions were met to provide state-of-the-art creative writing. I had been working on my first novel for about six months at the time. It was well underway, but I had yet to find the edge I needed to make my mystery stand out from the rest of the genre. I still haven’t put the final touch, and I only plan on publishing it when I have something I can be truly proud of - however long it might take.

After writing only a few words, I took an undeserved first break to scan the room. That’s when I saw her, one of the newcomers, at a table right next to the door. Her short wavy brown hair was styled in a shaggy bob that could seem untended at first glance, but a closer look at its silky quality showed it was well cared for. She was wearing a purple oversized woolen shirt that came in handy when the outside cold crept in through the main entrance. Her whole body was huddled in a spacious leather armchair. The way she looked at her book gave her an effortlessly cultured look with a twist of simplicity that emanated as much modesty as knowledge. I couldn’t see what she was reading from where I was sitting, but I could tell it was an engaging piece of literature because her eyes were glued to the pages as if she had been in a profound state of hypnosis. As soon as I saw her, I immediately felt a strong urge to violate the café’s unspoken policy about long and spirited conversations. It was probably the closest experience to love at first sight I had ever felt. Though it was not the once-in-a-lifetime kind of love epiphany we see in the movies., it was closer to the realm of ephemeral desires. What-if tingles running down your spine that ultimately leave you thinking wouldn't it be nice if I had the guts to talk to her? They usually dissipate quickly and happen to me on a regular basis, but this one somewhat felt special and compelling.

While I was wondering about the color of her eyes and what they had been reading so intensely, I started contemplating different scenarios of how to approach her. Too bad it wasn’t in my habits to act on these types of fantasies. Once, I would like to muster up the courage to walk up to a stranger I found attractive and strike up a conversation. At that moment, only an accomplished wingman or divine intervention would have been able to spur me into action. Unfortunately, I was alone and I've never been a strong believer in coincidences. However, I must admit that an alignment of stars seemed like a romantic concept at the time. If only the stars spelled things out a bit more plainly. Without heeding my skepticism too carefully, I did start to pay attention to potential signs more intently. This sudden change of heart concerning the grand scheme of the Universe might have been triggered by ironically reading this morning’s horoscope.

I’ve always thought of astrology as a scam even though I read it more often than I’d like to admit. Mostly to amuse myself. As if the human character could be divided into 12 categories. Pisces supposedly have no boundaries or sense of personal space. What a riot! Ask my ex what was my opinion about personal space. Then again, it also says that we’re prone to fantasy and melancholy. Touché. I guess generic and relatable personality descriptions couldn’t be 100% right or wrong. The final paragraph of this morning’s horoscope still came rushing back when I saw the young woman. The article read:

November 3, 2020 - Pisces - LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

The celestial bodies invite you to tune in to your senses and open the door to new encounters without neglecting your existing ones. The romance you have been waiting for all this time is just around the corner, and closer than you might think. Follow your intuition and keep the channels of communication unobstructed.

Today’s lucky numbers are 3, 12, 32, and 74

What a load of crap was my first thought. I also remember thinking Better listen to the tabloid and look sharp! I’m probably going to meet the love of my life today. However frivolous these things appear, they can really play with your head sometimes. It might have been one of the reasons why I had worn my ”special occasion” shirt that morning. Many guys like myself have that one shirt that they keep in near-mint condition in their closet just in case they get a last-minute invitation to their second cousin’s wedding or maybe an impromptu dinner party. It almost never happens, but wouldn’t you feel silly if your only swank dress shirt was crumpled on the floor or at the bottom of the washing machine that one time you needed it? Of course, there was no such occasion today, but I had still decided to put it on. If I had been a little bit less cynical, I would have interpreted this subconscious choice of clothing to be the boost of false confidence I needed to go talk to a girl like her. But as much as she looked amazing, it would take more than that.

No matter how doubtful I was about this whole affair, I did notice more unsettling coincidences that day at the café Le Foyer. The next one came in the shape of the sweet and comforting aroma of warm apples with a hint of brown sugar. The first whiff instantly uncovered memories buried deep in my psyche. Emotions I hadn’t felt in over five years. It was the smell of a sugary treat being delivered to Sweet Tooth Amy, another one of the regulars. 

Le Foyer had a special place in my heart for many reasons. On their menu, there is a grilled cheese and pepperoni sandwich so deliciously delectable that it puts most pizzas to shame. There was also a coffee for every type of caffeine enthusiast. Whether you liked the rich taste of dark roast coffee or the delicate sweetness of strawberry Frappuccino's, Le Foyer would have something that would make you sigh with pure bliss. But what truly made the café extraordinary was their incomparable “Dessert of the Week”. Every week, a surprise dessert was added under the crème brûlée and the fondant brownies, and Amy Weinstein had made it her mission to try them all. Considering the impressive array of confections known to the pastry chef at Le Foyer, I wondered if she had gotten the same dessert twice since she first started her quest. I’d have to ask her someday. 

Once I saw its golden crust, I recognized my ex-girlfriend's favourite dessert: apple crumble. Cynthia McCormick and I were together for four years before she broke my heart. After the flame had lost some of its intensity, she found the fiery satisfaction she was looking for with the companionship of another man. And even though apple crumbles are attached to fond memories of her, there was a bittersweet taste in my mouth every time I had this cursed dessert since the breakup. I asked myself whether this was an indication that I was ready to take another stab at love or a bleak reminder that pain could arise from even the most appealing things.

No matter the fancy shirt, the tacky horoscope, or the sweet perfume. The sign that struck me at my very core was a series of musical notes I would recognize over the café’s ambient noise any day of the year. A soft guitar riff that I had heard a million times and had always soothed me. It was the song “Better Together” by Jack Johnson. This 2005 classic reminded me of my first real crush, Annie Watson. I remember abusing the repeat button on that song during most of my senior year. Learning all the lyrics by heart in my bedroom and on the bus ride home while thinking about her. It was also on the tracklist of our high school prom party. It was a risky maneuver from the DJ because the rhythm of the song is a bit too fast for slow-dancing but not upbeat enough to bust out the three or four other popular dance moves that every teenager knew at the time. That’s one of the reasons why I chose against going up to Annie Watson to ask her to dance with me. It was the only moment of the night that I noticed she was alone, and I had missed my chance. I never really saw her again after that party. Except once from afar, but she was with a bunch of her friends and didn’t notice me so that doesn’t really count. 

I would not commit the same mistake with the mysterious stranger sitting across the room. I wanted to talk to her. Let her know that I existed. Even a cynic like me can’t ignore a combination of coincidences as eerie as this one. At that moment, I decided it was time to do what every man should do at least once in his life. I walked up to her and simply said: “Hello ?”

She lifted her jade green eyes and silently gazed into my mine waiting for a follow-up.