Chapped Lips and Cold Kisses

Ville and Mela decided on a quaint coffee shop in the city that they had been to a few times. They grabbed their favorite booth near the back and lit up cigarettes while looking at the menu. Mela was peering over her menu, watching Ville put the cigarettes between his perfect lips and suck in a deep breath. Ville slammed his menu shut and made Mela jump.

“I know what I want.” He said.

Mela pretended to still be looking at her menu, “Okay, I’m ready.” She said though she had no clue what she actually wanted. She took a drag on her cigarette as Ville motioned for the waitress to come over.

Mela ordered a cappuccino.

“Is that all for you?” The waitress asked. Mela nodded and Ville shot her a weird look.

“What?” she mouthed to him and he just shook his head.

The waitress then took his order; a cheeseburger, fries, and coca-cola. This café was pretty Americanized which Ville loved. The waitress smiled and said the food would be out shortly, leaving Mela and Ville to their thoughts.

They just stared into each others eyes for a few minutes, the silence comforting.

“I missed you,” He stated, breaking the silence, “and the new piercing looks great by the way.” He said, referring to the septum piercing that she let her coworker Tomi do on her.

She smiled brightly at him and said, “Thanks. I love it, it’s probably my favorite piercing of all time.”

He smirked, “I don’t know, your belly button piercing is pretty sexy.”

“Well now we know which one is your favorite, because you’re a perv!” Mela teased, poking him from across the table.

He feigned shock, “Melena Julieta Fagerholm, how dare you call me a perv.”

Mela put her hands up in mock defeat, “woah, no need to use full names here, Ville Hermanni Valo.”

“I love you.” Ville said, seemingly out of nowhere.

Mela chuckled, trying to hide her blush, wishing it was a real declaration of love and not just a friendly one.

“I love you more!” She teased. Ville smiled back brightly.

“I have to tell you something,” He said, now looking a bit nervous.

Mela took a deep breath, she didn’t know what words to expect to come from the beautiful man’s mouth. ‘Could he-? No way. This is just a one sided crush.’ Mela thought, though deep down she had the hope that his love was more than just friendly.

“-I’ve been seeing a girl and I’d like you to meet her.” Ville continued. Mela’s heart fell to her feet and she yelled at herself for thinking that he felt the same way.

“Oh.” That was all Mela could muster as her eyes watered a bit. There’s no way she’s going to let him see her cry, “I have to go to the bathroom,” She said, quickly standing up from the table.

Ville was left there, confused and unsure of what had just happened.

The waitress came up to the table with a tray, “A cappuccino for your girlfriend, and a burger, fries, and coke for you.”

Ville laughed internally because everyone mistakes Mela for his girlfriend. Even the guys in the band call her his girlfriend even though they know he’s been dating someone.

Ville started eating his food, he was half way finished before Mela came back to the table.

She had a fake smile plastered across her face and an overly cheery attitude, “So, tell me about this girl.”

“Her name is Suzanne. I told her you would come to dinner this Thursday.” Ville said in between bites of hamburger.

Mela glared at him, “How do you know I don’t already have plans?”

“-because you’re off on Thursdays and because you love me so you’ll do whatever I want.”

Mela silently agreed with that, she would do anything he wanted but not when it comes to another girl. Who was she kidding? She’d still go just for Ville.

“Fine. What time?” She asked, the fake smile long gone.

“Don’t seem so enthused, Mela. How does 19:00 sound?”

She nodded, “I’ll be there.”

“It’s a date.” Ville said, smiling around his mouth full of food.

Hah. A Date. Mela wished.