Talon watched as Vanessa ran out of the coffee shop. He wasn't sure why he had asked and part of him was nervous that he was the reason she rushed out so quickly. Taking a mental note of the time, he realized she was later than normal.

Talon couldn't help but wonder where she worked. If she was late, would her boss yell at her? Did she work in a relaxed environment like he did at the coffee shop? Obviously not, considering the whirlwind of her departure. His manager had become like family to him, helping him out when he was struggling with taking care of his mother.

Grabbing a rag from under the counter, Talon went to work on cleaning the table Vanessa had been sitting at.

Vanessa. He thought, pondering the sound of her name.

It was a pretty name. He very much enjoyed the way it rolled off the end of the tongue. When he added a little flair mentally, it seemed to just get better. He could see himself saying a name like that for the rest of his life. Before Talon could go too far down that pathway, especially with a girl that he didn't really know, he tried to focus on the table in front of him.

The way the wood grain traveled along the edge, dancing with different shades of dark lines. He couldn't focus though, no matter how many times he reminded himself, his thoughts led back to Vanessa. She was one of the most beautiful creatures he'd ever seen.

Maybe she will be back tomorrow? And maybe overtime he could get to know her, but if he didn't back off and give her some space, then tomorrow would end up just like today. Vanessa would be running away from him. Talon didn't like that thought, nor did he like the feeling of watching her run away.

Part of it brought him back to the way he used to feel at school. Talon had never been a popular kid, but he seemed to manage pretty well at the coffee shop. He got along with all of his fellow employees, and every so often would be invited to game nights. But he stuck to himself mostly, going to work, and then heading straight home to take care of his ill mother.

Some days he would worry that his friends from the coffee shop would catch him stopping by the store on his way home, picking up his mother's meds. He hoped that when he got home, she'd remember who he was, and he wouldn't have to introduce himself again. Would his mother be angry from a day of forgetting?

Talon stood behind the cash register, fiddling with the sticky keys, nervously scratching some of the lint off the keyboard. When was the last time someone had cleaned this thing? Before he knew it, he had grabbed a rag and was making progress on the buttons.

"Excuse me," a scruffy gentleman cleared his throat, startling Talon. He dropped the rag before making eye contact with the stranger.

"I'm sorry. What can I get started for you?" Talon's voice caught in his throat, a nervous lump forming. He hated when male customers would come in with young children. It was just a harsh reminder of the childhood he never had and the future he'd soon face.

"I'll have a black coffee!" The man sneered, holding out a ten-dollar bill. Talon took the money and placed it in the now clean cash register, tendering just enough change, handing it back to the man. He stopped himself from cringing when the man took the cash and placed it back in his pocket, putting nothing in the tip jar.

Instead, he turned, grabbing a hot cup off the back wall and poured the dark steaming liquid.

"Hey Talon, are you good with the schedule next week?" Talon's manager shouted from the back room of the coffee shop, just loud enough for him to hear as he returned the rag to the dirty bin.

Talon handed the coffee to the customer and closed the distance between him and his manager, looking at the sheet Marcus was working on hanging up. Everything looked to be the same as it had been this week, so Talon had little to complain about. Marcus was being very understanding with Sherry's added doctor appointments. Now that her mental capacity was getting worse, the doctors wanted to see her more and more often. It was getting harder to go without the pay, but Talon was doing the best he could to make ends meet.

"Same as this week?" He asked.

"Yep, figured if your mother's doctor's appointments were the same, we could just keep you on this schedule."

"That's perfect. Thank you so much, man." Talon slapped his manager on the back. He was happy to work for someone as kind and understanding.

"You got it. Now, why don't you go ahead and take your break for the day? It's a little late, but we've seemed to finally slow down a bit. If all the tables are clean, go take fifteen."

Talon nodded in response, untying the apron around his waist and hanging it up on his hook in the back room. With nothing else to distract him, Talon's thoughts very quickly wandered back to the beautiful girl from earlier today. He remembered seeing her often, but couldn't pinpoint the first time he had seen her. She always sat at the little table in the corner with only one chair. It was the loners' table, and usually he would feel bad for those who sat there. Later in the day, it would be writers. Most of them would never go anywhere, but it was cool to think that maybe one day they would publish a book that was written in this very coffee shop. But hey, it was New York after all and this was the land of the dreamers, or some garbage like that.

He couldn't blame those people for having hope. Talon still hoped that his mother would get better, but after all these years and continuous regressions, he would have to be realistic about it soon. Some day he would be all alone, having to figure out this world all by himself.

Talon pulled a cigarette out of the packet that was jammed in his jean pocket. He tried to not make it a habit, but on days where he couldn't focus, it was enough to ease his nerves. He grabbed his lighter, holding it to the tip of the cigarette before taking a deep breath inward. Allowing the smoke to filter through his lungs, causing nearly immediate relief.

An image of Vannessa flashed through his mind, reminding him once again of the girl.

"What the hell." He muttered to himself, leaning against the brick wall in the alleyway. At the end of the street, he could see hundreds of people walking by, going about their business as if their life was so boring. Every single one of them put on a mask for the world, and for a split second, Talon wondered if they would ever take it off. Would they show their true colors to those who lived with them? Or were they permanently trapped behind an image they created for themselves?

Talon took another drag of the cigarette.

"Vanessa." Talon whispered. "Damn, what are you doing to me?" He spoke as if the universe was going to have the perfect answer for him.

He tried to recall the outfit she was wearing this morning. The green hoodie that clung to her body in all the right places, the dark denim jeans that were just as clingy as the sweater. Hell, he even noticed the brown ankle boots that pulled the whole outfit together.

Talon noticed something else about Vanessa though, something that most other girls would seem to hide. She had bruises on her wrists. It was light, but just dark enough he caught a glimpse when she picked up her coffee to rush out of the shop. The other thing he spotted was the bags under her eyes. She appeared to have never slept in her entire life, and though her eye bags were well pronounced, he felt even more curious about what kept her up at night. Did she have a wild night with another man? What else would cause bruising like that?

He wanted to know everything about her. What made her tick? What made her angry? What turned her on? God, he couldn't help but think about the opportunity to turn her on.

But Talon shook his head, pushing those thoughts to the side, feeling rather disgusted with himself and his desires.

He didn't know her.

He didn't want to be this weird stranger that made everything about her. He still had a life that he would need to tend to and while he enjoyed the daydreaming, he needed to pull his head from the clouds and start focusing.

Vanessa was exactly what he needed to get through the rest of his monotonous tasks for the day.

He was curious about her, and eager to see what tomorrow would bring. A worry filled him at the same time as excitement. Would she avoid the coffee shop now because of him? He knew he shouldn't have grabbed her, but it felt so natural. Something so instinctual he felt he had no other choice.

When his fifteen minutes were up, Talon flicked the cigarette he had barely touched. Stomping it out before heading into the coffee shop once more.

A long line awaited him by the cash register. He immediately pulled on his apron, taking his spot to help Marcus catch up with the mid afternoon rush. The rest of the day seemed to fly by.

"Do you think you can work a few extra hours today?" Marcus questioned, noticeably worried about even asking.

Talon looked at the clock. His mother would need to be at an appointment in a few hours, but depending on how long Marcus needed him for, he could probably help.

"How long do you need?" Talon rubbed his chin, feeling the stubble he had carefully shaved away this morning appearing again. He made a mental note to shave before the doctor's appointment.

"Until three?" Talon shifted on his feet. That would cut it a little close, but he hated disappointing anyone.

"Yeah, let me call my mother's nurse and let her know she will need to be ready to go when I get home." Talon nodded, slipping to the backroom to call Mindy.

Mindy's been working for the family since they diagnosed Sherry. She was young, and if Talon could remember those he went to college with better, he could have sworn she was one of them. But Talon dropped out, not wanting to spend money on a useless piece of paper once his mother got sick. Mindy was sweet, though, and took care of Talon's mother as if she were her own. He was thankful for that. Talon pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, hitting the redial button, holding his phone to his ear, waiting for Mindy's cherry voice to greet him.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mindy, can you stay a few extra hours? Till half-past three?" Talon paused for a moment. "They need some extra help here and I could use the extra money."

"Yeah, of course. Will that interfere with Sherry's appointment at all?" Her voice was like a song flowing through the phone line.

"It shouldn't. I'll just need you to make sure she is all ready to leave as soon as I get home."

"I can do that."

"Thank you so much. You are the best." Talon clicked the red button, ending the call. He placed his phone back In his pocket, heading back behind the counter.

"We are all good." He threw a thumbs up to Marcus.

Talon always tried hard to be what everyone else needed him to be. He tried so hard to make sure he let no one down. At times, he would be left for last.

But thoughts of Vanessa helped him get through the extension of his workday. An image of her flashed through his eyes every step of the way, even as he clocked out, drove home, and unlocked his front door.

Vanessa was everywhere, and he would need to see her again to get her out of his head.