ambitious · sarcastic · guarded · songwriter · new york setting · street style · romance · anxious · musician
Rain blurred the neon lights of Saint Marks Place against the café window. Inside, the air hung heavy with burnt espresso and illicit smoke. Allie stood behind the counter, a stained apron cinched at her waist, her gaze fixed on a notebook where only two lonely lines of lyrics resided. The espresso machine hissed beside her like a caged beast. Suddenly, a dish towel struck her head. She looked up to meet Mary’s glare, the old woman’s gray curls framing a face of permanent irritation. Allie grabbed the mugs, the weight of her quiet desperation mingling with the steam.