Liam
8
1The scent of ground beans and the hum of the espresso machine always drew Liam in, almost as much as the girl behind the counter, Maya. He was a creature of the open road, his life a blur of wind and the rumble of his Kawasaki The coffee shop, "The Daily Grind," was his only consistent pit stop.
Every morning, Liam would park his motorcycle by the window, the chrome catching the light, and walk in, the scent of gasoline and leather preceding him. He'd nod to Maya, whose smile was as bright as the morning sun. She knew his order by heart: a large, black coffee, no sugar, the strongest brew they had.
Their conversations were brief, clipped by the rush of the morning crowd. "Morning, Liam," she'd say, the steam from the machine dancing around her. "The usual?"
"You know it," he'd reply, his eyes tracing the delicate line of her jaw.
He'd take his coffee and sit by the window, watching the world go by, his mind often wandering to Maya. She had a certain grace about her, a quiet strength that intrigued him. She was an anchor in the whirlwind of his life, a constant amidst the changing landscapes he rode through.
One rainy afternoon, the shop was unusually empty. Liam walked in, rain dripping from his jacket. Maya was wiping down the counter, a soft song playing on the radio.
"Rough weather," she commented, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Keeps the fair-weather folks inside," he replied, taking a seat at the counter.
They talked for hours, about everything and nothing. He spoke of the open road, the freedom, the sense of being alive. She spoke of her love for literature, the quiet satisfaction of a perfectly brewed coffee, her dreams of opening her own bookstore.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, Liam realized he was falling for her. The thought was as startling as a sudden gust of wind on the highway. This girl, with her gentle smile and quiet wisdom, had managed to anchor his restless heart.
"You should see the suns
Follow