The smell of smoke and coffee lingered in the air as the song “La Vie En Rose” produced through a record player softly. A woman clad in an elegant black dress was seated in one of the chairs in the café looking out the window smoking a cigarette.
“The sunset here is really sad isn’t it?” She sighed.
A man who was very well groomed and dapper for his age turned towards the window and raised an eyebrow,
“Whatever do you mean Ms. Diane?” He asked her, not stopping once from cleaning cups and silverware. The women takes a long draw from her cigarette before talking once more, “It’s always covered by these dreadful buildings, you only get a glimpse of its beauty and if you really want to see the whole thing, you have to work for it.” She exhaled and as the smoke escaped from her mouth and clouded the air, it covered a “No Smoking” sign that was placed over her head. “It’s sort of like people I suppose. Covering their hearts with locks and walls, you only get a sample of who they truly are and if you want more… you’re going to have to work for that as well.” She picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table and looks at it. “Well there’s always people who don’t have their hearts locked down, and there are the ones who can’t do anything with theirs.” She takes one final draw from her cigarette blowing the smoke towards the paper.
“You should really stop smoking here, I put that sign up for a reason." The man scoffed causing the woman to laugh.
“I guess I should, since you’re letting me use this place to bring them together after all.” She puts out her cigarette and stands up from her seat. She puts the paper up against the window, facing the content to the outside and tapes it.
The paper was a flyer for a group counsel class taught by Ms. Diane. Normal people wouldn’t have any interest in it, the advertisement was specifically designed to be noticed by people with a unique problem: The inability to love romantically no matter how hard they want to or try to. Complete strangers with incomplete hearts, is what she likes to describe it as. She leaves the shop feel content with her work. “Tomorrow will be the start of it all…” She smiles warmly as she cranes her neck to the sky watching the sunset disappear.

In this seemingly fast world everyone around you is getting married or having babies. Yet at this moment you’re what they call a “single pringle.” Your friends tell you that you just haven’t met the “right” person. But deep down in your heart you feel as if you can’t love anyone romantically. New Years has just passed and you feel as if this year will be the same as before. More friends getting married, having babies, and more people asking if it’ll be your turn next. But New York is full of “mysterious wonder” is what they say to get people to more there. You never felt any mystery or wonder from this place, it’s always the smell of exhaust fuel and the fear of being harassed by a hot dog vendor that seems to define the city. It isn’t until one day you stumble upon a poster/internet ad that read:
Ms. Diane: The Famous Love Guru
“Do you feel like you can’t love anyone romantically? Like a hole in your heart? Are you not able to ever imagine a future where you settle down with someone and have kids? Then this group counsel class is for you!”
“Meetings take place in Love-More Café Tuesday and Thursday 7:00 pm!”
“Sign up for free!“

Although you shouldn’t be taking relationship advice from a mysterious single woman, you give it a shot. What else do you have to lose?

The wind blew with a surprising amount of force, causing Derick to steady himself against the unwavering gale. Unbeknownst to him, a plastic bag floated by his side, tittering between calm, gentle floating and rapid successive movements. Along with the shift in the air came an aroma that Derick knew all too well: a strange combination of coffee, an incredibly powerful aura of calmness, and the scent of exhaust that covered every inch of the concrete jungle. The scent of a cafe.

Derick calmly glided in a random direction, eventually finding his way to the edge of the curb. Tapping the side of the curb, Derick slowly made his way to what felt like a lamp post. Careful inspection with large, calloused fingers revealed the thing he had been searching for - The crossing button. Derick lightly pressed onto the button, as numerous thoughts passed through his head, shifting and turning from a slight anxiousness, to a small glint of hope, before eventually returning to the usual apathetic and nihilistic thought process he usually followed. His leather jacket hung loosely off of him, but then again, it didn't really matter how he looked. After all, he wasn't interested in a relationship any time soon, and he wasn't able to appreciate how he looked anyways. Besides, It's not like it mattered anyways. Music was blind, and it was the only lover he needed. The slight comfort and familiarity of the strap around his torso reminded him of this, before the honking of a horn alerted him to remove the headphones, which he was always told to never wear when he was trying to go somewhere. It appears that Derick had not managed to make it to the other side of the street in time, and he hurried, a soft clacking emanating from his cane wherever he went.

Derick had began to wonder why he even decided to come here in the first place. It was probably some trick to scam people who can't hold a relationship into wasting their time and money. After all, the advertisement was on some random YouTube video, and even though it said it was free, these kind of things always said they were. A soft sound escaped from Derick lips as he hoisted himself onto the curb on the opposite side of the street. He was never quite as in-shape as he would have liked, but then again, being unable to see always made things seem more dangerous than they actually were. Derick lightly contemplated the idea of simply returning home. He still had time, even though he has essentially wasted a perfectly good Thursday evening. His phone buzzed slightly, alerting him to the fact that he had made it to this "Love-More Café", and quickly ushering any thoughts of retreat from his mind. Derick gently pushed open the door, using the same soft force he would for cooking. A small bell chimed, and the sound of rustling could be heard nearby. Derick called out with a calm tone.

"Excuse me? Could someone please lead me to a woman named... Ms. Diane?"

The last part of his question had wavered slightly. Of all the times to forget someone's name... A somewhat elderly voice called out, responding to Derick's request. A soft grip enveloped his hand, and he was led to the corner of the small establishment, tapping his finger against the handle of his (now retracted) cane, matching the beat of the song with perfect rhythm. Eventually, he made his way to a seat, which he slowly lowered himself into, knees making a slight popping sound as he did so... He really needed to get in shape. Derick sat still, practicing the patience that blindness had cultivated in him for many years. Derick made sure that the instrument strapped across his back was safe from harm before relaxing slightly. If this wasn't a scam, others like him would show up soon, along with that mysterious "Love Guru". Unless, of course, they were already here. Derick chuckled slightly at the thought; it would probably be incredibly creepy for someone to just sit down and not say a word, their eyes closed the entire time. Even if this was fake...

...Well, there was always more places to search. Derick leaned back, jeans hanging loosely off of his legs and sunglasses tucked inside his jacket pocket. Worst case scenario, he just had to keep looking. And if that's the case, it probably wouldn't take too much longer.

How long can it take to search for your heart anyways?

~Sonny Lee~