I can almost catch a vibe here at the cafe as the blonde woman in the pink dress with tattoos on her arms and earbuds in her ears finishes her coke. She leaves. I can see the condensation on the side of her glass, ice cubes melting at the bottom.
At one of the tables, a couple drinks. The young woman has an Aperol Spritz and laughs a little too loud at the man's jokes, in a way that seems to suggest she doesn't really understand the humor in what he is saying, but she feels that she should be laughing, so she guesses how it should sound and tries.
Music plays from the speakers in the ceiling. I snap my fingers to the beat in an attempt to get the art of the sound into my soul so that it can help me to write.
It's hot. Beads of sweat almost form on my forehead. I pick up my cold glass of beer and press it against my cheek.