Thunder crashed overhead as Marie huddled under her umbrella as she worked at shielding herself from the downpour. She hoped the storm would blow over soon because she was losing her resolve to carry on.
She blinked as a large drop of water hit her eye, and she used her free hand to wipe it from her face. Marie scrunched her nose as she caught a whiff of something delicious in the air. Then she tasted something in the air as the rain went from a steady stream to a torrent, and she found her mouth beginning to salivate in excitement.
"Food! Need to get to food fast," Marie thought.
Making a snap decision, Marie decided to run through the rain; as she followed the directions, her phone was barking at her. Her legs pumped effortlessly as she raced over the uneven sidewalk towards her destination.
Finally, she turned a corner and saw it, a small cafe nestled on the corner of a quiet, cobblestone intersection. Unlike in the big city where she was from, there were no neon signs or billboards. Instead, this small restaurant just smiled at her through the slits of its canopies. Marie sighed in relief as she pushed through the front door, a small bell chimed above her, and she folded her umbrella as she looked around the room.
It was dimly lit, but it almost made it feel cozy as a fire crackled in a large stone fireplace set into a corner of the room. Several small tables were spaced around the room, each with a few wooden chairs lined up around them. The place had a long bar with a few stools spread out in front of it. Marie didn't see any other customers right now, but she chalked that up to the storm raging outside.
Her stomach rumbled again as a young woman walked up to her, a smile on her face as she offered Marie a small towel.
Marie smiled as she took it, wiping her face and neck off as she thanked the woman.
"Well, now that you're all dry, what can I do for you? I don't recognize you from town, so you're either new or just passing through. Though we don't get many passersby here," the girl said in an almost magical voice that seemed to further comfort Marie and almost made her forget about the world outside.
"Oh, um, my family just moved here," Marie said, shaking herself from the trance the girl's voice had put her in, "My parents are getting me registered for school, and I'm supposed to be getting my things unpacked at the house, but I got hungry and saw that your restaurant was pretty close so I thought I'd come to try one of the local places," Marie suddenly stopped herself, not sure why she was telling this girl every detail of her decision to come here. She was sure the girl didn't care, and yet there was something about her that just made Marie open up.
"Well, welcome to Gullhaven. I'm sure you'll love it here. As for food, you've come to the right place. We've got some of the best food in the entire town. Now my name's Gabby, and if you follow me, we can get you a table," Marie couldn't help getting lost in Gabby's voice; there was something about it that was captivating and comforting in a way she hadn't experienced before.
Marie quickly shook it off and looked around the restaurant as she moved to follow Gabby towards the fireplace in the corner. The inside of the restaurant was made to be cozy and inviting, with an intimate feeling. The restaurant looked out at a small market square and the cobblestone streets which were common in Gullhaven. As Marie and Gabby got closer to the fireplace, she could hear the flames within as they crackled and gave off a gentle heat that helped Marie forget about the cold outside for just a moment.
A few tables were scattered through the open floor plan that harkened back to an earlier era when such restaurants were more common. The walls were lined with family pictures, artwork, and knick-knacks from decades past; it almost made Marie feel like she was stepping into another era when she stepped inside this place.
"Here, a nice warm seat by the fire," Gabby said as she pulled one of the wooden chairs out for Marie, "Now, I'll be right back with a menu," Marie watched as Gabby walked through a pair of swinging doors into the back and she took a deep breath of the warm air.
The faint smell of smoke wafted to her from the fireplace nestled behind her, though a delicious scent almost completely covered it as it drifted out of the kitchen. Marie really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the cafe. As she sat by the fire, she felt as though she was in a completely different world. She could hear people moving around in the back and smell food cooking in the kitchen, but for those few moments at least, she felt incredibly safe and completely free of the tumultuous feelings that had been plaguing her since her arrival to this new town. Even the storm outside seemed quieter and more distant as she glanced around the quaint dining room.
A moment later, Gabby returned with a worn menu in hand and quickly set it down in front of Marie, "Can I get you anything to drink while you look over the menu?"
"Just a water, thanks," Marie said, pulling the menu closer as she eagerly eyed the selection. She was so hungry that everything looked so good.
"Alright. I'll be right back."
Marie was so focused on the menu that she didn't even respond as Gabby walked back through the swinging doors. Marie scanned the menu, and her stomach rumbled as she tried to decide what she wanted. The descriptions on all of the dishes tugged at her thoughts, and she felt herself craving them all. Finally, Marie's eyes settled on something that caught her eye: a bacon burger with fries. That sounded perfect and would hit the spot for sure.
"I'll take a bacon burger with fries, please," Marie said to Gabby, who came back to fill up her water glass.
Gabby took down her order and walked away towards the restaurant's kitchen area with a smile as Marie turned her attention out of one of the windows. The market square looked eerily empty as the storm raged on, though Marie couldn't blame anyone for wanting to stay out of this weather. There was a large, ornamental fountain near the center of the square, though the water appeared to have been turned off for the day. The fountain was large and circular and was topped with a large globe with various figures engraved on it, though Marie didn't recognize them as anyone specific. Or at least not anyone she recognized.
It wasn't long before Gabby returned with a large bowl of steaming french fries and a large burger. The burger was hot and sizzled in front of her as the smell wafted through the cafe. Marie found herself almost drooling over the scent, which caused her to shake herself from her trance again.
The chef had crisped up the bacon on top nicely in what looked to be butter, though she wasn't sure. She'd never seen such a large portion of fries either; they spilled out onto the plate, and there were easily enough for three or four people to share before they were done.
Gabby set down another glass with water for Marie and excused herself as Marie stared at the massive burger.
Marie barely had time to think about what she was doing before she was already halfway through her burger, unable to stop herself from eating all the food that was in front of her. She was ravenous as she devoured the amazing food. It didn't take her long to start feeling full, but she just kept eating. It was like she'd completely lost control of her body as each bite just tasted better and better. Her stomach told her that she was getting full, but she didn't care.
Marie looked down at the plate in front of her with a mixture of pain and guilt, making it hard for her to focus on anything else besides how full she felt. She winced as she leaned back in her chair, surprised that she'd actually eaten everything on the plate.
Marie felt like she was in a daze as she paid for her food and stepped back into the torrential rain that was pelting down outside. She shivered as a chill went up her spine as the cold air encased her, and large raindrops pelted her umbrella as the cafe door closed behind her.
She glanced around the small market square as her stuffed belly complained at how much she'd eaten. She felt tired and fatigued as her stomach worked to digest her large meal. She took a few heavy steps forward before stopping and looking around again.
The rain was beginning to let up a little, and it definitely didn't feel as cold as it had before she'd gone into the cafe. Honestly, it was actually kind of pleasant now as long as she could keep the rain off her with the umbrella.
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