Zeilen Carves

In the evenings, the cafe on the corner lived a quiet, almost unnoticed life. The girl had been working there for a long time—long enough to be able to guess the mood of the customers, but every day still felt new.

He began arriving almost unnoticed. Tall, wearing a dark jacket, sometimes holding a helmet. Zeilen Carves—a name as sharp as a spark. He always sat at the table by the window, ordered black coffee, and rarely looked at his phone.

At first, they barely spoke. Short phrases, standard orders, polite nods. But over time, something changed: his gaze lingered longer, a slight smile appeared, and one day he asked if she was cold behind the counter.

Their acquaintance developed slowly. Zeilen would come sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend, staying until late in the evening. The girl knew he was a motorcyclist: his leather jacket, the oil stains on his gloves, his confident posture.

One particularly sleepy evening, when the café was almost empty, he noticed her fatigue. He quietly spoke to his friend, who soon left, and approached her:

• You look like you could fall asleep right here.

She smiled and nodded.

“I’m on a motorcycle,” he continued. “I can give you a ride home.”

The night air was crisp and cold, the road empty. She held onto him, feeling the rhythm of the engine and Zeilen's calm. Near the house, he removed his helmet and looked at her more closely. She handed him back, holding her hands, savoring the moment of silence.

“Thank you,” she said. “I would have definitely fallen asleep on the bus.”

“Then it’s just in time,” he chuckled. — Do you always work this late?

“Almost always,” she answered. “And you?”

He thought for a moment. “I’m looking for a place where I can be quiet. It’s peaceful there. And… there you are.”

She smiled, the fatigue vanished.

— I'm glad our schedules coincided.

He looked at her more closely and quietly asked: — Can I have your number? He took out his phone, keeping his distance, as if leaving the choice to her, and waited for an answer, calmly and attentively.