Jade rose from her table in the darkest corner of her favorite coffeehouse. It was going to be on of those eveningsup until all hours of the night, hyped up on double-shot espressos, working on that blasted term paper. Oh, how she dispised term papers, brought to earth by the spawn of Satanas far as she was concerned, they could fall off the face of the earth, along with internet matchmakers and hip-hop. Alas, she knew her luck wasn't that great, and proceeded to make her way to the front counter to order up her next poison. Just then, she felt a warm sensation in her chest that spread like wildfire to the mid-section of her thighs. She almost cursed aloud when she glanced down to view an accompanying stain. Someone had just spilled coffee down her favorite cotton blouse...peachy.

Looking up, she met the gaze of two stunning blue eyes. Aquamarine, deep, like the ocean, mesmerizing, like a multi-colored sunset and sosobeautiful. Snapping back to her physical existence, she realized he was speaking to her, apologizing profusely for the mess he'd just made, wondering if he could maybe buy her a coffee to offset the damage he'd caused? By then, she'd forgotten all about the stain, but took him up on his offer anyway, and invited him to sit with her awhile.

He asked her name and introduced himself as Diego, an artist who had just moved to town and was trying to find the best place to display his newest pieces. He looked like an artist. He wore nice clothes, though they seemed a little big on him, she'd heard the artist's life was difficult, and he had a face that you could just picture so set in concentration about what color to use next. He also had those long, slender fingers to hold the brush so delicately, while he asked, didn't tell, it what to do. His voice was deep and gravelly, but underneath it, you could hear something else. A voice so lost, so hurt from the past, looking for redemption in his work Jade gathered that she must have just said something funny, he was laughing now. Even his laugh was wondrous! He threw his head back and laughed into the ceiling, like he was daring the world to enter upon his soul, to view what he had to offer. He didn't care who was watching, something Jade had struggled with for the longest time. What could she learn from this man?

It was then that Diego asked her a question. She heard herself talking, saying words that weren't even passing through her mind, for it was filled with him. He was overpowering her every sense, her every thought. He said something back, about her term paper maybe?, and advanced toward her, grabbing the papers that were lying next to her on the table. Reading to himself, he began critiquing out loud. She couldn't believe what she was hearing - he was taking her ineffectual sentences and dancing with them, turning each one into it's own masterpiece. It was then that she knew this man was amazing, he simply couldn't be of this world. To have gathered her attention and held it so completelywell, not even her favorite professors could do that. He had attempted and conquered a feat that so few could. In awe Jade sat while he finished up his critique she wondered if she'd retained or even registered anything he had said. If she hadn't, well at least she got to spend a few moments of her day with such a person.

He then quietly asked her for a pen and a sheet of paper. Quickly he scribbled a note on it and announced that he had to be off. Jade wanted to tell him that he couldn't go, that she wasn't finished admiring his features, especially those eyes - those big, crystal clear, aquamarine eyes. She knew she couldn't keep him though, and could only hope that what he left on that sheet of paper held the key to seeing him again. Diego stood and left, walked right out of her life as quickly as he had entered, sans the piping hot coffee. Her mind raced, and she frantically searched the small table for the paper on which he had written. She was relieved when she found it, yet somewhat disappointed with the message it held:

Jade,

I wish I could say I was sorry about the coffee I spilled on you earlier, but I'm not. You see, meeting you was the highlight of my day. I hope to see you again quite soon, but only the stars can tell us when that will be. Don't kill yourself on that paper, let the words flow and you'll be fine.

Love,
Diego

That was it - no phone number, no address, not even a last name; just a promise that the stars would bring them together again. She hoped he was right, but then again, he did seem like he knew more than she did about all of this. She couldn't work on her paper now; it was too much for her mind to comprehend. The only thought she could entertain at that point was"I always think of you, aquamarine."