Of all the things to observe on her journeys, couples tended to be somewhat of a mixed bag when it came to sourcing compelling narratives for her stories. Juliet’s general rule of thumb was that the more recent a relationship, the more engrossing its interactions ought to be.
An example to reinforce her hypothesis were couples still in their lovebird stage. The phase in which the male specimen’s primal instincts still urged him to prove his worth as a man. His behavior resembling one of those extravagant-looking paradise birds, showing off their flamboyant mating dance in front of female onlookers. Whether that meant boasting about father’s 46 feet yacht, making the lacrosse team in freshman year, or acing that interview at one of the big three consulting firms. Impressions that made Juliet conscious of the staggering rate at which real life favored mirroring what the average consumer might label as “lazy writing”. How the clichĂ© of the high school jock wasn’t just an exaggerated portrayal of hand-picked characteristics, but rather a highly condensed representation of what could be observed in everyday life. An epiphany that of course didn’t excuse the imprudent use of such characters, but offered an explanation for their prevalence in the world of storytelling.
The next item on the menu was the subgenus that derived its fascination not from verbal communication, but the complete and utter lack thereof. The type of lovers who came, ordered, and remained silent, barely exchanging a single word throughout the majority of their stay. Watching from afar, both sides appeared to be in a trance-like state with their eyes glued to the screens of their phones — the only life-signal being them occasionally taking a sip of their beverage. If it weren’t for their matching windbreakers, one wouldn’t be able to tell they were more than just two strangers at a crowded café. But an experienced explorer like Juliet knew to remain patient, as the true beauty of their relationship resided in the realm of the unspoken. Her, continually eyeing his piece of Strawberry Cheesecake, even though she explicitly stated that she “wasn’t hungry” just minutes ago. Him, responding by wordlessly sliding the plate across the table, his gaze still locked on the glowing void between his fingertips. An action that evinced the compassion and awareness they had for each other — a subtle gesture that revealed more than words could ever do.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum was the caffeine-starved tourist couple with a side-dish of pesky offspring. The type of guests that would make you leave in exasperation after 15 minutes of enduring these little brats playing their mind-numbing mobile games with the speakers on full blast. To a degree at which even the parents had trouble understanding each other. But instead of teaching their kids some manners, they simply chose to raise their voice level accordingly, resulting in the whole café being audience to their querulous comments about the unreasonable prices and the unfriendly staff and the Lemon Tart that apparently didn’t taste lemon-y enough. You could tell how close Juliet was to calling it quits depending on the pace at which she was ripping apart her napkin. The perfect excuse to finally get herself that pair of noise-canceling headphones.
© Kilian Kukelka 2023-09-01