The cab ride was filled with a comfortable silence as Ashley held me in her arms. I probably could have drifted off to sleep, I was so comfortable. I notice we’re headed back towards campus but I’m still unsure of our destination. It’s not until we slow down and I look out the window that I see a familiar building.

“The coffee house?” I question Ashley as we pull up to the small building I was in yesterday studying, and where I met Cole. I look up at Ashley and see her smiling down to me. I’m not exactly sure what we’re doing here.

“Yeah. C’mon let’s go inside.” She takes me by the hand and leads me out of the cab and before we reach the door I see a sign that informs me that it’s open mic night and a light bulb starts to fuse in my head.

“Are we here for the open mic night?” I ask as we walk into small but crowded coffee house. Ashley just looks back to me and smiles without saying a word. I must say, I’m a little thrown by her actions right now.

All of the bodies are causing the place to feel more humid than it normally does. The place is packed and we try to maneuver our way past the herd of people huddled around the doorway. The lights are dimmed and there’s music playing through the speakers in the ceiling, and there are a few people sitting at what looks like a bar, smoking, and it’s just making the place hotter. The place looks entirely different then it does during the day.

“I had no idea this place became a bar at night.” I continue to look around aimlessly as I fail to wrap my head around what a transformation this place undergoes. It’s not until I feel Ashley’s finger on my chin, directing my attention to her, that I’m snapped out of my trance and see her smiling at me.

“How about you go find us a table? I have to use the bathroom really fast before the show starts.” Ashley yells over all the other conversations going on around us. I nod to her my understanding and she walks off towards the bathrooms, but not before giving me a chaste kiss.