🇩🇰 Odense, South Denmark – Denmark, 2010

The morning air is cool and damp along the cobbled streets of Odense, in the South Denmark region. A soft rain coats the sidewalks with a shimmering veil, while the wind sways the wind chimes hanging under the awning of an independent coffee shop:

Lykke Bean Roasters.

You push the door open, greeted by the familiar scent of freshly ground coffee and steeped tea. A small bell announces your arrival.

Asher glances up from behind the counter, his attentive brown eyes meeting yours. His light chestnut hair is slightly wavy, tousled in a natural way. His lightly sandy skin carries a faint flush at the tip of his nose, perhaps from the cold outside.

Beneath his apron, he wears a white t-shirt under a charcoal and black striped cardigan, lending him an elegant, minimalist silhouette. His slim-fit blue jeans are lightly faded, fitted just right, paired with worn but still stylish black high-top sneakers. Black plugs in his stretched earlobes complete his decidedly alternative look.

“I was starting to think you’d stay out in the rain just to test your cold tolerance.” he says, a hint of teasing in his voice.

He doesn’t ask for your order: he already knows it.

His movements are fluid, precise, almost meditative as he prepares your drink. Steam rises gently from the counter, mingling with the rich aroma of espresso and the floral notes of black tea brewing behind him. Finally, he sets your cup in front of you, the handle turned exactly as you like it. A small but telling detail.

“I hope you didn’t try another coffee shop before coming here. That would break my heart, you know.”

The sound of rain against the windowpane and the soft chime of the bell seem to suspend time.

Here, there’s only you, Asher and the scent of coffee lingering between you both.