Through the glass window he was staring back while slurping on his noodles. It was a long stare that he wasn’t sure how to respond to. She sipped on her latte and then grinned slightly.

Robert got out of the noodle shop while wiping his face with a tissue. His eyes on the goods that she was carrying. It’s still around 4PM and seeing her out so early made him wonder if the bar was closed.

“Closed early?”

“A break. Boss told me that I should take a break once. You?”

“Same. Uh, if you’re hungry I can offer some food or something.”

She looked over his shoulder. The big bowl of noodles that he ordered  and finished was still on the flat of the counter.

“One hell of a stomach you have there.”

“I’m just roaming around spending cash left and right.”

“Must be bored in this wonderful city.”

“Might be. So yeah, are you doing anything?”

Julie tried to hide the goods she brought. Cans of beer and snacks. Packs of cigarettes that were in the grocery bag.

“I hope you get a lung implant.”

“Smoking takes my mind off things, okay?”

“Not going to preach against your vices.”

“Good, I’d hate you for it if you do.”

Robert pocketed his hands and took a step back from the salty rain. Julie looked at the skies and clicked her tongue.

“Well, that’s awful.”

“Never get used to this salty rain.”

“At least it isn't acid rain,” Robert commented.  “Imagine how hard that would be.”

“I heard that some provinces in China have that kind of rain.”

“Hmm.”

Julie searched her groceries and started smoking. She flicked her lighter and lit it. She takes a drag and savors the nicotine.

“Want one?”

“Bloody hell. Why not?”

Robert took one cigarette and lit it before Julie could offer her lighter. She squinted on his palms, trying to find the lighter.

“Neat trick. Teach me.”

“You just need to believe in yourself and you can light it with your bare fingers.”

“Is it a flint?”

“It’s my magic, Julie.”

“Okay, ‘Magician’.”

“I told you the truth.”

“Sure. Are you the kind that tempts his pretty assistant? Make them wear a bunny suit and fishnet stockings?”

“I don’t think so. I never did get into that cheap magician act.”

Julie blows smoke through her nose.

“My girlfriend hated it when I smoked.”

“Always thought you were the kind that uses vapes, Julie.”

“I did try one. Got addicted to strawberry until I realized how it didn’t have that nicotine sting that sometimes burns my lips. I mean when I smoke people seem to think it's weird. Geez, it’s kinda rude.”

Robert let the cigarette burn on his lips. He’s chewing the butt as if it’s candy. Julie’s raising a brow at that.

“Don’t do that.”

“It’s a bit minty. I kinda like it more than the smoke.”

“There is chewing tobacco, but it kinda ruins your teeth. The dentist is expensive. You have perfect teeth. I’m kinda jealous.”

Robert crossed his arms. His eyes on the puddle that was splashing. Pedestrians passed by in a blur.

“You like working in that bar, Julie?”

“It’s a living. I don’t see myself becoming a chemist. I did have my thoughts last year when the bar almost closed because of some idiots using bars as drug dens and since we’re part of the franchise, we almost lost the license to operate. And I’d rather go back to being a chemist than wear a skimpy outfit.”

Robert traveled his gaze on Julie. She caught his eyes scanning him from head to toe.

“W-what?”

“You ain’t half bad. Don’t worry.”

Julie shrugged, “Thank you for the compliment, I guess? You know. It’s hard to believe that you aren’t playing around with all the money you get from deliveries. John told me that you’re a hard earner and all that.”

“Did he?”

“No offense, Rob. But you kinda look like a fuckboy to me.”

“Wow. That’s really judging a book by the cover there.”

“I mean you’re not bad looking. You’re fully organic with a well-built look on you. You have a calm face and you don’t act like a piece of shit.”

“I’m not a nice guy, Julie.”

“Not labeling you as one. Just hard to believe that you ain’t spending some cash on booze and bitches.”

“Well… I’m not a horny teenager and sexually frustrated, I think?”

Robert examined himself and wondered if he was backed up. He’d be lying if he didn’t have thoughts when looking at women sometimes. It’s just that life had been a ride that was the last in his priority list.

“I’d excuse myself for still longing about my previous partner.”

“Is it a bad one?”

“Harmonious, actually. Accident separated me and her.”

“Oh, sorry that I asked.”

“It’s been a long time. I had families and friends who helped cure some of the pain, but there are times where I just think of her. Honestly, if I didn’t have some support. I would have just given up on life.”

“Is that why you got to this city?”

“It’s complicated. It’s a mess how I got here. But it isn’t so bad. I mean life just continues on and on without your input. Rowing the boat of life, wondering where it’ll take you.”

“Well, at least you got that under control. I wish I was as calm as you when it comes to problems. Sometimes I just froze because of some of the troubles of life. Mine’s probably ain’t half bad compared to yours.”

“Maybe. But we all have our own kinds of hurt that to think of your problem as lesser than mine is unreasonable.”

“How did we get into this kind of convo?”

“I don’t know, Julie. I guess people like to complain about their problems under a really salty artificial rain?”

“Could be. My place’s close. Might as well come there until this rain stops. Or you know you could continue slurping on your noodles or something.”

Robert finished the cigarette and then left it on the road. He followed Julie quietly while she weaved through the crowd of people congesting and filling the streets and sidewalks of Lux City.

After a fifteen minute walk Robert got into Julie’s apartment where she placed her groceries on her floor table and sat down, turning on the flat screen mounted on the wall of her apartment.

Robert sat cross–legged on the floor table.

“Maybe I should have brought some snacks?”

“I have a lot in my fridge.”

There were collectibles and all kinds of items inside her apartment. Julie took off her parka and hung on it. Robert looked at the balcony and saw some of her clothing hanging out in the open.

Her eyes followed Robert’s eyes and she took the shirts, pants, and some of her underwear hanging out in the open. She studied Robert’s face and commented.

“Not even a comment, eh.”

Robert raised his lips a bit.

“Polka dots, really?”

“They are cheap, okay?”

She placed them on the basket and then sat across while folding her arms.

“Why did I even invite you here?”

“Dunno. I just followed because I have nothing to do as well. Hmm, I don’t know Julie, I felt like I was following a comrade in misery.”

“I am not that miserable.”

“Sure.”

She leaned on her table. Her free hand scrolling on her mobile. She fished out some of the cans from her grocery bag and then pulled out of the snacks from her fridge.

“This synthetic jerky?”

“It’s cheap and you can buy it in bulk. I don’t really mind artificial meat these days.”

Robert took a bite out of the jerky while throwing away a massager that was left behind under a pillow. Robert turned on the thing and then cast his gaze on Julie who was staring at the thing calmly.

“Man…”

“Shut up, okay.”

“How long have you been dry, man?”

“Not your problem. It’s not like you’re any better.”

“I ain’t judging. I mean you're a lady's lady yourself,” Robert eyed the bin full of beer cans on the side of the room. “Well, it must have been a while.”

Julie sighed and then leaned her chin on the table. “It’s hard to find a lady here in Lux, okay? Especially girls who are into girls. It doesn’t help that some of the assholes that I met complained about my smoking habit. I don’t complain about them smelling like vape smoke all day!”

Robert didn’t reply. He opened a can of beer and took a sip while eyeing the news and the advertisements playing. Julie, who just realized what she had said, shut her mouth and took another sip of her beer can.

“World’s a mess as always, isn’t it?”

Robert commented.

“It is. I kinda want to travel somewhere.”

“I heard the Maldives is still good. Expensive however.”

“Eh, I don’t know. I kinda want to do the zero-grav tours. I heard that it's really good. They even do tours now in the space elevator.”

“But it’s expensive.”

Robert commented to which Julie groaned.

“I kinda want to see the earth.”

“It’s beautiful.”

She looked up.

“You’ve been up there?”

“Once in a job. Didn’t spend a lot of time gazing at it.”

“Now I’m jealous. I feel like I haven’t done anything yet in this life. Moping around and doing nothing with my life…”

“Maybe I’ll take you with me, I don’t know. Might be fun to see the earth from space again.”

Robert leaned on the table while sipping on his beer. Julie remained her face on the table while sighing at the news. There were parts of the world that were going through trouble. Civil wars and unrest. Troubles regarding food supply and people in Africa debating the effects of the various warlords that've been occupying their homeland.

Most of the first-world countries were either too focused on their own problems or too busy complaining about their livelihood and how they should be more entitled to a few more benefits. It was the same old worries that doesn't seem to change no matter what era it was.

“Ever thought of going back home, Robert?”

“Never really. I don’t have a hometown myself. You thought of going back to your town?”

“I’m actually originally from Georgia here in Europe. My relatives have a home in Croatia so sometimes I visit them. Well, after my choices, I don’t see them much. Maybe if I go back to being a chemist they’d be more welcoming.”

“So that’s a no.”

“I’d like tending my bar. Boss’s been good to me. John’s a good friend. And I have some customers who I enjoy talking to. Pay’s good enough to allow me to live without worry and despite how awful this city can be sometimes. I just like it here. Lux and Coronado’s probably the only place in the world that at least grants you some sort of illusion that you’re free.”

“Been hearing about Coronado City. That place like this?”

“It’s even worse since it’s in the States. Lots of guns and gangs. I did  try to work there, but I couldn’t stand that city for more than a month.”

“Maybe one day I’ll travel outside of the city. Look at other places and all of that.”

“Good luck.”

Robert took a sip of his beer can and scrolled through the channels that Julie’s subscribed to. From documentaries to nature channels showing how many of the animals have started being extinct.

Robert stopped on one of the channels that welcomed the owner of the account. The tagged list on her account and the appearances of the models she was subscribed to made Robert respect her tastes in women.

“But why on the fuck are you watching this on your TV?”

“Can you shut up and give me the remote?”

“And most of them are POVs too.”

Julie grabbed the remote and locked the channel with her password. She switched the channel back to the local news while drinking a copious amount of beer.

“Bro, if you want, I can lend you some money. Get some.”

“I’m fine. Just stop mentioning it.”

“Okay.”

Robert had thought about it.

But Julie’s probably one of the only few he could call as a friend. There was Gu, but he was still as obsessed with his newscast and that other than work. They don’t really talk much. Robert couldn't help but laughed at what he was doing here.

“What? Got any more snide comments?”

“Thanks for dragging me here, I guess?”

“It was a sad look so I have to drag you here, Rob. And I might as well have someone to drink with.”

Robert did need the drink and having a drinking buddy seems like a must in this city.