20th April 1563

Annibale looked at the cafe he wanted to discuss. Confidence was in his posture. He was sure that this was a good cafe. His impressions of the place were positive. They didn’t treat him any differently from a regular patron. To him, it was a sign of confidence of their service. They knew it was enough to satisfy him.

Inside the cafe, the chairs and tables were a little sparser. Annibale given his own understanding of layouts knew that. There could be more tables fit into the chair, but he assumed that it was a matter of privacy. With a slight creaking sound now and then, also when he moved the chair.

Annibale had ordered a latte; presented to him quickly. If he was alone, he could move to the bar. When he took a sip, it was the moment Renata entered the room, in her wine red dress coming into the cafe. She was not their typical clientele, but they had welcomed her all the same. The barista a warm smile.

The woman’s eyes glanced at him and the table. She didn’t move to any already picking out the best place for them to discuss. She took a seat there.

“I take it you have been here before,” she said, taking a seat.

“Why?” He asked, knowing the woman understanding why she was here.

“You didn’t order their immediate recommendations, since I asked my dear nephew what he enjoyed about this place. And your cousin too, what he recommends for here. Both of them have nothing but compliments.”

“Vincenzo?” He asked, knowing who it was, the younger son of his granduncle. “That makes sense, I forgot that he worked for the University of Rovirna. A cafe would be his favorite place for holding any discussion, because of the variety of people and discussions.”

She ordered from the side, mostly smiling at the cafe. “I like the atmosphere here.”

“I came here to discuss how to conduct a reunion.” Annibale said.

The pastry came fresh from the oven to Annibale’s table, who appreciated the taste.

The coffee was great; the bitterness with the creaminess of the milk, blending together and making him wish to drink more.

He put the cup down once it was half gone, having satisfied his urge for coffee for a while.

Renata remained silent. There was something that she was looking for here. She crossed her legs, searching perhaps for more evidence to prove or to not prove her point.

She turned around. “This is an excellent choice if you want to invest in a cafe. It’s not too reliant on one type of customers, which would be something that I need to consider if I ever wish to invest.”

“I think it has more to do with the location,” Annibale said.

“The current address was a new street, established a few years before the cafe,” Renata told him.

“I didn’t know that,” Annibale chuckled. Renata didn’t seem to laugh, she was studying him.

“I think what you’re going through is like what I did before. I had earned all that I wanted, enough that I would never need to worry about. There was no chance that we would struggle, as long as we continued to keep doing what we did, and then trying new strategies,” she said. “You don’t seem excited, nor are you hungry for this.”

He stopped for the moment. “I’m actually hungry.”

“If you were, you’re not showing it to me. I even saw when you came in, you’re not looking at anything or even trying to assess,” she said. She was right in every single word. “And is this why you asked me?”

Annibale paused, his eyes going to his drink. He leaned forward. “It was a partial reason, but the most important of it had to be that I thought you wanted to try this.”

“If you plan on doing this without being active, you need to come to terms with that it’s about as helpful as playing with stocks and bonds.” She had been right in such a judgment. And that it had not been for him. “And I’m far more discretionary when joining with a partner, and so far, that is a poor answer.”

Renata was just gently letting him down, at least compared to some conversations she had with others. She pointed out the flaws in his own thinking.

But she was right, he didn’t really know what he could bring here. But it was too early for him to withdraw just yet. Not when he went so far to get here, even convincing her.

“What if I can tell you a satisfactory answer?” He asked, his eyes curling into a smile.

“Should it happen, I’ll reconsider it.” Renata stood up, walking to the main counter. She was continuing her inspection, with much higher standards and understanding of the business. Amara at the counter, her head lifted high.

Renata talked to Amara, bringing the discussion to the hallway inside. There was always such a room for every restaurant, usually to keep records, and for employees to eat their meals or take a break.

Annibale watched their movements, only continuing to drink once they disappeared from his sight.

Once Annibale finished the last bit of his coffee, mostly thinking about how he could approach them.

“Amara followed her, I don’t think you’ll be able to see her for sometime. She admires your partner,” Michaelangelo said. He stood at the counter, wearing a rough shirt with a plain white apron.

Annibale nodded, he respected her and took her advice. She was honest, but never cruel in her phrasing, maybe blunt at worst.

“Can I get some more coffee?” Annibale asked. Taking a seat near the bar instead of the table.

“Sure, Amara taught me only a couple of things with making coffee. But you could ask our other barista for more.” He was just into his second cup, which would usually be his last unless he didn’t plan to sleep tonight.

“A regular cup of coffee, and your recommendation today for the pastry, since you’re the baker.”

Michaelangelo nodded, before passing his order along to the barista, disappearing into the kitchen to fulfill his order.

If Renata didn’t think she needed her former ward, she wouldn’t have let him down that gently. She would have told him he was a scholar amongst a group of merchants.

There was something that he could do to help the cafe. He

A short moment passed, before the baker to serve up a freshly baked pastry to Annibale.

“You were here a couple days ago,” the baker said. His dark brown eyes looked at him.

“Yes, I was. It was a meeting of sorts,” Annibale said. Realising just what seemed so different, but he didn’t know what he brought here too. He held the cup as he continued to stare at the empty hallway.

“Does she live in the upper floors?” Annibale asked.

“Yes,” he said. “Is there anything that you’re thinking about?”

“A lot is on my mind, to be honest.” He looked at the cup, his mind still on what Renata told him. And of course, of what she saw as his avenue. The only things he was good at was in furniture and negotiating.

“What really drove you to believe in her?” Annibale asked.

“A lot of things. She always thought of everything without feeling fearful about the outcome. She kept on working regardless of the outcome, and I guess she offered me a chance when I didn’t know what else I could do, even more so, it being something that I always wanted.” He spoke of her with awe, something that he could appreciate too.

He didn’t know the first thing about running a cafe, and even his own drive to work took a hit. He stirred the coffee and then continued to drink.

“I wonder, you seem all that strange for a capitalist?”

“How so?” He asked. Renata pointed it out. But to Annibale, he thought he concealed it well.

“You don’t seem all that excited about this opportunity. Amara is kind of the opposite, she wakes up every day with double the energy that I have and works harder than I do,” he said. Annibale chuckled.

But he could notice it, and he knew that Renata noticed it. Annibale likely radiated everything that he felt; though he thought he did not. “I guess I am someone who can’t really keep my emotions.”

“That can be an advantage, she can inspire far better than anyone can because she can’t hide who she is,” he said. “I buy into her because I know that she would do what she promised to do, her promises are valuable and her words are truthful..”

He looked at the coffee, at something that he truly enjoyed here that he knew he could help. There was something that he noticed in the cafe. The bar was old, and so was the entire cafe.

He still remembered the contents, although he didn’t take it with him. He was fairly certain that the proprietress had asked upon the money so she could renovate. This was something that Annibale could offer. Something that he noticed.

“Have you changed the furniture?” He asked. Most of these things were subtle, maintained, but given his own experience inside, Annibale could tell the minor details that showed its age.

“I think not since her father bought all of them. The cutleries a couple years before we need to buy more.” Annibale finished the coffee and the bread. He didn’t deal with cutleries, although he did knew people who did. Furniture was expensive, but he knew of how he could turn it to his own advantage.

Renata came out, with Amara standing right beside her. Amara beamed with happiness at the prospect. Renata was more muted, but it was in her eyes and the slight smile.

Annibale who had been more than familiar with her reactions, after years of trying to decode her muted expressions.

They could remain here, as he saw many who shuffled. Joining one debate and then going to the next. A student who may move because he found it busy.

“I think I’ll invest, I believe in Amara. She has convinced me that she knows what she is doing and is a highly capable stewardess of her shop,” Renata told him.

Amara spoke with Michaelangelo, with the same happiness, hushing it since it was between them. They embraced one another.

They thought Annibale went with her as part of the deal, but Renata may not bring him along.

He knew that the businesswoman could easily fork out the full amount without a doubt. The money wouldn’t make much of a difference to her, unless he can show his value.

He relaxed, already knowing what he had to say to her.

“I think I know what I can bring to the table, in a way I enjoy being here,” he said. He noticed it too. They carefully crafted the atmosphere. But everything was a lot more so. “How about I bring you back to the office?”

“I guess I’m interested to see what you can come up with,” Renata said, looking him in the eyes. Much like the expression she had when she wished to encourage him to move beyond. To create something that would impress her. She was looking to hear his argument, always fascinated at the prospect of his argument.

She followed him to board the tram, as his office was a little further from here. Closer to his house in Rovirna, in a rather old part of the city, untouched by the war and the subsequent rebuilding. A short stop before they alighted.

Passing through the streets, as he got up to the second level. He gave Ezio a quick glance, mostly about the things that he would need. On his hands was already a printed copy of the proposal that he would need.

Renata sat opposite Annibale, with Ezio closing the door.

“I don’t think we need anymore coffee, just tell me,” she said.

“They’re looking for help for renovating their shop, and including more chairs and tables and changing the furniture,” he said. There were many wooden chairs, but it seemed they wished to include a few more armchairs. And it also included hiring more to help maintain it.

“And that is something that you can do, I wanted to see what you could notice.” And he finally had understood just what they had to think about too. It wasn’t just one way, but a partnership often meant that both parties had to bring an advantage to the table. Renata knew the business with restaurants, and a cafe was similar enough.

She was testing him, even if he did owe a lot of it to speaking with Michaelangelo. This was something that he could have accepted it at last.

“So, I guess this is moving forward?”

“Well, you’ll be better able to handle their renovation for providing them the choices,” Renata said.

“But you were right to say that I didn’t know the first thing about what it was I was seeking here. I didn’t pay much attention to them and brought you up for the sake of helping it out.”

He stared right at her. It was hard for him to admit that he didn’t know what he wanted to do, but he couldn’t find it in himself to say no either. He tried to find other things to care about, and to stay away.

“I saw it, the moment you sat in that cafe, but before, I held suspicions why you came to me. I have to thank you, because this is something that I wanted to do, but I couldn’t find one,” she said. “I spent the past few months visiting cafes, none of them met up to my standard.”

Both of them used each other. She could accept that he was using her for his own advantage. To help to vet, he didn’t have the experience yet. And she accepted it, knowing that she wanted it great more. The location and the shop in question was a good one, new with ways to go, not too established that innovation would be difficult.

“My advice to you regarding this boredom, is to go beyond just what you know. To seek which of them makes you willing to give all your soul to bring the dream to reality,” Renata said.

It wasn’t enough for him, but he could try. Maybe once she left, he would change.

“How did you even get yourself right back?” Annibale asked.

“You just have to find it. This is something that I can’t tell you how. But when it came, it meant that I needed to move towards it instead. Without it, it's difficult to make yourself work.”

She had clarified that it was a journey that he would need to go on his own.

She stood up, leaving. He looked at the window. She had been right. Perhaps he should do something else. There was much for him to think about. Ezio came inside, mostly to take the proposal again, but there he passed him a few other pamphlets.

All of them were things that Annibale subscribed to or ended up mailed to him because of his own interests. He wasn’t as active, maybe he could start now.. He had an interest in looking at antiques, and apart from the reunion he was attending.

Annibale needed to go beyond it, and maybe to just make more time for leisure instead of business.