“The Cafe”

“Throughout the night, couples took a table, passing the time before their dinner reservations at Fior d’Italia or Ristorante Mona Lisa, the latter famous for the variety of La Gioconda paintings on the walls, one of which was topless, as well as the faux elegance of its red-velvet décor. Sporadically, excitements of teenagers burst through the doors in a cacophony of giggling, shouting, objecting, interrupting, and gasping. They moved in a shapeless cluster that formed and reformed itself constantly. Arms got grabbed, mouths covered, and fingers pointed. Two girls held both of one another’s hands and bounced up and down in place laughing hysterically. Guys glanced nervously around the room in their best imitation of self-possession. Several outer members of the cluster collided with a table, spilling its occupants’ coffees, and then apologizing profusely before hurrying on past the scene of the crime. One girl leaned back on her left heel, jutting her right hip forward, and folding her arms, examining her peers with mock seriousness and pretend disapproval. A boy who seemed not to be of the inner circle hung back, arms straight down, head bent, seemingly waiting for the movement of the group to carry him wherever it would.”