Dropping his duffel bag, Leroy listened as the thunk echoed off the barren walls. "I guess here is as good a place as any. Empty house indeed...and to top it off now I'm talking to myself!" Leroy muttered aloud.
With no bed to lounge on, no bathroom facilities to speak of, no desk to sit and compose at, and no refrigerator to even riffle through, Leroy decided to take the short trek into the city center and check out the local cafe' he remembered passing by, on his way to Proprietor's Square. He was hopeful that the cafe' would have music playing over a speaker system or a jukebox he could plunk a few Simoleons into, he was in desperate need of musical something, anything!
The cafe', like the airport, wasn't very busy. Leroy supposed it rather worked in his favor, because at least he wouldn't have to wait in line very long. The overall ambiance inside the cafe' was lack luster, what with the repeated paintings and, as he noticed sadly, no music being played and no jukebox in sight to request songs. However, the two baristas currently working appeared friendly and the variety of scones, cannolis and croissants all looked pretty good! Leroy selected a large strawberry scone from the display case, and after paying, sat at a table near one of the large bay windows to enjoy his sweet treat.
It wasn't long before the cafe' started filling up and he was surprised to see a familiar face standing in line, so he got up and went to say hello.
"Hey there! I don't suppose you remember me, but I'm the guy you gave directions to, for Proprietor's Square, earlier?" Leroy said with a friendly wave.
Nodding, the lady answered, "Oh yeah, I remember! Did you find your way okay?"
He said that he'd found the house without much trouble, and after trading pleasantries for a few minutes, the pair actually settled into nice conversation which, surprisingly, wasn't the least bit awkward! Leroy learned that Liberty Lee had been coming home from a camping trip in Three Lakes, and that she resided in Willow Creek, a neighboring town, with her to best friends Travis Scott and Summer Holiday. She made a point to give Leroy her phone number and told him not to hesitate to call or send a text, should he like to get together some time.
"Now don't lose my number, okay?! And you should really try a macchiato, they're amazing!" Liberty hollered as she headed out of the cafe'.
Nearly everyone who came across Leroy stopped to introduce themselves, or at the very least, waved hello. It seemed as though Leroy was the talk of the town, taking over "Mal's Place," as they seemed to call it. Being new to the town, and the hot topic to boot, came with some perks, Leroy quickly learned. The cafe' owner gave Leroy some old pallets from a coffee shipment earlier in the week, thinking that they could be fashioned into a makeshift platform for a bed, and a Moira Freys said she'd be over later with a set of sheets, a couple of extra pillows, a spare mattress and a comforter she had just laying around! It had been less than twenty-four hours since he set foot in Windenburg, and already things were heading in the right direction!
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