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"Have a nice day." Max says with a smile as he hands the cup of coffee ordered from him. Max takes in his surroundings and smiles. He really likes his job, which is something for someone working at a coffee shop/hipster hangout in one of the most well kept art school in the continent. Even though he's been done with his studies for about six months now, Max couldn't find it in his heart to leave the place. He may have sold some of his old paintings and sculptures enough to get himself a more than decent apartment in the area but he couldn't wait for another 3 months to be able to sell another work and pay his bills.
Daniel and Jean-Eric were like his beacons of hope. The couple have just come back from what they call their world expedition and have come back to open up a coffee shop that doubles as an art space and a place where people can perform music or their poetry. Max knew Daniel from his school days, he would come and give them lectures and little workshops whenever he dropped by. Daniel was working as a pretty successful businessman for years before he met Jean-Eric who was a visual designer whom he hired for his company. Jean-Eric made Daniel fall in love with art and photography and before they knew it, they were falling for each other. Daniel dropped everything to follow Jean-Eric wherever he went, all the while learning and practicing his new love for photography. When they got married, they picked here to settle down and start a new life. The coffee shop was what Daniel called 'Phase 5' of their new project. Max was just glad to find work and be able to pay his bills and learn from them all at the same time.
"Hey Max, can you come here for a second?" Daniel calls to him from the back. Max looks at Dany, the other barista, who nods to cover for him while he's talking to Daniel. Max walks through the back to where Daniel was in the kitchen with Jean-Eric cooking away near by. "Hey mate." Daniel says to him as he gets nearer. "What's up?" Max asks. "We're having a little performance this coming Saturday night and I know it's suppose to be your day off but we're having a few more people perform their stuff than our usuals so we're expecting more people than usual that night." Daniel begins. "You want me help out? It's okay, I don't really have plans this weekend." Max says with a smile. His weekends are mostly filled with him staring at an empty canvas or a bunch of scraps, willing himself to paint something or to form some sculpture, but he's found himself stuck as of lately. "That would be mega. We also have some new works coming in to put up on the walls. You know you always have a spot for your stuff, just bring them in." Daniel says. Max scratches the back of his head at that. "I sold most of my finished stuff. All I have at the moment are unfinished works. But thanks for that." Max says.
"Oh okay then. Can you also help us curate some of the works coming in? Like pick out which goes with the mood." Daniel continues. Max nods, "Sure, that's no problem at all." Max says. Jean-Eric reaches for a few plates and plates up the pasta dish that he's been working on. "Dany! Lunch!" He yells out and a few minutes later Dany joins them in the kitchen for lunch. "Something smells good." Dany says as he sits down at his usual spot at their little lunch nook. Jean-Eric presents them with plates filled with pasta with shrimp on top, the smell of white wine and garlic wafting in the air and Max feels like salivating. "Bon appétit!" Jean-Eric says to them before they all dig in.