Coffee Beans
Mae was watching the seconds tick by too slowly, waiting to get home when the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen walked into the cafe. It was totally fine to leave her number on the cup, right?
I sighed, glancing at the clock; I still had 30 minutes until my break. Leaning against the counter, glaring at the brownies just waiting to be eaten, I didn’t notice the bell announcing a new customer.
“Hi.” I nearly leapt out of my skin at a voice next to me, barely avoiding yelping,
“Oh god, sorry, can I help?”
“Um, yeah, are you okay?” She smiled, broadly, without restraint, and I forgot how to speak for a moment,
“Yeah, yeah, early morning, that’s all. What can I get you?” She kept smiling, slight dimples forming in her cheeks, chocolate brown eyes shining with mirth, golden-brown skin practically glowing. She tossed a curl over one shoulder to reach for her bag,
“Medium cappuccino, please, to go.”
“Sure, you on the way to work?” I asked, my hands automatically setting the machines running,
“Yeah, I work for Ralph Lauren. I have an interview for a promotion this morning. So a bit of a caffeine boost needed.” She laughed again, and I couldn’t help but echo her. The sound was so beautiful and pure, I could have listened to it all day.
“What promotion?”
“Assistant buyer. If they like me.”
“Of course, they will. I get the sense that you could make anyone like you.” She glanced away and chuckled,
“You barely know me. Perhaps I’m really annoying.”
“I doubt it. I’m usually quite good at reading people.”
Ding!
I groaned inwardly as the coffee finished, forcing me to break off the conversation to go get it, leaving her waiting. With my back turned to her, I quickly grabbed the marker we used for names and wrote a quick note on the cup,
Good luck with the interview!
07547 673802 – Call me
Mae xx
I practically held my breath as I placed the cup down on the counter, with the note facing towards me while she paid. I could hardly bear to watch as she walked out, glancing down at the cup and smiling, before turning back to wave at me.
***
That evening, I had almost managed to convince myself that she wouldn’t call, that she’d likely forgotten all about me when my phone rang. I leapt up and ran across the room to reach it, but the voice on the other end wasn’t hers. Oh god, I hadn’t even asked her name,
Hello, we’ve heard that you’ve been involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault.
“You think I can afford a car? Wrong number.” I hung up without waiting for a response and turned to go grab a tub of ice cream and watch trashy tv all evening when it rang again, a different number this time,
Hi, is that Mae? This is Lily. You left a note on my coffee this morning.
Oh god, she’d called. I almost fumbled the words as I spoke,
“Hey, yeah, this is Mae. How was the interview?”
Brilliant, I think they liked me.
“Congratulations, I knew it.”
Oh shush, they haven’t offered me the job yet,
“You don’t think they will?”
Well, I hope so, but the real reason I called was to ask if you’re free tomorrow night? I know a cute little restaurant we could go to, say 6
o’clock?
“6 O’clock, yeah, that’s great, which restaurant?”
Oh, that’s a surprise. Text me your address, and I’ll come pick you up.
“Okay, see you then.”
See you tomorrow.
The moment she hung up, I all but collapsed onto my couch, not caring that my stupid heart was already doing flips in my chest, not when she, Lily, had actually not only called but had asked me out. I had no idea how I was going to wait until tomorrow evening.
That is the end of Coffee Beans. Thanks for reading.
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