The Coffee Shop (2 page)

“Derrick, please.”

“It was nice to meet you, Derrick.”

Looking down at his cup, he ran his finger over the rim. “You wouldn’t just happen to be here, oh say, tomorrow about this time. Would you?” She hesitated, and he didn’t dare look up. His eyes fixed upon the coffee in his cup.

“I…could be.”

“Okay. Well, if I just happen to drop by then maybe I’ll see you.”

“Maybe you will.”

She stood, his gaze following her as she walked past him to the door. “Oh, and as a friend, I’d just like to tell you those pants look great on you.”

She laughed, not looking back, and he smiled to himself.

The music to “Satisfaction” came from his pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out his cell phone, flipping its cover open.

“Where the hell are you?”

“Good morning to you to, Brian.”

“I’ve been waiting for ten minutes now. You plan on getting here sometime this year by any chance?”

“Here?”

“Ah, you’ve forgotten.”

“I didn’t forget.”

“Okay, tell me, what is it you didn’t forget?”

Derrick began to answer him but changed his mind. “Just as I thought. You are getting more and more forgetful in your old age.”

“Thirty-eight is not old, I’ll have you know.”

“No, it’s not, but at the rate you are going, you’re going to burn out before you’re forty. Mark my words, old man.”

“Was there something you wanted from me, Brian?”

“Yes, you were to pick me up on the way to the club. Racquetball? Any of this sound familiar?”

Again, Derrick just stared in silence.

“And here I thought I was the irresponsible one. Where are you?”

“Some place called The Coffee Shop.”

“The Coffee Shop? What are you doing there?”

“Just grabbing a quick coffee.”

“And that new place you go to every morning, whatever it’s called, isn’t good enough all of a sudden?”

“Couldn’t get to it. Some truck spilled its load all over the road.”

Brian sighed. “So how long you gunna be?”

“I was thinking of skipping it.”

“What? Derrick Sloane skipping an opportunity to make me look bad. All right, what’s her name?”

“What?”

“Come on, you know you’re going to tell me sooner or later. So it may as well be now.”

“What makes you think it’s a woman?”

Brian laughed.

Derrick stared at the phone, shaking his head before he pressed it back to his ear. “You done now?”

“No.” And he started to laugh again.

“Good bye, Brian.”

“Oh come — ”

Derrick closed the lid, slipping the phone back into his pocket, the sound of “Satisfaction” sounding almost instantly. He pulled it out and flipped it open. “You ready to talk now?”

“Yes, yes, I’m ready to talk. So, who is she?”

“Goodbye, Brian.”

“Wait!”

Derrick hesitated.

“You still there?”

“Yes, Brian, I’m still here.”

“All right, now I know it’s serious. You’ve never been like this before. I’ll meet you there.”

“No need.”

“I’m coming right now.”

“I won’t be here.”

Chapter Two

Derrick was sitting at the same table where he met Annie the day before, having arrived early and then waiting until the people occupying it got up to leave, pouncing on it like a starving dog on a bone. And if anyone had come up to him just then, eyeing the table, they may have been greeted with a growl.

Gripping the coffee cup, his hand trembled slightly.
What the hell is that? Me, nervous?
He laughed, the people at the table next to him glancing in his direction. Grinning, he shrugged and looked away. “Note to self. Not good to be seen laughing when sitting by oneself.”

“I think you need to add, not good to be seen talking to oneself, either.”

Looking up he saw Annie smiling down at him.

“Is that a blush I see?” She sat across from him, and pulling up her chair, she set her purse on the floor next to her.

“Me, blushing?”

“I think it’s charming. A man blushing.”

“Ah…then, yes, I was.”

She smiled and set her cup on the table, gripping it with both hands, her gaze directed into its dark liquid. “I haven’t seen you in here before yesterday. Are you new to the area?”

“Me? No. I just never came in here before. I usually go to this new place, only I couldn’t get to it on account of some truck spilling its load.” He grinned. He’d never had a problem talking with a girl before, but here, today with Annie, it was like he was back in high school all over again, and he prayed he didn’t say something completely asinine. “I take it you come here on a regular basis?”
My God Derrick, if you dazzle her with any more of this witty repartee.

“Yes, actually, I do.”

He was desperately trying to hide his awkwardness, stumbling through the conversation.

“I work at the Perfectly Natural Health Food Store.” He looked at her cup of coffee and she laughed. “Yes, I know, there are people that say coffee isn’t healthy for you.” She grinned. “Why do you think I’m drinking it here, in this little out of the way place, all the way on the other side of town?”

“Ah, so you’re in hiding. I get it. A closet coffee drinker.” He laughed. “Try to say that five times really fast.”

She giggled. “You could say that, yeah. If they saw me, I’d never hear the end of it, I tell you.”

“Health food Nazis?”

“Isn’t that an oxymoron?”

“Is it? Although I’d say it’s more moron than oxy.” Sitting up, he stared. “Can I go out and come back in again?”

“I’m sorry?”

Closing his eyes, he shook his head. “Not as much as I am.” And then he laughed as he looked back at her. “Oh, my God. Does this feel like high school to you? Because it does to me. I haven’t been this awkward and stupid since I was a teenager.” She was staring at him, and he smiled, leaning back into his seat. “If the point was to go for something memorable, then I can honestly say this is a conversation you’ll not soon forget. Only not in a good way,” he muttered to himself.

Leaning forward onto the table, Annie rested her head in her hands. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“Do you know how many guys try to impress me with their fancy talk and charming ways? You’re imagining a number right now, aren’t you?”

Sitting up, he straightened before her. “Me? What? No.”

Looking back down at her coffee, Annie smiled. “Well, whatever number you’re thinking it’s not that many. And I can tell you sometimes that can be a huge turn off.”

“Which part?”

“The part about men trying to impress me.”

“Oh, I thought you meant about me thinking of a number.” He laughed and stared in the direction of the counter. “Do they sell alcohol in here? Because I could use a drink right about now.” She smiled up at him, and he shook his head. “You can’t be serious. Me acting like the idiot that fell out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down, actually impresses you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t use the word impressed exactly. More…refreshing. Real. Here you are trying so hard to make this impression and instead…I think it’s sweet.”

“Sweet? Okay, I don’t think I’ve ever been described that way before.”

Leaning back, her gaze returned to her coffee. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Oh God, no. No. Hey, don’t listen to me. I didn’t mean anything by it, honestly. No, I guess what I meant by that is I’ve never met someone like you before.” He too looked down to his coffee. “And I’m glad I did.”

“You’re right.”

“I am?”

“This does feel like high school. I like it.”

He sighed deeply. “I take it this is your day off then?”

“My day off? Oh no, I only work part time.”

“And that’s enough to pay your rent?”

“Well no, actually.”

Her expression became distant, and he wondered what he had said. “I’m doing it again. Don’t pay any attention to me. It’s none of my business. You just tell me to shut up.”

“No, you’ve done nothing wrong. You just reminded me of something I hadn’t thought of in a while. That’s all.”

“Oh God, I seem to be batting a thousand.”

“What exactly does that mean, anyway? Batting a thousand? I hear it all the time, and I know the inference.”

“You don’t really want to hear this?”

“Well, now I’m curious.”

“Okay, well that’s when a player has a hit for every at bat in a game.”

Looking at the table, Annie nodded her head. “I only work part time because I don’t need the money.” She shrugged. “My parents started up this hardware store. One thing led to another, and over time, they had two, and then three.”

“I take it they have more than three now?”

“Yeah, you could say they have more than three now.”

“Have I heard of it?”

“Maybe. So, when my parents passed, the whole thing got left to me.”

He had the distinct impression she didn’t like talking about it, hell, she didn’t even like thinking about it from what he could tell, almost like she was embarrassed, even ashamed, of the fact. But then she smiled up at him.

“I work to feel useful. To feel like I’m contributing something. And, to be honest, there aren’t a whole lot of jobs for philosophy majors.” He watched her. “I know, I know, how can working at a health food store be considered contributing to society?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“No, but you’re thinking it.”

“That’s not what I was thinking.”

“Okay, then what were you thinking?”

He hadn’t expected so direct a question, and it took him completely off guard.

Leaning over the table, Annie smiled.

“I’d rather not say.”

“Oh, that bad huh?”

“No, actually, I was busy thinking how glad I was to have met you.” He scrunched up his face and opened one eye to see her looking at him. “God, I just realized how much that sounds like another line.”

Taking a sip of her coffee, she sat silently looking at it as she held it out before her. “Me too.”

“Which part? ‘I’m glad to meet you’ or ‘that sounds like another line’?”

“I’m glad to meet you.”

“Okay, you must be from another planet, no, another dimension not to be running screaming for the door right about now. How is it I can mess something up so bad and have you still sitting here actually talking to me? Let alone telling me you are glad to have met me.”

“I don’t know.” She was staring at him as if studying him. “There’s just something about you. It’s like… I can’t put my finger on it. I just know being with you is what I’m supposed to be doing right now.” She leaned back in her chair and he stared at her. “Oh, now I’ve gone and said something to make you wish you’d not come.”

“Never,” he reassured her.

She grinned. “I’d like to call you sweet just right now, but I don’t want to offend your masculinity.”

“I was never offended by it. I just never met anyone that was nice enough to use it.”

“I think you’re hitting your stride, Mr. Sloane.”

“Ah, you were to call me Derrick, remember?”

“Yes, I seem to recall something about that conversation. Wasn’t that the one with the pink boxers and something about a chain?”

Derrick closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, that’d be the one.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “Would you like to maybe walk, or something?”

“Sure. Sounds good to me.”

“All right then.” She smiled, and getting up, she slung her purse over her shoulder.

“Uh, you know, you really should zip that up. That’s way too tempting for someone to just reach in and help themselves.”

Looking at her purse, she shook her head. “Oh I know. I keep doing that. Angela keeps telling me the same thing. I must be really lucky someone hasn’t already robbed me blind.” But then she smiled. “Hey, maybe I’ve got a guardian angel or something.”

Opening the door, he held it for her as she walked through. “You lived in L.A. long?”

“Moved here after I graduated from college. Just needed a new scene I guess. Too much small town living can get to you unless you like that kind of thing. But how did you know I wasn’t from here?”

“It’s pretty obvious.”

“Obvious? You mean like a deer caught in the head lights?”

Derrick laughed, and he saw her smile.

“I’m glad I can entertain you with my country ways.”

“No, no. I just…”

“Hey, I’m just pulling your chain.”

He burst out laughing. “Oh, you’re good. You’re really good.”

“That’s what they tell me.” Then the smile dropped from her face. “I mean about joking, not about being good at something else.”

She blushed, and he tried not to smile but he couldn’t help it.

Bringing her hand to her face, she closed her eyes. “Oh God, I don’t believe I just said that.”

“Neither do I.”

Opening her eyes, she laughed. “Oh, now you’re just making it worse.”

“Am I?”

“Yes, you are.”

She smacked him playfully, and he smiled. It felt good, her touching him, and he wondered if she’d do it again.

“I’m not usually this…”

“What?”

She sighed. “You have this effect on me, Derrick Sloane.”

“Oh, I like the sound of that.”

“I’ve never admitted that to a guy before.”

She turned to him, her brown eyes looking up at him as she tucked her shoulder length blond hair back behind her ear.

He hesitated. “Can I admit something?”

“Please.”

“I was afraid you wouldn’t come back.”

Once more she stopped, turning to look up at him. “From the moment we met I knew I’d see you again. Is that weird? That’s weird, isn’t it?”

“If that’s weird, then that’s my kind of weird.”

They walked for a while, not talking.

“So, what time do you work?”

“Oh, I go in at noon. That way Angela gets to take her lunch break, while I confuse customers with my complete lack of knowledge in anything health related whatsoever.”

She was waving her hands as she talked, and he grinned at her admission of ignorance.

“What?” She laughed up at him.

“Hmm?”

“You’re smiling.”

“I am?”

“Yes. It was what I said about being a moron, wasn’t it?”

“No.”

“Because I’ll admit, it is pretty funny. Well, maybe not to the customer that gets the laxative instead of whatever I should have given them.” She stopped and looked away.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I was staring. I’m sorry. I have a habit of doing that. I know, people tell me I do that and I make them uncomfortable,” Derrick explained.

“No, I’m just self-conscious about being looked at. The whole braces as a kid thing, I’ll be damned if I can shake it. Stupid I know.”

“No, that’s not stupid at all.” He walked in silence as though thinking on it. “Now that bit about you giving your unsuspecting customers laxative…”

She tilted her head back and laughed, scrunching her nose in this way she had. “Now that’s not funny!”

“Then why are you laughing?”

“Because I’m not supposed to.”

“Sorry?”

“You know.”

“No.”

“You’ve never been in church and got the giggles?”

He just stared.

“You’ve never been in a situation where you can’t laugh, but find something funny, and then because you can’t laugh it makes it even funnier…”

He continued to stare.

“Let me guess, you’ve never been to church?”

He shook his head apologetically.

“What’s that look?”

“What do you mean?”

“You look as if you are apologizing for something you’ve done wrong.”