The Coffee Shop (29 page)

She smiled, entwining her fingers with his. “At the risk of repeating myself, I really am glad you walked into this coffee shop on that day.”

“So am I.” They gazed at each other, the moment suspended in time.

“Now hurry the hell up and drink your coffee or we’ll be late for your plane.”

Annie scowled, playfully smacking him on the chest.

“Hey, what can I say?”

“Well not that, thank you very much.”

She drank her coffee, and taking her hand, he led her outside and they climbed back into the taxi, the driver managing to find every road and alley that could possibly get them there on time. Unloading her luggage from the trunk, he then walked her in. “Annie, you can’t go!”

“What?” She turned at his words, her gaze looking to his.

“You can’t go.” He slipped his arms around her, and pulling her to him he kissed her. He drew back, and she looked up at him “Without me.” Reaching into his inside coat pocket, Derrick pulled out his passport and a boarding pass.

“No one can say you’re not a romantic.”

“Who says I’m not a romantic? Why I’ll challenge them to a duel at dawn. My honor cannot be questioned like that.”

“Shhh. People will hear you.”

“Let them. Let them hear me.”

She pressed her hand to his mouth, giggling as he continued to talk beneath it.

“Then shall we take our leave, my lady.” He bowed, as if in one of those romance novels, about people from another time, and offered her his arm.

“You’re in a funny mood. And I have to say I like it.”

“Oh really?” He glanced around. “Shall I dress like Mr. Darcy when we get back?”

“Okay, now I’m impressed.” But then she stepped back. “Who was she?”

“Who was who?”

“The woman that made you sit through…” She pouted. “Oh, you poor darling.” But then he looked away. “You didn’t? You watched it? And no one made you. Were you on drugs at the time? Or had you fallen on your head and thought yourself a woman?”

“I’ll have you know I am not totally without…”

“Without what?”

“We are going to miss our check in.”

“Nice try. We are going to pick up this conversation when we get back.”

“I look forward to it.”

“But haven’t you forgotten just one little thing?”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“Luggage?”

“Luggage? What’s that?”

“Derrick.”

But then he took her by the shoulders and turned her around. There in front of her was Lawrence, a suitcase sitting upon the floor next to him. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear. “I think of everything.”

“Hey, Brian. Just calling to tell you that although you can be a major pain in the ass, that I wouldn’t trade your friendship for anything.”

“Wow. If I’ve ever heard of backhanded compliments before…well that’s the worst one I have ever heard!”

Derrick laughed. “I love you, buddy.”

“I’m…I’m sorry? This is Derrick Sloane, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Brian. This is Derrick. Annie and I are on our way to Toronto, and I just wanted to call to let you know — ”

“That you consider me to be a huge pain in the ass. Yes, I do believe I got that part. Have you been drinking? Because I’ve told you about drinking in a pressurized cabin and — ”

“No. I haven’t been drinking. I just…” He sighed, and reaching over he took Annie’s hand in his. “Just wanted you to know how much you’ve meant to me.”

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with Derrick? If it’s a ransom you’re looking for then — ”

Annie leaned across Derrick. “Hello, Brian.”

“I decided we’d go together. This is something I wouldn’t miss for the world. The chance to be here with Annie, holding her hand as I look into her eyes and tell her I love her.”

Smacking Derrick playfully, Annie laughed. “Stop it!”

“What can I say, I’m a hopeless romantic at heart. And I love Annie…more than life itself.”

“The hopeless part that I can agree with. You better hang up before the flight attendant tells you to turn off your cell.”

“I’m not using my cell. I’m calling you through my laptop. And I just wanted to…I wanted you to know that I’ve always…your friendship has always meant a great deal to me. I just wanted you to know that.”

“Ladies and gentlemen we are experiencing some turbulence, if you would ensure your seatbelt is fastened, your seat is in the upright position, and your dining tray secured, we should — ”

Passengers screamed, and the call dropped out. Derrick put his arms around Annie, and holding her tightly to him, he whispered in her ear. “I love you, Annie. I love you so much…”

Derrick sat up sharply in bed. “God!” Dragging a hand down his face, he breathed hard feeling as if he had just run a marathon, his eyes slowly turning to the phone on the bedside table. It hadn’t rung. That wasn’t what had awakened him. No, it was the plane going down in flames into a fiery crash that had yanked him out of a sound sleep. It had seemed so real, that even now he could swear he felt the flames burning his flesh, as he held Annie to him. Her arms holding him tightly as she buried her face into his neck.

Jumping up from his bed he ran into the washroom, dry retching into the toilet as he stared down into its water. “Oh, my God. Oh, my God.” He gasped for air, and stumbling to the sink, he ran the water splashing it up over his face. Leaning on the edge of the sink, he continued to breathe hard, his eyes slowly moving to the reflection before him in the mirror. He was white as a sheet, the memory of Annie’s screams tearing right through him.

“Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream,” he chanted over and over. But its memories still clung to his consciousness, his thoughts unable to pull away, its remnants echoing through every thought, every awareness. He sighed, and grabbing a towel, he wiped it across his face. Tossing it aside, he turned from the mirror. “Wow.” He laughed, his heart still racing within his chest, and he walked back into the bedroom staring at the empty bed — the image of Annie within its sheets coming to him as he stood gazing upon it from across the room.

“What are you doing? Just stop it already. It was a dream, for God’s sake.” Dragging his hand through his hair, he tried to push the thoughts from his head, forcing them to leave his consciousness, but it wasn’t working. “All right, I am going to prove this isn’t real. None of that was real. There is no woman named Annie. I don’t meet her in a coffee shop today. Hell, I wouldn’t be caught dead in that dump.” Walking over to the bedside table, he picked up the phone. Pushing a number, he pressed the receiver to his ear.

“Lawrence, could you bring the limo around please, I’ll be right down. Thanks.”

Turning, he walked into the walk-in closet. “God, I hope I still have them. Where the hell are they?” Pulling bottom drawers open, he dug to the bottom of the various articles from years gone by. Things he kept, more for keepsakes than anything else. Old, worn out things. Things that he wore to some specific event or place. And reaching down under it all he pulled out the pair of jeans he had seen himself wearing from the dream. “There you are.” He stood staring down at them as he held them out before him. “God, it’s been years since I’ve seen these.” He laughed at the patch on the ass. At the time, he had thought it was so cool. Now, it just felt puerile. Holding them up to him, he looked in the mirror. “God, I don’t believe I’m doing this. And for God’s sake, stop saying God!”

Pulling them on, he grabbed a T-shirt from one of the shelves. Slipping on a pair of running shoes, he stared down at the man he used to be…all those years ago, when he was young and foolish. Back then he did as he pleased, and to hell with the consequences. “Let’s do this.” Walking to the front door, he grabbed the keys from the crystal bowl, the bowl tipping from the table in his enthusiasm to get out of the door, and it fell to the floor smashing all around his feet.

Derrick stared at the pieces of glass and tucking his keys into his pocket he bent to pick them up. Carefully collecting them, so as not to cut himself, he took them to the counter. Wrapping them in yesterday’s newspaper, he placed them into the garbage.

Mr. Schwartz waved, and Harold the doorman smiled. Grabbing the brim of his hat, he nodded his head, watching as Mr. Schwartz and Winston hobbled by.

“Oh look, Mom, it’s Mr. Schwartz and Winston.” Running over, Jerome knelt down, patting Winston, Mr. Schwartz smiling down at him.

“He likes you, Jerome.”

“Hey, Winston.” Jerome smiled, and then rubbed behind his ear.

“Oh, now you’ve got a friend for life.” Mr. Schwartz laughed.

“Yeah, you like that, don’t you, Winston.”

“Hey, Mr. Schwartz,” Mrs. Petersen said, coming over.

“Can we get a dog, Mom? Please?”

“You already know the answer to that. Our building won’t let us.” She flashed Mr. Schwartz a look as much as to say, And thank God for that! “Come, Jerome, we’re going to be late.”

“Ah, Mom.”

“Jerome.”

“All right. Bye, Winston. Bye, Mr. Schwartz.”

Mr. Schwartz nodded. “Bye, Jerome. Mrs. Peterson.”

“Mr. Schwartz.”

Closing the car door behind Jerome, she then climbed in behind the wheel. “Do up your seat belt, Jerome.”

“Good morning, Mr. Sloane.”

Stepping from the front door of his building Derrick nodded at the doorman, ignoring the look of shock on his face as he stared after him. Walking over to his limousine, he climbed in.