Once again, you find yourself spending another winters day in Starbucks, alone, as all your friends have gone out for lunch with their boyfriends. You line up in what feels like an hour long queue. You sigh heavily, checking your watch every few seconds, knowing time is slipping away, just like your job. You only have twenty minutes until your lunch break is up, and the line has already wasted ten minutes of what was your lunch break.
Eventually, it was your turn to order.
"One hot chocolate and chicken sandwich to go please," you ask the man on the other side of the desk. Your order is made and you pay for your drink and sandwich.
You notice now that you have five minutes to get back to work, since it is the last day before finishing for Christmas. You had been late so many times recently, your job was slipping away from you.
As you turn around to leave the queue and the shop, you accidentally bump in to a young man with brown hair, hidden beneath a black beanie, and green piercing eyes. Your hot chocolate is knocked from your hand, and falls all over the young man. You look at him in horror.
"I'm so sorry. I can't believe that has just happened. I was in a rush and oh God, did that just happen. Are you hurt? I'm sorry. I'm going to stop talking now."
He laughed, grabbing a few tissues and typing to wipe the hot chocolate from his clothes. "It's fine! It was actually not as warm as you'd think," he said.
"I'm so glad. Well I need to go, I'm late for work."
"Can I buy you another drink?" he said, trying to disguise his face from the crowd.
"No, it's fine, the queue is long enough."
"Stay there," he said, smiling.
He walked to the front of the queue and whispered in one of the worker's ears. Two minutes later, he returned with a drink of hot chocolate.
"Here," he said.
"How did you do that? Thank you, though."
He winked, as you shook your head in disbelief.
"Who are you?" you ask.
"Nathan. Nathan Sykes. And you?"
"N-N-Natalie."
"Nice to meet you, Natalie," he said, shaking your hand.
"I'm going to go now. Thank you for the drink," you say as you walked out of the door.
You're half way down the street before you hear that voice once more.
"Natalie! Natalie, wait up!"
You turn around to see Nathan running up to you.
"Can I take you out tonight?" he ask, shyly.
"I'm busy with work. Thank you, anyway," you ask, wanting to avoid any awkward conversation.
"It's nearly Christmas. Please?"
You blush. "OK."
"I'll see you tonight at seven."
"Where?" you ask.
He doesn't reply. He walks off, back to Starbucks, leaving you stood smiling.
