A Funny Thing Happened During The Battle of New York

iv.

Ok. I have a lot to catch up on.

Firstly. It's been a week since my last entry. (Don't tell my therapist)

Steve has come into the shop every. single. day. He has a routine. Everyday, at 9am on the dot, he casually strolls in.

Everyday, he comes up to the register and smiles at me, making my heartbeat pound. (He's making it very hard for me to stick to my friends only decision btw)

Everyday, I ask him what he'd like to drink..

And everyday he says......

"Surprise me."

I've been making him a different drink everyday. So far he's really liked the Frappuccino's. He's got one hell of a sweet tooth.

After he gets his drink, he moves to the table by the window. (Yes, the same one I had been cleaning on the day we met. Manny managed to get it fixed) He pulls out a sketchpad and then spends the next couple hours drawing between sips of his drink.

And I spend the entire time trying not to get distracted from my job watching him. During breaks between customers I'll ask him if he wants another drink, or anything to snack on. He usually declines and says he fine.

When my morning shift ends, he walks me home. I live several blocks away from the coffee shop, so we get a lot of time to chat during our walk.

I've been giving him things to add to his "catch up list".

So far we've got some major historical events, and even a few bands and movies.

I told him the pop culture stuff will help him the most during day to day conversation. He's got this little notebook he keeps in his pocket to write stuff down in when I come up with something new.

We say goodbye at the door to my building. He hops on his bike and heads off to do whatever he does the rest of the day. Hero stuff I suppose.

I like this little routine more than I properly express.

The day before yesterday, before I headed into work, an envelope slid under my door. I looked up from my cereal and stared at it sitting on the hardwood.

When I picked it up there was no return address, just my name in messy scrawl.

When I stuck my head out the door to try and catch the mystery mail person, I could have sworn I caught a flash of red hair around the corner. But other than that the hallway was silent and empty.

I came back into the apartment and Moose chirped rubbing himself against my leg.

"I don't know what it is pal." I muttered slowly opening the envelope.

Inside, sat two tickets to Luna Park at Coney Island.

I racked my brain trying to figure out who these tickets could have come from. And why. Did I win some contest I forgot I entered?

I tried to solve the mystery the entire walk to the shop. But nothing came to mind.

"You're late Wren!" Manny called from the small kitchen in the back when I entered.

I looked at the clock on the wall, "That clock has been stuck on 7:05 for months, I'm 10 minutes early" I replied beginning my opening duties.

"Hey Manny?" I asked.

"What?"

"Did you send me tickets to Luna park?"