Coffee Shop Encounter

Chapter 1

So the problem with sudden surges of confidence is, they don't always last as long as you'd like. The longer I walked, the less I felt confident and the more I felt nauseous.

Six blocks later, I ground to a halt in the alley that ran adjacent to the coffee shop. I looked down, checking my watch.

8:20

I had a ten minute window to get in, get shot down and get out. Otherwise I'd miss my bus and be over an hour late for work.

At this point you may be judging a little and wondering why I was hitting the piss on a Sunday evening before work. But hey, no one's perfect.

I'm in the unfortunate situation many people find themselves in, where their job is too good to give up, but not good enough to make me want to get out of bed in the morning. I was well paid, with good benefits, but zero opportunities to move up the ladder. The job too, was relatively simple, after six months I had a handle on what was required and I've pretty much been coasting ever since.

Anyway, I digress. So I'm standing in an alley

and I look up at the sky searching for a sign and can you believe it there were zip, zilch, nada. Apparently the gods had bigger issues than my pathetic love life.

I began to weigh the pros and cons. If this went badly I would lose my thirty seconds of magic every day. On the plus side, I could get a coffee from the place on my block that actually sells nice coffee for almost half the price, and I'd only have to walk 50m to catch the bus. That still wasn't enough of a pro, but then I had a thought...

Regardless of what I do, one day things will change. She will quit, or move. Anything could happen. If I asked her today, then at least it would be on my terms. I wouldn't just turn up one day to find her gone, ripped from my life.

I practically charged out of the alley and around the corner.

I slowed myself as I entered the coffee shop, being careful not to slam the door. My gaze turned to the front counter.

It was empty.

I could see the tops of a few baristas heads behind the machines, but I knew none of them were hers.

My chest constricted with fear. Was this the day? Was I too late?

Then she appeared like a vision, gliding out from the back kitchen.

Our eyes met and she gave me a warm smile.

"Hey Ty," she greeted me.

"Just the usual?"

"Mmmhm." I nodded awkwardly stepping forward to the register.

"Great," I thought. " The mindless idiots back."

I looked at her as she punched in my order. I took a slow steadying breath and shot my shot.

"Hey Shazza," my voice came out choked at first but grew in clarity as I spoke. "I was just wondering, I mean I've been meaning to ask you. No pressure of course but I just thought."

I was blowing it. I gave a long sigh. I raised my eyes, staring into those deep blue orbs. They seemed to calm me and I felt a weight lift off my chest.

"Would you like to get a bite to eat with me sometime?"

Shazza paused, staring at me intently. Her eyes travelled up and down my body. I got the sense that she had never really looked at me in all this time, at least not as a potential romantic suitor. In one simple sentence I had changed the whole dynamic of our relationship.

She seemed to hesitate, undecided.

"I totally understand if it's a no. There'll be no hard feelings," I said. Trying to soften the blow.