I sipped the hot coffee in my hand slowly as my eyes scanned the pages of the book in my other. My pink earphones were tucked in my ears and loud music filled my head. The coffee was strong, but sweet in my mouth, and I savored it. The loud music in my ear was one of my favorite female fronted bands.
It was almost daily ritual for me to take Trax to the huge library a couple miles away and read and sip coffee, it's what made me happy. I've been coming to the library almost every day since I moved to Salt Lake City a year ago. I always make sure to stop at the local coffee shop and order myself a hot drink, and sometimes a blueberry muffin. Today I sat with just a coffee and a book, no muffin since I wasn't feeling it today. I was currently reading a book called If He Had Been With Me that I started just yesterday. I'm already more than halfway through the book and have no plans on putting it down until I'm finished with it.
I flipped the page as unheard footsteps approached me. Oblivious I sipped mindlessly and read, until a heavy book slapped down and shook the table. I jolted, spilling coffee on the scarf around my neck and down the front of my shirt.
"Oh shit!" I said, jumping up from my chair.
The hot of the coffee and the sensation of liquid soaking through my shirt made me cringe in disgust. I looked down at my shirt before looking up and meeting the green eyes of a beautiful stranger.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, I was just wondering if I could sit. Everywhere else is too loud," said a deep voice. "I'm really sorry."
"Uh, no, it's fine," I stuttered. "I'll be back." I grabbed my purse and rushed to the bathroom, leaving my book and phone on the table.
I rushed into the bathroom where I ripped a few paper towels from the dispenser. I wet them and started roughly rubbing them against the coffee spots on my shirt and scarf. I sighed in frustration as the smell of coffee stuck to me. I tossed the dirty paper towels and grabbed from my purse a small bottle of rub-on perfume. I quickly rubbed it in the coffee spots and took another glance at my clothes. At least I had gotten the majority of coffee off of me, and none of it got onto my leather jacket, or favorite black skirt.
I slung my purse over my shoulder, but I hesitated before walking out, and then I took my purse from my shoulder and took out my lip gloss and rubbed a bit of it on my lips. I checked my appearance before slinging my purse back on my shoulder and walking out.
The stranger was still standing, but he wasn't looking in my direction, he was looking down at the book in his hands that once sat on the table in front of my chair. A confusing feeling of annoyance swept through me, and I walked straight up to him.
"Um, can I have my book, please?" I said with impatience dripping in my voice.
"Oh yeah, sorry, it just looked really interesting. Doesn't sound too bad either," he said coolly.
I looked at him, the annoyance fading.
"It's alright, and yeah, it is a good book," I said with a smile. "I recommend it."
He gave me a beautiful smile, and my stomach did a little flip flop, and I didn't know why.
"Well, I'll just have to borrow it, if that's alright," He said with a hint of flirt.
My stomach flip flopped again and I didn't respond to the request. I just tucked a piece of loose brown hair behind my ear and stuck my hand out.
"I'm Ashley," I said.
"Brenden," he responded.
He moved forward to shake my hand, and the smells of coffee and cigarettes wafted off of him. He shook my hand firmly, and finally took a seat across from me. Right away, he pulled out a small book from the pocket of his black jacket, and turned his undivided attention to it.
I sat down in my seat, and opened my book, but I didn't start reading again, I just looked at the pages and thought to myself, while taking occasional glances at Brenden. His hair hung slightly in his eyes that were so fixated on the book in his hands.
