Heart of Coal

one hell of a ride.

I ended up going home that night, in pure confusion.

Never have I ever had someone talk to me like that. I didn’t even know her name. Her status was beyond low, but everything she said was completely true. I should want to destroy where she works and eradicate any of her chances for another job. But I didn’t want to. I wanted to see her again and that confused me.

I picked up my phone and called Gabe.

"Yes, what can I do for you today?"

"Gabe, I want you to drive me---"

"To the cafe from yesterday?"

"Yeah. Was it that obvious?"

"Ahh. I may seem like a witless old man, but I am not blind. I know love when I see it. The dazed look you came out with told me everything I needed to know."

"I don't love her. Such an inane thought. Please refrain from saying that." I responded.

"I'm terribly sorry for offending you, Mr.Daniels."

"That's great. Now I expect the car five minutes." I hang up and and start my shower. 

_______________________

I open the door to find a welcoming sensation reach all through my body. The smell of baked pastries and strong black coffee was more than welcoming now. 

I find myself sitting back down at the booth I sat in yesterday. I look around to see the beautiful waiter taking someone's order in front of me. It was an old man, here the other day too. He must be a regular. I hear a high pitched throat being cleared and I look up to see a blonde chick smiling at me. 

"Hi there. My name is Clara.Can I take your order?" 

"Black coffee with a blueberry muffin."

"Gotcha. Anything else?"

"Well, Clara." I reply with a husky voice.

Her eyes widen and she looks dazed. "Yes?"

"Are you single?"

She smiles and pulls her shirt lower to reveal her cleavage. Her tactics for being seductive was lacking severely. "Yes I am, handsome." 

"Good." I smile.

I pull her onto my lap and start to kiss her neck. We already attracted quite an audience. Clara didn't seem to care. I look up to see the beautiful waitress coming my way. Perfect.

I pretend to be distracted until she starts spitting out insults. 

"Hey small dick. If you're gonna have sex go outside and do it. Don't make our customers run away."

"Why would they run away?" I ask smiling, anticipating her snarky response. 

"Your dick is as small as a toothpick. I'm pretty sure they would want to burn their eyes after seeing that."

"What's with the dick jokes? Jealous or do you want to be in blondie's position right now?"

She rolled her eyes and smirked. She leaned foward and took Clara's uniform collar and pulled her off me. 

"You are a waitress here. Not a stripper. You want to be a whore go to the club down the street, not here. Act according to your job at the present, not the future. Pull that shirt up and stop trying to show the amount of saline you put into your chest." She shoved her back and crossed her arms.

Clara's mouth dropped and she huffed. Clara quickly swung her arm trying to slap her. Before I could hold her arm back, the gorgeous waitress already stopped her. The waitress was calm, completely calm. She took the water at my table and slowly poured it all over her hair.

"Wake up, blondie. I already regret hiring you." She said. 

Ok that's sexy.

Blondie huffed and walked away towards the kitchen.

Now that's over with I ---

'Excuse me, miss. Can you bring me a refill on the coffee.?" The old man asks from the table in front of me.

She turns around and starts to walk away, but I hold her hand back. She flinches immediately and rips it out of my hold. Before she can retort I respond.

"Why do always try to insult me. You know there's this logic that people tease others because of love. I mean I'm flattered that you like me, but----"

She rolls her eyes.

"And there's this other logic that I'm hoping I can insult you enough to bruise your ego so you will never come back." She retorts.

"Fair enough."

"Now that you know I'm right. What do you want to order?" She takes out her notepad and looks at me waiting for my answer.

"What if I didn't want to order anything."

"Look. You come into a restaurant, you order something. You order something and then it comes out. You eat what came out and then ask for the check. Then you take the check put your credit card down and I swipe it on a machine. Tomorrow you'll get a bill for what you ate today and then you leave this restaurant. Now stop wasting my time."

"Thank you for enlightening me on what to do at a restaurant." I state sarcastically. 

She huffs and walks away. 

"What if I said I came here just because of you?"

She turns around. "Then I would say that that's the cheesiest line I ever heard. Is that what guys with small dicks do? Replace the length by filling it in with cheesy lines?"

Ouch. 

"Can I at least know you're name?"

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Why?"

"No."

"No? Why don't you have a nametag?"

"Everyone just calls me miss. Why do I need one? And the regulars just know my name. Now leave if you don't want anything."

I raise my hands in surrender and get up to leave. 

Before I leave I ask the old man. "Do you know what her name is?"

"Aurora. Named right after the princess." He smiles. 

"Is that her real name?"

He shrugs. "Who knows? She never says." 

I cocked my head and felt the name Aurora roll of my tongue.

I nodded, replied with a thank you and walked away.

Well Aurora, you are going to be on one hell of a ride.