Never Again.

Chapter Nine

The next day, I opened with Kat. It was Saturday so most of the regulars were in and it was pretty busy. I cleaned all the tables as Kat took the orders, since that first day we've stuck to this. It seems to work really well, and I don't usually open by myself, although more recently I have as I've memorized some orders of the most common regulars.

By ten it was busy as usual, with almost all the tables full, and even the counter filling up.

"Want to take the orders of the people at the counter?" Kat asked. She doesn't usually ask for help, not that I mind at all, but she can handle even the busiest times.

"Sure." I replied as I walked over, putting my bucket of dirty dishes by the sink and taking out my notebook and pen.

"What can I get for you two?" I asked the first couple. I wrote it down and moved on.

"And for you, sir?" He didn't even look up. I hadn't even noticed him sitting there. He looked familiar but I couldn't place him. "Just coffee, black, thanks."

His voice was calm but confident. That's when I remembered he had been in about a week ago. I nodded, walking over to get the coffee pot and a cup. I poured it and he thanked me again.

I served everyone else their food, but I felt eyes on me. Looking around I was worried Charlie had come back. It had been almost a month and a half, but I still panicked whenever I got an uneasy feeling that he had found me. Then when I scanned my eyes over the counter people, I realized Mr. Black Coffee was staring at me. I pried my eyes away and continued bussing tables for Kat. A couple at the counter were finished their food by now, so I cleaned that up, too. I offered more coffee to the group of them and filled their cups.

"Thanks." He seemed to be doing that a lot, thanking me. But he never took his eyes off of me, until I caught him, and then he'd look down. It gave me an uneasy feeling.

"No problem." And I went back to cleaning.

An hour and a half later it was filling up for lunch and I had kept the people at the counter fed and refilled their drinks steadily. I had cleaned all the tables, for new customers and delivered food when I saw Kat's hands were full. Time flew by, but one person still remained.

"Thanks." Mr. Black Coffee said again.

"No problem." Same as every time I had refilled his cup in the past hour and a half he still thanked me. I didn't understand why he was still here. He'd been there for over two hours already. Just drinking coffee.

"Would you like some lunch?" He must have been hungry, watching everyone else eat.

"No. Thanks." 'Again with the thanking', I thought.

"Pie?"

"N- Actually, sure, that'd be nice."

"Cherry, apple, or blueberry?"

"Cherry is fine, thanks." 

I placed his pie down, as he thanked me again, replying with the same 'No problem' as usual. And I went back to cleaning tables.

I had refilled his coffee two more times, cleaned up his plate, and many other couples had come and gone, but he still just sat there.

"Why don't you finish for today?" Lily asked.

I hadn't even realized her and Kat had switched. "No it's okay, I'm fine. You can though."

"Suit yourself." She said before walking up the stairs in the back.

"Do you work like this everyday?"

I had no idea who was asking, I was the only one working in the store and only about five people were in, just finishing up. Then it hit me, as I turned to the counter.

"Pretty much." I don't know why I even told him. 'He's a complete stranger' I thought 'you shouldn't let him know where you are!' But then I realized he knew anyway because he had been there all day, watching me.

"Why?"

I looked at him confused. Most of the older customers usually say 'good for you', or 'keep it up', not 'why?'.

I didn't say anything, just continued washing the dishes. I don't even know what he meant. Why did I work? Why did I work so long? Why do I work everyday? It could've meant anything.

"Do you take days off?"

"One a week." I said before thinking. I scolded myself in my head, knowing I shouldn't be telling strangers, especially ones watching me for hours, what my habits were.

"Long days?"

"Usually." I kept my answers short. But it was hard, and that was the scary part. I've known Lily and Kat for weeks and don't feel the need to talk to them. But him, whose voice sounded deep and smooth, made me want to keep him talking.

"Do they go by quickly?"

"You ask me, you've been sitting here for hours now." I didn't mean for it to sound rude, but it came out with a bit of an edge to it, making it sound that way.

"I'll take that as a yes then." I didn't respond, wondering if he knew just how long he had been sitting there. He had been there at nine-thirty this morning and there was only an hour until we closed at eight.

He had been on his phone for the majority.

Forty-five minutes later, I had swept, mopped, shut off most of the lights and was ready to close; doing the last of the dishes, counting the till money and such. I only had to shut off the last light above the counter and lock the door. I still had a half pot of coffee, two cups, left in the last pot but everything else was done.

"One more coffee? I have a bit left."

"Sure, thanks."

"No problem." I filled his cup and turned to dump the rest when he spoke up.

"Want to join me?"

I stared at him confused, I had barely looked at him except to see him nod his head every time I offered him coffee, but now he was looking up. Staring right into my eyes. He had bright blue eyes, thick chocolate-brown hair, and a chiseled face and jaw. Maybe it was my inexperience, but he was gorgeous. I haven't seen a lot of guys my age to compare, but simply put, he was handsome.

"I guess so, I have fifteen minutes." I don't know why I agreed, but since I did I poured myself a glass of water and sat down beside him. Well, on the seat beside him, I wasn't very close to him, luckily.

Five minutes later, with both of us half done our drinks, I thought it would be awkward. But it was comfortable, this silence. I didn't mind it at all. Mr. Black Coffee finished his coffee a minute before I finished my water.

I grabbed both of our cups and put them in the water, with the last pot I had to clean. I dried them and put them back before turning around to say I had to close up now.

But before I could he spoke, "It's okay, I have to go. It's getting late."

"Okay. Bye."

"Goodnight." And he walked out.