Fatal. |h.s|

1.

Another gloomy, December day. The snow is still piled up on the sidewalks making it almost impossible to walk to the small café where I work.

People drive by in their cars with their heat probably cranked up to the maximum setting. This only makes me run faster.

Soon the neon sign that says 'open' comes into view and I nearly pass out from the change in temperature as soon as I open the glass door.

"Rebecca, late again? I can't keep covering for you, John's going to kill me!" Jess lectures me as soon as I lift the countertop to get behind the counter. "Won't happen again. They turned my water off so I had to go to my mother's to shower. And you know how lovely it was to see her cheery face this morning." Jess frowns and nods. "Well, take those orders then make me a bagel," I say as I walk to the closet and pull out my apron.

"Okay. Here is one low fat blueberry muffin," Jess tells a customer as they hand her the exact amount of change and sit at a table with another woman who looked about in her mid 30's.

"So have you finished my wedding invitations yet?" I stare at the floor as Jess groans and shakes her head disapprovingly. "I gave you 4 weeks!" she laughs at my failure to finish addressing all her wedding invitations.

Jess is getting married in April to a man named James. It's not surprising how he fell for her, she has long blond hair and big green eyes. She just recently bought her dress and we've both been obsessing over almost every detail of the wedding so far.

I'm 19 and she's 25. Jess and James have been dating for years so we all knew this was coming eventually. No one expected him to do it in the café though.

"Rebecca, can you go wash those three tables?" my boss, John, asks pointing to three tables in the corner. Someone was sat at one of them though. He held his phone in one hand and his coffee in the other. His brown hair fell in loose curls over his face and his eyes were squinted at his phone screen. He looked tall even from his slouching position but when he stood up I really noticed his height. He was probably the tallest one in the room and it took little to no effort for him to walk across the room and stand in front of Jess. She just stood there seeming unaware of what to do. Her lips were parted as if she was going to say something but no words came out.

"Can I have a refill?" Jess's eyes flicker down to his cup then she nods and turns around to fill his cup with his order.

He thanks her and sits back down. This time he doesn't make a move to pull out his phone, he just simply stares out the window at the snow banks and traffic in the streets to the side.

John coughs beside me and I tear my gaze from the person. "The tables?" I nod and walk towards the table beside him.

The cleaning chemical is sprayed all over the table and I carefully wipe it down with a paper towel. I feel him staring at me but I refuse to look. I have to turn and clean the other table behind him. I can't just not acknowledge his presence. But of course I hear him out down his coffee and tap the tabletop with with fingers.

"I think you missed a spot," his thick accent says from behind me. His green eyes burn into mine and I have to basically force myself to look down at the floor. "Did I?"

He stands and approaches me. I could smell his cologne due to his close proximity. "Right there," he says low enough so nobody in the quiet place can hear. Only me.

His finger is pointed at a coffee stain on the table. I turn to thank him but his body is literally inches from mine and I have to tilt my head back far to face him.

"T-thank you," I stutter and mentally slap myself for seeming like a total idiot. "No problem he says and sits back down absorbing himself in his phone screen once again.

"What was that?" Jess nearly yells as we walk outside. "I-I have no idea. He told me I missed a spot and -bam- he was right there." Her eyebrows furrow together as if she's having a thought. Jess turns toward me slowly a smile creeping up on her face. "What if he's here tomorrow?!" I shake my head laughing.

"Jess, all he did was point out a coffee stain on a table. It's not like he proposed," I laugh and she giggles beside me.

"James just texted me, he needs me home right now. I have to go, bye." She hugs me goodbye and I wave as she completely changes direction and unlocks her car.