Lacey checked her phone. Twenty seven minutes until she could eat a nice warm meal - one that didn't come in liquid form. Lately coffee and tea acted as her sustenance for the day - that and the day old pastries the staff was allowed.
Caffeine and stale carbs: a model diet.
Lacey had been at the Split Bean - as the patrons fondly referred to it as - since seven that morning, work had begun at noon. In theory there'd been plenty of time for her to job search, but as so many other days went she allowed her computer to fall asleep as she stared out the window.
There was no rain today, and bits of sun peaked through the clouds as spring chipped away at the window winter had frosted over. Passersby didn't seem to notice, and as always they didn't heed Lacey as she admired the myriad of people who strutted and scurried down the street.
They seemed so confident - even the ones whose shoulders slumped with the weight of a book bag or a burden not visible. The business woman whose high heels spelled blisters strode breezily down the sidewalk, careful to avoid cracks and grates. The child who struggled to keep up with their parent as they were lead in and out of purposeful adult steps, hundreds of knee caps at eye level. All looked in place.
None appeared scared.
Lacey had wondered how she looked while walking in a busy sidewalk. Did people see the way she flinched at a sudden movement or how she kept her arms wrapped around her lower abdomen?
Maybe they didn't see her at all.
Somehow the thought didn't stick. She didn't feel as anonymous as when she sat in her corner, and most definitely not secure.
Lacey's stomach grumbled, bringing her back to her original thought. A warm meal. Just the thought of steam seeping through a paper carton of chinese food or a thinly wrapped piece of pizza warming her hand made Lacey's mouth water.
Fumbling for her phone again she set it on the counter and unlocked the home screen. Her banking app, one of the only applications she used - although begrudgingly - sat on the first page.
"Fuck." She grumbled.
No matter how many times she checked her balance - an occurrence that was starting to become fewer and fewer as she felt her blood pressure elevate with each instance - she always held out hope. Hope that somehow, one day, she'd open the app to find a generous benefactor had wired her money.
Hope that was regularly smashed to pieces with one tap on her checking account.
She'd stopped putting money into her savings account two months ago when it was clear that the cash was never there long enough to accumulate.
Lacey placed a hand over her stomach. No chinese tonight. Microwavable Ramen would have to do. Accompanied by a dessert of a stale cheese danish she was practically living the high life.
She'd tried to convince herself of that for the past two months, only treating herself once a week. But now, in April there was no way she could afford it. Hell, she wasn't even able to afford this months rent.
Lacey still wasn't sure how she'd convinced her landlord to split to payment. Half she'd already paid on the first with the last of the money in her checking - not much - as well as an advance from Split Bean.
Lacey switched apps to glance at her calendar. Every two weeks she got a check from the coffee shop. The first half of the month had already gone to part of April's rent. She'd receive the second half on the first of May, the day she promised her landlord she would pay the rent owed as well as the month of May's in full.
The extension was a one time thing she'd sworn, of course she'd said the same thing to her boss at the coffee shop and of course both had been a lie. Lacey tried not to do the math, but it wasn't hard to see that paying May's rent in full would be next to impossible. Even if she worked every day of the month she wouldn't make it.
The second half of April's rent, yes. But it would leave her close to bankruptcy and ultimately out of a home.
Bringing her hands to her temple she felt a headache coming on.
It was nearly closing time and her co worker was cleaning up in back while Lacey managed the front. A few customers had straggled in within the last hour, but otherwise it'd been quiet. Not like Monday, Lacey thought.
There'd been no women in blue dresses today or yesterday and Lacey couldn't help but feel a pang in her stomach. A chrysalis sat in her gut and with each chime of the bell it rustled, fluffing it's wings, anxious to emerge from its confines. But just as quickly as it woke it fell back asleep when Lacey eyed another suited man or bleary eyed teenager. Not a rain soaked woman with lively eyes.
Lacey allowed her mind to recall the scene. Crystaline blue, a color Lacey was sure she'd never seen before, hung heavy around the woman's shoulders and chest as if it were tired of being worn. Her brown eyes scanning the room until they'd landed on Lacey. The way she looked at Lacey was more than that, not a look but an engagement. Behind her coffee brown eyes Lacey could practically feel her quick witted mind vibrating with energy.
She groaned as her thoughts bordered the line of obsessive. They'd been in each other's company for less than a half hour - maybe not even fifteen minutes.
Just as well she thought, it distracted from her financial troubles.
She looked outside. At ten minutes to nine the foot traffic had thinned, leaving a few stragglers walking home or running to catch the bus. Lacey watched as a couple walked hand in hand, the woman's head leaning on the man's shoulder as they did so. They appeared to glide across the concrete in utter bliss.
Her thoughts changed as she watched a lone man with the hood of his light coat drawn, hiding his face. Involuntarily she shivered as she thought of how the sun disappeared behind the buildings. This winter had been a nightmare walking home in the dark. Everyone wore hoods to keep out the nipping wind and often times she'd cross the sidewalk twice or more to avoid another soul.
Since July she'd tried to get the morning shifts but they never worked out and Lacey was relegated to checking her back every minute on her brisk - sometimes run - to her apartment.
Lacey sighed and picked up her phone again to skim through her e-mails. Naively she hoped for a job offer, one that wanted her to start right away, but instead her mailbox filled with advertisements.
Then, the silver bell and a teasing voice chimed in unison. "Hey slacker!"
Hurriedly Lacey shoved her phone into the pocket of her jeans and looked up.
"Hey yourself." She replied an unstoppable smile spreading to her face as she took in the dark haired stranger from Monday.
"Remember me?"
How could Lacey forget? Nevertheless she teased, "I almost didn't recognize you without a puddle at your feet."
The woman's hair was windblown and wild about her face as she tucked it behind her ears. A mischievous smile spread to her lips, revealing the crooked tooth Lacey had grown so oddly fond of. It matched the woman's personality Lacey decided. Different for sure, but somehow she seemed more together than anyone Lacey had ever met.
Confidence, it was evident in the grounded way the woman reached the counter and placed both of her palms on the sanded wood. She was assured, yet not cocky. Curious but content.
Lacey realized she was staring again and fumbled with her apron. "Can I help you with something?" She reverted into working mode.
"Sure can, I need another recommendation." The woman tilted her head.
"You didn't like the tea from two days ago?" Instantly Lacey pinched herself. Did she sound too clingy? No, it wasn't as if she'd been waiting for her. She did work at the coffee shop after all, the woman was the one who'd come to see her. Hadn't she?
Or did she really just want a cup of tea?
"I did, just want to switch things up." Her brown eyes twinkled. She must've noticed how Lacey shrunk with mild humility.
"Well," She tried to recover. "What are you in the mood for?"
A small laugh escaped the woman's lips as she held Lacey's gaze a moment longer before breaking away and glancing to the menu behind her. "Something not too strong or caffeine induced."
"You do know you're in a coffee shop?"
"I also know I don't want to be up all night bouncing off the walls."
"Alright," Lacey laughed. "Then how about another cup of tea? Something to relax, maybe chamomile or a lavender blend."
"Sold." Lifting her palms from the counter the woman gave an affirmative snap in Lacey's direction.
As Lacey turned to boil the water and grab the tea bag she wondered what the she'd been doing to need to relax? The woman had traded her soaked dress for a more casual outfit of loose cotton pants and a knitted sweater that looked a size too big as it slid off her shoulder.
"Busy day?"
"Not too bad." Lacey held up a ceramic and cardboard mug to the woman silently asking if she was staying or going. To Lacey's dismay her customer indicated to the to go cup.
"You work everyday?"
Lacey nodded turning back to the bubbling water.
"Do you like it?"
"Gotta do something to pay the bills."
"That's a grim way to look at it."
Lacey brought the steaming cup to the counter and tightened the lid. "I try not to think about it that much."
"That doesn't sound like you." The woman laughed as she pulled out two dollar bills. "I bet you think about it often."
"Wow, your dossier must be quite full to be making assumptions like that." Lacey raised her eyebrow and made change for the transaction to which the woman motioned for her to retire the odd coins to the tip jar.
"I've got a few notes stuffed in there." She winked.
"So what do you do then?" Lacey asked hoping to keep the conversation running.
"This and that."
"Do you like doing this and that?"
"I do." She replied tilting her head in dreamy thought. "I try not to worry all that much about money."
"Ah, spoken like someone who has it."
The woman laughed, the joyful sound filling the sparse coffee shop. "Sounds like you're forming your own file on me."
"I wouldn't know where to start."
"We'll have to change that sometime." The woman winked and Lacey felt her heart quicken.
With a flick of her tangled hair she turned to leave.
"Wait." Lacey called
"Yea?" The woman turned, her silhouette perfectly framed by the backdrop of the metal door. She looked smaller. Timid in a way.
"You forgot my umbrella." Lacey finished lamely.
"Shucks. Next time Lace."
With that the no longer rain sodden stranger left the coffee shop for the second time.
-
We've got some more background on Lacey's past now .. but still nothing on our engaging stranger - not even a name!
Does anyone see the reference to the show Friends? - hint it's a quote
Vote & Comment if you wish ! xoo