For the last two weeks Ramin had gone to Starbucks every evening between 4-9. Often, he sat there for at least an hour just talking to Sierra. He always looked forward to the evening when he would go to Starbucks and talk with her. During these two weeks he had realised that he'd completely fallen for her. Well, he wasn't really in love with her, but he had a huge crush: each time he saw her butterflies flew in his stomach, he blushed and his heart beated hard in his chest.
It was Friday, and Ramin was very tired from work. He had guided a school class with small irritating children. Not that he disliked children, but when they didn't listen he couldn't stand being with them. But now he was done with the work for that week and he was extremely excited to meet Sierra that evening. The only thing that kept him from not quit working that day was the thought that if he quit work he wouldn't have the money to buy a coffee from Starbucks, and then he wouldn't be able meet her. In fact, he hadn't been able to keep her off his mind. One day he just started to hum a melody, so from that day on he was writing a song. He felt so cliché, to write a song about a girl he liked, but still. It sounded good and he was proud of it so far.
He hurried the last steps to the café, he usually came around half past five because his working day ended five, but today he was a little late because of those irritating kids. He always wanted to come earlier because then he maybe would be able to hear her sing. However, he could never come earlier, and she had learnt which times he usually came so he had never heard her sing and she refused to, even if they often were alone in the store. Opening the door, he looked towards the counter and saw that there were more people at this Starbucks café than usual. There were about 25 people sitting around the store and then another 5 people in line. Scared he searched for Sierra behind the counter and a big relief filled his body when he spotted her. She was alone as usual, and he felt sorry for her.
He walked over and placed himself in the line. Why were there so many people? Looking around the café he didn't notice anything strange. Maybe people felt like it was a good idea to take a coffee here this specific day or something because it was never this crowded. His eyes wandered over to Sierra looking very cheery there behind the counter. She probably felt happy that there actually were people coming there except only him. An almost sad feeling spread through his body. He had looked forward to meeting her, but now she wouldn't have the time to talk to him. And as he stood there she hadn't noticed him yet and that kind of disappointed him. Well, she was busy now, so he couldn't blame her, but still.
Without thinking about it, his eyes had started tracing her face and then down to her body. Suddenly a weird feeling appeared, and he looked up to her face. He was met by a smirking Sierra and his cheeks quickly grew warm which made him look away. Not daring to really look at her again, he just made quick glances, but it seemed as if she had returned to work because their eyes didn't meet again.
At last it was his turn to order and he took a step towards the counter.
- Hello Suruh! he happily said.
- Hi Ramen! How are you?
- I'm fine. Got a bunch of irritating kids at work but otherwise it was good. I see there's loads of people here.
She looked around and nodded.
- Yeah, apparently there was some kind of tourist bus that stopped here to take a break.
- So, all these people are tourists?
- Mmhm; she smiled. I think they are from Europe.
He looked around too. The place was quite crowded, almost every seat was occupied, except the one he used to sit on.
- You have saved my place? he asked surprised.
- Of course, who else would I talk to while waiting for the coffees to get done?
Blushing slightly, he paid his order and sat down on his place. Since the coffee machine was quite close to where he was sitting they continued to talk as she made coffee for all the guests. They just stopped the conversations when she called out names.
- You know what? Ramin suddenly said.
- What?
- You know Sie...
- Wait for a second; she said and then yelled: Toby!
A man rose up from his seat and walked over to take his coffee.
- Sie? she then said.
- I was supposed to say Sierra but...
- I like Sie; her cheeks got a little redder tone. It's cute.
- Well then, Sie. I was going to say that it's the 4th of July in like 6 days and I wondered what you were supposed to do.
At this point she finished the last cup of coffee and walked over to Ramin. She held out the cup to him and he took it without looking what she had written, his eyes were glued to her face. A smirk was visible on her lips.
- Well, I'm going to stay over at my boyfriend's place. Why?
He was in one way surprised, he didn't know she had a boyfriend. However, it would be weird if she didn't have one considering how beautiful she was and how nice and funny she was. Yeah, she was perfect. No wonder why she had a boyfriend. Something in him made him want to run away from there crying, but he stayed. What would she think of him if he started crying? Would it be socially okay? No, he had to keep a straight face, at least until he came out of here.
- Oh, well...
Suddenly she started to laugh.
- Oh my God Ramin! Got ya! Of course, I don't have a boyfriend; she laughed. You should've seen your face!
She was laughing very much and Ramin felt how blood rushed to his face, again.
- Haha, very funny.
- Why did you ask? she asked as she calmed down.
- Ehhh nothing. Just wondered.
He felt so stupid for acting like that.
- Okay, what are you gonna do the 4th?
Well, he had thought to ask her if she wanted to do anything, but he didn't really dare to. After blushing so much and acting so childish he didn't feel very comfortable asking her. What if she didn't want to?
- Oh, I'm not doing anything; he answered after a while.
- Not even hanging out with your friends?
- No.
In fact, he didn't have many close friends. To be honest, Sierra was his best friend at the moment and that explained a lot. After a long awkward silence, he dared speak up.
- I... well, I... wonder if; he took a deep shaky breath and continued. I wonder if you...
She placed her arms on the bench and lent forward so their faces only were a few inches apart and she had a big smirk on her face.
- If I? she said.
- If you wanted to hang out, then?
Apparently, she wasn't prepared for him to ask that because her appearance changed drastically. Her smirk was wiped off and was changed to a surprised warm smile and very red cheeks. He didn't know what she had expected, but apparently not this.
- Sure; she said and she put her hand on top of his.
This was the first time they ever had physical contact (longer than if their fingers happened to brush against each other when she handed him his coffee) and his skin burned where she touched him. However, he didn't want her to take her hand away, so he just sat there blushing like crazy with a big goofy smile on his face.
- So, what do you wanna do? he asked after a while.
Sierra who had her thoughts somewhere else got snapped back to reality and probably realised that she had her hand on top of his because she quickly removed it.
- Ehh. I don't know. You have anything planned?
- No, not really. But if you want to, you could come home to me.
What was he doing? Why did he invite her home to him? His apartment wasn't very nice. If she came home to him she would see that he was kind of poor. But now he was beyond the point of no return.
- Sure, I'd love to; she smiled.
He felt himself blush, what if she liked him? No, don't think like that, he would just get disappointed.
- Well, okay then.
They sat silent for a while with their eyes locked. Her green eyes sparkled and an overwhelming urge to kiss her flew over him. Just as he started to lean in though, he realised what he was doing and immediately straightened up looking away.
- I think I need to go home now; he said feeling quite embarrassed.
- Oh, well. Bye then; she smiled insecurely.
- See you tomorrow then; he put his hand on top of her and then walked out of the store.
As he left the store he had completely forgotten his coffee mug. Well, it wasn't any coffee left in it, but still, he wanted it. Hoping that she hadn't thrown it away he ran back to Starbucks and when he was outside the door he saw Sierra standing with the mug, writing on it. His heart started to race, and he felt how blood rushed to his face. Yes, just seeing Sierra made his heart beat faster, but the fact that she wrote on it made it ten times worse. When he opened the door, she looked up and a big smirk appeared on her face as she looked down to the mug again.
- You forgot something; she said still not looking up.
- Well, I know.
The fact that she didn't comment that he was finished with the coffee already was weird, but he didn't say anything. She finally looked up and held out the cup to him. He reached out to take it but when he took it she didn't let it go.
- Promise not to look on it before you're out of here.
- Ehh, sure; he answered, and she let go of the mug. Well, bye then!
He hurried out and quickly looked down to the mug. On there with her beautiful handwriting she had written "Ramin<3" and under that it said "call me" and her number.