The Coffee Shop

Lila opened the door cautiously. There was an odd feeling in the coffee shop, although she couldn’t quite place it. Bells rang, and everybody’s attention immediately turned to her. Lila wasn’t used to feeling shy, so it took her by surprise when she felt her face start to heat up. There were at least thirty guys in the shop, all of them much bigger than Lila. They were all burly, wearing leather jackets and bandannas, and each had at least three tattoos. They were kinda scary, Lila noted, but the workers seemed nice.  

Looking at the floor, Lila made her way to the counter, where a lady was smiling kindly at her, clearly noticing her discomfort. She could hardly see above the counter and had to stand on the tips of her toes to read the menu. 

“Welcome to King’s Place Coffee, how may I help you?” She had bright blue eyes and platinum blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun. She was looking at her fondly, as if Lila was a child. She wasn’t wrong, but it still made Lila mad. 

“Can I have, um-” Lila bounced up and down on her toes- “A black coffee, please?” The lady smiled and laughed, and Lila glanced down to see that her name tag read Evelynne. 

“You’re sure you’ll be able to drink a whole black coffee, sweetie?” Lila crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Yes I will.” She huffed. “I even have money for it.” She placed a few dollars on the counter.

“Of course, sweetheart.” She said, and Lila’s face turned into a mini furnace. She stepped away from the desk and glanced around the room, searching for a chair in the corner that she could hide in. There was a group of two armchairs in the corner, and one of them was unoccupied. The other one had a tall, African-American man who looked to be in his early forties wearing a police uniform sitting in it. He was reading a newspaper, and taking turns between taking a sip of coffee and turning the page. He looked a little less intimidating than the rest of the customers, so Lila decided to test her luck. Maybe the man wouldn’t even notice her. 

Avoiding condescending looks from the other men, Lila practically tip-toed to the corner of the room and sat down in the chair. She caught the amused glance from the man next to him as the cushion sunk down, leaving Lila feeling even smaller than before. Why on earth had she decided to come to this place? Sure, it was on a dare from Tommy, but he would’ve been too scared. Thinking of Tommy’s face when Lila told him she’d gone into the scary coffee shop on King’s Place gave her a surge of confidence. 

/”You know what, Lila?” Tommy sneered, his red curls making his glare even fiercer. Lila put her hands on her hips. 

“What, Tommy?” He gave her a devilish smile, and with a coldness sinking in her gut, she knew what he was about to say. 

“I dare you to walk into the coffee shop.” The half-dozen children surrounding them gasped in harmony. “I dare you to walk into the coffee shop and order a drink.” Lila swallowed. The coffee shop was the only thing she was sure she was afraid of. 

“Do you know what?” Lila said, feeling a surge of courage. “I will!”/

Evelynne walked over, handing Lila a steaming mug of coffee. She gripped it, thankful for the warmth it brought her coldened-by-nerves hands. In an effort to look at least slightly comfortable, Lila sipped the coffee without waiting for it to cool. The steaming hot drink disagreed with her decision. 

“Ouch!” She said, pulling her burned tongue away from the mug. Again, she caught an entertained look from the uniformed man. With a sigh, Lila slumped down in her chair. 

“Your parents say you could come here?.” A voice said. Looking around, Lila saw the man sitting next to her leaning forward in his seat, his newspaper sitting on his lap. Lila grinned sheepishly. 

“Sort of.” The man smiled, holding out his hand. 

“David Alan, at your pleasure..” Lila took his hand, shaking it. 

“I’m Lila.” He replied, scooting forward in her chair in order to sit up taller. Her feet barely touched the floor. David obviously noticed her motion and gave her a grin. 

“How old are you, kid?” Lila hesitated, deciding whether to tell the truth or not.

“Twenty.” She finally said. David lifted an eyebrow, clearly not fooled. Lila sighed. 

“Six.” David let out a soft chuckle, tousling Lila’s hair. 

“Couldn’t have fooled me. I’m thirty-eight, sweetie, been around a long time.” Lila offered him a smile as she took another sip of her coffee, which had cooled a great deal. David, glanced down at her drink, eyebrows lifted. 

“Black?” Lila smiled proudly, smoothing her dress. 

“Of course!” she exclaimed. David smiled back, showing her his brink. While Lila’s was dark brown, his was so light it almost looked like milk. 

“Well, then you’re braver than me.” He said. “I can’t drink it nearly that strong.” Glancing around, David leaned closer to Lila, whispering in her ear. “Sometimes at home, I don’t even put coffee in. Just cream and sugar.” Lila giggled, then clapped her hands over her mouth. 

“Really?” David nodded, looking dramatically ashamed. David checked his watch, clicking his tongue at the time he saw. 

“It’s getting late.” He said, standing up and offering his hand to her. “What do you say I walk you home?” Lila took it, hopping to her feet. 

“Tommy won’t believe that I actually came here!” She squealed, not caring about the looks the men in the shop were giving her. She looked up at David, her big brown eyes sparkling. He looked down at her, and suddenly Lila had visions of Tommy on his knees, sobbing as he apologized for underestimating Lila.  

“I hardly believe it myself,” David said. Together, they walked out the door, Lila skipping as she held hands with her new friend.