Heart of Glass

           The coffee shop was crowded when Stephanie walked inside. She scanned the room for an empty table and spotted one in the corner.

           A waitress approached the table. She looked stressed and it was also noticeable in her tone of voice. With a sigh, she asked, “What can I get you?”

           “Just a coffee…Sorry, please make that a tea. Two milk. Thank you.”

           The girl walked away quickly before Stephanie could change her mind again. She looked around the room nervously. Each time the bells above the entrance would ring, Stephanie would look in the direction of the door. She looked at her watch.

           Today was the day that Stephanie had agreed to meet up with a man that one of her colleagues set her up with on a blind date. She did not know what to expect. All she was told, was that he was thirty-six years old, was six feet tall with dark brown hair, and that he was quite successful. So far, as she looked around the room, nobody matched that description except for the man who was working behind the counter.

           It was already 12:45 PM and he was supposed to meet her there at 12:30 PM. She was finishing off her tea and was preparing to leave when a voice caught her off guard.

           “Excuse me, but is your name, Stephanie? I am Eric. Eric Winslow.”

           It was the barista that she spotted working behind the counter earlier. He was handsome with a chiseled jaw and muscular build.

           “I apologize for not making it over here sooner, but as you can see, things are a little crazy in this place today. Jamie gave me a description of you, but she did not give you the credit that you deserve. You are much more beautiful than she had described.”

           Stephanie blushed slightly with the unexpected compliment. She had developed low self-esteem after a past relationship with an abusive and controlling boyfriend. He took every opportunity to belittle her, and it got to the point where she started to believe it herself.

           Stephanie was trying to be cautious about this stranger regardless of her physical attraction to him. As far as the successful part, she did not consider a barista to be a successful career.

           “Please, have a seat,” she suggested. “So, Eric. How long have you worked here at the coffee shop?”

           “I have been here since it opened.” Eric was being vague with his answers. This sent up warning flags for Stephanie.

           “And where do you see yourself ten years from now?” she asked.

           “With any luck, I will still be here.”

           “This man has no true goals,” she thought. “Did Jamie think I would want to be with a loser like this?”

           Just then, Stephanie’s waitress returned to the table, but instead of speaking to Stephanie, she turned her attention to Eric.

           “Excuse the interruption, Mr. Winslow, but the espresso machine is acting up again.”

           “Okay, Peggy. I will be there in a minute.”

           The waitress walked away, and Stephanie said with a smile, “Mr. Winslow? Are they always that formal with you around here?”

           Eric smiled back and stated, “Peggy is still new. She has not built up the nerve to call me Eric just yet.”

           Stephanie looked at him strangely, her head tilted slightly like a dog. Then the realization came to her.

           “Are you saying that you manage this place?” she asked.

           “Honestly, I am the owner. I opened it about two years ago, and business has been great ever since. You aren’t looking for a job, are you?”

           Stephanie laughed. Her nervousness was beginning to fade, and she felt more relaxed. Eric excused himself to repair the espresso machine and returned soon after.

           “I have to be honest with you, Stephanie. This was not my idea of an ideal first date. Jamie was so insistent and with my busy schedule, this was my only option. I am sorry.”

           “Well, Eric, to be honest, I did not even want to show up here today. I thought that meeting in a coffee shop was something that people did for business meetings or so they could make a quick exit. Now that I realize the situation, I completely understand.”

           “If you can be patient, I promise to make it up to you. Perhaps a nice dinner at my place?” he suggested.

           “That would be lovely. Just give me a call to let me know when your schedule allows it.”

           “I will, but I may need your number for that,” he stated sarcastically.

           Stephanie entered her name and number into Eric’s phone.

           “I think that I will let you get back to work before the boss catches you over-extending your breaks,” Stephanie said, returning the sarcasm. She then left the coffee shop and headed home.

           Stephanie sat on her sofa and turned on the television. She flicked through the channels, but she was oblivious to anything on the screen. All she could focus on was Eric. A smile formed on her face. She had not felt this way in a long time.

           Her phone suddenly came to life as the words, “Unknown Caller” appeared on the call-display. She answered it and hesitantly said, “Hello?”

           The sound of Eric’s voice brightened her mood once again.

           “You gave me your phone number, but I forgot to give you mine,” he stated. “I hope you made it back home okay. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

           “Not at all. I am glad you called. I was just thinking of you.”

           “Really? I was thinking of you too,” he said.

           They talked on the phone for the next ten minutes until one of the employees at the coffee shop said that he was needed inside. Stephanie held on tightly to a wool blanket that she had draped over the sofa and imagined it as being Eric’s warmth up against her.

           A few days later, Eric invited Stephanie over for a home-cooked meal. She graciously accepted. His apartment was a three-bedroom and very spacious. The view from the balcony showed the whole downtown core.

           “I hope you like roast beef. I should have asked if you were a vegetarian or had a specific diet.”

           “Roast beef sounds wonderful. I rarely eat that anymore, because cooking a roast for just me usually means that most of it will wind up in the trash.”

           “I felt the same way!”

           The dinner was delicious. Along with the roast beef, he prepared roasted garlic potatoes, and corn. He even had fresh-baked biscuits along with lemon meringue pie for dessert. Stephanie was becoming smitten with this man she hardly knew and was started to frighten her a bit.

           On the surface, Eric seemed like the perfect guy, but something deep down inside of Stephanie’s gut made her question what it was that he was hiding. Her mother always told her that if something seemed too good to be true, then it probably was.

           They ended the evening with a nightcap on the balcony. The moon glowed brightly in the sky. The air was cool, but not cold. Music played softly on Eric’s iPad while he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Stephanie pulled away at first. Memories of her past abusive relationship began to flash in her mind.

           “If you don’t mind, Eric, I would appreciate it if we took things slow, okay? I am not comfortable enough to get serious just yet. I mean, you seem like an amazing guy, but I am not ready yet. Is that okay with you?”

           “Sure thing, Stephanie. We can move at whatever pace you feel comfortable with.”

           Stephanie thanked Eric for the wonderful dinner and showed herself out. She drove back home disappointed in herself. She felt like her past would always haunt her and that she was overreacting, but she was too afraid of being hurt again.

           ***

           A few days had passed, and Stephanie had purposely avoided Eric’s phone calls. She needed some time to think.

           While at work one day, Stephanie’s and Eric’s mutual friend, Jamie, stopped Stephanie in the hall.

           “Hey Stephanie, wait up! I got a call from Eric. He said that you were ignoring his calls. I thought you said you liked him. What is going on, Steph?”

           “Yeah, sorry, Jamie. I have had a lot on my mind. Eric seems like a great guy, but I don’t know if I am ready to start dating again.”

           “Stephanie, it has been a couple of years since you last heard from that creep. You need to move on with your life, girl. Don’t let this fish get off the hook.”

           “I will think about it, okay? I am surprised that you never went after Eric yourself, Jamie!”

           “Why would I settle for a steak dinner when I am busy sampling from the buffet, Hmmm? Besides, you are the one that needs something stable, not me.”

           Stephanie shook her head and laughed.

           “I don’t know what I am going to do with you, Jamie. You are one of a kind.”

           Later that day, Eric’s number appeared on her phone again. This time she answered.

           “Hey, Eric. I am so sorry for not answering your calls or texts. I just needed some time to myself. Why don’t I return the favor and cook you a dinner this weekend?”

           “That sounds great. I will clear my schedule.”

           After work, Stephanie went out shopping for the groceries. As she pulled into a parking spot, she spotted Eric’s SUV parked in the next row over. She hurried to gather her things so she could surprise him inside the store. As she went to pull the handle to open the door, she spotted Eric walking out. He had his arm around a blonde woman who was pushing a shopping cart. On his other hand, was a young boy around four years of age.

           Stephanie watched intently as they approached Eric’s car. Stephanie noticed a diamond ring on the woman’s left hand. She looked at Eric’s hand and saw a ring on his finger for the first time as well. Her instincts were correct after all. Eric was having an affair, and if he was doing that with her, then how many others had he trapped inside his web of lies?

           Stephanie followed at a distance to see where they drove to. The SUV pulled into a beautiful two-story Victorian-style home with a white picket fence surrounding the yard. She parked just up the street and waited for them to go inside.

           She then walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. The blonde woman answered.

           “Yes,” she said, looking Stephanie up and down. “Can I help you?”

           “I am looking for Eric. Is he in?”

           “Yes, he is. Who can I tell him is here?”

           “Tell him that it is Stephanie. We have a dinner date planned for Saturday.”

           The woman looked at Stephanie with disgust and said, “I think you need to leave,” and she slammed the door in Stephanie’s face.

           Stephanie listened as she heard the woman yelling Eric’s name. “He deserves whatever he has coming to him,” she thought. With the sound of an argument brewing, Stephanie walked back toward her car. The smile on her face grew at the thought of giving that unfaithful jerk some homegrown justice.

           “Back to being single,” she thought. “It is not that bad after all.”