Third Coffee Lucky

Carrie watched the handsome stranger close the door slowly and quietly, as if not wanting to draw attention to himself. Turning now toward her, he smiled the most pleasant of smiles. He was looking right into her eyes, and for a reason, unknown to her at that specific moment, she blushed. That smile, she thought, would melt the frozen heart of the ice queen . “What’ll it be”, she directed at the handsome stranger as she lifted the coffee cup from the tray of clean dishes fresh from the washer. He smiled again, and a butterfly somewhere deep inside, fluttered its wings. “Em...I’ll have a filter coffee please”. “Milk...Sugar...”?  “Just milk, thanks”. Carrie took as long as was humanly possible to make his coffee, all the while asking him questions as if interviewing him for a piece in a magazine. In the silent moments he’d turn and glance around the room. “Don’t worry”, she laughed, ‘We’ll find you a seat.’ He smiled that smile again and looked at his watch. “And don’t worry, we don’t close until nine thirty 

His name was Jeff Walker; he suited his name. He worked for a firm of accountants two streets away; that could come in handy for the cafe accounts. He was an only child and lived with his mother; she wouldn’t hold that against him; mothers boys made great husbands...or so she had read somewhere. 

“A biscuit”? “No thanks, I’m not really a fan of sugary things.” His emerald green eyes and warm smile had broken through all of Carries barriers and she felt as if he would hold her heart forever. 

“That’ll be one seventy-five, Jeff”, she coughed.  Her hand instantly withdrew and covered her mouth and she coughed again, his coin spun as it fell onto the counter. 

He laughed and picked up the two pound piece, and laid it into her hand, telling her to put the change into the charity jar. There was an awkward silence that felt like an hour instead of a second. He lifted his coffee and sat down at a small table for two, close to the counter. Carrie was glad he had his back to her so he couldn’t see her pink cheeks and shaking hands. She had never in her life had such a reaction at meeting a stranger. Surely he must have felt her eyes on him as they skimmed over his small ears, neatly trimmed hairline, broad shoulders and slender physique. The nice fitting suit and shining shoes said a lot about him, or perhaps his mother.

Carrie, lifted the counter hatch and closed it behind her. She was so busy surveying the crumbs, crisp packets and biscuit wrappers on the floor around the table of the departing family that she didn’t notice the woman coming in as they left. 

When Carrie had picked up the last glass she turned with the laden tray, bumping the woman’s arm. The corner of the tray got caught in the dangling strap of the woman’s handbag sending her bag, the tray, and all of the contents flying. Watching the objects, remain on the tray while the crisp bags and biscuit wrappers floated onto the floor, was like a scene from a movie. It seemed to hesitate for a split second before crashing down onto the floor. Broken glasses, cups, plates and crumbs scattered in every direction. “OH My Go...goodness”, cried a startled Carrie. “What the h..., you clumsy ....” shouted the young woman. A shocked, apologising, Carrie hastily tried to explain that she hadn’t seen her come in but, this young woman was in no way going to accept the apology. Carrie was embarrassed and beginning to feel her temper rise. “Crystal”, interrupted Jeff. The young woman turned, her attitude instantly changing and she forced an awkward smile. “Here sit down and I’ll get you a coffee, or would you prefer tea”? Forgetting momentarily about Carrie the woman still smiling sat down. “I’ll have a double espresso please. I think after that little encounter, I need something strong”, she turned and flashed Carrie a look of pure loathing. If Carrie had been one to give a fig it would have hurt her. She ignored the scene on the floor and lifted the counter hatch, trying not to look at Jeff as she made the coffee. “I’m really sorry”, he whispered, as he handed her some money. 

Carrie swept and cleaned the floor, being careful to stay as far away from Jeff’s rude friend as possible. During the next hour she watched their body language, after all, you could tell a lot about someone by their body language. Most of her days were spent watching her customers. She had seen the couple shake hands when Jeff laid down her coffee. Was this their first meeting? Was she a client? Did he like her? Carries mind was racing faster than her beating heart every time she glanced in their direction. He had called her Crystal. If she had been a client he would have used Miss or Mrs and her surname because that was how accountants addressed their clients, or so she assumed. Jeff turned and politely asked her for another filter coffee whilst Crystal flashed her another of her, obviously, well practiced looks of disdain. Carrie decided she would ignore her because Jeff's smile could make any bitter-bug sweet. “On the house”, she smiled, as Jeff offered her the money for his coffee, “second coffee’s always free. Would your friend like a Sweet sugar donut”? Carrie smiled and he laughed. Another look flashed across toward her. Carrie so wished that Jeff had changed seats with Crystal so she was looking at his handsome face instead of having to be the receiver of this woman’s unpleasantness. 

Jeff got up and headed for the men’s room and Crystal quickly took her phone from her handbag. This’ll be interesting thought Carrie as she strained her ears to listen. “Oh he’s quite plain; a bit boring, but he has good prospects. Yes I’m sure he likes me and I’m positive we’ll be meeting again. As blind dates go, he’s a good one and I’d need to be crazy to let go of a catch like him. I need to go but I’ll tell you all about him later”. Well well, Carrie flashed a full knowing smile right at Crystal, who was too busy putting her phone back into her bag to notice.  

‘Plain, bit boring, a good catch’, Carrie knew Crystal was talking about Jeff. ‘Plain’, he was not. ‘Boring’, never, and who nowadays spoke about someone being a good catch. She did not like this woman at all but what could she say to him, nothing. 

Carrie watched as they arose from the table and walk toward the door. Her heart aching with the thought that she would probably never see him again. It was the first time he had been in her cafe. Would he ever come back, after today she doubted that. She was desperate to go out the door and look to see which way they went! She tortured herself even more imagining that perhaps he’d be smitten enough to ask Crystal for a second date! She shuddered at that thought. Why hadn’t he said goodbye?

The rest of her day went slower than usual and it didn’t matter what she did to wipe his smile out of her memory, it remained, imprinted, like a new tattoo. It was eight thirty and she had no customers so she began the closing clean up. Turning up the volume on the mopping music was a nightly ritual. The mopping of the floor to, ‘Switch it up’, although she danced around singing, ‘swish it up’, ‘swish it up’, whilst dunking the mop into the bucket of soapy water. It was silly, but it got the floor cleaned fast and the music always cheered her up a little after a bad day. She poured herself a drink and sat in the seat where he had sat and sighed heavily as she looked out of the cafe window. It had been raining and the pavement was wet and shiny. A familiar face was watching her. “Still open for a quick coffee” he shouted through the glass? Her heart racing she nodded. “It’s open”.  

After apologising, again, for his date’s behaviour, Jeff confided to her that a work colleague had asked him to meet his sister, as a favour. “Blind dates...huh” he laughed. “I’m so, so glad that one’s over with”, and he gave a heavy sigh of relief. Carrie laid his coffee down next to hers. “Third coffee lucky”, she said teasing him, and they smiled lovingly, into each other’s eyes.