Coffee Talk

Three

Angela's apartment was located a few blocks away from the city's center, which was always appealing to her. She was never too far away from the coffee shops or the bookstores or just the people of the city in general. Their location always made Delilah content to people-watch, and sometimes Angela wondered if that was where her desire to be around others came from. Like Delilah's influence on her interpersonal relationships was directly correlated to her need to be near others.

But then that would mean Delilah had more control over her daily life than she ever wanted to admit. To anyone.

It's what had brought them to the city, after all.

Frowning at the memory, Angela made her way to three-family-house-made-apartment-building where her cozy, second floor, one-bedroom apartment awaited. No sooner had she hung her coat on the rack and removed her shoes than did a soft, familiar chuckle ring out from the living room.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to come back," Delilah mused from her seat by the window. The dim lights from the Christmas tree shadowed her features, making her presence appear far darker than it already was.

"No one told you to leave," Angela countered, taking a seat on the sofa across from her.

"You're right—I chose to leave, which you should also have done hours ago. But now, here you are, and something tells me you didn't spend the time buying last-minute presents or getting lost on your way home."

"Seth is a very interesting person."

"So he has a name." Delilah rolled her eyes.

"And he drinks his coffee black."

Delilah's countenance darkened. "Does he now?"

"He does. So what does that mean?"

Her friend's frown deepened before her attention returned to the falling snow outside the window. "I don't know."

Angela felt her stomach flip at the admission. "You don't know?"

"Which is all the more reason you need to steer clear of him." Delilah turned towards her once again. "No one should be able to hide their sins from me."

"Maybe he doesn't have any."

"Impossible. All mortals sin, from the day they're born."

"Then maybe you're reading him wrong?"

Delilah sputtered at the insinuation. "Or maybe he's the type of person I'm supposed to protect you from."

"Ah, yes—knowing the sins of everyone we pass on a daily basis is far safer than not knowing the sins of one man."

"Yes." The look on her face was more serious than Angela had expected.

She groaned in frustration. "You're insufferable. All because one person crossed your path and you couldn't get a good enough read off of him."

"I couldn't get any read off of him, and that's more than enough for me to keep my distance, which means you should as well."

"You can't read everyone, Delilah."

"Yes, I can." Delilah let out a breath. "Or I should be able to. And the ones I can't, I know well enough to stay away from."

Angela peered at her friend, trying to look beyond the dark leather and red lipstick. "I think you're jealous"

Delilah rolled her eyes and turned away, blatantly ignoring the glare Angela shot her way. "I don't get jealous. People get jealous of me."

"Good, then you won't mind if I call him tomorrow to get together and run some errands."

Turning back to her, Delilah abruptly stood from where she sat before the window. "That's a bad idea."

"Because having him help me choose presents for the rest of the people on my list is such a dangerous concept?"

Delilah took a step closer. "Because letting someone too close—especially someone with too many sins to be deciphered—is a bad idea."

Angela scoffed. "I told you, you're wrong."

"We'll see how wrong I am when he breaks your heart. Or worse."

Angela had heard enough. Pushing off the sofa, she moved to stand face to face with Delilah, meeting her friend's gaze head-on. "You are jealous. No one is breaking anyone's anything. It's Christmas! And you're just bothered by the fact that, for once, you may know no more than the rest of us."

The look of Delilah's face was one of both arrogance and resentment. "Remember you said that," Delilah hissed. "Especially when his sins come back to haunt you, you remember I warned you."

But Angela was done with the conversation. She didn't want Delilah telling her what she could or could not do. She wasn't a child to be protected. Instead of responding, she turned on her heel and marched out of the living room and down the hallway, slamming the door to her bedroom without further acknowledgment of Delilah's taunts.