Anything Can Happen At Dale's Daily Coffee Shop

Rylie and James

It's Christmas and the only thing that is keeping me warm is the heater inside our coffee shop.
People are passing by, I looked over the slogan on our glass door.

"Anything can happen at Dale's Daily Coffee Shop."

I don't know who wrote that slogan and all I know is that, nothing ever happens here, well not for me.

I looked over our freedom wall full of sticky notes and messages and the letter box beside it.

Every Christmas, our shop puts up a freedom wall and a letter box to those who want to write for someone and the coffee shop will send it to that person for free.

A couple just got out from Mr. Dale's office smiling widely. From the looks of it, it's probably the couples who started their love story here and wanted to share it with the owner.

As they walk out, Mr. Dale waved at them.
Mr. Dale's office is just beside our counter, he looked at me.

"Oh don't look too bitter now Rylie, you could drive away costumers." He said before entering his office smiling.

Mr. Dale is a kind sweet old man, but sometimes he could be annoying, especially everytime he teases me about looking bitter.

The bell that hangs on the door of the coffee shop rang. A customer.

I looked up.

"Welcome! How may I help—" I was cut in the middle of my sentence when I saw my customer.

My heart beats so fast, about to escape my chest.
He then looked at me and smiled.

I felt my heart did a flip and I was speechless in front of him.

"A latte please and your mayonnaise bread." He ordered. I snapped myself back to reality and took his order.

"Please wait for ten minutes sir." I said almost stammering at the middle of my sentence.

He smiled and finds a table to sit. He looked so handsome with his black thick coat.

I immediately prepared his order and breath three times before serving.

I felt butterflies in my stomach when his hand touched mine as I served his latte.

"Thank you." He said smiling.

Blushing, I immediately walked back to the counter to hide my embarrassment.

I can't believe he's here, James!! THE JAMES!!

I had a big crush on him and I've been pestering his social media's comment section and I slipped to his DMs using my dummy account until he started to chat back after the day I sent him a knitted black sweater two months ago.

It's sad he could not recognized me. Well, this is the price I pay for using a dummy.

I suddenly felt the urge to talk to him, even tell him the truth.

But I don't know where to start.

It would sound weird to pop up in front of him and say, "Hi, I am that person who sent you a knitted sweater. My real name is Rylie and this is how I actually look." That's so creepy.

I suddenly have an idea, I grabbed our mop and started moping the floor which by the way I had mop a minute ago before he entered.

Taking a glimpse at him every now and then admiring his perfectly cut jaw line. Bow like pink lips, pointy nose, and droopy eyes.

He is looking at his phone seriously and it made him more dreamy.

He probably noticed I was looking at him when he looked up.

I suddenly felt my blood rushed to my face and I feel so embarrassed. I looked down and started moping again, fast and tense.

"Miss." My body suddenly felt weak and my heart started racing and my face suddenly feels so hot. Did he saw me looking at him?
I don't want to look at him.

"Can I have one of your sticky note and a paper I could write on." He said. I felt relieved. I walked towards the counter to get it, gave him a ballpen, a bunch of sticky note, a paper and an envelope.
I handed it to him faster than flash could ever be.

He wrote something and minutes later dropped it to the letter box and paste something on the freedom wall.

I was full of curiosity wanting to know who he had written to, and what he had written, but I was too afraid, what if he was writing to someone special?

I can't take that.

He walked back to his seat and I again started to wipe the tables that had been wiped just to take a closer look at him.

Then he suddenly stood up and left in a hurry.
"Don't go." My brain and heart said in union but he had already exited the coffee shop.

I sat in one of the chair devastated.

Minutes later, Mr. Dale came out from his office with a grin on his face and walked directly to the letters.

"It's closing time." He announced.
I walked sadly back to the counter. I feel like crying from my cowardness, I started to hate myself, then a courage suddenly formed inside me.

My heart raced as I stepped outside the counter and ran towards the door. I ran outside the shop hoping to catch up to him.

But there was no sign of him.
I was not going to give up, I turned around to look for him but he popped up behind me.

"I am Rylie the person who sent you that gift, and I have a big crush on you." I confessed weirdly, heart beating fast.

I was expecting a rejection but he suddenly smiled widely,  he took off his coat, and I felt butterflies when I saw him wearing my carefully knitted black jacket on top of his polo.

He wrapped his coat around me.

"Merry Christmas." He said.
He then hugged me tightly, I looked inside the coffee shop through the big glass window and saw Mr. Dale holding up a letter with my name on it, in all caps and a sticky note smiling.