CAPPUCCINO, kotlc

009

Tam felt lightheaded as he slipped out of his car and onto the pavement. His heartbeat raced sporadically, each pulse tripping over the next.

1 new notification: "biana" texted you a new message

hi! shift just finished :)

U almost here?

It's not even a date, he told himself sternly, forcing each foot to follow the last. She probably just wants to meet up as friends. Well, not even friends. We've hardly even met.

He tried to convince himself of it, but eventually gave up. Biana would never know if he just turned around and drove home, right? A simple text, a quick "sorry, can't make it today," was probably harmless.

Okay, well, knowing the girls at Foxfire who spent half their time either crying in the bathroom or obsessing over their Snapchat, probably not "harmless."

But it was too late anyways. Biana's wide, teal eyes caught his through the window, and her face lit up even though she tried to hide it. She motioned for him to come inside, making her way around the counter.

Hands shoved stubbornly in his pockets, he pushed the cafe door open with his shoulder- and that's when disaster struck.

His shirt caught on the door handle, leaving Tam awkwardly squished between the wall. In a humiliating attempt to free himself, he tried to step towards the doormat, which slipped sideways and ended up jammed underneath the door. Clearing his throat in what was probably the most unsubtle attempt at hiding his embarrassment, he tried to release himself from the uncomfortable position, which shook the door at an awkward angle and made the bell hanging from the top fall onto the floor with a loud, cringeworthy ring.

Everyone was silent. Biana had gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

People are probably dying from secondhand embarrassment right now, Tam thought dryly.

He awkwardly fixed the doormat and not-so-inconspicuously pushed the fallen bell to the side with his foot. His low, "sorry," came out more like a croak and of course his voice just had to crack in that moment.

His gaze stayed determined on the floor as he approached Biana, careful not to trip.

"Hi," Biana said, her voice almost breathless. She waved towards the door with a shy half-smile and added, "That's quite some coordination you've got going there."

Tam shrugged, trying to laugh but too nervous to really make the sound.

"Well... could I get you something to drink?" Biana offered, tying her chocolate brown waves in a high ponytail. "A cappuccino?"

"Sure," Tam muttered. He turned back towards the door. "Sorry about the bell. I can help you put it back up, if you want."

Biana started to make the drinks. "Don't worry about it. I'll get someone else to fix it."

Translation: you're obviously too clumsy to fix anything yourself.

Tam sighed, wishing he could bury himself under a rock.

Well, this was off to a great start.