You Had Me at Hello

Chapter 1 The Meeting

I'm sitting down in Starbucks, with my Bible and coffee on the table in front of me, the glare of the sun coming through the side window on my right perfectly missing my table, when I hear the front door behind me open. I look over my shoulder to see a tall stranger standing in the doorway. His messy brown hair under his backward baseball cap's nearly falling into his eyes. He's wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, and white AF1s, and his keychain's hanging out of his back pocket. He walks over to the counter to order, I don't break my gaze the entire time. Something about him draws me in. He orders and smiles at the barista. Of course, he's a flirt. My type, exactly. Yet not worth a second more of my time, I think to myself.

What's the reason I came here? To read my Bible, drink good coffee, and people-watch.

As I'm thinking to myself, I barely notice the stranger surprisingly approaching me.

He's now standing in front of me and looks down before looking back up and catching my gaze.

"Hey, what are you reading?" he asks me.

I look up at him, "Oh hey," I say a bit caught off guard. "It's Colossians. It's my favorite book," I reply happily.

"Nice! Mine is Romans," he responds with a smile.

"Nice, I haven't read Romans yet," I tell him.

"Yeah, it talks about faith, and the spirit and gives everyday examples too. It's great," he explains to me.

"I'll have to read it then," I say back, smiling.

He smiles back as a lull in conversation takes over.

"Um, do you want to join me?" I break the silence, trying not to be awkward.

"Sure!" he responds and accepts happily.

"Cody," he says as he reaches out to shake my hand.

"Annalise," I reply back and shake his hand.

He sits down across from me before continuing our conversation, "So, where are you in your reading?"

"Colossians 2:7," I reply.

~ Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. ~ Colossians 2:7 NLT

"I love that," he remarks.

"Me too. It reminds me a lot of my testimony. It's so easy to get cast aside into so many everyday worldly things when we aren't rooted deeply in Him," I explain.

"It's true," he agrees.

"Yeah, what's your testimony, if you don't mind me asking?" I ask him.

He takes a deep breath, "Well, it's a long story... do you wanna hear it?" he asks me back.

"Yeah, sure!" I reply.

"Okay," he says back.

"Cody!" the barista calls out, signaling his drink is ready up at the counter.

He laughs before standing up and telling me, "I'll be right back," as he leaves to grab his drink up at the counter.