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WHAT KIND OF MAD MAN WOKE UP BEFORE NOON ON A SATURDAY? No sane person willingly got out of bed so early in the morning. The fact he had wanted to start the date at ten in the morning on a Saturday was already a red flag for Evelyn, but she wasn't going to judge him so quickly. Instead, she had agreed to meet and woke up the next morning early enough to get ready.
A coffee date sure wasn't her choice for a first date. She'd prefer something more casual, more quiet. First dates were specifically there for getting to know a person and to feel out their vibe. Evelyn wasn't sure she could do that in a coffee shop full of college students and middle aged, white women looking for their caffeine fix. But she wasn't going to argue. Who was she to argue, anyway? She was just along for the ride.
It was ten o'clock exactly when Evelyn walked into the busy store. A majority of the tables were taken. There was a line at the counter full of people. Immediately, a cold chill ran down Evelyn's spine as she stood there. She scanned the room for Calum, her hands twisting nervously in front of her.
The bells hanging above the door jingled from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to find Calum standing there. His dark hair was pushed back into a baseball cap. He wore a pair of nice fitted jeans and a gray shirt. His mouth immediately stretched into a smile upon meeting her eyes. "Hey," he greeted her. She spun around to face him with her own smile.
"Were you waiting long?" he asked. He glanced at the watch sitting on his wrist. Sure enough, a minute or two had passed. Evelyn shook her head. "No, not at all. I got here just before you, actually," she replied. His head nodded, hands moving to his sides. He wiped his palms against the rough fabric of his jeans.
There was an awkward pause as the two stared at one another. A sweat had broken out at the collar of her shirt on the back of her neck. Her nerves were buzzing beneath her skin. Calum motioned toward the moving line with a short chuckle. "Shall we?" She sidestepped into the line with a nod. He followed her closely. They stood behind a man of tall stature and wearing a red scarf. It didn't make much sense considering it wasn't too cold outside.
Their shoulders brushed. Gooseflesh erupted against her arms. "Do you normally wake up early on Saturdays?" she asked, ignoring the revulsion souring within her belly. He shrugged his shoulders, breathing out a sigh from his nose. "I guess so. I work at my brother's restaurant on the weekends for extra cash," he explained. Her brows raised in surprise.
