The Caffeine Fix

CHAPTER 16

It had been a good 2 weeks since Carla and Dan's breakup and things hadn't eased between them. They somehow tolerated each other because they had to. As it was expected, the girl trio avoided Dan, only Michael and Tyla talked to him. However, since the past few days, Michael had been busy with his own girlfriend Sapphire and this had brought Dan and Tyla closer than ever. They stayed back together, cleaned the counters together, walked around after their shift, talked, hung out often, but their relationship was purely platonic. However, Carla had started despising Tyla more than ever as she thought something was going on between the duo.

They were walking around early that night as Michael stayed back. Of course, he wanted to hook up with Sapphire in the cafe.

"That's just crazy! Why would she think we are hooking up or something?" Tyla asked in a baffled tone.

"I don't know. Because we are doing this right now?" He pointed towards them walking.

"And," He continued, "because we basically hang out together all the time."

"So what? We're just friends. And by that, I mean, really, "just friends" friends. People have got weird definitions for friends now."

"She doesn't think so. You know, she has kinda always never liked you because she thought I was flirting around with you. Sleeping with her sorted that for a while but now it's back. You know, even Michael's doubting us now. He gives me those weird looks when I talk about you. Or, to you. Or, whatever."

"Oh, I think we're hanging out too much. We're practically a couple now."

"Or maybe we're just lonely. Heck, Carla's got a thing going on too now. It's only been 2 weeks."

"What? Already?"

"Yeah, it's some crew member of the new music video she's working on. I am sure it's just a fling."

"Good for her. So how's the band going?"

"Yeah, we have quite a lot of stuff to do. We got numerous gigs. All outside the main city. And you know, we're planning to enter a reality show, maybe after a year or so. Okay and this is a secret, but we're also working on an album currently. Damn, I wanted to mutter these secrets as I kissed my girlfriend."

"Well, you have to make do with me."

"Anyway, wanna join us for our gig this weekend? I mean, it's like 2 hours away from here, we're getting a van, and I don't have a plus one. There's gonna be a trek, good food and….. well, I am too tired of squeezing myself into a van full of couples."

Dan sighed with frustration.

"Okay, you know what, that sounds practically like a couples trip. And are we gonna do like those couples trek and stuff?"

"Um….yeah….but as friends."

"You know, as bad as I feel for you, I am out. You, pal, should have stuck with Carla. She would have lit your weekend there."

"Oh no, that would have been too much of Carla."

"Gosh, everytime we get a faraway gig, these guys make it a couple's weekend out. Can someone please think about me? You know what, one of these days, I am gonna hook up with one of the girls coming to our show and….."

Dan went on and on about his "dream girl" while Tyla listened to it, sighing.

The next night, Patrick James had decided to stop by at Breeze Cafe. He was strangely disappointed by his last experience at the cafe but had still not been able to figure out the reason. He didn't even know why he was going there again when all he wanted to do was sleep, sleep for one whole day. And yet, with half-shut eyes he watched the buildings pass by and felt the chilling breeze shake him from the inside. The half-lit sign saying 'Breeze Cafe' and the yellow light from the inside warmed him. He nervously stepped out of the car, looked around for paps and quickly stepped inside. He could not see the girl but someone was working behind the counters.

"Oh, who is it? We are….oh. Hello," Tyla was a bit taken aback to see him.

"Oh, Thank God," Patrick muttered to himself. What was he doing that for?

"Uh, sorry?" Tyla could not hear what he had said.

"I….I want coffee," Patrick said nervously as he sat on his usual table.

"Of course."

As she started making coffee, she stared at him. He was wearing a scarf, a warm blazer and a thick shirt. Perhaps the chill was too much for him. He also appeared to be too tired.

Meanwhile, he observed her making coffee in a bid to stay awake and this was perhaps for the first time that he observed her person carefully, shoulder-length hazel coloured hair, her greyish-blue eyes, her small pearl earrings, her locket with a butterfly pendant, her maroon T-shirt and black jeans with an apron on, everything was complimenting her. 

She noticed him staring at her but then turned her eyes back to the coffee she was brewing.

The familiar aroma of coffee soon filled the room making him eager to taste it. He was desperate for a hot coffee.

As she gave him the coffee, she sat in front of him, perhaps wanting to chat.

"Are you okay?" She asked with genuine concern.

"Well, yeah. I just need this. And sleep," He laughed sheepishly.

"Why this if you need sleep?"

"Well, has someone ever told you that your hands brew magic?" He asked and Tyla was genuinely surprised by the directness.

"No….no, in fact, my roommate recently confessed that she hated my coffee," Tyla replied, with slight annoyance, recalling the incident.

"That's weird. Maybe she doesn't have taste for good coffee or perhaps I have taste for even bad coffee," He said, with a smile, shocking Tyla.

"What do you mean?" She asked with an annoyed tone.

"Nothing. If your coffee was bad, I wouldn't come here again and again. Or other people."

Tyla was disappointed. One moment he had made her feel as if she held magic in her hands and the next moment he turned so neutral. What was this guy, with a new side each second?

"Oh no, don't be disappointed. I love your coffee. I suppose that's a good enough validation."