Monday

The sound of clinking glasses and chattering patrons mingled with the strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the little coffee shop at the corner of the street. The usual early morning traffic was drowned out by the sudden rainfall on what was supposed to be a sunny Monday morning.

Helen hated Mondays because it meant getting up at the crack of dawn. It meant returning to the routine and monotony that was the first day of the week. Every Monday morning it was the same. Wake up, get dressed, grab a coffee and then, head to work. Maybe a call from work here, and a little rainfall there but that wasn't anything special. Just another Monday.

Helen closed her umbrella as she opened the door to the coffee shop. She let out a big sigh as she looked up at the line ahead of her. As always, the line was filled with exhausted university students, nervous interns and irritable office workers. You would think that a small place like this wouldn't get a lot of clientele compared to the Starbucks across the road but surprisingly, it's held up quite well in the past five years Helen has lived here.

Five years... Has it already been that long? It felt like it was only yesterday that she was just an intern with no idea what she was getting herself into. She silently chuckled to herself as she thought about the first order she ever made at this place: an iced caramel latte, with two pumps of caramel, four shots of espresso, topped with whipped cream and a blueberry muffin on the side. She had really thought all the extra sugar and caffeine would get her through the long hours of the day but in reality, it only made her constantly run to the bathroom. She would never forget the embarrassment of having to excuse herself every hour of that first day. Her supervisor was definitely not impressed. From then on, she kept to a simple order. An oat latte with an extra shot. Nothing more, nothing less.

As she moved closer to the front of the line, Helen looked out the window. Still raining. Hopefully, there wasn't a storm coming. Too many accidents happen on days like this. People tended to be more reckless. That meant more work for Helen— not that she minded. She would just rather not have it happen today, at this time, in this weather. Her phone vibrated at that very moment— just her luck. She braced herself as she checked her phone. Thank goodness. It was just a reminder for her to attend the conference meeting later today. The last thing she needed was to rudely skip the line and demand her coffee to be made stat. She couldn't afford to cause a scene here of all places. This was her favourite place after all.

When she finally reached the front of the line, the employee smiled in recognition and wordlessly punched in her order. Helen gave a nod of thanks with a smile. She hummed as she took out her phone again to check her schedule for the day. Morning rounds, a few scheduled surgeries and a conference meeting in the afternoon. That's what was scheduled anyway. But today was Monday and that meant she was on-call. So the unprovoked code blues, chats with the patients, lessons for the junior residents and the constant rush of the emergency department could easily throw all those plans out the window. It's not like she could predict what would come through those emergency doors. As much as she hated the anxiety of being on-call, the thrill of the emergency department made up for it. No matter the time or day, something different and exciting was always happening. What could she say? She loved her job— just not on Monday.

Helen made a quick call to the ED to check if they needed anything. Things were running as per usual according to the charge nurse. Good. That meant she didn't have to make a mad dash to the hospital just yet. She hung up after telling the nurse she would come in soon for rounds. She thanked the barista as her name was called and made a beeline for the door. It wasn't pouring yet so maybe she could skip out on getting completely drenched even if she did have her—

Before she knew it, Helen's precious coffee was all over the floor... and on the pants of the person in front of her. She looked up at the victim of her inattention and just as she was about to apologise, he beat her to it. The gentleman apologised profusely, blaming himself for rushing through the door without looking. She attempted to tell him that she should be the one to apologise for running into him and ruining his pants. The man simply brushed it off, joking that the coffee matched his pants so well that it was barely noticeable and besides, he wasn't getting any dryer. He gestured to the rest of his tall figure. He seemed like he was around her age— or maybe a bit older. He clearly knew how to take advantage of his well-built physique and good looks, it was no wonder Helen felt like she had run right into a brick wall. From the droplets of rain that clung to his dishevelled hair, to the hemline of his newly coffee-stained pants, he looked a mess. But the elegance and charm he exuded was something that not even the rain could dampen.