I looked up from my book as the café door opened. The man entering shook the rain from his hair and placed his umbrella in the stand. He sighed and walked over to the counter as I continued reading my copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. The cover was damaged and some of the pages were missing due to the numerous times that it had been read, but it was still readable and I couldn't bring myself to buy a new one. I heard the man order a small cappuccino behind me.
Lucy's was usually pretty popular during the afternoons but lately it had been packed to the rim due to the miserable weather. I didn't mind the constant buzz of people talking and laughing as long as they didn't interrupt my usual routine.
I swapped the old book to my other hand as I drank another mouthful of coffee. The liquid warmed my throat as I swallowed. The man behind me had just received his coffee and began walking towards the door.
All was well until the waiter on the table opposite me decided to turn around at the exact moment when the other man was also walking past. This ended up with a dropped serving tray, 2 shattered coffee mugs and, of course, a boiling hot small cappuccino spilling onto both me and my copy of To Kill A Mockingbird.
When the waiter realised what had happened and starting apologising to the man while he stood there shocked looking down at his, now empty, coffee cup. He then looked down towards me drenched in coffee and realised what had just happened. The waiter ran off to get towels while the man knelt down and tried to soak up the liquid with his coat.
"No, no it's fine." I told him but he just shook his head.
"Ugh I wasn't watching were I was going," he grabbed a napkin from another table, "I'm so sorry!" He then noticed my ruined book and apologised again. The waiter reappeared holding two towels in either hand and began helping to try soak up the coffee.
Within a few minutes of heavily concentrated mopping, the booth and the floor surrounding it was clean and dry. Once the waiter had put away all the towels and the man had apologised a few more times, the area looked as good as new again.
"I promise I'll buy you a new book." He repeated.
I shook my head again saying, "no, really, its fine. It was already pretty demolished before anyway." Finally he nodded and left to order another cappuccino. I put away my coffee stained book and finished off what was left in my mug. When I started packing away my things I noticed someone standing next to me. I looked up and saw it was the man from before.
"Ah, could I sit here." He asked nervously. Looking around at the café I realised there was no free space anywhere.
I smiled, "yeah sure." He sighed and sat down next to his bag. He rubbed his eyes and slumped in his seat. "Bad day?" I asked.
Laughing he replied, "That's an understatement."
I put out my hand, "I'm Alice, by the way."
"Dylan." He took my hand and shook it. We sat there in silence for a few seconds, not knowing what to say to the other. Dylan looked out the window next to us while I stared down into my empty coffee cup.
When the barista called out that Dylan's order was ready we both looked up.
"Well, I better head off then. " He told me as he rose from his seat. "Ah, thanks for... understanding."
"No problem," I replied, also packing away my belongings. "It was nice meeting you." He smiled, went to collect his coffee, then left.
The next morning I walked into the café and sat down in my usual spot. Getting out my phone, I unlocked it and started vaguely browsing the internet.
"Same as usual?" The waiter asked. I nodded and whispered a thank you. I checked all of my social media and replied to my 1 message.
The waiter approached a few minutes later with my coffee in one hand and a package in the other. He placed the cup down in front of me and the package beside it. "Someone left this for you earlier this morning." He replied.
I scrunched up my eyebrows as he walked away and picked up the brown box. There was nothing written on the outside so I ripped open the thin paper. A white card dropped onto the table.
'To Alice," was on the front so I flipped it open. There was just one sentence written on the inside, 'A little something to repay you -D'
Curious, I picked up the package again and tookoff the paper. I held up the brand new copy of To Kill A Mockingbird, smiling. Takinga sip of my warm coffee, I opened and opened up to the first page and began to read.
