I love making new friends and I respect people for a lot of different reasons.
― Taylor Swift
Walking into "Tyler's Coffee Shop", I got hit with the strong scent of coffee beans. It smelled amazing.
I saw that there were only three people sitting in the booths. Two were a couple; feeding each other a piece of their muffins. The other was a girl reading in the far corner of the shop. I stepped farther into the small place, standing at the counter.
Calvin walked out of the back room, stopping dead in his tracks. I stared at him for a moment before saying, "Can I have my usual?" He nodded, disappearing into the back again.
I was about to head to an empty table, but when I turned to walk away, I ran into someone. I heard a thump, thinking the person had fallen to the ground. Although when I opened my eyes I saw that she was still standing. I noticed that it was the girl who was sitting in the back of the shop earlier; and the object that had fallen was her book.
She was about to reach and grab it, but I had gotten to it first; catching a glimpse of the cover. She was reading Dracula by Bram Stoker. I handed the novel to her, smiling. She didn't return the gesture, though, so I decided to say something that made it less awkward.
"I love Dracula, it's one of my favorites." Her eyebrows shot up as if she was surprised I had said that.
"Really?" She asked, her voice full of shock.
"Uh, yes. Why do you seem so unsure?" I asked, crossing my arms.
She shrugged. "You just don't seem like the type that would read. Especially classics."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Ah, first impressions. At least your thought of me wasn't that bad. People always assume such things about me; when the truth is: I'm a total nerd." That made her smile, which made her whole face light up.
She held out her hand, "I'm Lilly." I took it, shaking.
"Astrid." I replied, grinning.
"That's a pretty name. Unique." She said, pulling her hand from mine. Someone from behind us cleared their throat, and I knew exactly who it was.
I turned around, looking straight at Calvin. He held out my coffee. I got the right amount of cash out sliding it to him across the counter. He grabbed the bills, putting them in all the right places.
"Want to come sit at my table?" Lilly asked, smiling in my direction. I nodded, picking up the coffee.
I was about to walk away when Calvin grabbed my wrist. I glanced at him, raising my eyebrow. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked, his eyes full of pain.
I shrugged, taking my hand from his and crossing my arms. He looked at Lilly, then at me. "Alone, please?"
I was about to say something, but Lilly beat me to it. "I get it, I get it. I'm not welcome here, man. Take care of some unfinished business and when you're done, meet me outside. We'll go for a walk instead, okay?"
"All right. I'll be out soon." Lilly nodded, turning to walk out of the shop.
I met Calvin's gaze. "What do you want?"
YOU ARE READING
Lovely Astrid
Romance"Astrid, you don't realize the consequences that come with love," he said, walking away. And really..she didn't. She's never been in love, never even talked to a boy, let alone kissed one. All she had was her best friend Brigitte and her tabby cat...
