Coffee & Secrets

one

*Erin*

"Please, just give me one more chance. It was a mistake. I swear, I can do so much better than this. It won't happen again." I desperately plead to the receptionist in the lobby.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but you're going to have to leave. Your interview has been cancelled, which means you have no business being here. I suggest you manage your time better on your way to your next interview..." She says. "...and hopefully that job is far from here." She mumbles under her breath.

"I was only ten minutes late. I swear, I am never late."

"Have a nice day, ma'am."

Chuckling under my breath, I step closer to her desk and stare her right in the eyes. "Look." I whisper, gradually leaning closer to her face, "I need this interview. The fact that you don't like me is absolutely not my problem, and I need you to let me up there, so I can get my internship. If you won't get me my interview back, I will go up there and do it myself. Try and get in my way, I dare you." The daunted look on her face let me know that I had made my intentions clear. I strut past her and into the elevator, closing the elevator doors before security can get to me. I mentally high-five myself when the door is closed. That was good, that was really good.

As the elevator ascends, I take deep breaths to prepare myself for this life-defining moment. I'm also hoping there aren't security guards waiting on the other side of the elevator door when I get there. That wouldn't exactly qualify me for the job.

My heart is violently pounding against my chest as the elevator dings at the fifth floor and the doors slide open. I step out and look around for a little, taking it all in. I walk around for a little bit to try and find someone who could help me out. This gum is starting to lose its flavor already. I bend over to spit out my gum in a miniature office trash can, and as soon as I did it, I realized it was the worst mistake I'd ever made. Suddenly, another foot collides with mine, and I hear the thump of a body hitting the ground, and a faint shatter. I turn around to see a tall woman in heels laying on the floor. Her coffee is all over her white dress, her sketches are soaked, and her phone is shattered and covered in coffee.

"Oh. My. God! I'm so sorry. I'll pay for that, and everything. Please, let me help y-" I start to say while bending down and picking up her sketches carefully. She rudely cuts me off and slaps the papers out of my hands.

"DON'T touch those! Those are my brand new sketches - limited edition designs- and if you so much as breathe on one of them the wrong way, I will sue you!" She yells, causing everyone in the place to turn and stare at us. I gently set the papers back on the floor and stand up. The lady tries to stand back up and discovers that one of her heels is broken. "You. Broke. My. Louboutins!" She screams at the top of her lungs, "Get OUT! Leave now!"

"But I had an interview-"

"Does it look like I care what you want? Get out, now!"

"But-"

"I'm giving you three seconds to start walking into that elevator before I call the police on you for trespassing."

I furiously blink back tears, walking towards the elevator door with guards following closely behind me. I can feel every set of eyes in the office glaring at me as I enter the elevator. There goes my dream job.

Once we get to the front doors they push me out, nearly causing me to trip and fall onto the concrete sidewalk in my five inch heels. I can already feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. "Next time you come back here, it'll be the police who escort you out." One of the men says in his deep, intimidating voice. The two guards turn around and high five each other before re-entering the building. I am in the middle of straightening out my shirt when I hear someone clapping. I turn around to see a boy with glistening green eyes standing up against the wall of the building, smirking at me.

"What are you looking at?" I ask him, rolling my eyes in annoyance. I continue walking along.

He chuckles. "Nice."

I glare at him in resentment. "What do you want...are you homeless or something? Do you want money? Funny you'd ask, because I just shattered all chances of me getting my dream job and that means I don't even--"

"I could hear Gayle screaming at you from all the way down here." He says, smiling.

"You know that lady? Wow, that must be awful."

"You don't even know the half of it."

I nod.

"So...I assume you got the job?" He asks, trying to hold in his laugh.

"I dunno, I'd say I nailed that interview."

The boy walks towards me holding out his hand, and I take several steps back. "I'm Travis," He says, smiling. "And, for the record, I'm not homeless. My outfit may not be as flattering on my body shape as it could be, but is it really that bad?"

"Oh..." I can feel my face reddening by the second. Did I seriously just call him homeless? He must be so offended. "I'm Erin, sorry about that. Just a tip, next time you see a girl exiting a building with tears rolling down her face, don't try and make fun of her."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. What are those?" Travis asks, gesturing to the papers in my hands.

"They're just some sketches I drew. I was going to show them to whoever was interviewing me in hopes of impressing them, but I guess I never really got the chance to. Would you like to see them?"

"Sure, why not?" I hand him the papers, allowing him to browse through my collection of design sketches. "These are amazing." He says, looking at me in awe. "If you would've been able to have that interview, I guarantee you, you would have scored that job."

"Thanks, that means a lot."

"Would you want to grab a cup of coffee with me sometime?" He asks. I run my fingers through my hair, thinking about how I should respond. I could go to coffee with Travis, but that would be too easy of a catch for him. Any guy who can simply ask a girl they just met on a date is obviously a ladies' man. Who asks for a date the first time they meet someone, and what kind of self-respecting girl would accept? I just met him. He's going to have to try harder than that to get me to go anywhere with him. "Okay...here, I'll give you my number. Think about it, and then give me a call. Got a pen?" I give him a pen out of the bottom of my purse, and he writes his number across my palm. "I'll see you around, Erin."

"Maybe." I argue, as I begin walking back to my car.

"Promise me!"

"Promise you what?"

"Promise me that I'll see you again."

"I have to go." I mutter as I start up my car.

Driving away, I can see the look of disappointment in Travis' face before his figure shrinks into a mere silhouette of a man on a sidewalk in my rearview mirror. I can't be focused on boys right now. All I need to be focused on is getting to Dad. That man has a big storm coming for him.