Conversations

1 Conversations with a Stranger

“A complete stranger has the capacity to alter the life of another irrevocably."

- J.D.Stroube, Caged by Damnation

" I'll have a Choco Latte, please" 

Standing in a long queue on a Monday morning waiting for her fresh dose of caffeine while juggling her phone on one hand and her work file, brimming with papers, on the other was not the way Lizzy Banker wanted to start off her week.

Even though her frustration knew no bounds that morning, her usual polite self did not elude her when she finally stepped up to the counter to place her order. 

"Ah, Lizzy! Running late today? One Choco Latte coming up right away." The baristta chuckled as she handed over Lizzy's order within a minute. After all, special people were entitled to special treatment and Lizzy was no short of it.

"Ugh! Thanks Regina, I owe you." She juggled her phone and file on one hand and dug through her handbag with her other, scrambling for a bill to pay for her coffee.

She sighed in frustration as her balancing skills failed her and the papers fell on the ground forming a messy heap near her feet. It didn't take long for her phone to slip from her grasp as well, falling atop the pillow of papers.

"Today is not one of my lucky days" Lizzy grumbled to herself as she picked up the mess. She stuffed the papers into the file, zipped it and swiftly pulled out a $5 note from her bag. As she was getting up, her head bumped into the bottom of the counter, pain blinding her for a second. 

She yelled out and Regina was quick in helping her up. 

"I'll get some ice." Regina quickly ran to the freezer room while another baristta took over. 

Lizzy rubbed the back of her head tenderly and she took a while to notice the $5 bill still clutched in her hand. She handed it over to the woman at the counter and took her coffee.

"Tell Regina not to bother and thank her for me. I really have to get going now." Lizzy smiled apologetically at the woman before quickly walking towards the door. Just as she was about to pull open the door, it swung inwards, hitting her hand and sending the coffee flying.

To Lizzie's delight, it did not fall on her, making her life worse than it was then but to her dismay, the coffee did land on a young man, no older than her.

"Oh God! I'm so terribly sorry!" She instantly yelped at the man taking him by surprise, and he was already quite shocked by the huge coffee stain on his white shirt.

He looked up at Lizzy and smiled sheepishly. "It's quite alright. I never liked this shirt anyway. Besides, I think I can afford to be late for work today."

Lizzy couldn't help but chuckle at the man's words. "Still, I'm really sorry." She quickly grabbed a bunch of paper towels from the nearest table and handed it to the man, who then began wiping of the excessive brown liquid off of his shirt.

"Allow me to buy you another coffee?" He looked up and grinned at her, not in the least bit angry. Without waiting for a reply, he walked up to the counter, ordered another coffee and placed it in Lizzy's hands.

It had suddenly seemed that Lizzy had forgotten that she had had rotten luck hitting her left, right and centre just a few moments ago. Now, she was rooted to the spot, awakened only by the warmth creeping up her palms because of the coffee. 

She shook herself out of her stupor and looked at the man with an odd expression. "Are you sure you're not in the least bit annoyed about the coffee stain? That looks like a very expensive shirt."

"You'd think I know what I was feeling." His eyes sparkled with humor. "Like I said before, I never really liked this shirt and now you've given me an excuse to get rid of it."

She smiled. 

"Don't get me wrong but weren't you in a hurry a few moments ago?" 

A bulb suddenly went off in Lizzy head, alerting her as to her state of emergency, as she called it.

"OH GOD! I really have to go! Nice to meet you and sorry again!" Lizzy shuffled out of the door quickly and soon disappeared down the street leaving the stranger back in the cafe, grinning.

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"Sorry for being late Marge. I got caught up" Lizzy was huffing by the time she reached her office on the 10th floor. She was afraid of being late and nearly ran 6 blocks to her office building.

"Oh yes, how very late. Late by half-an-hour actually. Then again, office doesn't start till an hour later. " Marge replied sarcastically to Lizzy and then let out a loud laugh. "You push yourself too much Iz. Chill out a bit."

Lizzy sighed to herself as she sat down on her plush chair. She then noticed the coffee she had placed on her desk and cursed herself mentally. She hadn't even offered to pay the man back!

As she kept staring at the coffee,the napkin on the coffee cup was slowly beginning to peel off. It was then that she spotted the writing on it.

444-563-209. You owe me a shirt. So, dinner sometime? Call me. -RT

He wanted to go out for dinner with her because she spilt coffee on his shirt? That's...something.

For the first time in a very long time, Lizzy actually considered the thought of going out with a man who wasn't related to her. There was just something about him. It's odd how just a few words exchanged with him could make her feel so.

Lizzy reached out to her bag and pulled out her phone. After a moment of deliberation she typed out a message.

Hey RT, girl from the coffee shop here. Actually I owe you a coffee as well. I'm free Saturday.- Lizzy

She heard the familiar ping of her phone as it alerted her of the delivered message.

Within no time, she received a reply:

Call me Reid :) Then you owe me TWO dinners. Pick you up at 7pm from the cafe? -R

okay. looking forward to it. :) -L

And for once, Lizzy Banker was actually looking forward to met a guy again. It was a first and some part of her hoped that it wouldn't be the last. It was probably the most chiche way to meet someone yet she didn't mind it. Not all obvious beginnings have to continue in a predicatable fashion and this was a fact that Lizzy was very well aware of.

She smiled at the thought of her conversation with the stranger and with that shoved her phone back into the bag and resumed her work. 

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Coming up next: Conversations with an acquaintance.

A/N: Sooooooo.....how was it? I'm really new at this kinda writing so I know it's not very good. But, I'd love to get your feedback. :)