Remember When

Part 1

Remember when you said that the coffee was good for the heart?

She first noticed him last month at the far corner of that coffee shop. She remembered because she celebrated her second month at work that time. She almost got late for the first time, as well. She remembered all of these because he was significantly the first person who ordered black coffee and she tried her personalized brewed concoction with him. Much to her surprise, he loved it. It was her own brew and nobody liked it before. The coffee with her personal touch was stronger but no hint of bitterness. She took time in preparing it and was glad that he didn't complain that he waited for a while for it. For him, it seemed to be the next best thing since sliced bread. And just then, he stayed for the rest of the day in the coffee shop.

It was a beautiful day, even if it was raining outside. The warmth in the coffee shop welcomed the people as they come to get their caffeine fix. The place was big enough to accommodate people during this rainy season. Maine loved that she was busy with all the work she had to do, from serving the orders to bussing the tables to getting behind the counter while the other staff was on break. But what she loved most was concocting her special brew for that lone man in the corner.

She saw the man writing on a notebook. She could not take her mind off him. When she went by his table to give his order for lunch, he gave her a smile. She looked directly into his eyes. An unexplainable pull brought her closer to the soul of this man. There was something in him that she could not name, and maybe that was the reason why she wanted to go to this side of the coffee shop. As she looked at his eyes, they were a beautiful set of brown orbs but it looked sad despite the curve in his mouth. She wondered why such a handsome man could be that lonely. She didn't know him and his story but it amazed her that he could still manage to smile despite what was in his heart - as she could see it through his eyes. Her interest was piqued when the first words he muttered to her were, "H-hi. How have you been?" as if they knew each other before this moment. She sensed a feeling of longing but brushed it off because she was sure that she never met him before.

After a month, he was back. Her heart seemed to jump out of her chest the moment when the door opened and he came in as if he owned the place despite his rugged look, a combination of a pair of worn jeans and blue V-neck shirt. There was a hint of stubble on his face that made him more manly. She instantly recognized him. She watched as he walked towards her, his look was directly on her and then, he flashed that be-dimpled smile that might have melted more women than she could count.

"I need your coffee." The way he said it sounded like I need you.

He stayed for the rest of the day until her shift ended. Nobody brewed for him or served him, but her. Her colleagues thought that her personal touch caused this man to go back and they wanted to keep him. They wanted to take care of this person who would be bound to be their loyal customer. They were sure of that, aside from the fact that they were teasing her to him. She did not complain. Because she admitted to herself that she wanted him there, too.

She busied herself for the rest of the day while keeping a watchful eye on the man's requests. At one point, she saw someone came to the café and approached him. The newcomer sat on the opposite side of the table. They talked in hushed tones. She saw the seriousness on his face as he nodded and replied to the other man. There was something in his movements that spelled authority, class and refined attitude. When his companion left, he went back to writing.

Before she ended her shift for that day, she approached him.

"Hello, Sir. I will be off soon. Would you like anything else before I leave?" She asked.

The man closed his notebook and looked up at her. "Richard."

"Sir?"

"Call me Richard, not sir." He read her nameplate, "Maine."

Maine nodded. "Alright, Richard." She smiled at him. "So, do you need anything else before I leave?"

"No," She felt consumed from the way he looked at her. Her breathing slightly hitched and her face felt warm. There was something in that look that made her tingle all over. "I'm about to leave too." She heard him continued. He put his notebook back in his bag and stood up. He held out his hand to her. "It was nice meeting you... Maine."

"It was nice meeting you, too, Richard." She shook his hand. The first touch set her back because she felt a sort of static energy run between them. They chuckled and then they shook hands again. She felt him squeezed her hand and then, he let go.

He stared at her for a while. She could not take her eyes off him either. She didn't know why there was a sense of longing in his eyes, mixed with sadness and pain. He also looked as if he was about to say something and so, she waited. What happened to him and who did it? She might never know. She watched as he shook his head and turned away instead. He left the café. She hoped he gets back, even if she had to wait for another number of weeks or months. She wanted to see him again. Having him in that corner soothed her for some reason and she would not mind tending for him if he spends another whole day in the café again. That was not too much to ask, right?