The dim, overhanging lights made the café seem warm and inviting. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and banana bread mingled in the nostrils of the shops patrons.
"Can I get a tall, vanilla latte?" I asked, digging through the change in my wallet. My brown hair hung around my face, getting in way of my hazel eyes – making it difficult to see what coins I was grabbing.
The youthful ginger girl in the green apron nodded, punching some keys on the register. Her talon like nails tapped against the electronic touch screen. The people behind me shifted in impatience.
"That will be 3.35, and your name?" Her voice was slicked with honey, no doubt she was hoping for a nice tip. She batted her eyelashes and stuck out her hand – cupping it in anticipation of a pile of coins.
"Marley," I replied, giving up on the change and handing the clerk a wrinkled five-dollar bill instead. I shoved the black change pouch back into my bag.
She wrinkled her nose in distaste at my name as she took the bill from me. “Fine. No tip for you then,” I thought indignantly.
"Your drink will be to the right," she said as she handed me back a small pile of quarters, nickels and dimes. I watched as she scrawled my name down on the side of a red paper cup.
I stepped over to the side, line moving forward. The ginger girl continued to take orders whilst maintaining her large smile and sweet voice – for the most part.
I glanced down at my phone to see the time. It was already half past six. Caroline would be worrying where I was. It was a surprise she hadn't called me up to know my whereabouts yet. I suppose I was only a few minutes late getting home, so it wasn't a huge deal...
"Vanilla latte for Marley?" A shaggy blond haired guy asked from behind the counter.
That was quick.
I stepped forward, wrapping my hand around the base of the cup as the guy let go.
"Cute name by the way," he smirked, and I suddenly felt self-conscious about myself.
"Um, t-thank-you," I nodded curtly, turning before he could see the blush rise on my cheeks. Times like these were when I felt oh-so-lucky to be blessed with the awkward-around-the-opposite-sex gene.
I managed to quickly escape the confines of the small café and step out into the darkness of the city streets. There were lazy snowflakes drifting down from the heavens and to the Earth – ringing in the holiday season weeks early.
The lazy yellow street lights were just starting to flick on one by one, and the little shops lining the sidewalks turned on their buzzing neon signs.
Hanging my head, my feet took me as quickly as they could only to be stopped when I ran smack dab into someone. I fell flat on my arse, latte emptied.
I shook my head, trying with all of my might to collect my thoughts. Had the fall knocked the sense out of me too?
"Hot, hot, hot!" A deep voice bellowed, as two long fingered hands pulled the wet grey t-shirt away from their chest.
Speechless, I trailed my eyes up the mans jean clad legs, his open black jacket, to his grey, cotton V-neck that had a large wet spot on it, to his face.
My eyes widened as I tried to form a coherent thought. He was absolutely gorgeous. He undoubtedly had some years on me, yet still had a youthful head of brown curls and intense green eyes.
"I-I... Oh, I'm so sorry," I stammered, mentally scolding myself for sounding like a blubbering idiot.
"Were you in a hurry, love?" Every single word that left his pink lips was slow and pronounced, sounding even better in his posh English accent.
YOU ARE READING
Mr. Styles
Fanfiction“I could not tell you if I loved you the first moment I saw you, or if it was the second or third or fourth. But I remember the first moment I looked at you walking toward me and realized that somehow the rest of the world seemed to vanish when I wa...
