~JALAURA~ Together At Last

Just Coffee

    My mind wanders as I wait. The draft of the air conditioner blasts down my neck. I shiver at the icy air that filled the Café.
     "Just a few more minutes." I reassured myself. My friends should be here soon. Cole and Maddie would never ditch me. They were my best friends.
     "Hey!" I heard Maddie's voice chime after the tiny bell above the door jingled. "Geez! It's cold in here!"  Maddie sat down in the chair across from me. I heard the bell ring again. I looked up, expecting to see Cole. But instead, I saw the face of the most dazzling girl I'd ever laid eyes on. Her brown hair sparkled against the morning sunlight that shone through the window. Her red leather coat perfectly matched her bright lips. My eyes followed her as she walked toward the front counter, where she ordered a Peppermint Latte. Her voice flowed amazingly with her strange accent.
     "Uh..James? What are you looking at?" Cole's voice snapped me back into reality. I had been so distracted that I hadn't noticed him enter and take the seat to my left.
"Uh.. Nothing. Sorry." I tried to recover myself.
"Okay. I'll go get us some drinks. You all want the usual Cappuccino right?" Cole asked. Maddie nodded.
"Actually I'll have a..." my voice trailed as I thought of what to order. My thoughts returned to the girl. "A Peppermint Latte."
Cole gave me an assuring thumbs up, then proceeded to order our drinks. Maddie and I sat in awkward silence as we waited.
"So how is your YouTube Channel coming along?" I struck up a conversation.
"Great!" Maddie Replied. "I just hit One Million Subscribers!"
"Wow! Congrats!" I complimented her.
"Thanks!" She beamed. She continued to smile as Cole returned with our steaming mugs of warmth.
"Thanks, Cole!" Maddie reached for her purse and began to pull out her share of the money.
"Maddie you don't have to do that. It's my treat." Cole said as he resumed his seating position. Cole is slightly wealthier than the average man, due to his writing and poetry skills. As for myself, I wasn't doing poorly either. I had managed to become a police officer of the Indiana Police Department.
"Thank you, Cole." I said. He replied with a grin and a nod.
I sipped my Coffee. The wonderful scent of peppermint and cream left no doubt in my mind that it was my new favorite drink. And best of all, it reminded me of her.
I looked over at the girl. She was digging through her purse, looking for spare change. She clearly didn't bring enough money to pay for the Latte.
"I'll be be back in a second." I excused myself from the table, fishing a $10 bill from my pocket. I nervously walked toward her, hoping my friends weren't watching. As I grew nearer, the woman became aware of me. She looked up and rested her open hand on the table. I reached her, but kept walking. My body filled with adrenaline. As I passed, I quickly slipped the bill into her hand.
I squinted my eyes tight. My nerves felt as if they were exploding. I swiftly circled back to my table and sat down.
"Where did you go?" Asked Maddie. I was relieved at the fact that they hadn't been watching.
"Oh I was just at the restroom." I lied.
"Okay." Maddie dismissed the conversation. I snuck a quick glance at the girl. She was smiling. Maybe I had a chance with her.
Relax, James. I thought to myself. It was just coffee.