Souled [Editing]

Chapter 6

Lily laid on Meredith's lap, purring softly. They were laying around watching TV that Saturday afternoon. One of her many television addictions were crime shows and currently there was a CSI marathon on. She ate a bowl of fruit while running her fingers up and down Lily's back.

"He looks a little suspicious, don't you think, Lil?" She looked down at the cat and smiled.

Lily purred in agreement and nuzzled her hand. Meredith giggled then turned her attention back to the show. Her eyelids were getting heavier as she watched. It was only ten in the morning but she needed some coffee to kick start her and prevent her from sleeping the day away. She knew, unfortunately, that she was out of coffee beans so she had to go out for coffee. When the current episode ended, she tried to motivate herself to go out and get a drink.

She succeeded and she pranced over to her closet. She surveyed what she could wear without looking like she lived on the streets, which was how she looked now in tattered sweatpants and an old concert shirt. Meredith tugged on a tank top with a cardigan to match a pair of shorts. Neither were nice, but despite how old they were they worked for running a quick errand. She waved and petted a goodbye to Lily and walked out to her car.

It was a beautiful, sunny day and in the sixties. It was warm enough for windows and the sunroof to be open in her car. It was officially the last week of April. May was right around the corner. Those thoughts sent a flurry of butterflies to her stomach. She vaguely wondered when Nate was going to bring it up again. Or if he would simply let it be. Her pessimistic side came out and she tried to convince herself that she was being melodramatic about it all.

The sun shined bright and warm on her bare legs through the window gaps and her hair whipped around the car. The country station was playing, loudly, and it was perfect for this sort of weather. She could almost taste summer. The trees were blooming into vibrant greens and the sky was a deep blue. The only thing that tainted this great kind of day were the gray clouds hovering on the horizon.

Although Meredith loved the sunniest of days, she loved the spring rains that April had with it. She enjoyed sitting inside having a horror movie marathon or curling up with a good book while the rain knocked on her roof.

She parked across the street at one of the many Starbucks in Atlanta. The place was surprisingly busy. Not as busy as it would be at seven or eight in the morning, but enough where a line was formed.

Couples and college students sat near the windows and at tables. Teenagers and families stood around, waiting for their coffee.

One couple sitting by the window caught her eye.

At first she didn't really believe what she was seeing. The coincidence was too uncanny. She pinched herself on the arm and it was true.

Nate and the woman she saw him showing around the office earlier that week were sitting at a table by the window, drinking coffee and laughing. He must have not seen Meredith walk in because he kept smiling, laughing, and looking at the woman across from him with light in his blue eyes.

Meredith clamped her teeth down on her wobbling lip and stepped in line. She pretended to look busy, and aloof if he were to look up and see her, as she scrolled through her phone with absolutely no messages of any kind. She turned her attention to the bags and bags of coffee along the wall and in buckets forming a line.

Halfway through her foolish attempts, she realized she didn't have any reason to pretend to be invisible or indifferent to it all. If anything, if it was anything, Nate should be the one to fake insincerity. She convinced herself that it was no big deal. Only coffee with a co-worker.