It's a Long Story

Chapter 1

 The coffee shop was tighter than usual. There were more people, and more cameras here today. The abnormally long line for mediocre coffee, created a five minute wait. This is among one of the worst coffee shops in town so there is never a line, but it is cheap and the espresso shots feel like doubles, which helps me power through my long work days. With enough cream and sugar, you can't even taste the burnt coffee. After the five minute wait, I wait the additional three minutes that it takes for the frazzled barista to make my coffee.

She is very sweet, but currently extremely overwhelmed. Her name is Zoe and she goes to the local community college, because she cannot afford a four year. Zoe has a daughter that she named Catherine after me, she told me it is a powerful name to accompany a powerful woman whom she wants her daughter to aspire to be like. These abundant compliments come from the simple gesture of me tipping her. For a three dollar coffee, she gets a seventeen dollar tip. One day I just decided that I didn't want change for the a twenty, and since then, she has never forgotten my name or anything else I tell her about myself. I think she is twenty-two. She has been working here for five years, and about three years ago she got pregnant. I work around the corner in the large corporate skyscraper, so this has been my go to coffee shop.

"Zoe, what is with the crowd today?" I ask her politely when she hands me my drink.

"Some hot shot is here. I really don't know... How was that big project you were working on?" She asks, her eyes hold a very bright bubbly expression.

"It was okay, although I did receive a large bonus for this one. So I can't complain. Are we still on for our Friday dinner this week? I found a new recipe for a pasta and steak." We usually have a weekend sleepover, Catherine is my goddaughter and Zoe lets her stay with me on the weekends. This really started because when Catherine was born, Zoe started suffering from severe postpartum depression, and she didn't have any support from Catherine's father and her own family. I know this sounds like a strange dynamic, but Zoe is really like a little sister to me. Since I never married and do not have any kids, I have love and resources to share.

"Oh yeah! For sure. Although Catherine is going to stay with my parents this weekend, they finally decided that they want a part in their granddaughter's life. We can stay for dinner and a movie, but then I have to drive to their house." She says rushed. She turns to finish her next drink.

"I'll call you later, see you Zoe!" I shout as I turn. I hit a large wall and drop my coffee in shock and I fall backwards. I brace myself to hit the counter and the floor, but a pair of arms wrap around me and yank me back up. The whiplash causes me to have a dizzy spell and lean into my knight in shining armor.

"Are you okay?" A husky voice asks.

"Uh yeah. Just a little dizzy." I slowly regain my balance and lift my head and look up at the tall curly haired man holding me. I am suddenly feeling embarrassed by all of the eyes watching me.

"Sorry about your coffee. Let me get you a new one..." He says nervously.

"Yeah, sure. How about tomorrow. I am late for my meeting..." I rush out quickly, suddenly even more aware of the amount of people watching me. I reach into my blazer pocket and pull out a business card and hand it to him.

"That is my cell." I point to the second number listed and I quickly pull myself out of his arms and make a beeline for the door. I walk quickly towards my office building. Once in the lobby of the building I run to the elevator in my four inch black heels and catch a ride to the twentieth floor for the meeting that I am three minutes late for, and I don't have my coffee to get me through. I burst through the doors of the conference room and all conversations stop.

"So. Today we will be discussing the budgeting of our next eight projects..." I start my speech before I even sit down. My slides are already on the screen behind me and everyone jumps to take notes. After three hours of me droning on about the new budgets and budget restrictions being put into place, I am beat. I go to my office down the hall and sit on my large sectional couch in my office. I sit and start to shut my eyes before a voice disrupts me.