The Baseball Player and Me

1| Coffee & Jokes

Caroline

"Caroline!"

I looked up as the barista called my name. Adjusting the backpack at my shoulder, I walked to the counter where he stood. He was handsome, tall and thin with dark eyes and dark hair, with gauges in his ear and a scruffy beard. Handsome, but not my type.

Pulling my coffee toward me on the counter, I saw a heart drawn in the foam of the latte. Barista Boy still stood in front of me, his hands resting on the counter, and I looked up from the coffee meeting his expecting gaze.

"It's so pretty!" I said, lightly laughing as an enormous smile filled his face.

"As are you," he answered. I looked for a blush in his cheeks but saw nothing.

"Thank you," I said, feeling flush, my fingertips moving from the coffee cup to his wrist. I smiled at him genuinely, realizing I needed that compliment today.

The bells on the door jingled as a few girls entered the shop, and I released my hand and put it back on my cup.

"Have a great day, Caroline," he smiled at me as he walked to the register to help them.

I felt happiness in my heart as I retreated back to my seat. Sometimes it's the little things, the kindness of a stranger, the gentle human touch, that you need to make your day a little brighter.

My phone vibrated in my bag, against my hip, and I reached for it. 8:11, I noted the time, wondering where and who the girl I was supposed to be meeting was. School started at 8:30.

It was the first day back to school after winter break, and my cheerleader "sister" Amy asked me to deliver a backpack that her friend Rita left at her house over winter break. Amy was sick at home, and Rita needed the back for school.

I wasn't sure what the girl I was meeting looked like, or how I'd even identify her, but the backpack sat on the table in front of me, and the coffee shop was small. She was bound to find me eventually.

I was never really a coffee drinker, but when Rita suggested we meet here I couldn't object to a drink.

My phone buzzed again, but it was just junk email. I swiped through them to delete them and put the phone down on the table. I'd rather people-watch than entertain myself on my phone.

Rhett

Where was this guy?

I swung open the door of the coffee shop, not in the mood to wait on anyone. I wasn't sure who I was meeting, but he had my backpack and my sister Amy was home sick and insisted that I get it from him.

I suggested we meet at the coffee shop because it wasn't too far from my dad's house. Well, that and because Jackie, this college girl I'd been pursuing worked there.

Pursuing? Is that what Jackie and I were doing? She had big tits and a face I could stand, when she wasn't revealing the small gap between her two front teeth. She also said my name weird- more like "Rat" than "Rhett" sometimes. But she was easy, and that's what really mattered.

I scanned the counter but Jackie wasn't working today. Shit.

I was supposed to be working out. I had things to do and little time to wait. I took a seat in one of the oversized chairs against the wall near the door, waiting for this guy to walk in.

Carl was his name. The guy with my backpack. What kind of name is Carl? Why does my sister know a Carl? He sounded 50.

I looked around the room, but there were no males in the place except for the barista, River, who gave me a wave as we made eye contact.

River. That's another weird name. I only knew him because of Jackie. She told me that he was nice and hung like a horse, but he was very liberal and didn't wear deodorant. He was also like 30 and worked in a coffee shop. Not my kind of guy.

I waved back and looked down, hoping he didn't come talk to me. I mean, I'd never smelled the guy and he was always nice enough, but I didn't want to have to talk to him.

River walked from behind the counter. "Shit," I muttered, prepared to have to go through the mindless banter that you have to say to people when you have to talk but have nothing in common. But he stopped short of me at an empty table, wiping it down with a damp rag and some cleaning spray.

I checked my phone but had nothing, looking back to the door for Carl. 8:13 now and we were supposed to meet at 8. Where was this dude?

"Ready to go back to school?" I could hear River ask someone.

I felt like a dog, perking up as I heard him, and turned to see who River was talking to.

He was leaning across the table he'd just wiped, speaking to a girl who's back was to me. Her dark hair was long, and her shoulders were lightly freckled, and just over them I could see the blue backpack I was meeting Carl for.

"Yes, I missed learning, as nerdy as that sounds," the girl said, her voice was raspy, and she let out a light laugh. "But I'm going to be late if this girl I'm meeting doesn't hurry up."

Amy. My eyes physically narrowed as I realized what was going on. Amy was always scheming and joking, and that's what this was.