Candy Girl

01 | Love At First Sight

The Week Before Christmas Eve had been freezing cold. It was as if winter would never end, blanched snowflakes seemed to trickle endlessly from the clouds. But despite the dreary sky, the streets of Lexington, Virginia were bustling with activity.

Families hurriedly shopped for their share of this year's Christmas gifts. Something my family never involved themselves in.

I worked at the Blue Coffee Shop to assist in my college debt. Before I stepped inside to clock in I would spend ten minutes lingering at the entrance. I knew my co-workers assumed I spent my time before shifts smoking cancer sticks and flirting with strangers.

The truth was I hadn't smoked a cigarette a day in my life, and the people that often walked these streets weren't my type.

-

"Devilah, I need a really big favor." Linda's little voice pleaded from behind me.

Pursing my lips, I did a 180 towards her. Her shivering hands were cupped around her mouth that seemed to be frozen in place.

"Yes?" I said annoyingly, I already knew what she had to ask.

You see, Linda had this fiancé that stayed a few towns over who would only visit on holidays. Whenever he did, she would normally nag me to take up her shifts and without hesitation, I would accept. It wasn't like I had anything better to do.

After releasing my wrist from her grip she shuffled into her PT Cruiser and before I noticed it, her little grey car was nowhere to be seen.

I didn't waste another minute before I stepped inside the Coffee Shop and began walking towards the employee's door while simultaneously ridding myself of my faux fur coat. The kitchen smelled of sweet dough and grounded coffee beans, a scent I'd come to love throughout the past year. I tied a yellow apron around my waist and tried my luck at switching on the coffee machines.

It was 7:00 AM on a Friday morning, relatively early for anyone to meander into the shop. For that reason, the sound of our chirping bell caught my attention. In walked a petite woman, with 'unapologetically confident' seeping within every stride it took her to reach the our cashier, Tony.

The first thing I seemed to notice about her were the sunglasses she wore. They were darkly shaded, so much that I couldn't even see the outline of her eyes. I'd like to convince myself that it was for those sunglasses in particular that I couldn't tear my eyes from her.

In spite of the lack of sun outside, she had yet to take them off inside the shop. Tony produced a generic smile and with such a stale voice recited our greeting.

"Welcome to Blue Coffee, how may I take your order?"

I already resumed to my work when I heard Tony call back a caramel macchiato. No time was wasted before there was the sensation of a pair of eyes burning holes into the back of my head.

After coating the top of her macchiato in caramel I walked to the front counter to hand her the cup.

"Thank you," She briefly looked at my name tag then graced me with a smile, "Vilah".

I nodded in response. If I'd been a few shades lighter she would've known that my cheeks flushed as soon as she said my name.

I skimmed her outfit, she was dressed as if she worked in an office. A black fitted dress suit, heels and a leather briefcase that was gripped in her left hand. Before I could say anything to her, she checked her watch and quickly dropped a five in our tip jar.

Just as she came into the coffee shop, she left. Leaving the smell of vanilla behind her. It wasn't until Tony elbowed me with the goofiest smirk on my face that I realized I was frozen at the counter.

Still standing at the counter I turned to him,

"Who the hell was that?"