Fall

After a long day of learning I escaped the heat and educational environment by getting into my car and stopping at a Starbucks on my way home; like I usually do in order to get most of my homework done before I enter that crazy apartment in which I call my life and family.

I sat at the far corner table like I do every Tuesday and Thursday after school and drank my caramel frappaccino as I occasionally did some work, but mostly people-watched. There was a teenage couple sitting across the way chatting idly, a mother getting her coffee fix while her husband comforts their young son, a couple of students sitting at the bar with their Mac computers, and – and a tall, lanky looking guy, with dark black Ray-ban’s, and short messy brown hair walking up to the register.

There was something about the man that made me drawn to him. I just couldn’t figure out why. When I saw him turn and look in my direction briefly, I decided that I better give my attention back to my books.

“You want me to bring you over some of your regular?” Cindy, the middle-aged women who has worked here probably since before I even started with my new-found Starbucks habit, asked as she passed by after she cleaned off some of the other dirty tables.

“Yes, please,” I replied to her with a meek smile. “I have an Accounting test next week, and I’m seriously convinced I’m going to fail.”

“They should just pass you,” she joked, “I mean, you’re a smart girl with a real bright future, and I bet all those jobs and the baby really take away time from your schoolwork.”

I sighed, “That’s why I come here twice a week,” I told her. “I need some time to myself. And I just love your coffee, Cind,” I added the latter and it caused her to chuckle.

“Alright, well let me jump on this so you don’t have a withdrawal and drop dead right in front of me.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem, honey,” Cindy replied as she walked back behind the counter.

In the midst of trying to read and memorize all my notes, I heard someone call my name. But I didn’t answer because it was my nickname, and the only people who call me Nat are the guys – everyone else just calls me Natalie. The weird thing was that it was a male’s husky voice, and just hearing that alone was able to make me hold my breath.

“Natalie?” the male spoke again, but his voice was more even. He was now standing in front of me – standing next to the vacant chair across the table. I looked up and he raised his sunglasses so that they sat on his head.

“John?”

That sideways smirk arose when he noticed the disbelief in my voice. “Yeah,” he answered me. “I knew it was you. You look good,” he complimented me. “You cut your hair,” he took notice to that random detail.

“So did you.”

He ran his hand through his hair and faint memories came rushing back, and I had to push them out of my mind. “Yeah. I’ve had it like this for a while, actually,” he told me. “I like it short.”

“It looks good on you,” I told him with a light, forced smile.

“Is anyone…” he pointed to the open chair next to him, asking if he could sit down.

“Yeah,” I said and he stopped from sitting down, “I mean, no – you can sit down.”

All he did was smile his signature perfect smile and took a seat.

“So what are you reading?” he asked intrigued as he took a sip of his coffee.

“My accounting notes,” I sighed as I thought about this upcoming test.

“You’re still in school?” he questioned.

“Yeah. I transferred to ASU last year.”

“That’s cool.”

“Yeah… I got further than you,” I said in an attempt to joke around.

“Always knew you would,” he replied, “I was never the school type.”

“That you weren’t,” I said with a smile as I snacked on a piece of my blueberry muffin.

Before this lack in conversation could take an awkward turn, Cindy showed up with a cup and a pot of coffee.

“Here you go, sweetheart.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem,” she replied. Then she took notice to the other person sitting there and gave me a questioning and somewhat knowing look. “Why hello there,” she greeted John with one of her sweet southern smiles.

“Good afternoon,” he replied to her with one of his head nods.

“Cindy, this is John. John, this is Cindy,” I jumped in to introduce the two, so that they didn’t have to.

“Cindy is a beautiful name,” of course John said that to her. I guess old habits don’t fade away.

“Why thank you,” she thanked him and then turned to give me another one of those knowing looks, to which all I did was nod. “Well you two have a lovely evening, you hear,” she concluded as she dismissed herself to go back behind the counter.

“How do you know her?” John asked to pick up the conversation.

I took a sip of my freshly brewed coffee before replying, “She’s worked here ever since I started my little ritual.”

“And that might be?”

“I come here every Tuesday and Thursday right after I finish my classes.”

“That’s cool,” he nodded his head agreeing with his own statement. “How long have you been ritualizing?”

I was pretty sure he made up the last word but I responded with a “Since last year.”

He chuckled to himself, “Makes sense.”

“Yep.”

His phone started to vibrate in his pocket and John took the liberty to take this break in silence to check the text.

“Look, Nat, I gotta run,” he said and I thought I heard a hint of sadness in his voice, but that just may have been the hope in me playing tricks. “We should do this again, sometime,” he added hopefully and then asked, “Next Tuesday, good?”

I was a little surprised. I never meant or imagined to meet or run into John at one of the most random places or times. And it was also weird how our lives just randomly seem to cross paths, nearly two years later at a Starbucks because we both have acquired an unhealthy habit for coffee.

“Yeah, sure, that’s fine,” I rambled, “I’ll be here.”

As he stood up he hesitated for a moment, internally conflicted with himself. “I’ll see you later,” he gave me a small wave, returned the dark sunglasses to their rightful spot, turned around, and walked out of the refreshing air-conditioned shop and into the blazing Arizona heat.

“Bye, John,” I whispered mostly to myself as I watched him prance away, with that outstanding courage and confidence radiating from him like always.