Coffee Shop Soundtrack

I had been calling Makenna since yesterday, but she wouldn't answer me. I knew it would happen at some point. Everything would come crashing down eventually. It always does.

I understood why Makenna was mad, but it doesn't mean she had a right to be. She was doing the same thing to me every single day. Twice this week she was talking to her husband on the phone right in front of me, like it didn't matter at all. She would say I love you and hang up. That hurt me but I didn't freak out on her.

Regardless, she didn't want to talk to me. She wanted nothing to do with me and she made it very clear.

My phone started vibrating and I answered it right away. "Hello?"

"We have to be there at 5:00 tonight to set up," Garrett said, "We go on at 7:00. Don't be late."

"Alright." I hung up the phone and sighed. I forgot all about the show tonight and now I was dreading it. When it first came up I was excited. I thought Makenna could come and listen to the music live for the first time since she found out that almost every song was about her. Now she wasn't even talking to me. I knew she wouldn't show up.

I picked my phone back up and dialed Pat's number.

"Hello," he answered after the first couple of rings.

"Pat, hey," I said. "What are you doing before the show?"

"Well, actually I'm meeting Makenna at Donna's in a half hour." Perfect, I knew it.

"Great, I'll meet you guys there," I hung up before he could say anything back.

I knew my plan wasn't very well thought out. How was I supposed to actually talk to Makenna with Pat there? Right now this was my only option.

I threw on clean clothes and brushed my teeth before jumping in the car. Donna's was about a twenty minute drive from my apartment now. Getting there early wouldn't hurt either.

Once I got there, I wasn't surprised to see I was the first one there. I went inside to get my usual coffee and then took a spot at a table outside. It wasn't long before Makenna and Pat showed up. Their cars pulled in at almost the same exact time. I watched Makenna get out of the car and run to give Pat a hug. They laughed and walked over to me. When Makenna saw me she stopped for a second before trailing behind Pat. He obviously had not told her I was going to be here.

"Hey," Pat said, "I'm going to get a coffee."

"Pat, could you get me a cinnamon roll? I just want to sit down."

"Sure," Pat said.

Makenna watched Pat walk in before turning to me. "What are you doing here?"

"Pat didn't tell you? I sort of... invited myself." I smiled.

"This isn't funny, John," she said. She was mad and I knew that she would be. "I told you to leave me alone, I don't want to see you."

"I need to talk to you, Kenna." I wiped any sarcastic expressions from my face and got serious.

"There's nothing to talk about," she said. "You can't make up any excuses. I know what I saw."

I nodded. "I'm not trying to cover it up, Ken. I just want you to understand." I sighed. "Makenna, what am I supposed to do? Break up with my girlfriend because I'm sleeping with you again?"

"Yes."

"You're doing the same thing to me, Makenna." I tried to grab her hand from across the table but she pulled it away. "I know how you feel. It hurts. It hurts when you are on the phone with your husband, saying I love you's back and forth. I just sit there and act like it doesn't matter but it kills me. And I'm sorry you walked in on me and Ash, I'm sorry that I hurt you. I don't ever want you to feel like that. But it's not fair to tell me that I am in the wrong when you are doing the exact same thing to me."

Makenna looked towards the door and motioned that Pat was coming. I immediately shut up. I wasn't satisfied yet, but at least I was able to get my point across.

Pat sat down and passed Makenna a cinnamon roll before taking a sip of his coffee. Him and Makenna launched into pointless conversation and I sat there half listening and watching Makenna. Watching her face light up when Pat said something to excite her. Then watching her look at me and have sadness fill her eyes again. I hated that look. I had come to know it so well. It always happened right after I screwed up. In high school, I knew I would always have her running back to me. Now she was unpredictable.

Pats phone vibrated on the table in front of us and he answered it right away.

"Hello?" Pause. "Right now?" Pause. "Okay, I'll be there in a bit."

"What is it?" Makenna asked, she was disappointed. She wanted to spend time with Pat and now he was leaving.

"I have to take my drums over to the venue right now. I don't know why," he stood up.

"Well, I should go too." Makenna got up and hugged Pat.

"You sure you don't want to go tonight? I'm sure your mom would understand."

Makenna flashed a look at me really fast, "Um, I'm sure. I haven't spent a lot of time with her lately."

Pat nodded. "If you change you mind, just show up." He didn't bother saying bye to me before walking away, probably because he knew he would see me in a couple of hours.

Makenna looked at me. "Bye," she said, in a not so great tone. She started across the parking lot.

"Wait, Makenna," I called. I got up and slightly jogged up to her next to her car.

She turned around and looked at me with her sad eyes again. "Please think about what I said."

Makenna looked to her left, waving at Pat as his car drove by us. She looked back at me. "I just don't know if this is right. We're not in high school anymore, John."

"Makenna." I didn't know what to say to her. She was right, what we were doing was wrong. We both were in another relationship. We were older, more mature. We shouldn't be doing it, but I wanted to.

Makenna looked at the ground and back up at me. She was waiting for me to say something else, something reassuring. Something to make her change her mind.

"Makenna, I love you," I blurted out. She looked surprised, but the sadness that was previously in her eyes was no longer there. "Please come tonight."

She bit her lip. "Um, I'll think about it."