The Café

Katie got ready to go to the party. When she told Lynn about him inviting her, she told her to be careful. The older woman had heard about the parties the boy and his friends were known to frequent and they were known to have an excess of alcohol and that the fear of running out was never thought of.

She wasn’t sure what she should wear, but figured that John’s friends were not ones to throw a classy party that required one to be dressed up. She found a simple striped bodycon dress and some black Dr. Martens, not caring how her hair looked, she left it down. Grabbing her purse and worn jean jacket, she walked down the empty hall, down the old metal stairs and through the wrought iron door the finally down the back alley to the cafe.

She hated that alley. It was dark during the day and even darker during the night, every once in awhile there would be a homeless man digging through the dumpster or a man trying to sell drugs in the dark space. Normally she would not go through there, but she was running late, or so she thought. She clutched her purse to her side looking all around her; her eyes wide with fear of the unknown, the fear of what was lurking in the shadows, the corners or behind the dumpsters. She walked faster when she heard footsteps behind her and quickly turned her head, but no one was there or at least no one that she could see.

The alley was not very long, but in the dark it seemed as though it lasted forever. She saw the street illuminated by the street lamps grow closer and she silently rejoiced when she reached the light.

As she rounded the corner to the shop, Katie hoped that John was there. She did not want to wait to see what it was that she heard in the alleyway. Unfortunately, John was not there yet, no one was; the cafe was closed as were all of the businesses nearby. She threw on her jacket as a cool breeze passed. That night it was oddly cool for Arizona, she shivered waiting for John. They had decided on a time, but both agreed that there was no need to hurry to the cafe. She regretted leaving her key to the cafe at her apartment and she also wished that she had John’s phone number.

As she sat hugging her arms around her body she saw an old white pickup truck come down the nearly abandoned street. It stopped in front of the cafe and John opened the door.

“I’m sorry I’m late, Katie. I hope you weren't waiting for a long time,” he said looking down at her apologetically. It wasn't until that moment that Katie realized how tall John actually was, she knew that she was short about five feet and two inches tall, but he had to be about a foot taller than her. He gently placed his hand on her right shoulder and guided her to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door for her, closing it after she had gotten situated in her seat.

They drove about twenty minutes into the country until they came upon an one-story hacienda style home. Music was pounding and pouring out of the house, all of the lights were on. Through the windows silhouettes of people dancing with and grinding on each other could be seen. There were people in the front yard most had red Solo cups, some were getting into their cars and Katie hoped that they had sobered up enough to drive.
While Katie enjoyed parties, she was uncomfortable at them unless she knew most of the people, or at least more than one. She did not want to look clingy, but she involuntarily clung to John. He seemed to be looking for someone, she decided that it must have been the friend who invited him.

Finally, he found who he was looking for. John tapped the man on the shoulder and the stranger quickly turned around. “John, you made it! And who might this lovely little lady be?”

“Austin, this is Katie. Katie, this is my friend, Austin Gibbs,” John introduced the two with his arm around Katie.

Katie politely muttered a greeting, shaking Austin’s hand.

“So, John, are you two together?” Austin asked looking at Katie as he did so. Katie could feel his eyes on her, but they were not perverted like the men who came to the cafe when she sang.

“Nah man. We are just acquaintances really. I just know her from where she works.”

John and Austin talked for awhile, mostly about how Austin’s last tour went. Katie thought that he had forgotten about her standing there until his arm wrapped around her shoulders and began to trace a circular pattern on her upper arm.

“Katie, what’s your poison?” John asked Katie before he went to go their drinks.

“Rum and coke, please.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished they hadn’t, they just flew out too quickly, almost as if they were second nature. With that answer, he left the girl with Austin.

With her answer, Austin looked at her with a certain appreciation, almost as though he had more respect for the girl, now that he knew that she drank more than the stereotypical 'girly drinks.'

"A girl who can handle her liquor, huh?" he questioned, moving his brows.

Katie simply smiled and subtly nodded, "I'm pretty sure it's in my blood," she laughed.

"I don't understand," he responded.

"I'm Russian."

“So, you’re a musician?” Katie asked the mustached man trying to change the subject, tired of talking about the mind numbing substance. He nodded. “That’s your profession?” Again, he nodded surprised that she did not already know that figuring that John would have told her. “That’s amazing. God, it would be wonderful to be able to do what you love for a job.”

“It really is, I love it. We all do otherwise we wouldn’t do it. So now that you know what I do, what is it that you do?”

“I work at a cafe,” she replied knowing it sounded lame compared to what he did.

John returned and handed Katie a red cup with she took thankfully. “I guess I will introduce you to my friends,” John said taking her wrist.

She slowly sipped from the cup embracing the feeling of the liquor burn down her throat. After being introduced to everyone that John thought was important the two sat down on the couch in the living room.

“So Katrina, tell me about yourself,” the man said to her earnestly looking into her eyes.

She knew that they would become friends, even if he had called her his acquaintance, she just knew that they had a certain chemistry between them.

“Well, there really is not much to tell that you don’t already know. I work at the cafe every morning and I love it. I sing there on Mondays and Thursdays. I have a car that hates to run, but I love the old thing; I live alone with my cat. I was a social outcast in high school and am not much different now. Anyway, my life is so uninteresting, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” she replied.

“I am a writer of sorts,” she wanted to laugh when he said that feeling as though the statement was unnecessary since he brought that notebook to the cafe everyday. He continued, “I love music so much that without it I don’t think I would be able to breathe; I live with a roommate and I have an old truck, but you already knew the last one,” he chuckled.

“So how long have you worked at the cafe? It couldn’t have been that long, I mean, I go there everyday and I only just met you,” John asked.

She thought for a bit, then counted to five on her fingers. “About five years, I believe. I started when I was sixteen, so yeah about five years. Wow, I can’t believe it’s been so long! It makes me feel so old!” she laughed. He could see the creases her smile made in the corners of her eyes and the way her eyes lit up the more she laughed.

“I can’t believe that you’ve worked there for as long as you have and I have never seen you!” John said enthusiastically and a bit surprised. “Katie, you don’t even look old enough to have worked there that long. I would have never guessed that you are twenty-one.”

Ignoring John’s comments on her age, she continued to ask him questions. “So continuing on this line of current employment, how long have you been a ‘writer of sorts’ as you put it?” Katie asked sliding a little closer to him, something she would have not done, if there hadn’t been alcohol in her system.

This caused John to think for a moment. “Well, I have always been a writer, but I have only been in the my current occupation for about the past three almost four years.”

“May I ask what this ‘current occupation’ consists of?” Katie asked.

“I think that that would be best saved for when neither of us in inebriated.”

The two sat and conversed for a while, talking about anything and everything, laughing at one another. Both figured that it was the alcohol fueling their conversation, however, the effect of the alcohol had worn off about an hour after they sat on the couch.

John drove Katie back to her apartment and walked her up to her door and lightly kissed her on the cheek. She blushed at his touch, but knew that the gesture was clearly platonic, although she found herself wishing that it was not.

“Thanks for inviting me to the party, John. I really had a great time.”

“I did too, well, I guess I will see you around sometime?” he said wanting to have the confidence that was in his voice earlier in the night, however it seemed as though it had all been depleted.

“Sure,” she said as she waved good-bye to him and called out good-night as he got into his truck and drove down the road.