Serendipity

"Where in the hell have you been?" Was the first words I heard as I stepped off the elevator on the twenty-fifth floor. Hurrying down the hall I looked to my right to see my co-worker, Lillian, following beside me. "Tailor is going to kill you, Faith," She told me as we got to my wooden desk and I began setting all my belongings in their rightful place.

"Did the meeting start yet?" I asked her, scurring around trying to take off my red trench coat. With help, Lillian took my undercoat from me and placed it over my computer chair while nodding.

"It should be over any second now," She told in her Geordie accent. "What was taking you so long in the first place?"

"Well, the line pretty much wrapped around the entire block and then right after I got my order I ran into some boy, spill-"

"Was he fit?" The five-foot-four, blonde interrupted with a twinkle in her light blue eyes, causing me to playfully roll my eyes.

"I swear you ask me that question every time I tell about someone of the opposite-sex, Lill."

She scoffed, "No, I do not." Which was a complete lie--just last week when the postman stopped by and I had to sign off on some papers, she bombarded with over twenty questions like: 'Was he cute? What was his name? How tall was he? Did you get his number? Etc. Lillian was like your average, sixteen-year-old, boy crazy teenager...but probably even worse.

"Yes, you do," A familiar Scottish accent found its way to my ears. Turning around, my eyes caught sight of another good friend/co-worker, Benny. "I could hear you two from a mile away."

"Oh, shush, Benjamin. Faith is trying to tell me about this boy she met today."

"A boy?" Benny gasped, leaning further over my desk, "Give us the dets, love."

"What 'dets,'" I air quoted, "Nothing happened, I just spilled the expresso on his shirt, apologized, and then ran out of there. That's it."

"Oh, come on, you had to get his name," Lillian proceeded, hopping on top on my workspace.

Taking a quick sigh, I took a small piece of my hair and placed it behind my ear, "His name was Har-"

"Hunington!" I could hear Sir. Tailor's voice utter just a few feet from me. My heart began to race, knowing that in that tone of voice he was in no happy mood.

Slowly turning on my heel, I gave my boss a fake smile--hoping he would at least give me one back, but of course that didnt happen. "My office now," He spoke, silencing the whole room and forcing all eyes on me, and then exiting the area. Before following his instructions, I gave a quick glance to Benny and Lillian, who were ushering for my to follow him and mouthing the word, 'Go.' Taking a loud gulp, I did what I was told and slowly found myself on foot to his office.



"I can't believe he fired you," Lillian spoke over her bowl of chicken noddle soup while she, Benny and I sat at our regular table in the middle of CeCe's Café. The bistro was owned by a lovely, elderly couple who named the place after their only daughter, Cecilia. Benny had told us about the place awhile ago after his boyfriend, Kyle, told him about their amazing apple pie and since then we've been coming in.

"I know, and just over some organic expresso and banana bread," Benny agreed, taking a sip of his hot cocoa.

"That banana bread is amazing though," Lillian mumbled while blowing the steam away from her soup, forcing a kick to come her way from Benny. "Oh, sorry."

"It's fine," I shook my head, and took a small bite of my turkey sandwich.

"No it's not, Fai. It's unfair, you've done way more than any of his past assistants have ever done and he's just going to throw you out like trash, fucking bollocks."

"Would you like more tea, love?" Mr. Button, the elderly man asked me with a pure smile on his face.

"Please," I said, giving him a small smile and then went back to my original pout.

"Why the long face?" He questioned, pouring some the the crushed, liquid herbs into my mug.

"She lost her job today, Mr. Button," Benny informed the much older man.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Faith," He apologized, placing his hand on my shoulder, "If there's anything Mary and I can do, we would be glad to help you, love."

"Thank you so much, sir."

"No problem, anything for my three best customers. You know what, I'll go run over there and tell Mary to bring you out some chocolate cake," He nodded, picking up his tea kettle and wobbled his way over to his wife, who was over the counter. We all watched as he made his to her and started a short conversation, and before she walked away into the back kitchen he placed a kiss onto her lips--causing us all to awe in excitement.

"Ugh," Benny groaned, placing his hands over his heart, "I can't wait until Kyle and I get married."

"Me too," I murmured, playing with the crust of my meal, "I've always wanted to attend a gay wedding."

"Speaking of marriage and relationships," Lillian joined in the conversation and then eyed me, "So what else happened with you and expresso boy?"

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head in annoyance, "I told you the story already."

"Well, you still haven't given us his name," Briefed Benny.

I gave him a quick evil eye, and took a deep breath, "He said his name was Har-" And there I was being interrupted yet again, but this time it wasn't by a loud yell it was from Lillian's iPhone. Watching as she digged in her purse, she pulled out her cell with a losted look on her face.

"What?" Benny and I questioned, looking at each other and then at our friend sitting on the opposite side of us.

Rising up her phone so we can see the screen. Faith in big, white block letters was read on top of the iPhone screen. "Why are you calling me?" Lillian questioned, confused.

I quickly pulled my bag off my chair and began scrummaging through it to find my own mobile. After a good minute or so, there was no luck even after I looked in my pocket on my coat.

"Where the hell is my phone?" I breathed, searching all around me even under my chair.

"Should I call it back?" Lillian wondered.

"Duh!" Both Benny and I nearly shouted at her.

After putting her pass code and dialing back my number, we waited for an answer.

"Hello?" She answered after a good fifteen seconds. We watched as she interacted and mumbled a few words to the person on the other line, and almost a minute later Lillian was passing the phone to me. "It's for you."

'Who is it? I mouthed, awkwardly taking her iPhone. All she did was give me a small shrug, and smirk which caused Benny to scoot his chair over to her--asking her who was on the other line.

"Um, hi," I spoke, combing my brunette hair--stopping mid-way.

"Oh, um, this is the girl from Monmouth Coffee, right?" I remembered that voice from anywhere--that deep, slow, masculine voice from that early morning, the voice that belonged to Mr. Harry.

"Harry?" I gasped a little too loud, forcing a few eyes to look at me.

"Um, yeah," He laughed, and then cleared his throat, "You had dropped your phone earlier, and I tried to catch up with you, but you know, you were a little too fast for me."

I giggled, "Oh, sorry about that. I was in a rush."

"I could tell," He chuckled again, and sighed, "Well anyway, maybe later around three, we-we could meet up at M-Monmouth again and you can pi-pick up your phone and we could get some c-coffee if you like? Or you c-could have me send it to-to you, and-"

"I would love too," I interrupted him, "Around three, right?"

"Um, yeah," He gulped.