“Okay. I’ll get their order ready and you take the next person.” The woman motioned for us to move down to the end of the line.
“Suzanne put you down for a Reese’s and if I heard right, it’s a Chai tea on ice, blended.”
“With nutmeg sprinkled on top.” I added in before Melanie could speak up.
“I’ll get that right out for you all if you’d like to take a seat. It’ll be on the house for the inconvenience. Suzanne is new, but that’s still no excuse for the service.”
“Thank you.” Melanie gave the woman a soft smile before she headed back behind the counter to start our drinks.
“Where would you like to sit?” I looked around the cafe to the back corner at my usual table. I wasn’t sure if I wanted us to sit there, knowing that it would be intimate and personal. Melanie had been quite focused on making sure this wasn’t a date.
“How about that one there?”
I looked to where she was pointing at and then back to her. She was staring at the table, the one I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted us to sit at. The table I sat at every single time I came in here.
“You’re sure?”
“Why not?” She walked over to the table, pulling out her own chair, and plopping down right in it. She looked perfect sitting there, right against the window, where we could both look out and people watch. One of the great things I loved about this cafe was the double-sided glass. No one could see in but we could see everyone walking by. It’s where I got a lot of inspiration for some of the graphics I worked on: seeing different dynamics out in the world and bringing them to life with words from authors all around.
“I have both of your drinks.” The barista placed down our drinks on the table and I finally took my seat as Melanie snatched hers up and took a long sip.
“You two have a great day.”
“Thank you.”
I watched Melanie with intent as the barista left. Her eyes were closed as she savored the drink inside her mouth. The concoction looked heavenly in the cup it was in and I wanted to taste it but not from the straw she’d drank from. I wanted to see what it tasted like from her mouth.
“This is fantastic.”
I took a small sip of my Reese’s blended drink and nodded my head.
“I come here as often as I can to get work done. It’s a great place to come when you need to unwind as well.”
“I can tell.” She looked around the cafe where multiple people had their laptops or notebooks out. The atmosphere was calm and not as chaotic as other coffee shops around the area. The rustic vibe made it so there were no harsh lights to bring down the mood either.
I looked back to Melanie who had her eyes on me now. Her drink was in her hand but she was leaning over the table, perched on the chair with her feet under her.
“Well, Jack, you wanted us here, so what do you want to talk about?”
I pondered over her question as she took another sip of her drink, not breaking eye contact with me.
“Tell me about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Tell me about your childhood like what you loved, how you grew up, and things like that.”
Melanie leaned back in her chair with her brow furrowed. She probably wasn’t expecting me to ask that of her but it’s what I wanted to know. In fact, I wanted to know everything about Melanie but that would take time. For now, we could start with the basics.
“I was born in New York. Raised by two loving parents who still live there. I grew up with my brother, Max, which you know. I had a pretty good childhood and wasn’t much one for getting into trouble. I got good grades and was in the high school choir.”
“So, you sing?”
“Hell no!” Melanie shook her head vigorously. “I could sing what they wanted me to sing but let me tell you how if a song comes on the radio, I’m the worst in the car.”
“Dually noted.” I let out a laugh and hoped that she would continue but when the silence continued instead, I decided to ask another question.
“Did you have a favorite subject in school?”
