“You’re sure you’re not burned or anything?” My hands were now out of their coffee-soaked gloves. He gently took my hands in his and examined them, turning them over, presumably to see if they were burned. It was extremely awkward, and I wasn’t feeling particularly cold anymore. In fact, I was equally hot, flushed, embarrassed, and annoyed, I’d say.
I replied, “Really, I’m fine. I just need to get my friend a coffee.” As he looked around for the friend in question, I looked around to see where the damn coffees were.
“They should be right here.” He smiled at me, as if he were advertising for a toothpaste commercial. My fight-or-flight response had reached overdrive, and I scanned the room hoping for an escape plan to present itself.
Thankfully, our new coffees arrived in a moment’s time, and I took my hands back. “Thank you for replacing my coffees, not at all necessary,” I said. “It was very nice to meet you …” I continued as I skirted toward the door.
“I didn’t get your name,” he said, watching me carefully.
I ignored his question. Not because I’m awful but because I’m awkward. I had absolutely no idea how to behave between the shock of the spilled coffee, the insanely hot guy, and the desire to get the man outside a cup of coffee. My brain was in conflict, and I couldn’t wait to get back outside into the cold for some relief. “Thank you again,” I said quickly as I made my way back out of the shop.
“Hope to see you again soon …” he said quickly as I hustled out. I couldn’t possibly say another word for fear of saying something incredibly stupid, simply nodding as I rushed out, my hands full of coffee. I’d become a bumbling fool out of nowhere.
So annoyed with myself and the whole encounter, I tried to shake it off and then realized I’d left my damn gloves inside. Completely irritated, it seems I’d forfeited them. There was no way I was going back in for them. They’d been sacrificed for humility, and I’d have to just get a new pair in my shopping adventures.
As the cold air stung my face, I came to my senses. Inhaling dramatically, I regained my composure and found the homeless man I was trying to do a holiday good deed for. No good deed goes unpunished.
Chapter Four
Jason
I always stopped for coffee after dropping Emily off at school and sometimes again in the afternoons. We lived just far enough outside of town that the school bus didn’t come to our house. Even if it did, I’d still take her. It was one of my favorite things to do each morning and had become part of our normal routine.
On that particular day, I needed an afternoon pick me up, and I swung by the coffee shop. Running into the mystery woman was certainly outside of the routine.
She was stunning, and something about her made me laugh. How I didn’t insist on getting her name was beyond me, but she’d run out of the coffee shop before we had a chance for a real conversation. I knew just about everyone in town, and she was definitely not local. Maybe visiting her family—it was the holidays after all. There were always a lot of visitors and even quite a few tourists this time of year.
Through the window of the coffee shop, I watched her leave and then discovered that, not only was she beautiful, but she was kind as well. Her friend, the one she was getting coffee for, was the homeless man I’d encountered the night before. She handed it to him, chatted for a moment, and then walked away. I needed to find out who she was.
Outside the shop, the homeless man was warming his hands with the coffee and saying hello to those who would acknowledge him. I continued to wonder who he was, but at the forefront of my mind was finding out whoshewas.
“Hello there,” I said as I approached him.
“Ah, good afternoon, Jason.”
“How did you know my name?” I never spoke with him at the diner.
He laughed joyfully. “Why, the waitress, Diana, from the diner, gave me your name. Thank you for the hot meal on a cold evening. You helped keep an old man fat. Much appreciated. I’m Gabe.” He rubbed his belly and then returned his hand to his coffee cup.
I found it strange that Diana would tell him my name. She had offered to take the food out to him while Emily and I ate the other night, and when we left, he was gone.
“Gabe, nice to meet you. And you’re welcome.”
“That pie really hit the spot.” He smiled.
“The pie was my daughter’s idea. Everyone needs pie apparently.” I grinned, thinking about what a kind little girl she was.
He chuckled. “Yes, everyone does need pie. She’s an adorable young lady.” He looked around and then took a step closer to me. “Is there something I can help you with, Jason?”
Standing there, I wasn’t sure why I was so compelled to talk to this guy, but I was. He seemed like a genuinely nice person, who was probably just down on his luck, but I had no idea. “I was wondering, do you know that woman? The one that brought you coffee?”
“Oh, she’s quite lovely, isn’t she?” He smiled, as if he were musing at something. For being homeless, and likely quite cold, he seemed happy.
“Uh, yes. Yes she is.” It was windy, and I pulled my coat a bit tighter around me.
“So, you like her?” he asked me.
I didn’t quite know what to say. “I … uh …” I stuttered. He was rather blunt, and I was taken aback by his comment, which wasn’t altogether untrue.
