“When?”It takes everything in me to keep my voice level.
James sighs heavily before taking another sip.
“When, James?”I press on.
“Not now!”he snaps, bringing his mug down onto the marble with a loud bang.Coffee sloshes over the edge.“Fuck!”He steps back, covering his face with both hands.
My chest heaves.I stand there, watching, waiting.
He slides his hands down his face, finally bringing his attention to me.“What?What do you want from me?”
“I want to talk to you, James,” I repeat, frowning, no longer capable of keeping the anger from my tone.“About us.About whatever this”—I slash a hand through the air between us—“relationship we’re in is.”
James inhales sharply, throwing his head back.“Fuck me.”
“What did you expect?”
“Oh geez, I don’t know… A calm morning, maybe, like normal people?”He hurls his mug into the sink.It lands with a loud clatter, but miraculously does not break.
“Normal?”I ask his back.“Normal?”My voice rises.“What about us is normal?”
“Fine!”He slams the countertop with his palms.“Fine!Tomorrow night.”
“Why not tonight?”
“Because, sweetheart.”He leans forward, looking me square in the face.“Some of us have much bigger things to deal with than a little neighborhood café.”
“Fuck you.”
“You know, I really wish you would once in a while,” he retorts.
I shut my eyes, forcing air into my lungs.“Tomorrow night then.Will you actually be home at a decent hour?”
“No.Not here.”He grimaces as if this apartment is the worst place in the world.“Sterling.After work,” he throws over his shoulder, leaving the kitchen.
“What time?”When he continues walking, I call after him, “James!”
“What?”he snaps, turning to glare at me.
I stand up straighter.“What time at Sterling tomorrow?”
He looks up and around, as if picking a number at random.“Seven?”
“But will you be there?”I add immediately.
“Yes,” he draws out the word.“Even I need to have dinner after a long day at work.”
James enters the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
I stare at the closed door for a long moment, the sound of the slam still echoing in my ears.Silence settles over the apartment, heavy with his anger.
There’s nothing more for me here right now.
Taking a steadying breath, I grab my keys from the bowl by the front door, sling my purse over my shoulder, and walk out.
The familiar bell above the door chimes as I push it open, stepping into the comforting bustle of Maddy’s Place.The morning rush has ebbed, but a steady hum of conversation still fills the air, mingling with the rich aroma of coffee and cinnamon.Clusters of regulars occupy their usual tables, some reading papers, others chatting quietly.Though the confrontation with James still simmers beneath the surface, I force a calm smile for Mrs.Gable as she passes me on her way out, coffee in hand.
I scan the room, stopping at the table in the back corner.Lou sits there in his usual spot, spectacles perched on his nose, engrossed in the morning paper, a coffee mug at his elbow.He is a steady fixture in the café’s landscape, offering a small measure of comfort.
