Sunshine and Espresso

The sound of bells ring as I push open the door, the smell of tasty baked goods and caffeine hit me like a ton of bricks. This is always the highlight of my morning. The beautiful barista appears at the counter and flashes me a smile. I can feel myself blushing, the heat flushes my cheeks.

“Good morning Tom, the usual?”

“Of course” I reply

I’ve yet to muster the courage to say more than a few words to her. Her name tag reads Lindsay but I always wonder if it would be weird to address her by name as we haven’t been formally introduced.

I head over to my regular seat by the window. St. John’s is notorious for its overcast foggy weather but it’s a beautiful morning for once, the sun just peaking through lighting up the freshly cleaned table.

Lindsay walks across the floor towards me, there is always a happy spring in her step, she moves like royalty. Every step perfectly balanced regardless of the weight of the tray she carries. Her golden hair framing her face making her features pop. Her bright green eyes sparkle like sunshine on water, her matte red lip gloss contrasts her freckles against the light complexion of her skin. She elegantly lays a mug of coffee and delicious looking piece of chocolate cake in front of me.

On any given day there’s typically a crowd in the quaint little coffee shop but today I’m the sole customer. I suppose everyone is out enjoying the rare sunshine. Here’s my chance to crash and burn without the embarrassment of onlookers.

“Have you tried the cake” I ask gesturing to my untouched plate.

“Isn’t it wonderful? Margaret bakes them fresh each morning”

“Would you like to take a seat and share a bite with me?” I ask shyly

“Oh, I couldn’t impose” she says with a smile

“I insist”

Surprisingly she takes a seat across from me. I slice the moist cake in half, it buckles like a sponge underneath the weight of the knife. I scoop a piece into a napkin and slide the other half left on the plate over to her.

“Thank you” she says politely and takes a bite.

We talk for about an hour enjoying each other’s company before any customers managed to come in interrupting our chat. Lindsay is unnervingly easy to talk to. I’ve admired her from afar for so long it’s mind boggling that we haven’t had a more intimate encounter before now.

Her parents live in a community a few hours away called Trinity. Her Father is a mechanic and her Mother is a receptionist at a dental clinic. She grew up on a hobby farm and moved to the city to pursue dance. The more I learn about her, the harder I fall.

I stand up and head to the counter to pay, I’m already going to be late for work but it was well worth it.

Lindsay makes her way back towards me after taking the order of a young couple. “Heading out so soon?” She asks with a sly grin.

“Unfortunately” I say

I proceed to pay and thank her for sitting with me.

“It was my pleasure” she reassures me

I walk out to my old black 99’ Ford cobra. I call her black Betty. Not much to anybody but that old car was my dream car as a boy and she’s been good to me. Other than a small exhaust leak she’s in great condition. I sit in the driver seat and throw my receipt up on the dash, a flash of blue ink catches my eye.

I grab the receipt and flip it over. On the back in tiny neat handwriting was a note. “Tom, thank you for the cake. If you would like to chat again sometime my number is 699-4323”

My heart skips a beat and I can’t help but look up and smile. Silently thanking God for chocolate cake. I didn’t crash and burn after all!