Coffee Shop

            I really thought that Will and I might be able to do the whole friends thing. I mean, after I made it clear I wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship with him, he’d been respectful of that. No flirting or romantic touching, no conversations trying to convince me to give him another shot. It was great.

            Now…well, now things have changed.

            I had to go to this meeting outside of the office right in the morning yesterday, but was running late because my alarm didn’t go off. Dad left without me and Eliza had already gone for the day, which left me without a car or a ride. I called Will, and he picked me up and got me to the meeting on time. 

            After, Will came by to pick me up, and since I hadn’t gotten any breakfast, we decided to stop by a coffee shop and get something. While Will searched for a parking spot, I got out and waited in line to place our orders.

            I was the last person in line with about five other people ahead of me. After standing in line for only a moment, the door opened and I turned, thinking Will might have been lucky with finding a spot, but instead found myself staring at Fred.

            If there had been any thought that my love for him had lessened over the past few weeks, that was proven false when I first saw him. I felt lifted, lighter and happier than I’d been in a long, long time, and yet ever the more agonized, because this moment was the closest I’d been to winning him back in years. 

He looked surprised to see me, but pleased as well, and joined me in line. We were both hesitant and shy and unsure as we stumbled out some greetings, but soon found our footing. This is, essentially, what I remember of our conversation:

Fred: I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that when I found you, it’d be in a coffee shop.

Me: As anyone who knows me would say. Though I am surprised to see you here. I mean, Carrie mentioned you were coming, but I didn’t know when exactly.

Fred: We got in last night…I did get your number from Lucy, but I just wasn’t sure if I should use it since I didn’t get it from you, and…well…

Me: I would have loved a call. But as it is, this is a pretty fun alternative.

Fred: Yeah? Good to know.

And here is where I melted under the stare of his dark eyes as well as every romance novel cliché you can think of. I wanted to kiss him, but thankfully at this point it was my turn to order. I put ours down, and then Fred his. While we were waiting, the conversation went like this:

Me: So you got my number from Lucy, huh? Do you see her much?

Fred: Yeah, she and Ben are practically inseparable, and seeing as Ben’s staying with us, I still see her often.

            Carrie had been right. He didn’t seem unhappy about it, and talked about it as if it were a sister and not a woman he’d been interested in. It gave me a little bit of hope.

Me: How’s everything coming along, by the way? With the new business?

Fred started to tell me about it, but while I was wrapped up in listening to him, Will came up behind me, putting his hand on the small of my back, and greeted me. Fred stopped talking mid-sentence and his demeanor completely changed. I stepped out of Will’s hand as the barista called out our order. I asked Will to get it just so I wouldn’t leave the two of them alone.

            While he turned to get our coffee and pastries, Fred asked who was with me. Everything from his posture to his voice was tight, all of the friendliness from our earlier conversation gone. Will was back quicker than expected, handing me my coffee and bear claw. But the awkward meeting was delayed as Fred got his coffee. Then he came back and the two of them looked to me for an explanation.

            I introduced them both as friends, and they shook one another’s hands with strength that would rival the most aggressive business tycoon. 

            I suggested we find a table, but Will asked if I had that kind of time, or if I had to be back at the office. I said I had twenty minutes to eat a Danish and drink some coffee with a friend. Will insisted, saying that we really ought to go, since he, too, had to get back to his office. But when Fred volunteered to give me a ride back in his rental car, Will checked his watch and said he had more time than he’d thought and decided to join us.

            In retrospect, maybe I should have just left then, though really I was hoping for a chance to talk with Fred one-on-one if Will left early or something. The conversation mostly consisted of Will and Fred questioning each other—what they did, who they knew, what school they attended—while I sat there, trying to keep things from getting nasty. I’d taken the seat next to Fred, but that didn’t stop Will from wiping icing off my face with his finger and then licking it, or calling me “Anne-girl” (a name he’d never used for me before). 

            I wanted out of there quickly, and so I sped it up as much as I could, though I think all three of us wanted to get out of each other’s company. I promised Fred we’d have to get together sometime while he was in town, which seemed to pacify him as I left with Will.

            In the car, Will asked me “who that really was.” But at that moment, I didn’t like him very much. To be so immature, so possessive! The way he kept touching me, as if we were together and he was marking his territory in front of Fred was completely inappropriate. He hadn’t earned the right to hear about someone so near to my heart, in fact, he gave me every reason to guard it all the more. So I said he was just a friend, and while he didn’t say anything else about it, I don’t think he bought it, either.

            I had been feeling a little guilty for planning on leaving the city after I’d just befriended Will, but after yesterday, I’m just glad I have an excuse as to why he won’t be seeing me anymore.