The Coffee Shop

by Lauren Hunter

  “Lucky guess.”

  “Oh, don’t tell me. You remember it from some movie you watched, but wouldn’t be caught dead admitting it to Brian.” She sighed. “As you say, you’d never hear the end of it.”

  “He means well.”

  “I’ve never understood that.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The way some men treat each other.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “How often do you see videos where some guy is busy filming their friend in some painful or dangerous situation, and instead of putting the camera down and running to help them, they are so busy laughing they can barely hold the camera to keep filming it?”

  Derrick shrugged. “It’s a guy thing.”

  Annie just looked at him.

  “But why were you watching it in the first place?”

  “Hey, I didn’t know that’s what I was going to see. If I had I wouldn’t have watched. But once you start, it’s like watching a train wreck. You find yourself unable to look away.”

  “Well, there you go. There’s your answer.”

  “If I was there, I would have dropped the camera and helped.”

  Derrick laughed. “I know you would. That’s just the kind of person you are.” He hugged her close. “Why do you think I married you?”

  “Now that, I have been asking myself.”

  “I know I’m going to regret asking this but, what answer did you come up with?”

  She didn’t say anything.

  “Annie?”

  “I’m thinking, I’m thinking.” She snuggled close to him. “Do you think you could freeze this moment in time?”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  She grinned at his answer and kissed his hand. “I’m glad you came into the coffee shop that day.”

  “Me too.”

  “I’m even happier you weren’t a complete jerk.”

  “Hey.”

  “What? Isn’t that the kind of thing guys say to each other?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Oh, it’s okay for Brian to say it, but not me. Okay, I get it.” She thought on what she had just said. “Is that how guys show affection?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, like punching each other in the arm.”

  “You could say that.”

  “That’s your way of telling me to shut up on the subject, isn’t it?”

  “I would never put it like that.”

  “No, but it makes you uncomfortable to think about it. I get it.”

  “I wouldn’t use the word uncomfortable.”

  “Oh, what word would you use?”

  “That’s just it, I wouldn’t.”

  “Ah, because you wouldn’t be talking about it. Right.”

  “Perhaps spending our honeymoon talking about Brian isn’t the best subject to be stuck on.”

  “Is that your way of telling me I’m a mood killer?”

  “Now I never said that.”

  “No, I get it. It’s like baseball stats and old nuns.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  Annie laughed. “In movies, you always see the guys trying to think of baseball stats to — ”

  “Yes, I quite understand.”

  “Oh, so you’ve never had to do that then?”

  “How did we get onto this subject again?”

  Annie giggled. “That means yes.”

  “Now I never said that.”

  “I’m only teasing.” She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face. “Yes, thank God you weren’t a jerk.”

  “I can hear you.” He rested his head against hers. “You’re getting good at that. Too good.”

  “I had a good teacher. What can I say?”

  “That’s right, blame it all on the teacher.”

  “Well, what do you expect?”

  “I expect my wife to love, honor, and obey.”

  Annie laughed. “See. How can you blame me when you go around making outrageous jokes like that?”

  “Who said I was joking?”

  “Okay, I’ve got the love part down, and maybe I can even honor you. But the obey thing?”

  “I obey you.”

  Annie turned to look back up at him. “That’s called being a husband.”

  “Oh, you’re good. You’re really good.”

  “And don’t I know it.” The sun slipped below the horizon. “Oh, now, there you see it’s gone. Well, I guess that just means we’ll have to move inside by the fire.”

  “If you insist.”

  “Yes, please, dear husband, if that is okay with you?”

  “Oh, stop it.” Standing, they brushed the sand from their clothes, and slipping her hand into his, they walked inside the beach house.

  “I’ll get us some wine, while you build the fire.” She grinned. “We could do this the other way around, but if you actually want there to be a fire some time tonight, believe me when I tell you, it’s best you do it.”

  “Right.”

  “That is…you do know how to build a fire, right? You have built a fire before, haven’t you?”

  “Yes?”

  “Oh dear.”

  “What? That’s not much of a vote of confidence.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. Just because you’ve never done it before doesn’t mean you are totally inept.”

  “No, just partially?”

  “I never said that.” She stared at the fireplace. “Perhaps it would be better if I did it. I mean, at least I know how you’re supposed to do it. I could just never get it to work for me though.”

  “All right. Let me at it.” He rolled up his sleeves and went over to the fireplace.

  “Make sure the flue is open before you do anything.”

  “The what?” he asked.

  Annie stopped dead in her tracks. “You really haven’t done this before, have you? I think it would be best I do it, so we at least don’t wind up burning the place down.” Coming over to the fireplace, she kneeled down next to it. “This — ” she pointed at a lever inside the fireplace “ — is the flue. It needs to be open to let the smoke out. Believe me, you don’t want that to be closed once you have a roaring fire going.”

  “I take it you’ve done that?”

  Annie grinned. “Only once. But I can tell you I never did that again. That is one mistake you don’t repeat.” She pushed the flue open. “This is how someone showed me. You take some newspaper and wad it up under the grate, then put some kindling on top of the grate. Then once you get that going you put the medium sized pieces of wood on top of that.” She held out one of the long matches for him to use to light the newspaper. “You want to make sure you keep it going long enough to catch the wood on fire, then put the larger pieces of wood on top of that.”

  Standing, she walked off in the direction of the kitchen.

  “What? You trust me with this all of a sudden?”

  “The flue is open. It’s pretty much set up for you. You should be okay.”

  “Such faith.” He grinned at her. “Or is it that at this point it’s pretty much a no brainer, and for me to mess it up would be a sign of someone that is truly a…”

  “A what?”

  “So you were listening.”

  Annie smiled. “You’ll be fine. I’m going to get the wine.”

  “Okay.”

  Annie opened the door to the fridge, she had stocked it with all his favorite foods. And taking out the white wine sitting just there at the front, she took two glasses from the counter and went back into the living room. “I know you’re supposed to wait ten minutes, or is it twenty?”

  “Depends on who you ask.”

  Stopping where she stood, she stared at the roaring fire before her. “My, you are talented. And on your first try too.”

  “What can I say? I had an excellent teacher.”

  Annie grinned at his remark. “You’ve done this before, haven’t you? In fact, you are an expert fire starter.”

>   “What makes you say that?”

  “You just wanted to watch me make a fool of myself.”

  “Why, Mrs. Sloane, such things you say.”

  “Just for that, you can open the wine.”

  “Is that your way of saying you’re too weak to do it?”

  “And here you had accumulated such high marks.”

  “Does that mean I am back to square one?”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  He opened the wine. “You sure you want some?”

  “Got to get used to it if I want to look the part.”

  “All right then.” He poured it into the glasses, Annie curling up next to him on the floor up against the sofa. “I don’t want this day to end.”

  She turned her head to look at him. “And here I thought the girl was supposed to say sappy stuff like that.”

  “Did you just call me a girl?”

  “And what’s wrong with being a girl, might I ask?”

  “Hey, don’t get me wrong. I’m real glad you’re a girl.”

  “Well that’s good to know, considering we’re already married.” Smiling up into his face, she then leaned her head on his shoulder. “I don’t want it to end either.”

  “It’s nice to know we can agree on something.”

  Closing her eyes, Annie sighed.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Just want you to know, I checked for you and your flight is leaving on time.”

  “Oh, you are so sweet.” She ran over and wrapped her arms around his neck. “How did I ever get so lucky as to have someone like you?”

  “Good question.”

  “Oh!” She smacked him on the arm and smiled up at him.

  “Well, we’d best be going.”

  “We?”

  “I’m taking you to the airport.”

  “You are?”

  “Why sure. What did you think I’d let you do this alone?”

  “Yes, actually, I did. It’s just the airport. I figured you have much more important things to do.”

  “Like what?”

  She shrugged. “Sleeping in?”

  “Wow, you really do think me a lazy, selfish bastard, don’t you?”

  She laughed, and patted him on the chest. “Just a little bit.”

  “Hey!”

  “Just kidding.” But he was looking down at her. “Oh, come on.” She reached up tweaking his cheek, and he grinned. “That’s better.” She glanced at her watch. “Well then, you’d best get dressed if you’re coming.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Ma’am? I’m not ninety years old, I’ll have you know.”

  He laughed, and walking back into the bedroom, he returned shortly wearing his best suit.

  “Well. And to what do I owe this?”

  “I’ll think of something.”

  “Don’t think I have that much time.” But then she looked at her watch. “Then again, maybe we do.”

  “Hey!”

  “Thought that would get your attention.”

  “What, you don’t think I pay attention when you talk to me?”

  “I’d like to think you do.”

  “But you feel the need to test me now and then. I get it.” He made a harrumphing sound, not unlike the old men in the park that sit on those benches watching the people walk by.

  “Now, now.” She smiled up at him, and a grin turned up the edge of his mouth.

  Walking her to the door, he grabbed her suitcase wheeling it for her.

  “My, we are the gentleman today.”

  “Why yes. Didn’t you know?” Grabbing his keys from the glass bowl on the table by the door, he locked the front door and crossed to the elevator.

  “Wow. Giving me a ride to work and now the airport.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Oh, God. You’re not going to marry me again are you?” A look came over his face, and Annie brought her hand to her mouth. “Oh God, you were.”

  “No, I wasn’t. But to hear you tell it?”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “No?” Derrick frowned.

  “No, I…” But then she couldn’t hold a straight face any longer, and she smiled.

  “You’re having me on.”

  “What?”

  “You’ve been hanging around with Brian, haven’t you?”

  “Brian?”

  “God, I should have warned you about him. He can be a real…” But then he smiled himself. “Nice one, Annie Sloane.” The elevator stopped, its doors opening to the ground floor. “After you.” He motioned to the front door, shaking his head, and they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Derrick walking up to the taxi waiting at the curb.

  Annie stood staring at the taxi. “What’s this?”

  “The limo got a flat.”

  “I thought you had a fleet of them, or something.”

  “Not one that would be here in time.” Tipping his head back, he looked down his nose at her. “Are you suggesting I am incapable of taking a taxi?”

  Looking down the street, she thought about it. “No. It’s just that I have never seen you in anything but a limo.”

  “Did you just call me a snob?”

  “I would never do any such thing.”

  “You just called me a snob.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Why, that’s…that’s defamation of character. I could have you brought up on charges of slander. You could be fined, or serve jail time, or maybe even be hung up by your thumbs. Oh wait that’s…”

  She stared up at him.

  “What?”

  “Oh nothing, I just seem to remember a conversation in a coffee shop, something about overkill.”

  Derrick stared back at her. “You remember that?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” She patted him affectionately on the chest. “After all, you were most impressive.”

  “I was?”

  “Well, maybe the puppy dog look after that jerk spilled his coffee all down your front had something to do with it.”

  “Excuse me? Puppy dog look?”

  “Oh yes. And you are very good at it, I must say. You could give lessons, you are so — ”

  “Yes, I believe I have the idea.”

  “Oh but it was all part of your charm.”

  “You thought me charming?”

  She sighed, smiling as she remembered their first meeting. “Yes, I could safely say, you were most charming. I especially liked the remark about the pink boxers.”

  “Ah, that.” He grinned sheepishly. “Well to be honest, that wasn’t part of the act.”

  “Act?”

  “When I am trying to impress someone I would always put on an act.”

  “Are you saying that whole conversation with me that first day in the coffee shop was an act?”

  “Well that’s just it. With you, it wasn’t. You made me so nervous I couldn’t think straight. So what you got was me being pretty much a fumbling twit.”

  She laughed, bringing her hand to her face.

  “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what?”

  “Don’t cover up that perfect smile, on that perfect face.”

  “Okay, now you’re just laying it on thick.”

  “Never.” He drew his fingers across her face, and brushing a stray hair from over her eyes he sighed. “I am so lucky.”

  “Okay, now I know there’s something wrong with you.”

  “You two going sometime today?”

  They turned to see the taxi driver staring out his window, his fingers tapping impatiently upon the steering wheel as he waited.

  Annie laughed, and Derrick leaned in the cab window. “Could you pop the trunk, please?”

  “Whatever you say, pal.”

  Putting Annie’s bag in the trunk, Derrick then held open the door for her and she climbed in, Derrick following her into the taxi.

  “Airport, please.”

  The taxi driver looked at Derrick in his rear view mirror. “Airport? You
got to be kiddin’ me, pal.”

  “I kid you not.”

  “Listen, this time of day, that ain’t gunna happen.”

  “Could you make it happen for a thousand dollar tip?”

  The driver chuckled. “Yeah, right.”

  Reaching into his inside coat pocket, Derrick pulled out his wallet. Withdrawing a wad of hundreds, he peeled off ten bills holding it up so the driver could see it. The driver became deathly quiet, his eyes fixed upon the wad of cash.

  “For that, buddy, I will make it happen. Even if I have to drive on the sidewalks to get there.”

  Slowly a smile made its way across Derrick’s face. “I kind of had a feeling you would.”

  Pulling into traffic, the driver maneuvered his way down roads Derrick didn’t even know existed in this city. “No!” Hitting the steering wheel, he stared at the street ahead. “Ah, shhh — ” he looked to the rear view mirror, seeing Annie was watching him “ — oot.”

  Annie grinned at his display.

  Derrick leaned forward on his seat. “What’s the problem?”

  “Road work! Forgot all about it. Wasn’t planning on being on these streets today.”

  “I’m sure you can find a detour.”

  The driver met Derrick’s stare, and the look of determination etched its way deeper into his face. “If I have to get out and carry it!” Backing up, he pulled down an alley, making his way onto the next street.

  “I don’t believe this!” Derrick stared out the taxicab window at the coffee shop there before him. “Pull over here.”

  “What? Hey buddy, I thought you said you wanted to go to the airport?”

  “Well I’m taking a detour. Pull over.”

  “I can’t. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m in the middle of bumper to bumper traffic, with no empty spaces. Pulling over just this second, ain’t gunna happen.”

  “Fine. We’ll get out here.”

  “Derrick, what are you doing? We don’t have time for…” But then she saw what he was staring at, her eyes coming to rest upon the coffee shop where they’d met.

  “What do you say?”

  “Derrick,” she looked to her watch, “we can’t.”

  “It won’t take long. Just a quick coffee, for old time’s sake?”

  “But my luggage.”

  Derrick directed his gaze upon the driver. “You still want that thousand dollar tip?”

  “Hell yeah, buddy.”

  “Keep circling around until we come back and then pick us back up.”