Six years since the simplest of answers impacted my life in ways I never could have imagined. I bring a worn mug to my lips, finding the once steaming liquid has cooled to a tepid unpalatable state. I rise from the worn chair as memories of what followed that night cause me to pause in my quest.
Her eyes smiled at me, crinkling from the edges, warming the coolness from my bones.
"I'm sorry, but all I have here is cream and sugar." I nodded shyly, sliding up onto the end barstool.
"That's fine, as long as it's caffeinated." I heard her low chuckle as she disappeared to the other end of the bar, reappearing with a steaming mug.
"Thank you." She sat the mug down, placing a dollop of whipped cream on the top. Leaning across the bar, she whispered conspiratorially
"I hope you like Baileys. I made it into an Irish coffee to take off the chill." I smiled, sipping lightly. The liquor meandered its way down my throat, warming me through to my toes. I nodded my approval.
"Very good coffee, Rhy." She raised a brow at the shortening of her name, but a beautiful smile played across her lips. Another patron ordering a refill cut our silent conversation short. She winked at me, and worked farther down the bar. I sipped more of the coffee, nursing the mug in both hands. Once she reappeared, I smiled, already noticing I was growing quite fond of our silent exchanges. She leaned towards the middle of the bar, just to be certain I could hear her above the pool table and other patrons.
"Now that you are here, I'm not quite sure what to say. That, and the conversation would be short. Would... Would you like to get a bite to eat? I'll be off my shift here in about fifteen minutes." Her eyes steeled, as if preparing for a rejection. I smiled and nodded, placing my almost empty mug on the bar.
"I would love to." Even to this day I don't believe her smile could have been any brighter.
Over the course of the past few years, those green eyes have held many emotions, from the ones that captured me, to those that enrich my life daily. One of my greatest discoveries was that coffee shop. I stop there on occasion. The faces have changed, and the comfortable, relaxed feel has been replaced with the young and hip. We still manage to go on our anniversary and reminisce over those few weeks of cat and mouse. Any expectations we had were set-aside after only a few months, realizing this was deeper than either of us could have known. We decided to find out together. I startle as arms wrap around my waist and warmth seeps through the back of my robe. A light kiss next to my ear accompanies a shiver down my spine as her breath tickles my neck.
“What can I get for you, love?”
“Coffee please.”
