By Rifath Islam
[Part One appears in LAST MONTH’S ISSUE]
…WE NOW RETURN TO THE COFFEE SHOP WHERE THEO AND ADELINE HAVE JUST MET…
Around 5 minutes had passed before Adeline returned with a steaming cup of coffee. With a smile, Theo accepted the cup and asked her to sit down.
“I really shouldn’t. The shop’s still open and it isn’t even my break yet.”
With puppy dog eyes that he had learned from Jen, Theo pouted. “Please? Just until I go? You can help keep me company.”
Adeline opened her mouth to decline, but closed it and just nodded. “Okay….”
Theo grinned. As Adeline settled herself into the seat opposite Theo, he spoke up. “So, how long have you been working here for?”
“Since I finished college. Gabe, the boss, is my older step-brother and he offered me a job here until I found a more secure one, so here I am,” Adeline explained, ending her sentence with a
flourish of her hands, gesturing to the coffee shop.
“Oh, you went to college? What did you study?” Theo asked, peaking interest.
“Well I majored in Art History, but I also took a few Lit classes ’cause I always wanted to write a book.”
So, in the 20 minutes that it took Jen to get through the blizzard, Adeline and Theo managed to get to know a lot about each other. Theo learned that Adeline was only 24 and that she wasn’t much of the holiday type. Adeline learned that Theo worked at his Uncle Harvey’s Auto-Body shop because he loved cars and that he never went to college. She also learned that Dean’s little sister Jen (who she actually found out wasn’t that little because she was in college) went to Stanford, but was here in Michigan because she was on break. The two also managed to find out if they were single. Turns out, they both were, how ironic.
All in all, it was a good conversation, so when Jen showed up to pick up Theo, he was hesitant to go. Instead, he grabbed a pen from Jen (why she was carrying one around, he didn’t know) and a napkin and wrote down his number. Sliding it over to Adeline, he said “We should finish this. Like, get to know each other. Call me?”
Theo was playing it cool, but inside, he was a mess, hoping that Adeline didn’t think he was being too forward. Thankfully, she accepted the napkin with a graceful smile.
“Sure, I’ll see you around then?” Adeline followed Theo’s lead and stood up.
Theo nodded. ” ‘Course.” And with that, Theo threw one last smile towards Adeline and left with his sister in her family car.
“So, who was that?” Jen asked with a smirk.
Theo held back the grin that was threatening to overtake his face. “No one, just some girl that works at the place.”
A grin broke out on Jen’s features. “Is that why you gave her your number?”
Theo’s face turned the slightest shade of red. “Shut up,” he said with much embarrassment. The topic wasn’t brought up any more between the two.
Back at the coffee shop, Adeline walked back to the order station and slipped herself back behind the cash register. Matthew gave her a knowing grin.
“So, who’s your boyfriend?”
Adeline blushed and picked up a nearby rag, chucking it at the ginger. “Shut up!.”
Matthew stayed quiet, but they both knew that the conversation, if you could call it that, wasn’t finished.
[To Be Continued!]