Coffee Crush

A young romance

“It’s quiet today,” was my inept attempt to make conversation by inanely stating the obvious.

“Yeah. Boring,” the pretty Asian girl replied, while frothing the milk for my cappuccino, then she cheekily added, “What’re you doing here anyhow?”

“Umm, I’m buying myself a coffee,” I grinned, foolishly proud of my attempt to be funny.

She rolled her dark eyes behind square rimless glasses.

“Sorry. I brought my mum in to visit her friend who has Influenza A and Pneumonia. She’s just along there in Ward 15A.”

“Right, so antibiotics and anti-virals and lots of fluids, probably intravenously.”

“Exactly! You should be a doctor.”

She shrugged, “Well, I am doing my Master’s, but not in Medicine. Food Technology.”

“That’s great. When will you finish it?

“The end of this year, if all goes well.”

“Good luck with it then.”

I have mates who banter effortlessly with girls, but I always feel awkward and tongue tied. I could’ve told her that I’m doing my Master’s too, but she might think I was bragging, or worse still, lying. Though I badly wanted to stay and chat, I couldn’t think of a plausible reason to prolong the conversation, so I wandered off.

*****

“You want to go to the hospital again Mum? This afternoon?”

“Well, yes, I’d like that. Poor Alice would enjoy another visit, but haven’t you got better things to do young man?”

I shrugged, trying to convey nonchalance. “Not really. I’m fairly up to date with my studies and I can hit the books just as well there as I can here.”

Turning up at the hospital again, in hopes of getting better acquainted with the girl I talked to the day before would be the act of a desperate fool, but nothing ventured nothing gained.

*****

As soon as we arrived outside Ward 15A, I excused myself. “I’ll leave you to it Mum. I’ll have a stroll about, send a few texts, do some studying, whatever. See you in a couple of hours.”

I felt like a stalker as I approached the counter.

This time I went with a simple, “Hello.”

“Large cap, half strength, right?” She asked.

“Er, yes. Right.”

“No sugar.” A statement, not a question.
.
“Your memory is amazing.”

“Too easy. You were here yesterday and I take mine the same way. Half strength, no sugar for me,” she laughed, “I’m sweet enough already.”

“So says your boyfriend.”

“Haha, if I had one, I could only hope.”

“I would, if …”

I worried that was very pushy and hoped she didn’t mind. Fortunately another customer approached and saved me from making a greater fool of myself.

*****

The next day I really wanted to visit the hospital coffee shop, well, see the girl, but I could I hardly ask Mum if she wanted to go yet again. She’d start asking questions that I didn’t feel like answering. I decided to go alone, without an excuse to be there.

I tried to stroll casually into the cafeteria, but felt ridiculously awkward. She was there! But, unfortunately the place was crowded with a queue of customers waiting. I decided to get a coffee anyway. A different girl took my order and wrote my name on the paper cup. After a longish wait, I collected my cappuccino, found a seat at a remote table and figured I should actually study if I couldn’t engage in flirting with my dream girl.

Engrossed in taking notes from my textbook, I’m not sure how much later it was when I looked up to find the shop was almost empty and ‘she’ was clearing tables.

“Hello again. I’m back.” I mentally cringed at my pathetic greeting and scrabbled for something intelligent to say.

“So I see,” she picked up my empty cup from the table, “Rick.”

We both laughed, though it wasn’t that funny.

“What’s so interesting in your book?”

I really do like her outgoing cheekiness. They say opposites attract; it’s a forlorn hope, but maybe, just maybe…

“Oh this is riveting stuff.” My voice squeaked like a twelve year old. I cleared my throat, shut the book and held it so she could read the title.

“‘Shigley’s Mechanical Engineering Design’. How romantic.”

“Are you a romantic then?”

She looked away and her lips twitched. I dug my nails into my palms and berated my clumsy self.

I tried to recover. “I think I’ll have another coffee. Would you make it to go please. Time’s getting on.”

I congratulated myself for devising an authentic reason to linger.

“Coming right up Rick, shouldn’t you get one for your mother too?”

“No! I mean… no thanks, um, actually, she’s not here today.”

“She’s not?”

“I’m, I came by myself self to, er,” I fumbled for a plausible lie, but blurted out the truth, “I just came to see you.”

She flushed pink and busied herself with writing on the cup.

“Anyway Miss, it’s not right that you know my name and I don’t know yours.”

“Is that so Ricky?”

She slid a cup tray with two cups toward me and disappeared out back. I’d embarrassed her by saying I’d come especially to see her, made her confused, so she’d messed up my order then ran off.

Annoyed with myself, I squawked, “Hey, I only wanted the one cup.”

Her muffled voice sounded through the open doorway. “Mmm, I know. You can bin the extra one if you don’t want it.”

“Okay, thanks, I think. Gotta go. Anyway, it’s been good talking to you. ’Bye.”

“Yeah, ’bye.”

I’d struck out, as usual. Oh well, while it lasted, it’d been kind of fun.

I really didn’t want two coffees, so as she’d suggested, I stopped by the bin. I took the cup with my name on it from the tray, which then became unexpectedly light. The ‘extra’ cup was empty!

On the side, in bold black letters, my coffee crush had written:

LILY LEW
0491 570 006
CALL ME

Reviews

[lizzie]

Hey! Reading your story felt very cinematic the emotions and pacing translate effortlessly into visual moments. Several scenes played out like panels in my head.
I’m a professional comic/webtoon artist, and I’d love to connect if visual adaptation interests you.
Instagram: lizziedoesitall

[chloe olivea]

haha super cute!! i love this so much, it was short and simple and lovely to read! felt myself imagining it in my head as i read too haha! feels like a scene from a fun, upbeat 90s rom-com!