“Health food Nazis?”
“Isn’t that an oxymoron?”
“Is it? Although I’d say it’s more moron than oxy.” Sitting up, he stared. “Can I go out and come back in again?”
“I’m sorry?”
Closing his eyes, he shook his head. “Not as much as I am.” And then he laughed as he looked back at her. “Oh, my God. Does this feel like high school to you? Because it does to me. I haven’t been this awkward and stupid since I was a teenager.” She was staring at him, and he smiled, leaning back into his seat. “If the point was to go for something memorable, then I can honestly say this is a conversation you’ll not soon forget. Only not in a good way,” he muttered to himself.
Leaning forward onto the table, Annie rested her head in her hands. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Do you know how many guys try to impress me with their fancy talk and charming ways? You’re imagining a number right now, aren’t you?”
Sitting up, he straightened before her. “Me? What? No.”
Looking back down at her coffee, Annie smiled. “Well, whatever number you’re thinking it’s not that many. And I can tell you sometimes that can be a huge turn off.”
“Which part?”
“The part about men trying to impress me.”
“Oh, I thought you meant about me thinking of a number.” He laughed and stared in the direction of the counter. “Do they sell alcohol in here? Because I could use a drink right about now.” She smiled up at him, and he shook his head. “You can’t be serious. Me acting like the idiot that fell out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down, actually impresses you?”
“Well, I wouldn’t use the word impressed exactly. More…refreshing. Real. Here you are trying so hard to make this impression and instead…I think it’s sweet.”
“Sweet? Okay, I don’t think I’ve ever been described that way before.”
Leaning back, her gaze returned to her coffee. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Oh God, no. No. Hey, don’t listen to me. I didn’t mean anything by it, honestly. No, I guess what I meant by that is I’ve never met someone like you before.” He too looked down to his coffee. “And I’m glad I did.”
“You’re right.”
“I am?”
“This does feel like high school. I like it.”
He sighed deeply. “I take it this is your day off then?”
“My day off? Oh no, I only work part time.”
“And that’s enough to pay your rent?”
“Well no, actually.”
Her expression became distant, and he wondered what he had said. “I’m doing it again. Don’t pay any attention to me. It’s none of my business. You just tell me to shut up.”
“No, you’ve done nothing wrong. You just reminded me of something I hadn’t thought of in a while. That’s all.”
“Oh God, I seem to be batting a thousand.”
“What exactly does that mean, anyway? Batting a thousand? I hear it all the time, and I know the inference.”
“You don’t really want to hear this?”
“Well, now I’m curious.”
“Okay, well that’s when a player has a hit for every at bat in a game.”
Looking at the table, Annie nodded her head. “I only work part time because I don’t need the money.” She shrugged. “My parents started up this hardware store. One thing led to another, and over time, they had two, and then three.”
“I take it they have more than three now?”
“Yeah, you could say they have more than three now.”
“Have I heard of it?”
“Maybe. So, when my parents passed, the whole thing got left to me.”
He had the distinct impression she didn’t like talking about it, hell, she didn’t even like thinking about it from what he could tell, almost like she was embarrassed, even ashamed, of the fact. But then she smiled up at him.
“I work to feel useful. To feel like I’m contributing something. And, to be honest, there aren’t a whole lot of jobs for philosophy majors.” He watched her. “I know, I know, how can working at a health food store be considered contributing to society?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“No, but you’re thinking it.”
“That’s not what I was thinking.”
“Okay, then what were you thinking?”
He hadn’t expected so direct a question, and it took him completely off guard.
Leaning over the table, Annie smiled.
“I’d rather not say.”
“Oh, that bad huh?”
“No, actually, I was busy thinking how glad I was to have met you.” He scrunched up his face and opened one eye to see her looking at him. “God, I just realized how much that sounds like another line.”
Taking a sip of her coffee, she sat silently looking at it as she held it out before her. “Me too.”
“Which part? ‘I’m glad to meet you’ or ‘that sounds like another line’?”
“I’m glad to meet you.”
“Okay, you must be from another planet, no, another dimension not to be running screaming for the door right about now. How is it I can mess something up so bad and have you still sitting here actually talking to me? Let alone telling me you are glad to have met me.”
“I don’t know.” She was staring at him as if studying him. “There’s just something about you. It’s like… I can’t put my finger on it. I just know being with you is what I’m supposed to be doing right now.” She leaned back in her chair and he stared at her. “Oh, now I’ve gone and said something to make you wish you’d not come.”
“Never,” he reassured her.
She grinned. “I’d like to call you sweet just right now, but I don’t want to offend your masculinity.”
“I was never offended by it. I just never met anyone that was nice enough to use it.”
“I think you’re hitting your stride, Mr. Sloane.”
“Ah, you were to call me Derrick, remember?”
“Yes, I seem to recall something about that conversation. Wasn’t that the one with the pink boxers and something about a chain?”
Derrick closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, that’d be the one.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Would you like to maybe walk, or something?”
“Sure. Sounds good to me.”
“All right then.” She smiled, and getting up, she slung her purse over her shoulder.
“Uh, you know, you really should zip that up. That’s way too tempting for someone to just reach in and help themselves.”
Looking at her purse, she shook her head. “Oh I know. I keep doing that. Angela keeps telling me the same thing. I must be really lucky someone hasn’t already robbed me blind.” But then she smiled. “Hey, maybe I’ve got a guardian angel or something.”
Opening the door, he held it for her as she walked through. “You lived in L.A. long?”
“Moved here after I graduated from college. Just needed a new scene I guess. Too much small town living can get to you unless you like that kind of thing. But how did you know I wasn’t from here?”
“It’s pretty obvious.”
“Obvious? You mean like a deer caught in the head lights?”
Derrick laughed, and he saw her smile.
“I’m glad I can entertain you with my country ways.”
“No, no. I just…”
“Hey, I’m just pulling your chain.”
He burst out laughing. “Oh, you’re good. You’re really good.”
“That’s what they tell me.” Then the smile dropped from her face. “I mean about joking, not about being good at something else.”
She blushed, and he tried not to smile but he couldn’t help it.
Bringing her hand to her face, she closed her eyes. “Oh God, I don’t believe I just said that.”
“Neither do I.”
Opening her
eyes, she laughed. “Oh, now you’re just making it worse.”
“Am I?”
“Yes, you are.”
She smacked him playfully, and he smiled. It felt good, her touching him, and he wondered if she’d do it again.
“I’m not usually this…”
“What?”
She sighed. “You have this effect on me, Derrick Sloane.”
“Oh, I like the sound of that.”
“I’ve never admitted that to a guy before.”
She turned to him, her brown eyes looking up at him as she tucked her shoulder length blond hair back behind her ear.
He hesitated. “Can I admit something?”
“Please.”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t come back.”
Once more she stopped, turning to look up at him. “From the moment we met I knew I’d see you again. Is that weird? That’s weird, isn’t it?”
“If that’s weird, then that’s my kind of weird.”
They walked for a while, not talking.
“So, what time do you work?”
“Oh, I go in at noon. That way Angela gets to take her lunch break, while I confuse customers with my complete lack of knowledge in anything health related whatsoever.”
She was waving her hands as she talked, and he grinned at her admission of ignorance.
“What?” She laughed up at him.
“Hmm?”
“You’re smiling.”
“I am?”
“Yes. It was what I said about being a moron, wasn’t it?”
“No.”
“Because I’ll admit, it is pretty funny. Well, maybe not to the customer that gets the laxative instead of whatever I should have given them.” She stopped and looked away.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“I was staring. I’m sorry. I have a habit of doing that. I know, people tell me I do that and I make them uncomfortable,” Derrick explained.
“No, I’m just self-conscious about being looked at. The whole braces as a kid thing, I’ll be damned if I can shake it. Stupid I know.”
“No, that’s not stupid at all.” He walked in silence as though thinking on it. “Now that bit about you giving your unsuspecting customers laxative…”
She tilted her head back and laughed, scrunching her nose in this way she had. “Now that’s not funny!”
“Then why are you laughing?”
“Because I’m not supposed to.”
“Sorry?”
“You know.”
“No.”
“You’ve never been in church and got the giggles?”
He just stared.
“You’ve never been in a situation where you can’t laugh, but find something funny, and then because you can’t laugh it makes it even funnier…”
He continued to stare.
“Let me guess, you’ve never been to church?”
He shook his head apologetically.
“What’s that look?”
“What do you mean?”
“You look as if you are apologizing for something you’ve done wrong.”
“Have I?”
She laughed. “No. You most certainly have not.”
“Oh, and just so you know, I’ve never giggled before either.”
She grinned and nodded her head. “Yes, I’ll give you that. But you’ve never been in a situation where you couldn’t laugh, and you just feel like you were going to lose it, right there in front of everyone?”
He shrugged. “I guess there wasn’t a whole lot of laughing when I was growing up.”
She brought her hand up holding his arm, and their eyes met, but she withdrew it and looked away.
“So, I bet those customers you gave the laxative to came running back, huh?”
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him. “Oh, you are terrible.”
“So they weren’t hopping mad, then?”
She smiled at his question and turned back to walking. “No, after that happened, a couple of times, I was taken off sales. Now I just stock shelves and dust things, and if someone asks where something is, I am allowed to point them in the right direction.”
“So, you’re not even allowed to talk anymore?”
“Huh?”
“Well, you said you’re allowed to point.”
“Oh, well, I’m supposed to smile — ” she demonstrated “ — and then say, it’s over there, or it’s in aisle so-and-so.”
He burst out laughing. “And they pay you for this?”
Once again, she gave him a playful smack. “Yes, they do. I’ll have you know I am an excellent shelf stocker, and nobody dusts better than I do.”
“So I should call Guinness then?”
She was about to smack him again, but then she took a step back. “Okay, smarty pants.”
“Smarty pants? Who says that anymore?”
“I do, I’ll have you know.”
He nodded.
“Oh, and what word would you use?”
He opened his mouth, but then wagged a finger, laughing. “Nice try.”
“Try?”
“You were testing me.”
“Testing you? What, like in school?”
“No, to see if I’d actually say it.”
“I don’t mind. I don’t use those words myself, but I have no problem with others using them. I am not a prude. And to expect everyone to be exactly like me is asking a lot. I mean why should they be?”
He could see that she meant it, and he nodded his head. “Just as long as you are happy with what you are doing, that is all that matters.”
“Exactly. So what if I am not finding the cure for cancer. That should be left to people that actually have a chance of figuring it out. If I got in the way it would only slow them down.” She sighed. “No, I know I am not destined for anything great. And enjoying life as it is, is what really matters. I don’t need any more than that. Do you?” He hesitated, and she brought her hand to her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“Whatever for?”
“I never meant to suggest it wasn’t perfectly fine for someone else.”
Her expression was so contrite that he had to laugh. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t take any offense.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. If you think that’s an insult, you should hear some of the stuff I’ve had flung my direction over the years.” He saw her watching him closely. “Or maybe not.”
She looked to her watch. “Oh, I’ve got to get to work now.” She shrugged. “Oh, but I’ve never asked you what it is you do?”
“Oh a little of this and a little of that.”
“Isn’t that another way of saying entrepreneur? Oh, but in a nice way.”
“Annie, you really have to stop worrying about hurting my feelings. I’m a lot tougher than you think.”
She was staring up at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No, what?”
“You just used my name, that’s all. And I was surprised at how much I liked it.”
“Boy, you don’t pull any punches do you?”
“Punches?”
“Maybe that wasn’t the right word. God, I’m back to doing this badly again, aren’t I? What I meant to say is I’m glad I was able to,” he paused. “Okay I am just going to stop there before I totally mess this up.”
She smiled. “I had a nice time.”
“Me too.”
“There, see. You can admit something nice too. You’re perfectly capable of saying it.”
“You know, you’re right.”
She started to step away.
“What time are you working tomorrow?”
She turned back to him, continuing to walk backward as she talked. “The morning shift. From seven to noon.”
“Seven? They open at seven?”
“Of course. These healthy types don’t waste any time lazing around in bed you know. You’d be surprised
how many customers we get that early in the morning. Why, some of them would consider the day to be half gone by nine.”
“You sure you don’t work on a farm?”
She laughed.
“So, would it be all right if I came around tomorrow, at oh, noon?”
“Sure, if you like.”
“I like.” He shook his head. “I did not just say that. Forget I said that. Use your mental eraser and just…oh never mind.”
She smiled and turned, walking down the street, glancing back as she walked away.
“Yes,” he muttered to himself. And he had to restrain himself from swiping the air with his fist, for fear she’d look back just then and see him. With his luck, that is exactly what would happen, and then he’d spend the rest of the night moaning over how stupid he felt.
Chapter Three
Angela gaped as Derrick walked in the door. “Oh my God! That’s Derrick Sloane.”
Annie turned to look, but Angela gripped her arm like a vice. “Ow. Hey, let up on the Hercules grip, I might actually plan to use that arm later and blood flow would be a really good idea.”
Angela turned to stare directly at her. “When you said you met some guy named Derrick, you didn’t think it might be relevant to mention it was, oh, I don’t know, Derrick Sloane?”
Annie frowned. “You know Derrick?”
Angela’s face became blank of all expression. “Okay, this ostrich with their head in the sand routine of yours, really has to stop, Annie. You need to actually read a newspaper, or oh, watch a newscast once in a while.”
Annie just stared.
“You really don’t know, do you?” Angela sighed, lowering her voice. “Derrick Sloane just happens to be one of the richest men in the country, I’ll have you know.”
Annie heard the words, but they didn’t register, and she looked back at Angela, feeling confused. “He is?”
“Oh my God, girl.” Angela grabbed her by the arms and pushed her in Derrick’s direction. “Go talk to him. And for God’s sake don’t mess this up! Oh, and please stop saying stuff like Hercules.” She grimaced as though she was in pain. “Nobody uses those expressions.”
Annie looked at Angela. “I do. And I’m not changing myself for anyone.”
“I admire your conviction, but Annie, you’ve got to learn to live in the real world.” Angela shook her head. “Now go! Go before he changes his mind.” Giving her another shove in his direction, Annie went stumbling toward Derrick, pulling up just in front of him.
The Coffee Shop Page 2
