“Okay, just hang on, and I’ll get us both some coffee to warm ourselves up with,” I replied.
“Thank you so much.” He rubbed his hands together and huffed his breath into his palms.
“I’ll be right back.”
I ran in and ordered two large coffees, taking in the warmth of the shop. That New England air had a chill to it that needed to be eradicated from the inside out with that piping hot coffee. As I turned quickly to leave with my two cups, I smashed into the rock-hard chest of an innocent bystander as if he were a brick wall.
“Shit!” I blurted out, hot coffee covering my gloves and seeping through to my skin. “Oh my God,” I exclaimed, as I looked up at the man before me.
As his strong arms righted me and took the smooshed cups from my hands, he asked me, “Are you okay? Those were hot coffees. Let me get you new ones.” I met his eyes, and as I locked with the crystal blue in them, I forgot how to speak for a minute. He was beautiful.
“I … uh … No. I’m fine.” I had been traveling all day and looked my worst. I was annoyed even more after catching a glimpse of his New England lumberjack hotness. You have got to be kidding me.
Laughing, he said, “No, I won’t take no for an answer. Come here. Let me help you get cleaned up, and let’s get you some new coffees. It’s the least I can do for barreling into you to get my fix.” He pulled me to the side of the shop, handing me a stack of napkins.
Regaining my composure but not losing my attitude, I forced a smile. “It’s not a big deal. I’m totally fine,” I replied as I dabbed at my gloves with the napkins. I watched as he motioned to the young girl working the counter that he needed two more coffees.
“You’re sure you’re not burned or anything?” My hands were now out of their coffee-soaked gloves. He gently took my hands in his and examined them, turning them over, presumably to see if they were burned. It was extremely awkward, and I wasn’t feeling particularly cold anymore. In fact, I was equally hot, flushed, embarrassed, and annoyed, I’d say.
I replied, “Really, I’m fine. I just need to get my friend a coffee.” As he looked around for the friend in question, I looked around to see where the damn coffees were.
“They should be right here.” He smiled at me, as if he were ad
vertising for a toothpaste commercial. My fight-or-flight response had reached overdrive, and I scanned the room hoping for an escape plan to present itself.
Thankfully, our new coffees arrived in a moment’s time, and I took my hands back. “Thank you for replacing my coffees, not at all necessary,” I said. “It was very nice to meet you …” I continued as I skirted toward the door.
“I didn’t get your name,” he said, watching me carefully.
I ignored his question. Not because I’m awful but because I’m awkward. I had absolutely no idea how to behave between the shock of the spilled coffee, the insanely hot guy, and the desire to get the man outside a cup of coffee. My brain was in conflict, and I couldn’t wait to get back outside into the cold for some relief. “Thank you again,” I said quickly as I made my way back out of the shop.
“Hope to see you again soon …” he said quickly as I hustled out. I couldn’t possibly say another word for fear of saying something incredibly stupid, simply nodding as I rushed out, my hands full of coffee. I’d become a bumbling fool out of nowhere.
So annoyed with myself and the whole encounter, I tried to shake it off and then realized I’d left my damn gloves inside. Completely irritated, it seems I’d forfeited them. There was no way I was going back in for them. They’d been sacrificed for humility, and I’d have to just get a new pair in my shopping adventures.
As the cold air stung my face, I came to my senses. Inhaling dramatically, I regained my composure and found the homeless man I was trying to do a holiday good deed for. No good deed goes unpunished.
Chapter Four
Jason
I always stopped for coffee after dropping Emily off at school and sometimes again in the afternoons. We lived just far enough outside of town that the school bus didn’t come to our house. Even if it did, I’d still take her. It was one of my favorite things to do each morning and had become part of our normal routine.
On that particular day, I needed an afternoon pick me up, and I swung by the coffee shop. Running into the mystery woman was certainly outside of the routine.
She was stunning, and something about her made me laugh. How I didn’t insist on getting her name was beyond me, but she’d run out of the coffee shop before we had a chance for a real conversation. I knew just about everyone in town, and she was definitely not local. Maybe visiting her family—it was the holidays after all. There were always a lot of visitors and even quite a few tourists this time of year.
Through the window of the coffee shop, I watched her leave and then discovered that, not only was she beautiful, but she was kind as well. Her friend, the one she was getting coffee for, was the homeless man I’d encountered the night before. She handed it to him, chatted for a moment, and then walked away. I needed to find out who she was.
Outside the shop, the homeless man was warming his hands with the coffee and saying hello to those who would acknowledge him. I continued to wonder who he was, but at the forefront of my mind was finding out who she was.
“Hello there,” I said as I approached him.
“Ah, good afternoon, Jason.”
“How did you know my name?” I never spoke with him at the diner.
He laughed joyfully. “Why, the waitress, Diana, from the diner, gave me your name. Thank you for the hot meal on a cold evening. You helped keep an old man fat. Much appreciated. I’m Gabe.” He rubbed his belly and then returned his hand to his coffee cup.