Louisa turned around and looked into the deepest brown eyes she'd ever seen. Slowly she became aware of the fact that they belonged to a tall man on the other side of the counter. He was leaning against the counter, with a smile on his face. His hair was almost black and cut very short, and despite the early hour he had a five o'clock shadow on his face. He was wearing a long black winter coat and underneath it she could spot a black jumper with a V-neck that exposed some of his black chest hair. She smiled at him.
"How can I help you, sir?" she asked.
"I'd like a cup of coffee," he said, revealing a faint Eastern European accent.
"What type of coffee?" she asked, motioning with one hand towards the board that listed dozens of different varieties.
"Just a regular cup of coffee."
She poured him a cup and handed it to him. His hand brushed past hers and she felt a jolt of electricity through her body. Her nipples stiffened and the tingles went all the way down to between her legs, giving her that slightly forbidden and pleasurable moist feeling.
"What's your name," her customer asked as he sipped his coffee.
"My name is Louisa," she replied.
"Louisa," he tasted her name. "It's a very beautiful name for a very beautiful woman. I'm Stan."
"Pleased to meet you, Stan," she smiled at him, wondering how long he intended to stay, hoping that nobody else would come in and want coffee and drive him away. She couldn't quite explain why this man she'd never met was having this effect on her, it was a completely foreign feeling, but she didn't want it to go away. She didn't want him to go away.
"And may I ask why are you serving coffee here on a cold morning like this when you should still be tucked up in bed, in your lover's embrace?"
The intimacy of the suggestion made Louisa blush. "I'm a student," she said, "and this is the only way I have of earning some extra money."
"Oh, a student," he said wistfully. "With nobody to take care of you?"
"My father died when I was 12. My mother is ill. I've taken care of myself for a long time."
They were interrupted by the sound of the bell, announcing that someone else had walked through the door. It wasn't another customer, but a short, stocky man looking for Stan.
"Hey Boss! We gotta get going or we'll get stuck in rush hour traffic."
"Duty calls," said Stan regretfully. "I have to leave you. Take care, fair Louisa."
Louisa watched him go, with a longing smile on her face. Never before had she reacted like this to a man. Her entire being was on fire for him and it was all she could do not to throw herself in his arms earlier. She wondered who he was and if she'd ever see him again. She'd been working in this coffee shop every other morning for the last three years and she'd never seen him before, and she was on a first name basis with most of the regulars.
A week later Louisa opened the shop at 5.30 and within minutes the tall figure of Stan made his presence known. Once again Louisa experienced the tightening of her nipples and fire between her legs. She had to pinch herself to stop herself from throwing herself into his arms.
"Good morning, Stan," she smiled. "Would you like a regular coffee?"
"You remember my name, Louisa," he said with a big smile, revealing impeccable white teeth.
"And you mine."
"How could I forget it? This last week all I could think about was the beautiful brown haired girl with the clear blue eyes in the coffee shop. I came back the day before yesterday and I rushed over here yesterday morning, but you weren't working."
His revelations did nothing to abate her growing lust. "It was my day off."
"I know," he smiled, "the girl told me. So I set my alarm to be here first thing today, because I wanted to speak with you."
"Oh?" she couldn't think of what to say.
"Yes, Louisa. I can't get you out of my mind. Please make me the happiest man alive and agree to accompany me to dinner tonight."