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."
He was asking her out on a date! Louisa wanted to dance around with happiness. "I'd love to."
"Wonderful! Now please give me your address and I'll pick you up at 7 o'clock, if that's alright with you."
Louisa gave him her address and instructions for how to find it, but before they had a chance to get better acquainted another man, as tall as Stan, but blonde and much more muscular, walked in.
"It's time boss," said the new arrival. "We have to get going."
Stan said goodbye and promised to be at her apartment at 7 on the dot. Louisa felt as though the rest of the day went by in a fog. Half the time she was absolutely fascinated by this man who evoked reactions in her that she'd never before experienced. Half the time she thought she was insane for agreeing to go out with a man that she knew nothing about. The sexual attraction won the battle and shortly before 7 she inspected her image in the mirror. Her long chestnut curls had been stylishly gathered by a hairclip. She wore a moderate amount of makeup, bringing out her blue eyes. She'd put on some of her nicest clothes, a pretty white blouse and a knee length embroidered black skirt. She wore knee high boots and a green poncho to keep warm in the cold night. For the first time in her life she'd gone out and bought new underwear for a date so she had pretty black lace knickers and a sexy white, lace edged, bra that showed off her firm breasts at their full D-cup size without being too provocative. She felt confident that she looked good and her roommates gave her thumbs up as she waited for Stan to pick her up.
True to his word, Stan rang the doorbell at 7. Louisa opened and was thrown aback by his striking figure. He handed her a bouquet of red roses and she invited him in so that she could put the flowers in water. She felt proud as she noticed her roommates' reactions to Stan. He was looking incredibly handsome tonight, dressed in a dark grey suit, a crisp white shirt and a subtle red tie. He was freshly shaved and Louisa caught the masculine scent of his aftershave. It was almost too much to handle. She'd never been this attracted to any man in her life and she could tell that any of her roommates would have gladly taken her place tonight if she'd let them.
They walked downstairs to where he'd parked an understated black Mercedes and he opened the passenger door and made sure she was comfortable before closing her door and entering the driver's side. Soon they drove off and Stan chatted a little as he drove them to a fine restaurant, well beyond Louisa's budget. As he reached across her and unbuckled her belt he lightly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.
"Don't look so frightened, my angel," he smiled. "There is nothing for you to worry about. I won't make you do anything that you don't want to do. You're absolutely safe with me."
Louisa smiled back at him. He knew exactly what was going on in her head.
Stan was obviously a respected customer at the restaurant. All the staff addressed him by name and they were given a private table in a corner. He conferred with the sommelier about the wine he was ordering and then he recommended food to Louisa that he thought she might like. There were no prices on her menu, but she was sure that it would take her a long time of pouring coffee in the mornings to earn enough money to pay for dinner in this restaurant.
The wine helped calm Louisa's nerves. She was 23 and a graduate student, but she'd never been much of a party girl so she wasn't particularly used to alcohol. The wine slipped down like the softest velvet and soon she felt herself relaxing and enjoying the evening. She found out that Stan was in his early 30s and a self-made business man. He'd emigrated nearly penniless from Eastern Europe 10 years earlier and built his own business empire. He was proud of his achievement, but modestly played down his obvious wealth, a trait that Louisa found extremely attractive. Louisa told him about how her father's untimely death and her mother's debilitating illness had made her more determined to succeed. She shared her worries about attending graduate school when she knew that she would have been able to afford better care for her mother if she'd gone straight to work after getting her degree, but her mother had insisted that she follow her dreams. Stan reached for her hand.
"So much responsibility for such a frail young girl," he said with warmth in his eyes as his thumb caressed her hand.
"I'm not that frail," she protested with a laugh. "I'm 5'9" and even though you can't see it by looking at me, I'm a champion kick boxer."
Stan laughed. "You're full of surprises, Louisa. I have to make sure not to get on the wrong side of you."