"I got in!!"
Elena announced her joyful news to the moderately crowded diner. All eyes were on her including the angry eyes of her manager, Ms. Stevens.
"Sorry, Ms. Stevens," She said as she walked in.
Ms. Stevens huffed up and walked away from the front counter of the restaurant. Behind her was her friend, Kelsi, creative and colorful with her tiger striped glasses and purple and black hair in a bun.
"Well where did you get in?" She asked.
"Harvard Med," Elena answered proudly as she exchanged her grey coat for a blue apron. She pulled her black hair into a ponytail and rubbed hand sanitizer on her hands as she spoke to her friend and roommate.
"Congratulations, " Kelsi said hugging her friend.
"This calls for a celebration. I just got into New England Law,"
"Oh," Elena said.
"Congratulations to you too,"
"We're going out tonight. No questions asked." Kelsi said interjecting.
"But we have school tomorrow,"
"So it's only the first week of the semester. What could we miss?"
"Well..."
"You need to relax anyway. Yes New England Law isn't as big as HARVARD but it's big to me and I'm going to celebrate and so should you. Now come on that guy over there is your first customer of the day. He needs a coffee refill and his order taken,"
Elena then grabbed the coffee pitcher and came from behind the counter and began her shift.
She walked over to the corner booth where the customer Kelsi told her about was sitting. He was a regular. Always sat in the same corner, got the same order, from the same waitress.
"Are you ready to order sir?" She asked as she refilled his cup.
He put down the paper to show himself to her.
"Yes, I am," He replied.
Elena looked at him and her stomach dropped as did her wrist from the coffee pot.
"Oh, jeez,"
The coffee overflowed from his cup and onto the table. Elena quickly stopped pouring and pulled out a rag from her apron to wipe up the mess.
"I'm so sorry sir. Really, really, really I am super sorry," She said.
"It's ok," He said kindly to her.
She looked at his face and felt a rush come over her. His eyes were a forest green color and he had a warm smile on his face that went well with his waves of grey hair. She had never looked at him before but there was something about him that made her feel off balance.
"I promise I'm not normally this much of a klutz. Excuse me,"
Elena grabbed the rag and coffee pot and rushed back over to the counter.
"What happened?" Kelsi asked.
"That guy," Elena started to say.
"That guy, what? Where did he? Is he? He's real right?"
"Umm, yes," Kelsi said looking over at the guy.
"Green eyes, silver hair,"
"No wedding ring,"
"Kelsi,"
"What I'm just saying?"
"He's too old,"
"And you just poured coffee on his table,"
"You set me up,"
"I didn't set you up. He's your customer,"
"But you knew, you knew,"
"I didn't know what was going to happen."
"Ugghhhh,"
Elena turned around faced the restaurant and the booth that her coffee guy was sitting in.
"Just take his order and it will be fine," Kelsi whispered in Elena's ear.
Elena took a deep breath. "Ok," She said.
She confident walked over to him in her black slip resistant Mary Jane's and stood at his side.
"Are you here to pour more coffee on me?" He asked her.
"No, no, no sir. I'm really sorry about that. I'm just here to take your order. I'll take off 20% of whatever you order,"
"Ok, I will take the trip short stack with maple syrup," He said as he handed her the menu.
"Ok, those will be right out for you,"
"Thanks and this coffee is really good by the way," He said raising his cup in the air.
"Come on Elena. We've got to go," Kelsi yelled up the stairs.
It was nearly 9PM and both young women were back at the apartment they shared. Kelsi was checking her reflection in the mirror by the door, ensuring that her dark make up made her look appealing and that her curled and colorful hair was given enough volume. She wore a magenta skirt and a sparkled silver top and on her feet were a pair of blonde furry boots.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Elena shouted back down.
Elena came running down the stairs and met Kelsi at the bottom.
"Is that what you're really going to wear?" Kelsi asked her.
Elena looked at herself. She had on a tea length A-line black dress, a matching set of pearl earrings, necklace, and bracelets, black tights, and furry black boots. Her hair was pulled back into a simple bun at the top of her hair.
"Yes of course. Why? Do I look bad?"
"No, no," Elena said.
"Just like Audrey Hepburn in the 1960's,"
"What type of club is this?" Elena asked.
The women and men filled the club. The music was loud and rhythmic throughout the club. The walls were blue and lights were flashing all around. Curtains hung from the ceilings with men crawling up them and dancing with the women in the club.
"It's a Women's club," Kelsi answered above the music.
Kelsi was having a good time rocking to the music while Elena felt completely out of place. She had never been to a club.
She had been working hard for the past 3 years and 6 months on her goal of medical school in the Bostonian Ivy League. Up until this point, her day and nights had been spent in the diner, classrooms, labs, and libraries. She had sacrificed her social life for one academic success and MCAT triumph. Now that she had met her goal of getting into Harvard Med, she could enjoy herself and have a social life by going to a club.
The only problem was that now that she didn't know what to do with herself. The inside of the club intimidated her more than any test and all of the people involved intimidated her.
"Hey, I'm going to get a drink ok,"
"Ok! Get a man while you're at it!" Kelsi added.
Elena shoved off Kelsi's not and sloshed her way through the crowds to get to the bar. When she finally reached the clear top counter, she was flustered and looking for anything to calm her nerves.
"Excuse me," She said to the bartender who had his back turned to her.
"Can I get a,"
Elena was taken back by who she saw at the bar. It was the man from earlier whom she had spilled coffee on, grey hair, green eyes, an alluring smile.
"Hey Elena, long time no see," He said.
A lump filled Elena's throat.
"Umm...umm...,"
"Look, I know the coffee thing happened and its not your fault. Trust me. I've dropped enough drinks in my lifetimes to know. Here grab a seat"