Lucas stood in line, reading the coffee menu over and over again, yet somehow not comprehending any of it. The early morning buzz of people in the café seemed distant, the menu seemed foreign and the last night's memories invaded his mind.
The soft moans, the taste of her skin, how it felt to be inside her.
A loud ring and vibration from his pocket kicked him into the present.
A flash of disappointment came when he saw it was Jake, but he told himself it wasn't because he had secretly hoped it was Katie. Lucas swore under his breath when he realized he never even asked for her number.
Jake cut right to the chase. "Hey, can you grab some milk? Specifically, a carton that doesn't have lumps in it. Apparently, some people need these kind of instructions." Lucas heard Dean cursing in the background.
"Yea. Will do. See you later."
As Lucas shoved his phone back in his pocket, he felt a small piece of paper crumple. He hurriedly pulled it out and flattened it. It was a receipt, but not his. It was a receipt from the very café he was standing in . . .
*****
"That! Right there! Best coffee you will EVER have." Katie exclaimed "You will want to bathe in the foamy goodness of a salted caramel hot coca." The street lights lit up just then, putting a different mood to their excursion.
Lucas couldn't stop smiling at Katie as she enthusiastically described wine, talked about books and now the brilliance of coffee. He walked and watched her hand gestures and when she'd widen her eyes for emphasis.
"Wait, foam on hot coca?" Lucas stopped her. "Don't you mean whip cream? And, when are you bathing in this foam? Is it open to the public or is it invitation only?"
She giggled off the deep red of her cheeks "Oh, I love foam on my coffee, hot coca, green beans, mashed potatoes, tacos, hot dogs." She sighed "That cafe knows me and my extensive foam needs." Katie shook her head and kept walking on.
"I wasn't aware a person could have foam needs."
"That makes me sad for some reason." She paused "And my lips chapped. Hold on for a second" Katie went rifling through her purse, which seemed to be quite an adventure.
"Jesus, what all do you have in there?" He asked.
"Oh you know, the usual stuff. Wallet, chap-stick, band-aids, severed body parts of various mammals. Here, hold this" She dumped a fist full of receipts into his hand without even thinking about it and went back to digging in her purse. Lucas started to look through them. Almost every single one was from that café. And a few were from Third Place Books. No shock there, he thought.
"You get coffee for .89 cents? And...two cups of oatmeal all for $1.50? Is the café owned by Asians?"
"Oh. Yea. No. I flirt with Maz, who is white as they come. Anyway, he gives me an awesome discount. FOUND IT!" she yelled.
"What if he isn't working?" Lucas asked curiously.
Katie thought about it as she ran her lip balm over her lips. "Maz owns the place. He works there every day for 10 hours straight. By the way, Asians are more in the tea business than coffee" Lucas, for some reason, had to bite back just a pinch of jealously at the thought of Katie flirting with this "Maz." What kind of name was "Maz" anyway?
"I see, so you just bat your eye lashes at men, rip them off, have your way with them, and then leave? I'm just another notch on your bed post, a dime a dozen, is that it?" He joked, mimicking her hand gestures which she gave him a weary glance for.
Katie laughed and then her face went dead serious. "Yes." He had to take a moment to decide if she was serious or not. But, she cracked a smile and started walking again.
*****
"SAM! Order up! One tall dark cherry mocha with soy and one grande salted carmel hot coca with extra, extra foam" The Barista yelled as Lucas slammed his phone shut. In the flash of a second, his head popped up at the order sitting on the counter and the girl grabbing them.
Katie's voice sounded in his head . . . "Me and my two roommates, Sam and Maddy, walk there almost every day . . ."
"Where is Katie today?" the male barista asked the tall girl grabbing the jackets for the coffee.
"Um" She turned around and scanned the cafe "Just at home. You know, lazy" She shrugged.
"Tell her I said 'hi', will you?" The barista asked eagerly, smiling with a clear connotation to it.
"Sure" The girl walked off in a hurry, darting out of the door.
Lucas wasted no time in approaching her.
"Sam!" He yelled louder than he intended and startled the girl in her tracks. She looked annoyed and disturbed as her eyes shot straight to him.
"Ummm, uh. Do I -- um - who are you?" She asked, averting his gaze and slowly creeping away.
"I'm sorry." He said quickly, realizing how crazy he looked at the moment. "I'm Lucas, I know your roommate, Katie."
"Oh, um right, yeah, sure. Um, I will tell her you said hi too"