Coffee Tryst

Authors note: It's been awhile since I've posted a story. Sorry for the wait! I just wanted to write a quick message saying I appreciate all the messages and emails I get. I read every single one of them and I truly cannot share my gratitude enough. Thank you and enjoy. (UPDATE) This is the complete version of Coffee Tryst.

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They met at work on a windy Wednesday morning. Officially, anyway. Lillian had been working at the coffee shop for over a year now, since the end of her senior year of high school, as a means to pay for her tuition and make ends meet. It was a modern hippie type of shop that laid right in the heart of the city, undoubtedly to cater to the many students and rogue artists that came through. Lillian had been there long enough to watch countless new and old employees come and go, so meeting new hires had since become a dull affair.

Sofia had been hired on a week ago, and according to Lillian's boss, she was already picking up on everything despite it apparently being her first time working as a barista. Lillian had never seen or interacted with the girl until today, and wondered just what type of person she would be. Not really out of interest or even curiosity, however. The thing was, Lillian had a habit of having a weird relationship with her fellow species. She was a tomboy of sorts, private in nature, and had never been interested in things typical of a girls liking.

She was a sort of weirdo in the eyes of girl-kind. But over the years, somewhere along the line, the worry of wanting to mingle well had become obsolete and Lillian had long embraced the idea of just being herself. In time, she'd blossomed into a mature and beautiful girl.

Opening the shop doors that morning, Lillian had completely forgotten about the new girl. She threw her stuff in a locker and proceeded to the back to check the delivery order like she always did every early shift. Grabbing a beige apron from a hanger, Lillian quickly turned the corner towards the stock area and nearly collided with someone turning at the same time. Startled, she looked up to see a face she'd never seen before.

The girl was shorter than her, only by a couple inches, with dirty blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and pale green eyes the size of bagels like the ones they sold at the store. If Lillian didn't know any better, this was definitely Sofia.

"Oh shit, sorry!" Sofia exclaimed. Lillian noted the girl didn't have any qualms about cursing in front of another coworker.

"You're fine." Came Lillian's curt response. She took a step around the smaller girl but was diverted when Sofia spoke up again.

"You must be Lillian, right? I saw your name on the schedule. We've never actually met before. I'm Sofia Myers." The bright eyed girl took out her hand and hovered it between them before Lillian could say anything herself. She smiled at her expectedly, which lightened Lillian's worry of the girl being troublesome or rude. Lillian smiled out of formality and took the girls hand as she introduced herself.

"You're a lot more normal looking than I thought you'd be." Sofia continued.

"Excuse me?" Lillian replied, confused.

"I mean, the boss, Eddie. He said you liked to keep to yourself and to leave you alone. An introvert with glares that could kill if bothered. I figured you were some some kind of a gruff looking ticking time bomb by his descriptions." Sofia shrugged, trying to stifle a little chuckle from escaping too loudly.

Lillian rolled her eyes. That loose lipped bastard. Always saying unnecessary things. "Uh, no. Sorry to disappoint. I just prefer to work...when I'm at work."

"Fair enough," Sofia laughed, "guess I'll leave you to it. It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah, likewise." Lillian replied as Sofia gave her a quick nod and headed off. Lillian watched her curiously, just glad that the girl was nice. Then, she turned back around and walked off as her curiosity faded.

They didn't talk for the rest of their shift and Lillian realized it was true about the girl. She was diligent and a fast learner, and best of all, she didn't try to pry into her life or make insufferable small talk just for the sake of it. For first impressions, Lillian kind of liked her. It didn't hurt that the girl was pretty too.

Weeks went like that where the two of them would see each other, politely greet each other, and resume to work. It was how meeting new people always went when it came to Lillian. She hardly talked to anyone truth be told, especially in her classes, but when it came to sweet talking the customers and putting on a smile, you would've never known. Of course, coworkers were different. When you have to deal with the same shit everyday together, bonds can form quickly.

Nevertheless, Lillian had a reputation that clearly wasn't locked down on the low thanks to her boss Eddie. The older man was a gentle giant in his defense though, and she knew he only mentioned it because he cared. She kept to herself and did her job, and she guessed that made her an ice queen of sorts in the eyes of her coworkers who'd jest about it to her from time to time. Eventually, she warmed up to new people as time went by, and that was supposed to be the same with Sofia.

That's how it was supposed to be.

Things changed when Sofia decided to quit. Or, perhaps it'd be better to say things began from there. It'd been a couple of months since she started. Apparently, she and some of the other staff that worked the morning shifts had a lot of "disagreements" and she couldn't take it anymore. No one could blame her, those people were a bunch of high strung cunt-bags who took too much pride in their job to allow any human decency towards their fellow baristas. They were the infamous and most hated buffoons of the coffee shop. When Eddie announced she was leaving in two weeks time, Lillian felt, oddly, bummed.

All that time that Sofia had been there, they'd never really had a decent conversation, yet even so, Lillian always found her on her mind. Why? She didn't really know. She guessed it was similar to that feeling back in school when a new kid would transfer in and everyone wanted to know who they were. Their presence was exciting and different because it was a change of pace from the ordinary and usual. And for Lillian, that excitement hadn't really gone down because, you guessed it, she never talked to the girl. But then again, the shop had always had several hires, and never once did she ever find herself acting like she was now or thinking the way she did.

But, one thing was for certain. The girls had a silent but mutual interest in each other. For Sofia, she knew Lillian's type. Quiet and withdrawn, but, a good girl. So, she knew to keep her distance and never to bug her too much. She thought she was nice, and all that really mattered was that she did her job. If there was one thing Sofia appreciated most in a person, it was that they were hardworking. She herself had gone through life never having had things handed to her on a silver platter, so it was a value she believed in wholeheartedly.

But that wasn't all that intrigued Sofia about Lillian. The girl was kind of mysterious, and even though she knew that to stay on her good side, she'd have to stay a certain amount of distance away, she wanted to know more about her. Sofia never had trouble making friends, but it wasn't like she was desperate to get to know this girl. So, Lillian's presence always being on her mind caught her off guard plenty too. The taller brunette was a peculiarity, and so in that sense, Sofia was attracted to her. But, all that didn't matter anymore, since she was quitting anyway.

Sofia walked in one day during midday where most of the customers were usually stragglers or hipsters who treated the cafe like their own personal office. She intended to talk to Eddie more about her two-weeks. The graying man had been on a persuasion roll to try and get her to reconsider, and today was just another one of those talks. Wearing a simple sundress with sunflowers stretched across the thin material, she walked through to the back.

Immediately, some of the other baristas and Eddie greeted her. Of course, the first things that came out of all their mouths were moans of disappointment and sadness that she was really leaving. She laughed and shrugged; reiterating her feud with the other staff members and stating the drama wasn't worth her stress or wrath. So engrossed in the conversation, she didn't even see Lillian pop out of the corner.

When Lillian saw her, she was surprised to see her out of uniform. She'd never came to the store in regular clothes before and wondered if it was because she was leaving soon that she was being more causal. Lillian eyed her. Although she didn't say it out loud, she thought she looked cute. Her dirty blonde hair was down; showing off their shimmering wavy locks and unexpected length that nearly trimmed past her hips. Her nails were painted a baby blue and the sandals she wore didn't help her short stature. And the sundress, it revealed just how small of a woman she was.

The thin straps draped across her freckled shoulders gave way to their narrow fragility and the cinched waist only empathized her tiny waist. She could tuck her away in her pocket that's how dainty the girl looked. Lillian laughed at the imagery. She didn't know what overcame her next, but frankly, despite being completely out of character of her, she was glad the spur of confidence had overtaken her. She wanted to say something to Sofia, talk to her, maybe just wish her goodbye. So, swallowing the lump she realized had formed in her throat, she called out to her. "Sofia!"

The shorter girl glanced around at the sound of her name. When her eyes found the source, she was surprised. It was the first time Lillian had ever called out to her. She smiled as Lillian walked over and was just about to tease her about that very same thought, when all of a sudden, the taller girl wrapped her arms around her shoulders and gave her a quick but lingering hug. Such was its quickness, it could've easily been seen as a simple hug. For some reason though, Sofia couldn't help but think more of it.

"I can't believe you're leaving over those assholes." Lillian finally stated. For a moment, Sofia watched her cheesy-almost-awkward expression and her glowing gummy smile and tossed away the insinuations she thought she caught. The girl wasn't hitting on her or trying to cop a feel. Suddenly, Sofia felt stupid for even thinking that way.

She cleared her throat and tried to shoo away the scolding she was currently giving herself. "I know, but life's too short to needlessly put yourself in situations you don't need to deal with, you know? I can always find another job, but I am going to miss you guys. I did have fun here." Sofia smiled and then realized they were still kind of embracing each other. Lillian had her hand on her arm and Sofia found hers had unconsciously been rubbing the space between the girls shoulder blades. They both quickly dropped their arms and crossed them across their chest; unsure of where to place them now.

"Well," Lillian started, "it was nice knowing you. We'll all miss you too." The girls both smiled at each other, until Eddie spoke up, interrupting their silent exchange. Lillian didn't miss the looks her coworkers gave her after that little stunt she pulled; their faces gaped in shock at her unexpected show of affection. She was the ice queen after all. He rambled on about the shop and how business was going, and then asked to speak to Sofia privately.

Lillian took the chance to leave first, and with her back to the others far away enough where she thought she was alone, she let her mind wander back to her hug with Sofia and how soft the girl felt in her arms. She'd hugged her friends many times before, so it wasn't as if she was barred from that kind of physical contact with her own sex enough to feel perplexed about it. And yet, the confusion took ahold of her. She rubbed her fingers together absentmindedly; recalling the softness of Sofia's dress in her palms and the feeling of the girls narrow shoulders almost fitting into her embrace like a glove. Those thoughts continued to dance in her head throughout the day; leaving Lillian a drifter in her own daydreams.

It should've been the last they saw of each other. Their schedule at work made it so that their shifts never matched up, even till Sofia's last day, yet both the girls never fussed or sulked about it. Their curiosities about each other were not yet deep enough for them to warrant such defiance, and so they moved on, splitting their string of a connection adrift. It would simply become a fond little memory of having known a nice girl at work that each would harbor.

So, to put it mildly, it came an outright surprise to the girls when they found themselves staring down at each other in the halls of their university. Such irony. They attended the same school.

Sofia was with a group of her friends. Lillian by herself. She'd just finished a lecture and left the class with her friends when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Lillian further down the hall. The taller girl had gotten up from a lounge chair and was gathering her things when her eyes met Sofia's. The shock in her expression must've been nearly identical to the one the blonde had plastered on her face. "Lillian?!" Sofia started.

"Sofia? You're a student here too?"

Sofia broke out in a laughing fit, which prompted Lillian to do the same. "I guess I can't really be surprised. We didn't really talk about ourselves much, did we? Are you a freshman too?"

Lillian nodded, "I'm in my second semester. Liberal Arts Major."

"Physical Therapy," Sofia replied. Her eyes combed over the brunettes appearance, never having seen the girl out of uniform. Her style was dark in color and grungy in choice. She wore an oversized green and chunky wool sweater that had splits and tears on the cuffs of her sleeves and tight faded ripped jeans on her slim legs. The sleeves of her sweater were rolled up on her forearms; revealing hair-ties and leather bracelets adorning her pale wrists. And her hair: Sofia never noticed it since the girl always had her hair in a tight bun at work, but her feathery brown hair was a mass of thick curls that currently cascaded down her crown in delightfully messy waves. Totally befitting, Sofia thought, "and ditto. I'm in my second semester too." She had to catch herself from staring too much and eventually summoned her eyes to meet Lillian's again.

Now that they were away from the policies of the workplace, Sofia and Lillian could truly realize their differences. They were the complete opposites of each other. Sofia was in another one of her favorite dresses that had a meshy skirt and embroidery that decorated the front, finished off with a cute simple belt around her waist. Something Lillian wouldn't ever be caught dead in. The blondes two-piece flats clicked about as she shuffled her feet while the squeak of Lillian's sneakers followed suit.

Silence prevailed them, until the awkward coughs and stifled throats of Sofia's friends brought them both to reality; prompting Sofia to introduce the stranger before them. "Uh, right. Guys, this is Lillian Knowles. We, uh...we work together. We're coworkers."

"Hello," came Lillians late greeting. Her cool onyx eyes regarded each of Sofia's friends, before falling on Sofia again. "But, we won't be working together anymore, remember? So, I guess we'll just be acquaintances now."

"Oh...right..." Sofia offered. She didn't know why, but that revelation bit more on her conscious than she could care to explain why.

"Ohhhh, you guys must be talking about that coffee place, right?" One of Sofia's friend interjected, "that's too bad, I liked that place. Was hoping I could bum off some more discounts while Sofia was still there, but she's leaving already. Such a quitter, am I right?"

"Oh, fuck off," Sofia laughed; elbowing her friend.

"Oh hey," one of Sofia's other friends chimed in, "if you want, there's gonna be a party next week for one of our senior friends. You should come. He's a Liberal Arts major too, so don't worry about feeling like an outsider. It'll be at a bar downtown: 'The Green Goblet,' ever heard of it?"

Sofia spoke up to excuse her friends and dismiss Lillian on her behalf, so that the girl didn't have to decline herself. She knew the girl wouldn't have been comfortable being around so many people she didn't know in an environment she probably didn't enjoy. But before she could say anything, Lillian answered.

"Aw, thanks for asking. I've never been to that bar before actually, but I'll think about that offer. I'm kind of in the middle of a lot of coursework right now, but I'll see if I can make it." Lillian softly smiled. Sofia looked on at her in mild surprise; confused that she didn't just outright refuse. It didn't seem like she was beating around the bush and trying to delay the inevitable 'no' that she'd pop out with once they got closer to the date to save her the awkwardness of saying it now to their faces. It genuinely seemed like she was going to think about it.

"Cool! We'll hear from you then, right Sofia?" Her friends quipped, prodding at the blonde.

Sofia did a double take, trying to keep up with the conversation. "Oh, uh, right!"

Eventually, they began to part ways and Lillian waved goodbye as she turned. But before she could spin completely on her heels, Sofia caught her by the shoulder last second and urged her to prop her ear against her lips. Not meaning to whisper, but so close to Lillian's face she figured she might as well commit all the way, she lowered her voice into the brunettes ear, "it was nice seeing you again." And with that, she pulled back to smile at Lillian, then turned with a wave of her hand. Behind her shoulder, out of sight of the fiery blonde, Lillian stood quiet - a subtle hint of a blush coloring her cheeks.

A week. That was all it took for Sofia to compromise with Eddie and change her mind. She decided to listen to Eddie's alternative and switch shifts; avoiding any possibilities of working with the buffoons altogether. And as promised, Eddie would adjust her schedule accordingly to benefit her. Like news of a royal wedding, Sofia rejoining the ranks befell the ears of everyone in the shop in an instant. Everyone cooed and whooped as they welcomed her back. Lillian on the other hand, simply smiled when Sofia walked through the shop doors again, which, as odd as it sounds, was more satisfying to Sofia than any of the others regards. One day, as her and Lillian worked to get the shop ready for the day, she felt like jumping the brunette for no reason at all other than because she felt like it.

She crept up on the unsuspecting girl stocking away some straws and pounced on her; wrapping her from behind while emitting a loud 'boo' in her ear. She would've never been able to do that during their first few weeks of meeting. Lillian startled but subdued her cries of surprise before it could even escape on her face let alone in her voice; leaving a residue reaction of merely flinching. Sofia peeked around her and pouted. "Wow, you're no fun at all, are you?" She feigned disappointment.

Lillian laughed but then bit her lip and smiled sheepishly as she felt Sofia's breasts squished against her back. The girl's chin on her shoulder and her fingers linked across her chest didn't help either as she leaned over to moan some more about her unsatisfying reaction. Lillian didn't squirm though, didn't even falter at the physical contact. She just laughed and swiftly twisted her way out of Sofia's arms. "You're gonna have to try harder than that if you want to scare me. There's a tally here all about it and everyone's tried, but no ones got a single tick yet. So, good luck."