He pours the hot, frothy latte into the flimsy paper cup. He quickly glances up at me and smiles. He takes out a heart shaped sprinkler and winks cheekily at me. He then decorates my steaming hot drink with a delicate sprinkle of delicious chocolatey powder. He pops the plastic lid on the cup handing it delicately over. And just before I leave…we exchange a quick smile.
I sink back into my comfy leather seat watching the Coffee Bar Man serve customer after customer. My friend sits next to me…chewing my ear off about nothing in particular. I cradle the warm paper cup in my hands which have nearly frozen in the ice cold air conditioning.
“I’m going to give him my number” I declare to my friend cutting his diatribe about the talents of David Lynch off mid sentence. He looks at me slightly annoyed to be cut off “Er ok” he says.. following my gaze “anyway so yes if you haven’t seen it then you should…” he continues talking barely paying attention to the importance of what I’ve just declared.
“Do you think I should?” I look at Steven sitting next to me “Give him my number I mean?” I ask. He looks at me. We both turn to look at Barista Coffee Boy. We watch Coffee Boy walk to the table next to us and pick up the empty cups. He has a cute clean shaven look about him. And he’s also Italian. With a slight hint of a wiggle in his walk. I watch the wiggle. “Do you think he might be gay?” I peer back at my friend “Who knows” he replies “But, if you’re going to do it, do it don’t make a big deal out of it” he snaps back at me.
“Ok then! I’ll do it!” I proclaim. I start to giggle to myself as I take a pen and piece of paper out of my bag. “I can’t believe I’m doing this…” I say to my friend as I scribble my number down… signed…. Beckixxx. “Oh for god’s sake” my friend replies rolling his eyes.
I walk over to the counter. I push the note towards Barista Boy and walk calmly back to my seat smirking. My friend rolls his eyes in embarrassment. I sit down and start to pretend to listen again as my friend sounds intellectual about something. I forget what. A noise comes from the kitchen. The two baristas on duty are now whispering. “Oh god. I can’t believe I just gave him my number.” I say to my friend “Why did you let me do that!”.
Barista Boy leaves the kitchen. We look at him. He slips, drops his tray and falls on his bum. I want to cover my eyes. But pretend I haven’t noticed and turn back to my friend “So Twin Peaks then why is it so good then?” I push. Barista Boy heads back to the kitchen. We hear a glass drop and smash on the floor. He leaves the kitchen again and gets busy cleaning tables. Everyone pretends that absolutely everything is normal. My friend gets up and leaves to use the powder room. Whilst he has gone I busy myself reading something awful. The Daily Mail that will do. A paper only to be read in coffee shops because it’s FREE and THERE when you need to distract yourself. The cute Coffee Barista Man heads over to me..
“Erm excuse me – did you write me this note…?” he asks.. I start to wish I hadn’t written the note. “Er yes.. I wrote the note.” I smile half confident. Shit. Wish I hadn’t signed it Becki then I could have blamed it on my mate. “Erm cos – thanks so much but actually I’m… gay” he smiles. FUCK. HE’S GAY. I KNEW IT! WHY DIDN’T MY MATE PICK UP ON THAT. Damn him!
“Oh er.. hahaa..ok thanks!” Shit shit shit. “But still let’s do coffee sometime!” he exclaims quickly. He doesn’t mean it. He smiles and walks away wiggling his bum.
My mate returns from his trip away. “So? How’d it go?” he asks.
