Chapter Three: Mysterious Man

The regulars soon came piling into the shop and ordering their usual coffees before leaving for work, the same smiles we had become accustomed to, and the stories of what child had been doing well filled the once silent shop. But now the lunchtime rush was about to begin where Shane, always finds the time to slip off for his break when this happens. This meant I was left alone to hold the fought whilst orders were thrown at me, but I didn’t know if it was because it was the middle of the week or perhaps the sun was shining a little, we didn’t have nearly the usually amount of people walking in and out. It was a slow day and one I desperately, needed.

I had just finished wiping down one of the coffee machines when the bell on the door rang telling me I had a new customer, but when I turned around to see who had walked in, I find a man completely out of breath. The man wore a black tight-fitting suit, showing off the many rippling muscles in his arms, honestly, it looked as though this man lived at the gym. His skin was tanned whilst his black hair pulled back with hair gel leaving a slick kind of look. His jaw was very sharp and chiseled whilst his eyes were the brightest shade of blue I had ever seen. I can tell you one thing; he was smoking hot.

“Do you have a bathroom?” Is all he asks, his voice holding some kind of foreign accent I had not heard before, whilst placing his hands on the counter but swiftly, turning his head to look out of the huge windows at the front as though he was being followed by someone or something.

“We do.” I reply looking the man up and down attempting to work him out, I have seen some variation of people come in and out of this place, some I wonder how they were people I lived in the same society with, but none had piqued my interest more than this man.

“So, can I use it?” He asks looking up at me as though I was dumb in some way due to me not dropping to my knees and showing this man exactly, where the bathroom was when he had asked.

“Due to policy, you will first need to buy something before I am able to give you the key to the bathroom.” I smile placing my hands on the counter, whilst the man who was still looking back out of the window turns to look at me with a hint of frustration in his face.

“I don’t know what to fucking order, I need to use the bathroom!” He exclaims as though he was attempting to keep his voice down but due to me telling him no and whatever was happening to him in this moment, that task was proving hard for him.

“If you wish to not ruin my life by getting me fired, you are going to have to buy something before I can give you the key to the bathroom, that’s just how it goes.” I tell him not faulting much in my response, I had lost control on many aspects in my life but when it comes to my job, I know what is expected and will not settling for anything less.

I see even more frustration flash his expression as he looks away from me and towards the wall of many items, we had available. But the longer that he would skim, the more confused I saw he became so I knew I needed to step in.

“We have an incredible selection of smoothies that I could make for you, I don’t wish to toot my own horn, but I do this all the time, I have a skill for making the best.” I smile titling my head to the side a little watching him, his eyes soon snap back to me with a nod of his head.

“Fuck whatever, I’ll take that!” He tells me where I just nod reaching under the counter and pulling out the key for the bathroom which was chained to a little pipe of some sort.

“Here is the key for the bathroom, I’ll make your smoothie whilst you’re in there.” I say with another smile handing it over to him, he quickly takes the key from me before rushing quickly through the shop and towards the bathroom. “He must really need the bathroom.” I mutter under my breath before turning to begin to make him my famous strawberry smoothie, pulling the ice out of the box and putting into the mixer that I would need.

In the middle of putting the ice scoop back, that same bell goes off telling me another person had either entered or left where I soon turn around seeing yet another buff man but not in a suit this time looking around the shop as though he was looking for someone. Immediately, I knew this had to do with the man I had just allowed into the bathroom as this man, didn’t scream person who gets his coffee from a coffee shop vibe.

“Hello sir, how may I help you?” I ask turning away from the smoothie for a moment to face the man, where in this moment, I was more than glad that I had a counter separating us.

This man had an evil type of look in his eye, it was clear he didn’t want to be here speaking to me but for whatever reason, had no other choice. He wore a dark brown jacket over a white t-shirt and jeans, he didn’t have any hair but a scar which ran across his eye telling me he’d been in some kind of scuffle some time in his life.

“Did a man walk through here?” He asks his rough but seeming to sound a little uninterested, while I tilt my head to the side a little in a confused manner.

“Many men come through this shop on a daily basis, you’re going to have to be more specific.” I say crossing my arms over my chest as I looked at him, in that moment, I could see the anger which flashed his expression causing me to gulp a little, but I was sure to stand my ground.

“A tall man in a suit.” Was all he says sucking his teeth a little in annoyance, whilst I knew right off the bat, he was speaking about the man in the bathroom, but I wasn’t just going to hand this man what he wanted on a silver platter.

“Look around, there are many men in suits which come into the café in hopes of blending in to make it seem as though they have a purpose in life when in reality, they’d be eating alone at their desks back at work. So again, you’re going to have to be more specific.” I say with a little smile looking this man dead in the eyes, where due to my comment, he knew that I knew who he meant. “Now as you can see, I’m at work and have a job to do, if you are not going to order anything but only stand there sending me death glares, I will polity ask you to leave.” I speak before he had a chance to get a word in edgeways, but now I had raised my voice a little, a few other customers in the café begin to take an interest and look over.

This strange man in front of me soon realises this and scoffs one last time before turning around to the door, throwing it open with such force I worried the cute little bell on top was going to fall off. After watching him walk down the road back where he came from, I released the breath I had been holding in due to the fright of what was happening around me. That man did not seem very nice and only got that much scarier when I didn’t tell him everything that I knew.

Once I had composed myself, I turn back around to the smoothie machine and begin to continue with the other mysterious man’s smoothie who was spending an awfully long time in the bathroom. I reach up to take the lid from the shelve with his straw as he appeared behind me, the key to the bathroom in hand and a smile on his lips, this only adding to how attractive he was in the moment.

“I have your smoothie.” I smile handing him over the pink drink which I had made for him, he takes it with that same smile whilst I grab the key and put it back in its home under the counter.

Once I stand up straight and look over to him, I see shock fill his expression whilst he took his first sip of the drink. I wasn’t just saying I make a great smoothie to big myself up, I have been making these things for so many years and have learnt what ratio of ice, milk and fruit that you need to make it perfect.

“This is delicious.” He tells me staring down at the drink as though it was some kind of jewel that shone in the sky, I only laugh placing my hands from on the counter.

“Thank you, now that will be £7.99.” I smile reminding him that he still had to pay, he nods his head after realising this and places down the drink onto the counter to pull out his wallet.

It was a little hard to ignore the amount of £20 notes I saw in his wallet, but knowing this was none of my business, I look away and keep my eyes to his with a smile so he wouldn’t think I was looking when I shouldn’t. He soon pulls out a 10 and hands it over to me. With smile, I take it and begin to round up his change as he sips even more of the drink in front of him.

“Keep the change, you deserve it.” He says shaking his hand as I went to give him the rest, I nod my head a little with a thank you whilst placing the coins into the front pocket of my apron. “I better get going.” He smiles lifting up half drunken smoothie into the air as a goodbye, where I only smile waving my head at him.

“Have a lovely rest of your day.” I smile watching as he walked through the door and headed in the opposite direction as the bald man did, perhaps that’s for the best.

I stood by the counter a little staring at the place he had once stood; I couldn’t shake the odd feeling that was deep in my gut as I thought about the little but strange encounter I had just shared.

“I’m back, did I miss anything?” Shane asks walking from the back with a smile, whilst my eyes remained on the window shaking my head.

“No, just the normal lunchtime rush.” Is all I reply but unbeknownst to me, that little lunchtime rush was about to change the course of my entire life forever.