The one where I meet him

Working at a cafe, as it turns out, is a job that involves a lot of repetitive movements, which gets incredibly boring incredibly fast. Right now, Samantha, the girl who got into a fight on my first day that caused me to get this job, doesn't seem so crazy. At this point, I am ready to sell my left hand for something interesting to happen. I start restacking already stacked coffee cups to pass the time when I hear the small bell at the entrance of the cafe, the telltale sign of a customer.

"I want him," a familiar voice says suddenly from behind me. I turn to look at a beautiful South Asian girl with luscious black curls and beautiful bronzed skin.

"Neela," I start. "You can't just say that."

"Why not? Just take a look at the man he looks like a snack. " I chuckle and continue stacking the cups. Neela and I have settled into a surprising friendship during the past few weeks. She showed me the ropes when I first started working here, and since then , we've just sort of clicked. We go to the same school but we have totally different subject areas. She's majoring in robotics, and I'm a public relations major. We never see each other outside of work though because like me, she is a sophomore and our classes clash.She's like the smartest person I know. She always points out handsome guys and how delicious they look but has never once shown any interest in any of them. I finish stacking the cups and head over to the counter. Neela is no longer in the room, so I figure she has pulled one of her disappearing acts and disappeared. She always leaves at the most random times.

A shadow looms over me, which means a customer that is ready to order, so I start punching in my employee code, getting ready to take the order.

"Hello, welcome to blooming cafe. What can I get for you? " I look up and up into the bluest eyes I've ever seen. I continue to stare, my throat goes dry, and it's like I'm in a trance. It feels like I'm not fully connected to my body. I stare at him, and he stares at me and I can't help but notice that his blue eyes are shaped by long black lashes that any girl would be jealous of and set in an extremely handsome face that makes me feel like at his creation, an extra day was added to cast away all his imperfections and replaced by only the most perfect features.

We stare at each other for what feels like years until his lips curve into what can only be described as a feral smile of amusement that does all sorts of things to my body and makes him look like a very beautiful untamed beast, a beast that right now, I wouldn't mind stroking.

"I'll have two cappuccinos," he says, and the sound of his voice is so hypnotic that it takes me a few seconds to grasp what he's saying.

"I'm sorry I didn't...." I start to say, but my voice catches, and I clear my throat

"I'm sorry I didn't catch that."

"Two Cappuccinos," he repeats,

"And that will be to go?" I ask

"Absolutely," he replies, still staring at me

"Name?" I ask

"Max"

"Okay then, Max, your order will be ready in a few minutes. When it's done, your name will be called, and you can pick it up from the pick-up station."

"Where is the pick-up station?"

"It's right over there," I say, pointing at the counter a few feet next to me with a big sign that clearly says pick-up. I call the order to Stacy our barista, and I hear the telltale hum of the espresso machine as it starts prepping the coffee.

I look up, and the guy is still standing in front of me

"Um, excuse me...." I start

"Max"

"What?" I ask, confused

"Max, my name is Max."

"Okay, Max, can you please move? You're disrupting traffic flow."

He turns to look at the nearly empty cafe and looks back at me with a perfectly arched eyebrow, and suddenly, a part of me - that I didn't even know existed, awakens and I feel this mad, unexplainable urge to bandy words with this perfectly handsome stranger.

"Okay," I say, giving him a look that says i dare you. "You've made your point, but I still think you should move."

"But sweetheart," he starts, and my heart gives a little jolt. "I like where I'm standing."

"Doubtful" I say cocking my head to mirror his

He smiles at me, and suddenly I'm transfixed, and my heart starts pounding erratically. He cocks his head, like his listening to something and his smile grows even bigger. I hear my name being called from what feels like a distance.

Someone shakes me, and I turn to find Neela looking at me with what I've come to know as her mischievous face.

"So, Mr. snack huh"

"Neela!!!" I try to shush her, but she avoids my hand and points to the pick-up station. I see Max getting his coffee, and he gives me a slight nod.

"I'll be seeing you around"- his eyes shift to look at what I presume is my name tag - "Callie," he says and then walks out of the cafe. I stand there stunned and strangely a feeling of emptiness I've come to recognise starts rising in me, I push it down and stifle it before it comes up and clouds my mind. I take a deep breath and turn to look at Neela, who is looking at me with a small smile. She turns to look at the door as if by looking Max will rematerialise.

"I bet you're thinking about doing some inappropriate things to that handsome specimen, I know I am." I don't say anything regarding regarding her comment, I'm much too busy trying to calm my racing heart, I look toward the door before I can catch myself

"Max," I mumble and smile a little to myself

"What did you say?"

"Oh, nothing." She stares at me, and then suddenly her face lights up

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh," She screams, beating my hand.

"You like him. You actually like him."

"No, I dont" I say without missing a beat "I mean, I don't even know the guy" I see a couple empty their table and leave so I go to clean up after them, Neela follows me though

"I mean, he might be a serial killer, or a rapist, or just be into shady business." we walk back set to the counter, and I start washing the cups."

"Me thinks she protests too much, right Stacy?" we both look at Stacy, but she just shrugs.

"I mean, you know his name, and he totally called yours when he was leaving, so maybe he is interested." she says

"Neela, be reasonable. I'm probably never going to see him again."

"So there is a possibility." she starts shrieking, and I get embarrassed

"You're so incorrigible," I say before running into the bathroom, leaving a laughing Neela behind.

In the bathroom. I wash my hands and splash water on my face. I'm staying into the mirror, but I'm not actually seeing myself. I just met this guy. So why is it that I feel crushing sadness when I think about the fact that I may never see him again.