It was freezing. New England winters usually are unbearably cold for tourists, but the natives have adapted and learned exactly how to deal with it.
Violet's mother warned her about not wearing a wool hat, and during her walk to the bus stop, she cursed the wise woman for being right. As usual.
It was the last day of school before winter break. She was anxious for 3:00 to come so she could relax and have 3 weeks off to do whatever she fucking felt like.
Her classes were pointless, all the teachers just put on Christmas movies. She sat in the back of every room and alternated between reading a novel and writing poetry.
15 minutes left in her last class, she walked out. She went out the back door and lit up a cigarette. It had stopped snowing and the winds had died down. This was her favorite part of winter, the quiet serene feeling that came with fresh fallen snow.
At 3 on the dot, she heard the bell and grinned as she stepped onto the bus.
Kids were scrambling to catch it, she laughed when the doors closed on them. She had to be at work in an hour and took another bus right into the center of Boston.
The city was busy, Christmas Eve was a day away and people were rushing around to get last minute gifts. She strolled around, window shopping for herself until it was time for her to head to the tiny, put oddly popular, coffee shop she worked in.
"Hey, Vee!" It was the fabulous Chad, her fairy of a coworker who'd taken to looking after her when she first started. She was the youngest employee.
"Hello, Ma."
The man glared for a moment before breaking into another smile.
"Honey, you WISH I was your ma."
"So?"
They both laughed as she headed to the back to hang her coat and bag. On her way, she bumped into the owner's son Gabe. He was her age, but went to school in the city near the coffee shop, and since she started working there, he'd made it a point to hover her every shift.
"Oh, hey! How are ya, Violet?"
"I'm gonna be late clocking in if you don't get out of my way." She let out her famous attitude and he stepped aside. It was clear to everyone, except Gabe, that Violet didn't like him in any way.
She put on her apron, pulled her hair back, and joined Chad up in the front after she clocked in. They worked and chatted during their usual shift, which was 4-9.
By 8:15 the place was normally dead. They cleaned up and were about to lock up 15 minutes early when someone came in.
"Ooo hottie alert."
Violet turned to see what Chad was talking about and she sucked in a breath. He was tall, his hair was blonde and shaggy. He had a strong jaw and nice looking lips. When she locked eyes with him though, she got lost. They were the darkest shade of brown she'd ever seen.
"He's gotta be around your age, Vee," Chad commented. "He's straight too! Go flirt!"
"How do you even know that?" She hissed.
"I just do now go!" He pushed her toward the stranger.
"Uhh hi! What can I get you?"
He smiled at her and took his hands out of his light looking jacket.
"Just a coffee, black with sugar please. It's fucking freezing out there!"
She laughed. "My guess is that you're not from around here."
"Can you tell?"
"Yeah." She grabbed his cup from the machine and handed it to him. "Your coat gave you away. Too light for this kinda weather."
"I see. And you were born and raised here right?"
"Yeah. What gave me away?"
"The accent," he laughed.
She blushed and silently cursed her silly accent.
"So where ya from?"
"L.A."
"What are you doing all the way over here if you live in Cali?"
"I wanted to take a look at Berkeley over my winter break. I'm thinking about going there next fall."
"You're spending Christmas away from your family?"
He sighed and took a sip from the cup.
"Mmm this is great. How much?"
She raised a brow, unsatisfied with his avoidance of her question. "2."
He dug into his pocket, pulled out a plan black wallet, and handed her a five.
She gave him the three dollars change and he immediately put two in the pretty empty tip jar.
"Thanks." She was annoyed.
"No problem."
It was silent for a good two minutes before Chad cleared his throat.
"Oh, right. Well we're closing now..." She didn't know how to tell him to leave, he was new and she wanted him to tell her what he was doing here.
"Got it. Thanks for the coffee, see you around."
He left without looking back.
"Chad, I hate you."
She glared and he put his hands up.
"It's not my fault you don't know how to flirt!"
They went back and forth while the counted the money and locked up. He gave her a ride home and she stayed quiet.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Vee. Bright and early!"
"Yeah yeah. Thanks, see ya."
The house was quiet when she walked in. She made her way to the kitchen where there was a note waiting from her parents. They went out for last minute shopping and dinner.
"Typical," she muttered, grabbing a glass and filing it with grape juice. She threw her bag down when she got up to her room, annoyed that they left her alone again. Violet was used to caring for herself, her parents had always been involved with each other for as long as she could remember.
She guessed it was a good thing, that they were still so in love, but Violet wanted be given the attention that her parents gave each other. She wasn't exactly neglected; they just did more things with each other and excluded her.
She plugged her iPod into the dock and Morrissey started wailing. Content, Violet plopped on her bed and thought about the weird guy in the light winter coat.
The alarm was screaming; Violet woke with a start. She didn't even remember falling asleep and she was still in her clothes from the day before. She hurried to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth, threw on some clothes, and was out the door heading for the bus in twenty minutes flat.
She made it to work with a few minutes to spare. Chad was just turning on the coffee machines when she walked in.
"Morning, Vee!"
"Hey, Sugarplum Fairy."
He beamed. "Ready for the slowest day of the year?"
"Yup!"
Since everyone was spending time with their families and preparing for holiday parties, the shop didn't really get much business. This was Violet's second Christmas Eve shift and she fondly remembered the previous year. She and Chad spent the last two hours of the 8-12 shift dancing around the shop and singing along, badly, to the Christmas station on the radio.
The pace was steady from 8:30 until about 11. The shop was quiet then and Violet and Chad took the chance to make their own special cups of coffee and dance and sing in the emptiness. They took turns dancing in the center of the room, pretending it was a stage.
A melody started and Violet jumped up. "My turn!" She stood in the spot and started with the artist.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light." Chad watched and listened with a contented smile. He always told Violet she had a pretty, soulful voice but the girl was in denial.
Violet was really getting into the song when she saw Chad's eyes grow wide, then his expression changed to hooded eyes and a sly smile. When she finished, she took note of it.
"What is up with your face? Why do you look so smug?"
Chad nodded for her to turn around and when she did, Violet was face to face with the boy from the night before.
"You've got some pipes." He gave her a small sideways smile.
"Uh, thanks. Can we get you something? We're closing up in ten minutes."
"Sure. Same thing I had last night, please."
Violet rounded the counter and got his coffee ready. Then, obnoxious Chad, called to her.
"Violet, I'm gonna go in the back and bring out more cups so we're stocked up for the day after Christmas, kay?"
She cringed, knowing he used her whole name just so the boy would hear. "Yeah, kay."
She handed the guy his cup, avoiding his gaze. He slid two dollars toward her.
"So. Violet, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it's nice to finally put a name to your lovely face."
She blushed and turned away, putting the money in the register and then pretended to be busy cleaning.
"Well, I'm Tate." He smiled at her, a real smile.
"Tate. Interesting name."
"Thanks."
Violet turned off all machines; Tate stood off to the side and sipped his coffee.
"So, Violet, what do you do around this town for fun?"
"Thrift store shopping for old and vintage clothes, I go to retro record shops, antique shops for cool shit and books. Ya know, pretty basic stuff."
"Sounds fun. Maybe we could go one day while I'm here, show me around in case I decide to come here in the fall?"
She blushed a little. "Yeah, I guess. Anything to help."
Tate grinned. "Awesome. See you around, Violet."
"See ya."
He gave her a small wave that she returned. Chad came back as Tate walked out and eyes Violet curiously.
"Well?" He was holding sleeves of cups under his right arm and had his left hand on his hip.
"Nothing. I'm gonna tour him around the city one of these days after work."
"Oh thank goodness. I was starting to feel like there was no hope for you."
"Shut up, ya fairy."
"Love you, Vee." He took the drawer out from the register and carried it to the back. She wiped down the counters and tables, then swept the floor. She tied up all the trash bags and drug them toward the back door.
"You all ready?" He came back with his coat on and hers in hand. She took it and put it on.
"Yeah. Help me toss these bags out back?"
"Sure thing."
They hauled them out by the dumpster, then went back in, locked everything up, and went to Chad's car.
"Are you coming to the party tonight?" Chad was speaking of the annual Christmas party that their boss held at his house. He invited all the employees, their families, and his closest friends and relatives. The party was usually the talk of the neighborhood.
Violet nodded. "Yeah, my dad said I have to. We're going 'As a family.'" She mocked her father's voice and Chad cracked up. He pulled up in front of her house.
"Okay, then I'll see you later on."
"Yeah. See ya later." She hopped out and headed in the house, cursing about the party she was being forced to attend.