It all started the day of my best friend's birthday. We were in a small Starbucks café waiting in line to get her birthday freebie.
I know you're probably wondering what all started and why at a Starbucks, that's so basic.
Well, to be honest, we are basic.
Anyway, I'm talking about meeting Luke, the guy most of you probably know as Cartoonz from YouTube. Honestly, I had no idea who he was... well actually let me just tell you the story.
"Do you want anything?" my best friend asked as we stood in line at Starbucks waiting to get her drink.
I glanced over at the menu and bit my lip. I really did want a drink, but currently had no money to my name and my Starbucks card was pretty empty as well.
"No thank you." I told her as I gave her arm a tight squeeze and smiled at her.
"You sure?" she asked as we moved an inch.
"I'm positive. Besides, it's your birthday and I'm not going to let you buy me anything on your birthday."
She made a pouty face and attempted puppy dog eyes. I shook my head at my best friend and looked away from her. There was no way I would give in and say yes.
"You want a drink?" the person in front of us turned around to face me. "I'd gladly buy you something."
The man in front of us was tall and well built. He had quite the beard and looked to be in his mid, maybe early twenties. However, I couldn't get over how gorgeous his eyes were. Sure they were brown, but they were that pretty brown.
"N-no-" "YES!" We both turned to look at my best friend who was squeezing my arm and smiling.
"No, Beth!" I told her.
If I wasn't going to let her buy me a drink, then why would I let a random stranger buy me one?
"She'll have a white chocolate mocha." she chirped.
I turned back to the man who was looking down at me with a raised brow.
"No, it's fine." I told him.
"You sure? I'd gladly buy you a drink. No one should go without Starbucks."
As cheesy as it is, we both actually laughed. It was true, it just wasn't right to go without Starbucks, but they were just too expensive.
"I-"
"She will gladly love a white chocolate mocha, that is final." she turned to me. "Besides, it's my birthday and you don't want to make me sad, do you?"
I growled and looked away from her. She was pouting yet again. If I could take her to the best friend shelter and trade her in... I wouldn't. We've had so many great years together and even though she's annoying, I love her. She's practically my baby sister.
The barista behind the counter was writing his name on his cup and then turned to me to ask my name.
"Alaina." I said just loud enough for the barista to hear.
The man smiled and turned back towards the barista to pay and I felt Bethany shaking my arm with excitement. I've never seen her get this excited over a cute guy, let alone one asking to buy me coffee. What was her deal?
Before I could ask her, she was shoving me in the direction the man in front of us was walking to. I guess that meant I'd have to awkwardly stand with this stranger and wait for my drink. I guess the least I could do was thank him.
"Thank you." I said to his back.
He stopped to turn around and look at me. My stomach was in a knot. He really was attractive and it wasn't every day I was presented with the opportunity to talk to a hot stranger, let alone have one buy me coffee.
"It's no problem." he said with a smile as he placed his wallet back in his pocket. "I'm Luke by the way." he extended his hand for me to shake.
I glanced down at his hand and took a moment before taking it in mine and shaking it. "Alaina." I said softly as I slowly looked up at him. His hand felt rough, like the hand of a working man. That'd explain why he offered to buy me coffee. "You really didn't have to." I finally said as I gathered the courage to finally speak more.
"It's fine." he assured me.
I laughed, although it came out more like a huff.
"No seriously, I have no way to repay you at the moment."
He was looking away towards the barista making our drinks before looking back down at me. "We've all been there." he said with a kind smile. I felt myself smiling in return. "It was no problem at all. I promise."
I felt my smile grow bigger if that's possible. "Look, maybe one day I can repay you." I had a feeling he wasn't the type to take money as a payment, so perhaps buying him a drink would be fine.
The barista placed our drinks on the counter, tearing our attention away from one another to the drinks. Luke started to lean over the counter towards the barista. He was either telling them something or asking for something.
I watched at the barista nodded and walked over towards the register to grab a pen and came back. He handed the pen to Luke who stood up straight and turned to me.
"You should write your number on my cup." he said as he handed me the pen.
"Wouldn't it make more sense to put it in your phone or on a napkin?" I asked, my head tilting slightly as I looked up at him completely confused.
"Yeah it would, but I like this idea better."
I shrugged my shoulder and placed my drink down and took his. I wrote my number and name on his cup. Once done, I handed him his cup and the barista the pen.
Luke glanced down at his cup and then back up to me. "So I'll shoot you a text sometime and we can discuss that cup of coffee you owe me."
"Yeah, we can." I said suddenly feeling extremely confident. "Again, thank you for my drink and it was so nice to meet you."
I felt my best friend standing beside me watching. Luke nodded his head and did a small wave before walking out of the shop with us following not to far behind.
"Soooo!" Bethany linked her arm with mine and took a sip from her drink.
"He asked for my number." I told her, not a hundred percent sure if she saw what all went down.
Luke was walking the opposite direction towards a silver car parked far at the end of the parking lot.
"You know why I was so eager for you to let him buy you a drink, right?"
I looked at her with a confused expression. "No." I said slowly.
"That's Cartoonz!" she exclaimed. "He plays with Delirious."
Let me stop right here and tell you something about Bethany. She is madly obsessed with some gamer dude on YouTube called H2O Delirious. Like she could probably be his number one fan. She owned everything with his name and I guess character's face on it.
She's even sat me down and forced me to watch some of his videos. Like don't get me wrong, love games, but really don't care much for watching other people play them.
"That's cool... I guess." I said, not entirely sure what else I'm really suppose to say.
"Uhm, heck yeah it's cool!"
I shook my head as I climbed into the passenger seat of her little car. Now that all makes total sense to why she was so determined this man should buy my drink.
Suddenly I remembered the drink in my hand and decided to see if it was still hot.
Yeah, that was my luck. Still hot. Oh well, I preferred my drinks cold anyways.
