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New York,
July 1981
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CJ followed Janine into the small coffeehouse.
"What kind of place is this?" Janine said in a mock tone.
CJ didn't answer knowing Janine wasn't expecting any. Instead, she just followed her silently to an empty table.
"I think it looks nice," CJ said when they sat down. "It's not like those expensive and chic ones on Manhattan but it's nice and cosy."
Janine raised an eyebrow. "Cosy? My god, Claudia Jean!" She turned around and began waiving towards the counter.
After a short moment a man in their age walked up to their table. He smiled slightly as he took out his pad and pencil from his chestpocket.
"What can I get you two?" He asked politely.
"Just coffee," Janine said. "With milk."
"Of course, miss." He turned to CJ. "And you?"
"Um, coffee with milk and a chocolate muffin, please."
"It'll be right up," the young man said and left them alone.
CJ looked after him and couldn't help smiling. It was something about him that she liked.
"God, Claudia, stop starring!" Janine said harshly. "Oh and by the way, do you know much fat there is in a muffin?"
CJ sighed and didn't answer. Instead, she looked at the man behind the counter as he was pouring coffee into two cups. He didn't seem very comfortable with the job but it made him even more charming. CJ blushed when she realized she was starring at him. It wasn't like her. She heard Janine's words in her head and forced herself to turn and look at Janine who was reading a magazine.
"Here's your coffee," the waiter said and placed two cups in front of them.
"Thank you," CJ said and smiled softly.
He smiled back and then returned to the counter.
Janine sipped her coffee. "Claudia, I have to warn you. The coffee ain't tasting especially good."
"I like it," CJ said.
Janine just shook her head and began reading her magazine again. After a moment she looked up.
"Where's your muffin by the way?"
CJ looked at the table. "Oh, he must have forgotten it."
"I told you this was a cheap place."
CJ took a deep breath. "I'll go and get it myself."
She noticed Janine's disapproval look but didn't care. She walked over to the counter. The man had his back towards her and she decided to wait for him to notice her. After a short moment he turned around. When he noticed CJ he blushed.
"Hi again. What can I do for you?"
"My muffin. You forgot it."
The man blushed even more. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Here, it's on the house. The coffee is as well."
"Don't be silly. You just forgot to give me a muffin. We'll pay like every other normal guests."
He smiled softly at her. "But what if it's not on the house because I forgot it?"
CJ looked confused at him.
"It's on me, okay?"
She smiled. "Why?"
He shrugged and looked away briefly. "Just because I want too."
She smiled slightly. "Okay. Thank you." She read his name on the tag on his shirt. ".Toby."
As she turned around and walked back to her table he murmured a soft, "You're welcome."
TBC.
CJ followed Janine into the small coffeehouse.
"What kind of place is this?" Janine said in a mock tone.
CJ didn't answer knowing Janine wasn't expecting any. Instead, she just followed her silently to an empty table.
"I think it looks nice," CJ said when they sat down. "It's not like those expensive and chic ones on Manhattan but it's nice and cosy."
Janine raised an eyebrow. "Cosy? My god, Claudia Jean!" She turned around and began waiving towards the counter.
After a short moment a man in their age walked up to their table. He smiled slightly as he took out his pad and pencil from his chestpocket.
"What can I get you two?" He asked politely.
"Just coffee," Janine said. "With milk."
"Of course, miss." He turned to CJ. "And you?"
"Um, coffee with milk and a chocolate muffin, please."
"It'll be right up," the young man said and left them alone.
CJ looked after him and couldn't help smiling. It was something about him that she liked.
"God, Claudia, stop starring!" Janine said harshly. "Oh and by the way, do you know much fat there is in a muffin?"
CJ sighed and didn't answer. Instead, she looked at the man behind the counter as he was pouring coffee into two cups. He didn't seem very comfortable with the job but it made him even more charming. CJ blushed when she realized she was starring at him. It wasn't like her. She heard Janine's words in her head and forced herself to turn and look at Janine who was reading a magazine.
"Here's your coffee," the waiter said and placed two cups in front of them.
"Thank you," CJ said and smiled softly.
He smiled back and then returned to the counter.
Janine sipped her coffee. "Claudia, I have to warn you. The coffee ain't tasting especially good."
"I like it," CJ said.
Janine just shook her head and began reading her magazine again. After a moment she looked up.
"Where's your muffin by the way?"
CJ looked at the table. "Oh, he must have forgotten it."
"I told you this was a cheap place."
CJ took a deep breath. "I'll go and get it myself."
She noticed Janine's disapproval look but didn't care. She walked over to the counter. The man had his back towards her and she decided to wait for him to notice her. After a short moment he turned around. When he noticed CJ he blushed.
"Hi again. What can I do for you?"
"My muffin. You forgot it."
The man blushed even more. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Here, it's on the house. The coffee is as well."
"Don't be silly. You just forgot to give me a muffin. We'll pay like every other normal guests."
He smiled softly at her. "But what if it's not on the house because I forgot it?"
CJ looked confused at him.
"It's on me, okay?"
She smiled. "Why?"
He shrugged and looked away briefly. "Just because I want too."
She smiled slightly. "Okay. Thank you." She read his name on the tag on his shirt. ".Toby."
As she turned around and walked back to her table he murmured a soft, "You're welcome."
TBC.