A week passed, and one day Katie Wagner woke up already wide awake,
stopping Alice Cooper mid-song with a slap of her hand on the "off" button.
Jumping out of bed, she quickly wiped her eyes and adjusted to the morning
light, then traipsed across the room and skipping over Kel's new pile of
biochemistry books that replaced her literature ones. She got her clothes
ready, showered, and applied an extra bit of new makeup that she received
from her sister a few weeks ago.
When she came out of the shower for work, Kel was at the counter like she was the day before, already having run her usual three miles. Katie got a cup and drained some coffee from the brass cappuccino machine, but she barely got to blow on it for two seconds before Kel's staring at her made her pause. Katie tilted her head and looked at Kel expectantly.
"What?" she asked quizzically.
"You had sex, didn't you?" Kel blurted out. In a swift motion she flew forward and was at Katie's feet, her red curls bouncing. She began inspecting Katie with slightly amused hawk eyes.
"What?!" Katie said, laughing, her eyes wide open.
"You've got this strange glow about you, one that only comes after a night of sexual ecstasy," Kel concluded with a satisfied smirk on her face. Then she frowned. "Wait, you got home at like seven last night. What's up with that? Was it a quickie? Was he a bad kisser?" Kel said, nodding as if she completely related Katie's situation.
Katie stood with her mouth gaping open, before her brain signals told her that she should start correcting her misunderstanding roommate.
"Kel, no, no, no, I did not have sex," Katie protested. Kel didn't look convinced. "Kelly Armstead. Focus, OK? Katie. Me. No. Have. Sex," Katie said slowly, as if she were talking to a child. Kel nodded and went back to her newspaper and juice.
"I heard you. But you're just lying, that's all," she said.
"What? Kel, there's no one I would have sex with," she said. "It's not like my life is this testosterone-filled zone," Katie finished. Kel turned to her.
"Well then what is it, girl? Because your cheeks are all a flush with some sort of pink hue. And I could've sworn your teeth have gotten four times whiter," Kel said. "What, did you win a free car or meet someone or something?"
"No, of course not-"Katie said, before biting her lip and remembering Coffee Guy.
"What, oh my God, you won a free car didn't you," Kel said excitedly. "Please say it's a mini-Cooper. Please. I just saw The Italian Job and I'm just dying for a mini-"
"Kel. Calm down. No car, but, well..." Katie began.
"Hello, on the edge of my seat, here, can we speed this cliffhanger up please?" Kel demanded excitedly.
"It's nothing that big! There's just this really cute guy that goes where I work," Katie said innocently.
"You little skank. Who is he?" Kel asked mischievously.
"This guy I met at Starbucks. He asked me for a recommendation," she said, "and we've been having some small talk in between all the ordering and exchanging of money."
"Katie, you, my dear, are a guy magnet. They seem to adore the silky, dark-haired, witty type with good taste in music. Remember all the parties we went to this year?" Katie blushed furiously, but smiled a little and hung her head. "You hit the dance floor, and ahem...the bed sheets with some serious Katie-worshipper-hotties," Kel said teasingly.
"Not all those guys were worth it," Katie admitted. "And hey, that's none of your business. Even if we are roommates," Katie said seriously.
"Well, regardless," Kel went on, holding up two hands in defense. "I, for one, am hardly surprised. Guys like ya, hon," Kel said. She stepped back to look at Katie. "Hmm, let's examine you. Let's see, white tank top, white short-sleeve, brown skirt, loafers. OK, let's make that a peasant shirt," Kel said, jumping around the counter and reaching through her drawers. She finally found it and flung it in Katie's direction.
"Yeah?" Katie asked, propping the shirt up against her chest.
"Yeah," said Kel. "Much better. Go put it on," she said.
Katie did, and after saying a quick goodbye to Kel, was out the door in a few minutes' flat. She crossed the hallway and took the stairs to the bottom floor of her apartment. One bus and three miles later she was walking up to the doors of Starbucks.
The first person she saw was Talia, who was cleaning the tables with a rag and placing the chairs around them. When she saw Katie she gave a wave.
"Hey Wagner, you're on time today," she said. Katie grinned sheepishly.
"Uh, what happened to 'new girl'? I was getting kind of used to that," Katie said.
"Ah, and she's funny, too. Help me with some of these tables, huh?" she said, shoving a rag into Katie's hand and her signature Starbucks- green apron in the other. Katie wiped down the remainder of the tables with Talia. Then they opened the doors.
Katie had gone through about ten customers, before she saw Coffee Guy open the door and walk towards the counter with a smile.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," she replied. "Same?"
"You know it," he said, already getting his money out.
"How'd that literature test go?" she asked, as she began making his drink.
"I got a B, actually," he answered. "Which is great for me, because I suck at that kind of stuff. Couldn't write to save my own life," he said affably. She grinned.
"It's a solid grade," she said.
"Yeah, I guess," he smiled a little and quirked his nose. He was a great-looking guy in a rugged, masculine way. When he smiled, he looked like he meant it.
Katie saw him focus on an open-mike sign that she'd posted next to the register.
"You should go to that, it looks like it's going to be good," she said. He looked from it back to her.
"Yeah? You know...I think I might," he said.
"Really?" she asked. She placed a lid on top of his drink, and took his money.
"Yeah. I'm not really an open-mike kind of person. My turf's more on the lacrosse field or the soccer field..."
"Wait, you play lacrosse?" she asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Do you?" he asked, immediately excited. She grinned and looked down.
"No...not even close. But it's just, when I first saw you..." A blush clouded her cheeks and she tried to cover it up. "This is going to sound so stupid," she said.
"No, what?" he asked.
"Well when I first saw you, I was like 'He looks like the type to play LAX'," she said. He laughed.
"Really? Am I that predictable?" he said, smiling.
"Oh it's not that!" she said, berating herself. "It was a good thing. Definitely," she said.
"Really," he said.
"Yeah," she said, somehow finding it hard to look away, yet she felt slightly embarrassed, as well.
"Hey, Wagner! New girl! Whatever, hey there are OTHER customers here, too!" Benito called from the back room.
"Damn..." Katie muttered, flashing him a look.
"Hey listen, I'll come, tonight. For open-mike night. And I'm Jimmy, by the way," he said.
"Katie," she replied, a little stunned. They shook hands.
"See you at 7," he left, picking up his order.
"At 7," she repeated.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! Love you guys! BTW, I am a "dudette", hehe. I'm sorry this part was short, but I'm kind of setting some stuff up...so I can't wait to keep going. This story is coming along slowly but surely. I've taken your comments into consideration and have come up with some cool ideas. So thanks! That doesn't mean you should put tons of suggestions about what I should do in every post, but it does give me something to think about while I write, so I keep your messages in mind. Thanks again, and tune in!
When she came out of the shower for work, Kel was at the counter like she was the day before, already having run her usual three miles. Katie got a cup and drained some coffee from the brass cappuccino machine, but she barely got to blow on it for two seconds before Kel's staring at her made her pause. Katie tilted her head and looked at Kel expectantly.
"What?" she asked quizzically.
"You had sex, didn't you?" Kel blurted out. In a swift motion she flew forward and was at Katie's feet, her red curls bouncing. She began inspecting Katie with slightly amused hawk eyes.
"What?!" Katie said, laughing, her eyes wide open.
"You've got this strange glow about you, one that only comes after a night of sexual ecstasy," Kel concluded with a satisfied smirk on her face. Then she frowned. "Wait, you got home at like seven last night. What's up with that? Was it a quickie? Was he a bad kisser?" Kel said, nodding as if she completely related Katie's situation.
Katie stood with her mouth gaping open, before her brain signals told her that she should start correcting her misunderstanding roommate.
"Kel, no, no, no, I did not have sex," Katie protested. Kel didn't look convinced. "Kelly Armstead. Focus, OK? Katie. Me. No. Have. Sex," Katie said slowly, as if she were talking to a child. Kel nodded and went back to her newspaper and juice.
"I heard you. But you're just lying, that's all," she said.
"What? Kel, there's no one I would have sex with," she said. "It's not like my life is this testosterone-filled zone," Katie finished. Kel turned to her.
"Well then what is it, girl? Because your cheeks are all a flush with some sort of pink hue. And I could've sworn your teeth have gotten four times whiter," Kel said. "What, did you win a free car or meet someone or something?"
"No, of course not-"Katie said, before biting her lip and remembering Coffee Guy.
"What, oh my God, you won a free car didn't you," Kel said excitedly. "Please say it's a mini-Cooper. Please. I just saw The Italian Job and I'm just dying for a mini-"
"Kel. Calm down. No car, but, well..." Katie began.
"Hello, on the edge of my seat, here, can we speed this cliffhanger up please?" Kel demanded excitedly.
"It's nothing that big! There's just this really cute guy that goes where I work," Katie said innocently.
"You little skank. Who is he?" Kel asked mischievously.
"This guy I met at Starbucks. He asked me for a recommendation," she said, "and we've been having some small talk in between all the ordering and exchanging of money."
"Katie, you, my dear, are a guy magnet. They seem to adore the silky, dark-haired, witty type with good taste in music. Remember all the parties we went to this year?" Katie blushed furiously, but smiled a little and hung her head. "You hit the dance floor, and ahem...the bed sheets with some serious Katie-worshipper-hotties," Kel said teasingly.
"Not all those guys were worth it," Katie admitted. "And hey, that's none of your business. Even if we are roommates," Katie said seriously.
"Well, regardless," Kel went on, holding up two hands in defense. "I, for one, am hardly surprised. Guys like ya, hon," Kel said. She stepped back to look at Katie. "Hmm, let's examine you. Let's see, white tank top, white short-sleeve, brown skirt, loafers. OK, let's make that a peasant shirt," Kel said, jumping around the counter and reaching through her drawers. She finally found it and flung it in Katie's direction.
"Yeah?" Katie asked, propping the shirt up against her chest.
"Yeah," said Kel. "Much better. Go put it on," she said.
Katie did, and after saying a quick goodbye to Kel, was out the door in a few minutes' flat. She crossed the hallway and took the stairs to the bottom floor of her apartment. One bus and three miles later she was walking up to the doors of Starbucks.
The first person she saw was Talia, who was cleaning the tables with a rag and placing the chairs around them. When she saw Katie she gave a wave.
"Hey Wagner, you're on time today," she said. Katie grinned sheepishly.
"Uh, what happened to 'new girl'? I was getting kind of used to that," Katie said.
"Ah, and she's funny, too. Help me with some of these tables, huh?" she said, shoving a rag into Katie's hand and her signature Starbucks- green apron in the other. Katie wiped down the remainder of the tables with Talia. Then they opened the doors.
Katie had gone through about ten customers, before she saw Coffee Guy open the door and walk towards the counter with a smile.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," she replied. "Same?"
"You know it," he said, already getting his money out.
"How'd that literature test go?" she asked, as she began making his drink.
"I got a B, actually," he answered. "Which is great for me, because I suck at that kind of stuff. Couldn't write to save my own life," he said affably. She grinned.
"It's a solid grade," she said.
"Yeah, I guess," he smiled a little and quirked his nose. He was a great-looking guy in a rugged, masculine way. When he smiled, he looked like he meant it.
Katie saw him focus on an open-mike sign that she'd posted next to the register.
"You should go to that, it looks like it's going to be good," she said. He looked from it back to her.
"Yeah? You know...I think I might," he said.
"Really?" she asked. She placed a lid on top of his drink, and took his money.
"Yeah. I'm not really an open-mike kind of person. My turf's more on the lacrosse field or the soccer field..."
"Wait, you play lacrosse?" she asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Do you?" he asked, immediately excited. She grinned and looked down.
"No...not even close. But it's just, when I first saw you..." A blush clouded her cheeks and she tried to cover it up. "This is going to sound so stupid," she said.
"No, what?" he asked.
"Well when I first saw you, I was like 'He looks like the type to play LAX'," she said. He laughed.
"Really? Am I that predictable?" he said, smiling.
"Oh it's not that!" she said, berating herself. "It was a good thing. Definitely," she said.
"Really," he said.
"Yeah," she said, somehow finding it hard to look away, yet she felt slightly embarrassed, as well.
"Hey, Wagner! New girl! Whatever, hey there are OTHER customers here, too!" Benito called from the back room.
"Damn..." Katie muttered, flashing him a look.
"Hey listen, I'll come, tonight. For open-mike night. And I'm Jimmy, by the way," he said.
"Katie," she replied, a little stunned. They shook hands.
"See you at 7," he left, picking up his order.
"At 7," she repeated.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! Love you guys! BTW, I am a "dudette", hehe. I'm sorry this part was short, but I'm kind of setting some stuff up...so I can't wait to keep going. This story is coming along slowly but surely. I've taken your comments into consideration and have come up with some cool ideas. So thanks! That doesn't mean you should put tons of suggestions about what I should do in every post, but it does give me something to think about while I write, so I keep your messages in mind. Thanks again, and tune in!