Here's another chapter for you. Enjoy.
Cap. A POV
I was feeling kind of down as I walked the now familiar path to the cafe. The team was shipping out on a week-long mission this afternoon, so today was the last morning I'd be drinking my coffee with Alex for at least a full week, maybe longer.
I had spent the better part of the last month and a half sharing my mornings with Alex. We talked about anything and everything, but I always kept the conversation vague as it pertained to my chosen career. I was convinced she didn't know who I was and I wanted to keep it that way, at least for now. I told her I did strategic planning for a large corporation. It was technically the trust.
Oddly enough, what she did for a living was kept just as vague. She told me she was a student, studying alternative medicine and left it at that. I didn't pry any further, not wanting an interest in her work to spark an interest in my work. The plan seemed to work out well.
When I got to the cafe, Alex was already there. She had two cups of coffee in her hands and she was just sitting down at our usual table. We had gotten into the habit of sitting at the same table every day, the first person there buying the coffee. I usually made it there first, wanting to be gentlemanly and buy the drinks, but occasionally, she managed to beat me.
It was scary how much I looked forward to my mornings.
"Good morning. You're here early." I greeted Alex, taking a seat across from her.
She smiled at me. "Yeah, I woke up early today. Not sure why. I guess it's just one of those rare times when I wake up on my own, fully refreshed and ready for the day. I've begun to find I'm looking forward to my mornings more these days."
"Well, I hope I've aided in making your mornings more pleasant." I wasn't much of a flirt, but Alex seemed to bring it out in me naturally.
"Honestly, I think you're the only reason I am now a morning person. The next few days are going to suck."
She pouted and I couldn't help but laugh at her bluntness. This made her smile.
"Unfortunately, as they say, duty calls." I replied.
She shrugged. "That's alright. I managed to survive for years without you being a part of my mornings. I'm sure I'll live. Don't get me wrong, It's going to be painful getting up for the next few days, but I'll live."
We sat and chatted for another hour and a half, but all too soon, the moment soon came for us to part ways.
"Well, I should really be off. I actually have stuff to do today and I can't delay it forever." Alex said, starting to collect her purse. She reached into it, pulling out a piece of paper and handed it to me. "Here's my number. Give me a call when you get back into town."
She stood up, but paused and leaned in closer to me. "And by the way, I think two friends of yours are sitting behind you In the far corner. Don't look. They kept sneaking peaks at us off and on. I might be wrong, but I bet I'm not. Let them know they should really leave the spy work to the experts."
She winked, kissed me on the cheek, then left the cafe.
I waited a minute or two, then stood and turned around. True enough, in the far corner, at a small table, sat Natasha and Clint. They looked like they fit in with the normal morning crowd, but obviously they were doing something to tip Alex off. It seemed odd, for two trained spies, to be made so easily. I sighed and approached them, taking a seat at one of the two empty chairs at their table.
"Why are you two here?" I asked, looking first at Clint, then Natasha.
"You saw us come in?" Natasha asked, sounding disappointed. Obviously, she had believed their entrance had been undetected by me, which it had.
"No, my friend pointed you guys out when she left. She noticed you watching us. She wanted me to tell you to leave the spy work to the experts." I grinned at their reactions.
"She made us?" Clint asked, stunned. "How is that possible? We were both in full undercover mode and everything."
I chuckled. "I don't know, man. Obviously something you two were doing tipped her off. I probably would have left without even noticing you were here if she hadn't pointed you out."
"Color me impressed. I like this woman already." Natasha added. "But moving on to the important stuff. Who is your friend? When did you meet?" She had a twinkle in her eye and was acting very girly. Clint rolled his eyes. Off and on Natasha liked to point out certain women to me and hint they would go out with me, if asked, but thankfully, her involvement went no further than that.
"Great, girl talk. If I had known there would be girl talk, I would have stayed in bed." Clint grumbled playfully.
"Oh, hush you." Natasha scolded Clint, then turned back to me. Obviously, she wanted answers and would not be satisfied until she got them.
I sighed, reasoning it was better to tell her everything now, preventing a full SHIELD investigation and interrogation later. She could be ruthless when trying to learn information she desperately wanted to know, be it from friend or foe.
"Her name is Alex. I bumped into her the first day I started coming here for coffee. I also bumped into her the second day. On the third day, she bumped into me. We've been drinking our coffee together ever since."
"Oh my god, you have a girlfriend!" Natasha squealed softly, so as not to draw too much attention to us. I didn't even know she was capable of making such a sound. I would have laughed, if the sound hadn't been directed towards me.
I could tell I was blushing. I did my best not to smile. "She's not my girlfriend, she's just a friend I have coffee with."
Natasha crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair.
"Did she, or did she not just give you her phone number?"
"She did, but that is only so I can call her when I get back into town next week. I told her I was going on a business trip. She's not my girlfriend."
A giant smile formed on Natasha's face. It was rare to see her smile so broadly. "Maybe not yet, but she wants to be. A woman doesn't give out her number to someone if she's not interested. Trust me. I may not be a typical female, but I do know these things."
Clint punched my shoulder not too gently. "Way to go, Cap! She's hot. And a redhead too. Redheads are feisty.".
Natasha glared at him.
Clint just smiled. "See, feisty."
I had to laugh. These two could start a comedy act when they retired from the spy business.
We stayed only a few more minutes, then left together to return to the tower to get ready for our mission. On the walk back, I couldn't help thinking about the conversation we had about Alex and the phone number currently in my pocket. Did Alex really want a relationship with me over and beyond just morning coffee buddies? Did I want the same thing? More importantly, was there room for that kind of personal relationship in my superhero lifestyle?
To Be Continued...