The Coffee Shop (7 page)

“You do know I care about you, Annie, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And that I’m not out to just use you, right?”

“Yeah, I know that.”

He smiled, and eating their pizza, they watched the sun as it sank lower in the sky.

“I should be heading back. I have the early shift tomorrow, and I don’t think they’d be happy if I put the food coloring where the hair dye should be. I mean, it’d probably work but…”

He was grinning.

“You’re visualizing some poor woman coming back into the store with brilliant green hair, aren’t you?”

“No,” he replied.

“You’re not very convincing, I’ll have you know.”

He chuckled to himself, and she smiled.

Chapter Seven

“So, where are you taking me?” Annie looked out the window of the limousine, as they drove past the center of the city.

“That, is a surprise.”

“Hmm.”

“What? You say that like you don’t like surprises.”

“Well, sometimes surprises can be fun, spontaneous, and a good thing. Other times, not so much.”

“Other times?”

“Well, I know of someone that threw a surprise wedding party.”

“A what?” Derrick gaped.

“Exactly. That guy has to be really certain the girl is going to say yes. And the girl…talk about putting her on the spot. What if she doesn’t feel the same way, or what if she isn’t ready yet? Or, for that matter, what if she is a very private person?”

“I take it, it didn’t go well?”

“Oh, no it went great. She said yes, and everything went as planned. But it could have been a disaster.”

“Funny that should come to mind when you mention surprises.”

“What’s funny about that?”

“Oh, nothing I guess.”

“Just never plan something like that with me.”

Derrick raised his eyebrows.

“I don’t believe I just said that.” She felt her face become hot, and Derrick laughed. “Don’t laugh at me. I feel stupid enough as it is.”

“Sorry, it’s just — ”

“Would it be possible to pull the limo over? You can just let me off here?”

“Hey, I’m sorry I laughed. You’re right. I shouldn’t have…even if it was funny.”

“Pull it over!” Annie insisted.

“I’m stopping, I’m stopping. Honest.”

“So?”

“I’m taking you to a place that I used to go to when I first arrived. I couldn’t afford much, and I was looking for a decent meal at a decent price. So, after some looking I came across this great little place, and the rest is history.”

“And it’s still there, after all this time?”

“You make it sound as if I am ancient.”

Annie smiled. “Do I?”

“Yes, it’s still there, and yes the same people are still running it. I go back from time to time and enjoy a good meal.”

“What’s it called? Maybe I know it.”

“Incontro.”

Annie sat back on the seat. “Incontro?”

“You know it?”

“Know it, I worked there for a while when I first got here.”

“How come I never saw you?”

“Oh, I wasn’t a waitress or anything.” She laughed. “Could you see me as a waitress? I could just imagine the kind of disaster that would be. No, I worked in the kitchen washing dishes. Sometimes they’d let me chop things, when it got a little busy and they really needed the help, but not often.”

“So, you’re saying we could have met all those years ago?”

“Hey, like you I’m not that old. But, yeah, I guess so.”

“Man that’s weird. The way things work like that.”

“I know. Maybe we were supposed to meet all those years ago, and it didn’t happen, so fate decided to step in and make it happen for us.”

“You don’t believe in that kind of thing?” Derrick asked.

“Do you?”

“I don’t know. What are the odds we’d come across each other once in this city, let alone at two different places?”

“I’m not sure what I believe any more. I guess there would have been a time when I did, and maybe I do a bit still. I mean, when I think about it, it would be nice. Perhaps we weren’t at the right place in our lives to meet just then?”

“I never thought about it that way. But just the fact that we both came to the same place like that, right after arriving here. That says something, don’t you think?”

“Now that you mention it, I guess it does.”

The limousine pulled up in front of the restaurant, and Lawrence opened the door as Annie and Derrick climbed out.

“Thank you, Lawrence.”

Lawrence tipped his hat and smiled. “Miss Maddock.”

Taking her arm Derrick leaned in as he led her to the front door. “I think he likes you.”

“Maybe that’s because I acknowledge him, and treat him with respect. So many of us work at such mundane jobs and people never so much as give us the time of day, let alone talk to us or smile. I know how much I appreciate it when someone shows me some kindness. So, when I do the same…to them it’s a big deal. It shows them there are still nice people in this world.”

Derrick stopped before the door. “You really need to be ambassador to some country. The things you could do.”

“Very funny.”

“So you think it’s impossible for one person to really make a difference?”

“Now, I never said that. Just not me.”

“Oh, I see. Uh-huh.”

“What?”

“So you don’t think you can make a difference?”

“I’d probably set the stage on fire by accident, or some foolish thing.”

He pulled the door open, allowing her to pass through in front of him.

“Mr. Sloane!”

Derrick looked up to see the smiling face of a slightly overweight woman in her sixties. “Mrs. Giordano.”

“Gina, please.”

“Ah, then you must call me Derrick.”

She nodded, the smile never leaving her face. “Annie? Oh my, Angelo, it’s Mr. Sloane and Annie.”

Annie’s brows arched. “Oh, so you are
Mr. Sloane
, but I am plain ol’ Annie. Well!”

Derrick laughed. He knew she was only teasing, but just the way she did it made him want to smile.

“Annie! Oh, and Mr. Sloane. You are together?” Angelo turned to Gina, and they both smiled broadly.

Annie leaned close to Derrick and lowered her voice. “The two of them are imagining us married, you do realize.”

“No doubt. They were constantly trying to fix me up with someone. Mrs. Giordano couldn’t bear to see me single. To her it was a sin.”

“But come, come, sit, sit.” Angelo pointed to their best table, the one next to the fire, and pulling out their chairs, he then waved for menus. “Here, you sit. Enjoy the fire, read the menus. Gina, our best house wine for Mr. Sloane, please.”

Annie watched as they rushed around attending to their every need, the smile never leaving their faces. “So this is what it’s like to be a customer. I always wondered.”

“You never ate here?”

“Not as a customer. As an employee you would be allowed a meal with your shift, but I never knew what it was like to eat out here and be served.” Giving the room a cursory glance, she nodded. “I must say I prefer this side of the kitchen. Oh, not that they weren’t good to me, because they really were, but…” She sighed. “It’s nice to be the one being served for a change. You know?”

“Oh yes. I know.”

Bringing the wine, Angelo presented it to Derrick and poured a little for him to taste.

Derrick nodded. “Very nice.”

Mr. Giordano smiled even more broadly, if that was at all possible, and pouring wine into two glasses, he wrapped it in a cloth and set it aside. “What can I get you tonight?”

“Why don’t you give us tonight’s special?”

Mr. Giordano’s eyes lit up, and he nodded his approval, shouting, “two specials,” to Gina, who relayed it to the kitchen. “But you drink.” He stepped away, his gaze remaining on them as he disappeared once again into the kitchen.

Annie stared across the table at Derrick. “Why do I get this feeling he’s still watching us?”

Derrick laughed.

“This is serious, I’ll have you know. If that man doesn’t have us engaged by the time we leave here, he’ll never stop hearing about it from Gina. I’m surprised she’s not casting hints about bambinos, as I speak.”

Derrick laughed even harder.

“What, you didn’t notice how full he filled both our glasses. If I didn’t know any better I’d swear he was trying to get us drunk!”

Leaning both his elbows on the table, Derrick rested his head in his hands. “Had I known coming here would be so entertaining, I would have brought you here on the first date.”

“By entertaining, are you referring to me squirming in my seat, or them trying to ply us with liquor and stares?”

He thought on it for a second and grinned. “Both, actually.”

“And if you had brought me here on our first date, and they’d pulled that, I’d have run screaming for the hills.”

“These hills you are referring to?”

“Oh, here we go, jabs at my small town origins.” She shook her head and sighed loudly.

Derrick took a sip of his wine and leaning back, he looked around the room. “You do know what Incontro means, don’t you?”

Annie paused. “No, but I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.”

“It means encounter or meeting.”

Annie stared at him and picked up her wine and took a sip.

“I thought you hated the taste of wine?”

“I do. And I have just confirmed it. I really hate the taste of wine.” Shaking her head, she waved her hand in front of her as if somehow that would remove the taste from her mouth. “Call me unsophisticated. Hell, call me a bumpkin, whatever that means, but I will never like the taste of wine.”

“Why do I get the feeling you think that unless you drink wine that you are somehow unworthy of being considered?”

“Considered what?”

“I don’t know, but whatever you are thinking, you’re wrong. Oh, and did I just hear you curse?”

“Did I?”

“Yes.”

“Well, there you go. That’s what I was trying to tell you, when I am being stared at and feel under stress I become — ”

“You are feeling under stress?”

“The two of them staring at us, her envisioning me surrounded by a dozen bambinos? That’s enough to make any girl nervous.”

“Tonight’s special.” Mr. Giordano was standing over them, two steaming hot plates in his hand. Placing the plates down before them, he stood proudly staring down at his creation. “Seafood fettuccine Alfredo.”

Annie nodded vigorously as she gave Mr. Giordano a big smile. Digging her fork into the noodles, she twisted them around the tines as she twirled them in the sauce. Taking a big bite, she made loud, appreciative noises as Mr. Giordano beamed down at her.

“You enjoy!”

“We will,” she said through a mouthful of food. Derrick smiled at her.

“Well, at least this way we can get an idea of how it’s supposed to look and taste.”

Derrick took a generous mouthful and held Annie’s gaze as he chewed. “This tastes a lot like ours did.”

“Yes, I was about to say the same thing.”

“I have to say, I am, well, I’m shocked.”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mr. Sloane.”

“Well, I know I can’t cook worth a damn, and you admitted as much, so that we managed to do as well as we did… Why, it’s a miracle.”

“All right. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it that.”

“Well, I would. I can’t toast bread without screwing it up somehow.”

“Now you’re just exaggerating.”

“Well, maybe a little.”

They continued eating their meal, and Derrick sipped at his wine. “You never did tell me what you thought about the name of the restaurant.”

“I didn’t, did I?” He watched as she ran her finger along the rim of her wine glass. “To be honest, I don’t know what to think. This whole thing…”

“I know. I’ve only known you for just over a month, and for me, it’s like I’ve known you my whole life.” She didn’t respond, but he could tell from her reaction that she had thought the same thing herself, even if she wouldn’t admit it out loud. He didn’t want to rush her, or pressure her, but he wanted so desperately to be so much closer to the woman he already knew he loved. And he was so afraid if he tried to hurry it any faster that he may lose her altogether. “Annie?”

“Hmm?”

“You okay?”

“Uh-hmm.” She reached out taking his hand. “It’s the strangest thing. I’ve only just met you, as far as I am concerned, and it’s like. God, if this were a movie you’d be saying how corny this all is and changing the channel right?”