The night air was cold as I walked. Looking over my shoulder every so often to make sure I wasn’t being followed, I pushed on through the snow. My boots sinking into the snow with every step I take. I get to the corner and weigh my options. Option one; turn right and potentially get mugged in the ally that I would end up walking by seeing that I just saw some guy walk into the ally holding a gun. Option two; turn left and take the route through the park and end up somewhere lost and confused. Option three, continue across the street and head into the nearest open coffee shop to hide.
I pick the warmest option, coffee. Bells chime as I enter the shop; I look around only a handful of people drinking coffee and on their laptops. Mostly college kids, I walk up to the counter and look at the selection of drinks and food options they have.
“Welcome to Biggby, Sir what will you be having today?” says the barista girl.
I look down at her name tag. Lily, such a beautiful name. It suits her well, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.
Looking back up at the menu, “I’ll have the Mocha Caramel latte and a Chocolate Chip Muffin please.”
“What size Mocha would you like sir?” she asks sweetly.
“Ummm… Tall please.”
“Okay sir so you’re total will be… $6.89.”
I hand her a ten and she gives me my change then starts making my order and says “You look familiar have you came in here before?”
I nod my head and fettle with the sugar packets, “Yes I come here quite often, names Guy.”
“Nice to meet you guy, my names Lily, as you can see.” She says and points at her name tag.
“I noticed it when I was ordering, pretty name.” I say in the smoothest way I could.
She blushes, and her eyes light up.
“Really?” she says as she bats her eye lashes.
“Yes, really” I say smiling. My face is getting hot. I’m starting to shake, she makes me so nervous. I grab the counter and try to steady myself. She doesn’t notice.
“Thank God.” I say under my breath, I regain my stability and look at the question of the day board. It reads “What Great Lake state has more shoreline than the entire U.S. Atlantic seaboard?” I think to myself it has to be Michigan.
“Is it Michigan?” I ask reluctantly.
She looks over at the board and smiles, “Yes it is!”
“Whhooo!!!” I say laughing and smiling.
“I used to live in Michigan.” She says proudly.
“So did I” I say proudly as well and smiled a bit.
“Where in Michigan did you live?”
“I lived in a little town called Romulus, and you?”
Her face lit up so much I thought she might just explode.
“So did I!” She exclaims jumping up and down as she sprays whipped cream on my Mocha.
My smile grows with every second I’m in her presents. As I think about it she looks more and more familiar. She graduated in the same year as me. Yes I know it, it has to be her. The girl I fell in love with in 9th grade. It’s all coming back to me. Lilith Kyng, Lily. My Lily, I remember the first day I laid my eyes on her and her chocolaty brown eyes. It was 9th grade orientation, she sat two rows in front of me in the auditorium. She had looked back to check the time and her eyes caught mine.
I was already looking at her but when I noticed her looking at me I looked away instantly I didn’t want her to know I was imagining me “yawning” and stretching my arm and laying it behind her on the back over seat and ever so slowly laying my hand on her shoulder.
I look back up at her; she’s smiling and turns she head instantly she notices I see her staring at me. To me, it was love at first sight. If only it had happened that way. After the orientation was over and I seen her walk out so gracefully I nearly tripped over my own feet trying to catch up with her. When I finally got out of my row, she was gone. It was only a dream I thought to myself, only a dream.
But her she is now standing in front of me making me my Mocha and handing me a muffin. As she handed the muffin to me my fingers touched hers. A warm but chilling sensation ran up my finger tips and down my spine. I could tell she had felt the same thing; I looked into her eye and smiled. I knew she wasn’t a dream but the girl of my dreams; I have waited for this feeling to happen for far too long. This moment, I had imagined it so many times; meeting her again and falling into an endless love. It was finally happening. She was mine to take and to hold in my arms.
She’s smiling; she leans over the counter and places her lips to my cheek. I stand there stunned. Words try to reach my lips but they barely get to the tip of my tongue. God, give me the power to say the words I’ve been dying to say to her for all these years. I just keep standing there frozen in place. She grabs my hands and tries to wake me out of my trance. I shake my head over and over trying to break free.
Finally, I break through the ice. I look at her and smile the biggest smile and look into her eyes. I place my had on her cheek and ever so softly place my lips upon hers. This kiss is what I’ve been waiting for. I taste her sweetness.
“Will you go out with me tonight?”