past couple of weeks, she’d had Penn to make her laugh, to make her smile. He gave her something to look forward to and she realized she missed his attention.
“It’s time,” Ellen said to herself as she made the turn to her apartment. She knew she had to change her life course. And she needed to do it soon. If not, she could be lost in a sea of lonely contentment for the rest of her life.
Thursday, February 6 th
A s Mike entered the Starbucks at his usual seven fifteen a.m., he was preoccupied with his appointments that day. He had a meeting with the billboard company at ten and two new client presentations. It didn’t sound like a busy day, but the stress would make it a ball-buster.
“Good morning,” he said, looking up from his phone.
“Good morning, sir,” said the young male barista.
“Where’s Lexi this morning?”
“She’s off today, sir.”
“Oh,” Mike quipped, surprised and disappointed not to see his favorite coffee girl. “Venti, café breve please.”
“And your name, sir?”
“Mike.”
“You wouldn’t happen to be Mike Montgomery, would you?”
“One and the same,” Mike replied. “Why? Are you a design student looking for an internship or something? We don’t have any openings right now.”
“No, sir. Nothing like that,” he smiled. “You can pick your order up at the other counter.”
“Thanks,” Mike sighed as he held his phone to the scanner to pay for his coffee.
“No, sir. Your coffee’s already been paid for this morning.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Yes, sir. You can pick it up at the other counter.”
Mike said nothing but raised his eyebrows and gave the young man a half smirk, thinking that maybe it was some sort of promotion they were doing in the store. God knew he’d spent enough time and money in that location, so he didn’t bother to ask for an explanation.
“Mike?” he heard the voice call to him at the end of the counter.
“Thanks,” he said as he picked up his coffee and noticed it wasn’t what he’d requested. “I’m sorry, but I ordered a Venti and this is a Grande.”
“Yes, sir, but the note that was left for you was on the Grande cup. I hope that’s okay.”
“What?” asked Mike as he slid the cardboard sleeve away from the cup to reveal a handwritten message on the side complete with a heart.
I hope you have a wonderful day. P.S. You have a great smile.
Mike read the words and felt all the blood rush to his face, causing his ears to ring. “What is this?” he asked in a whisper.
“A message for you, sir.”
“From whom?” Mike asked, not taking his eyes from the words on the side of his coffee.
“I don’t know, sir. I only know I was supposed to give it to you if you came in this morning. And again, I apologize it was the wrong size.”
“No, no. It’s perfectly okay,” Mike nervously shifted his weight back and forth. “I’d just like to know who left it for me.”
“Sorry. I can’t help you with that. It’s pretty cool, though. We were all hoping you’d come in this morning.”
“Yeah,” stumbled Mike. “Thanks.”
He took his coffee and began to walk out the door, amazed at what had just happened. He paused only for a moment and then pulled a business card from his jacket pocket. Writing on the back in a flurry of excitement, he wanted his admirer to know he appreciated the gesture:
I’m smiling today because of you . – Mike
All this time he was thinking of his coffee goddess, Sarah, while someone else was thinking of him. He was flattered, but still determined to see his plan for the non-fat no foam goddess through to the end – no matter what might happen.
After tipping the barista handsomely to deliver his business card, Mike quickly made his way to his office and prepared for the day.
Calling the billboard company, he gave specific instructions on the time and date the new board was to be set. He’d had the artwork uploaded and was waiting to hear of any snags in his plan to
“It’s time,” Ellen said to herself as she made the turn to her apartment. She knew she had to change her life course. And she needed to do it soon. If not, she could be lost in a sea of lonely contentment for the rest of her life.
Thursday, February 6 th
A s Mike entered the Starbucks at his usual seven fifteen a.m., he was preoccupied with his appointments that day. He had a meeting with the billboard company at ten and two new client presentations. It didn’t sound like a busy day, but the stress would make it a ball-buster.
“Good morning,” he said, looking up from his phone.
“Good morning, sir,” said the young male barista.
“Where’s Lexi this morning?”
“She’s off today, sir.”
“Oh,” Mike quipped, surprised and disappointed not to see his favorite coffee girl. “Venti, café breve please.”
“And your name, sir?”
“Mike.”
“You wouldn’t happen to be Mike Montgomery, would you?”
“One and the same,” Mike replied. “Why? Are you a design student looking for an internship or something? We don’t have any openings right now.”
“No, sir. Nothing like that,” he smiled. “You can pick your order up at the other counter.”
“Thanks,” Mike sighed as he held his phone to the scanner to pay for his coffee.
“No, sir. Your coffee’s already been paid for this morning.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Yes, sir. You can pick it up at the other counter.”
Mike said nothing but raised his eyebrows and gave the young man a half smirk, thinking that maybe it was some sort of promotion they were doing in the store. God knew he’d spent enough time and money in that location, so he didn’t bother to ask for an explanation.
“Mike?” he heard the voice call to him at the end of the counter.
“Thanks,” he said as he picked up his coffee and noticed it wasn’t what he’d requested. “I’m sorry, but I ordered a Venti and this is a Grande.”
“Yes, sir, but the note that was left for you was on the Grande cup. I hope that’s okay.”
“What?” asked Mike as he slid the cardboard sleeve away from the cup to reveal a handwritten message on the side complete with a heart.
I hope you have a wonderful day. P.S. You have a great smile.
Mike read the words and felt all the blood rush to his face, causing his ears to ring. “What is this?” he asked in a whisper.
“A message for you, sir.”
“From whom?” Mike asked, not taking his eyes from the words on the side of his coffee.
“I don’t know, sir. I only know I was supposed to give it to you if you came in this morning. And again, I apologize it was the wrong size.”
“No, no. It’s perfectly okay,” Mike nervously shifted his weight back and forth. “I’d just like to know who left it for me.”
“Sorry. I can’t help you with that. It’s pretty cool, though. We were all hoping you’d come in this morning.”
“Yeah,” stumbled Mike. “Thanks.”
He took his coffee and began to walk out the door, amazed at what had just happened. He paused only for a moment and then pulled a business card from his jacket pocket. Writing on the back in a flurry of excitement, he wanted his admirer to know he appreciated the gesture:
I’m smiling today because of you . – Mike
All this time he was thinking of his coffee goddess, Sarah, while someone else was thinking of him. He was flattered, but still determined to see his plan for the non-fat no foam goddess through to the end – no matter what might happen.
After tipping the barista handsomely to deliver his business card, Mike quickly made his way to his office and prepared for the day.
Calling the billboard company, he gave specific instructions on the time and date the new board was to be set. He’d had the artwork uploaded and was waiting to hear of any snags in his plan to
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