Coffee in Common by Dee Mann

want any part of it, if that's what it was. Knocking over the coffee and you being so nice about it sort of reset my attitude I think."
    "Well I'm very glad it did."
    "Me too."
    Her eyes flicked to the clock again. "You realize it's way after midnight, and I have to get up for work in the morning."
    Paul sighed. "I know. So do I. I just don't want to let go of your voice…"
    That warm, comfortable feeling flowed through her again.
    "…but I will. So now the moment of truth has arrived. Would you like to go out with me Friday night?"
    "No."
    There was dead silence on the phone line. Paul's face had drained to a ghostly white. Was she really turning him down?
    "I'd like to go out with you tomorrow night but I can't because I have yoga class and then dinner plans with some friends. So I guess I'll have to hold out until Friday."
    It took a moment for Paul to recover his voice and for the color to return to his face.
    "You know you almost gave me a heart attack. Was that…"
    "Payback for the joke this afternoon? Yes it was." Jillian laughed. "Still want to go out with me?"
    Paul was laughing now as well. "Oh yes. I have a feeling getting to know you will be the most interesting thing I'll ever do."

 
    THURSDAY, MAY 6
     
    7:35 AM
     
    Paul and Rob stood near the window of the coffee shop sipping their morning caffeine as they scanned the sidewalk.
    "I'm glad to hear it, man." Paul's eyes never paused as they swept back-and-forth.
    His friend nodded. "It was weird. Debbie was so nice, you know? She really has her act together, unlike some of us. We seemed to hit it off and all, but the more I got to know her, and the more I realized how great she was, the more I missed Lisa. Even worse, though, is that I'm pretty sure Debbie would have invited me home if I'd shown even the slightest interest. But I knew it would have felt like I was cheating on Lisa. Besides, I think Marianne might have grabbed her gun and shot me had I dared set foot inside Debbie's apartment."
    "I'm guessing you two didn't get along well after I left?"
    "Man, she started in on me as soon as you were out the door. She all but tore me a new one because I'd dragged you there rather than let you get home to call coffee girl. She went on and on and on about it. Whatever you told her made one hell of an impression."
    "I told her about meeting Jillian and what happened at lunch, the same things I told you."
    "Well, she obviously read more into it than I did, because she reamed me good."
    Paul laughed. He could picture Marianne berating Rob. "In your defense, you were a little preoccupied with your own problems with Lisa."
    "Maybe so, but she certainly liked you. When I said goodbye to them at the subway, I got the impression they'd be talking about you and coffee girl all night."
    "Jillian."
    "What?"
    "Jillian. Her name is Jillian, not coffee girl."
    "Oooo, touchy, touchy. Jillian it is then, but I don't think she's coming."
    Paul glanced at his watch and sighed. It was quarter to eight. He really wanted to see her again this morning.
    Last night, after saying goodbye, he tried to sleep but found he could not get her off his mind. Her face, her voice, the way she'd looked from behind as he chased after her that morning, everything kept playing back over and over. He thought he finally fell asleep sometime after two. And when his alarm clock buzzed at 6:30, his first thought had been of her and how she might look in the morning.
    "Let's give it few more minutes. So what are you going to do about Lisa?"
    "Well, last night I burned a CD with a bunch of songs to tell her I'm sorry, and I miss her, and all. I was up until almost two-thirty figuring out what to put on it. And I'm sending flowers to her at work this morning and including the CD and a letter I wrote last night."
    "A letter? You wrote a letter?"
    "Well, I do have some skills in that area."
    "What did you write?"
    "None of your business."
    Paul turned from the window to stare at his friend. "You know this