“You got it. Be right back with those coffees.” She raced off before we could ask for anything else.
“You don’t want to wait until we leave to get the coffee to go?”
“It’s not for me.” I said absently, glancing in Rick’s direction.
Rachel frowned.
I hadn’t really talked to her about my issues with Mr. Cool over there. Knowing Rachel, she’d probably mistake it for flirting. Me, I just wanted to finally get Rick off my back for his stupid spilled coffee. The linen shirt, on the other hand, was probably out of my budget.
“Here you go.” Haley laid our coffees in front of us.
“Thanks. Hey, could I ask you for a favor?”
She raised an eyebrow at me. Clearly it was not that kind of a restaurant—you know, the kind where the waitstaff is friendly.
“Do you have a marker?” I asked, ignoring her rudeness.
“Uhh…yeah.” She reached into her apron and pulled one out.
I scribbled on top of the white plastic coffee lid, the words “Now we’re even!”
“Would you mind handing this to the guy sitting by the window, with the white T-shirt.”
“You mean Rick?” Haley raised an eyebrow at me.
I nodded, suddenly self-conscious. I hoped she didn’t take it the wrong way, since she knew him.
“Well, when I ran out of here last week, I accidentally spilled his coffee and—”
“Gotcha.” She cut me off impatiently.
Rachel squinted, watching Haley walk away. “Hmm, watch out for that one…” she mumbled.
“What? Why?” I asked, genuinely confused.
“She’s clearly got a thing for Rick. Did you see how possessive she got when you sent him a cup of coffee?” She raised an eyebrow at me. “Smooth, by the way.”
I had told her about my, literally, running into Rick last weekend, if only so she knew she wasn’t the only person I’d dumped a coffee on that morning. Except in Rachel’s case, it was to finish mine.
I watched as our friendly waitress approached Rick’s table and put down his cup in front of him. He looked over at me after Haley pointed me out before walking back to her station. Maybe Rachel was on to something.
“Well she’s got nothing to worry about. I amnotinterested,” I stressed, hoping to get my message clear.
Rachel shrugged, sipping her coffee.
I stirred mine while trying to convince myself I hadn’t thought twice about Rick’s broad shoulders when I’d run into him or his strong grip when he’d saved me from plunging into the pool. As if that wasn’t enough, he just had to stare long and deep into my eyes, showing off his greens that day when he caught up with me outside the pool gate. And his smile, which I was sure he thought was charming, was nothing more than infuriating.
“Here are your eggs,” Haley said, dropping the plates at our table before walking away.
“That’s okay. We won’t be needing anything else,” Rachel said, almost a little too loudly.
I laughed. “This was your idea.”
After a few bites of my breakfast, a slim shadow appeared over me, and before I could look up, I saw the same to-go coffee cup I had sent Rick’s way placed back in front of me. Haley didn’t bother saying anything before fleeing off to her probably less demanding customers. My words had been crossed off and the words “It was a latte” were inscribed un-derneath. I stared into it for a minute.
“How rude!” Rachel said after reading the lid.
I struggled to avoid Rick’s eyes, which I felt on me. It didn’t matter. I’d done my part. I’d made my peace offering. And it had been rejected.
