Pulling into the coffee shop parking lot, I’m not surprised to find that it’s nearly empty, and when I enter the building, there’s only one other person there, an older gentleman, working on his laptop.
With Lincoln nowhere in sight, I go ahead and order my drink.
The barista greets me with a lovely smile. “Merry Christmas Eve! What can I get for you?”
“I’ll have a caramel brûlée latte, please.”
“What size?”
“16 ounces is fine, thank you.”
As she rings me up, I turn around to see if anyone has pulled into the parking lot, but there’s still no sign of Lincoln.
Heading to a table in the corner, I take the seat that faces the window so I can keep an eye out for him. A few minutes later, the barista brings me my coffee, setting it, and a lid, down on the table in front of me.
Wrapping my hands around the steaming to-go cup, I smile down at it. The barista created a beautiful Christmas tree in the foam, and I almost feel guilty drinking it.
As I sip my coffee, the minutes tick by, and with each one that passes I start to feel a sense of dread, wondering if I’m being stood up. I’ve only been here for 15 minutes, but I haven’t heard from Lincoln since we decided on a time and place for this initial meeting.
When my coffee is nearly finished, I decide to go order another, even though I also had a cup at home.
It’s Christmas after all, and I have a long day ahead.
Once I’m standing, I see an all black Range Rover fly into the parking lot, coming to a stop in a spot right in front. A man gets out and rushes inside.
The moment the doors open, our eyes meet, and I know instantly that it’s Lincoln. Still wearing his navy blue scrubs, his hair is disheveled, and he looks absolutely exhausted. Despite that, he’s extremely handsome, with dirty blond hair and green eyes.
He doesn’t hesitate to approach me, already talking before he’s even crossed the room.
“Holly! I am so sorry I’m late. I ended up pulling a double and performing an emergency surgery that took all night. I just left the hospital.”
“Why didn’t you just cancel on me?” I ask, completely surprised that he’s standing in front of me right now after working, if I had to guess, close to twenty hours.
“I wouldn’t cancel on you.” He flashes me a lopsided grin, and extends his hand. “Hi. I’m Lincoln, by the way.”
Shaking it, I can’t help but notice how warm his palm is in contrast with mine. I’m always freezing. “I figured as much. But you must be exhausted…”
“I am, but this is important.”
I blush at his words and the heavy eye contact he’s giving me right now, like he’s peering directly into my soul. It makesme a little uncomfortable, but at the same time, my curiosity is piqued.
“Have you been here long?” he asks.
“Not long. I got here early,” I lie. “I’m not a fan of driving in the rain, so I gave myself a little too much time to get here.”
“That was smart. The roads are a mess. What can I get you to drink?”
“Another caramel brûlée latte would be great, just a small one, though. I’ve already had enough for the day.”
“Coming right up.” As Lincoln heads to the counter to order our drinks, I go back to the table and sit, finishing the one I had from earlier while I wait for him to join me.
When he walks over with both of our beverages a couple minutes later, I take mine gratefully, and smile when I see another Christmas tree in the foam.
“The designs are cute,” he comments, holding his cup out for me to look at. “Mine’s a snowman.”
“I didn’t know they did designs like this! I feel a little guilty. Usually, when I come here, I take it to go, and the lid is already on.”
“I don’t think they do this all the time. I’ve been here a few times too, and I’ve never noticed anything like this.”
