The Alloys of the Blend

Chapter 2

The Daily Blend. An off-campus hub for every student on a time crunch and that oh-so-awkward first date.

Evie pushed on the door, a little bell ringing above the frame. She'd been here before with her friends, the four of them ordering cloudberry frappes when she could afford the calories. Booths lined the walls and free standing tables sprinkled across the coffeehouse. Student art pieces graced the brick walls, dimmed lights hung from the ceiling and the smell of brewing coffee sat in the air. The place was an intergenerational icon, a family owned business.

The wooden floors creaked with Evie's footsteps, as she sat at one of the booths in the front, instead of her usual spot in the back. She peered above the heads of other patrons, her eyes searching for Doug. Evie assumed he had chosen the Blend's location because the space was public and neutral.

A flap of the kitchen door sent Evie's eyes toward her left. Doug, with his hair pulled into a bun on the top of his head and a white apron, carried a silver tray loaded with items.

That's when she realized they met here because he was employed at The Blend.

"Evie, if you don't mind, I just have to finish serving a customer. Then I'll be right with you," he mentioned quickly, his cheeks reddening to see her eyes focused on him.

She watched him walk away, shifting her eyes to the menu card that was propped up in the middle of the table. She grabbed the menu and read through the entire list—front and back.

The clearing of his throat caused Evie's head to jerk up. Doug's apron was gone and so was the bun. His hair fell over his ears, brushing his shoulders. He slid into the plush seat opposite of her, and noticed the menu in her hands. It was just seconds later when Doug began to ramble out an apology, asking her if she wanted anything.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks," she noted with a thin smile. "So... chemistry? I have the textbook and yesterday's assignment, we'll just work on that. Yeah?"

She pulled her hair behind her ears, but her loose curls still fell forward. Rummaging through her bag for the textbook, her notebook and something else, she began to frantically search through her tote and then her purse. Then her wrists and hair. She plopped a pencil down, running her hand through her midnight blue waves.

"Lost something?" He asked, looking up from the half-open packet she had slid his way.

"My hair tie. Do you-" she stammered. "Nevermind."

Doug's eyes fell to his wrist and he nearly jumped in realization. "You can use one of mine," he offered. "It's clean, I promise. Fresh from the pack," he assured, unzipping one of the many, many zippers on his backpack and grabbing the unopened pack of ties.

"Thanks."

Turning to the assignment, Doug focused on how to more clearly explain balancing equations. Relying the information to Evie and showing her what she initially did wrong, the girl was quick to catch on. In a little more than two hours, Evie completed the three page equation filled assignment.

The time was now 9:37 PM, The Daily Blend closing its doors at 10. Doug glanced at his watch and got up to help close down the shop with the three other workers and the owners. Evie thanked him, Doug swallowing and nodding his head. He soon disappeared behind the flapping door.

Despite the time, Evie stuck around, ordering a chamomile tea to go. She was hesitant to leave so late. As the clock ran closer to 10, most customers already gone or on their way out, one of the owners, a middle-aged woman approached her, a warm smile on her face.

"Hi there, I'm Fern."

"Evie."

"It's great to meet you, Evie. Waiting for Doug? He's always been a bit of a workaholic," she chuckled, Evie smiling behind the paper cup that she had lifted to her lips.

"Yeah, I was kind of hanging around here since it's gotten late," Evie mentioned, hoping Fern wouldn't inquire further. Fortunately, she nodded her head in understanding and disappeared through the flapping door. Evie curled her fingers around the coffee cup and played with the cup's sleeve.

The door opened, Doug surprised to see her still sitting there. He turned back to the door, peeking his face in and mentioning something before coming back out again. Goofily fixing his stray flyaways and getting his things together, he lifted his backpack to his back. He gestured to where she sat.

"Do you—would you be comfortable walking back with me?" He asked, already aware of her answer.

"Oh, sure. If that's fine with you. It's just—it's late."

"Yeah, I get it."

The walk to Evie's dormitory, Godfrey Hall, was mid-distance from his own. It had been accompanied by heavy silence and synced footsteps. Doug didn't mind keeping the silence, and neither did Evie. As they approached her hall, she turned to thank him with a small smile. With a slight nod of his head, he turned to go.

"Anytime."