It was a cold Saturday morning in London. Small snowflakes fluttered from the sky, lightly coating the ground outside of flats that lined Manyard Road. Charlie sat a table in front of a single-hung window, which on the outside held frost and some snow that hadn't melted.
Her fingers tapped at the keyboard of her laptop as she worked on a project for school, having to design a fake website for a popular company. She let out a sigh and looked at the time. It was 7:15 in the morning and she had realized she had stayed up to pull another all-nighter to finish her project. She stopped typing, deciding she needed more coffee. She let out a big yawn and stretched, leaning back in her chair to straighten her arms. As she sat up, she heard a small meow. Looking down at the cat who brushed against her leg, she spoke. "Hey sweet Chase." The woman picked up her long haired companion from the floor, holding him close to give him a kiss on the cheek. He meowed and pushed against her, trying to get away.
"Okay okay, you're hungry too. Let's go."
Charlie stood from her chair and stretched again, then heading to her kitchen to feed her cat. She got his food from the pantry and poured it in his bowl, returning the cup whenever she had finished.
I should get coffee from the shop down the street... She thought to herself, feeling her stomach rumble slightly. And maybe a bagel...
She went to her room to change into more snow-appropriate clothing. As she got ready to leave, Chase followed her to the door watching as she put on her Uggs and grab her keys. "I'll be right back Chasey." She said before leaving, locking the door to her flat behind her.
The cold air hit her face and small snow flakes fell into her hair. She shivered as she started walking down the sidewalk, heading to the coffee place that was maybe a five minute walk away.
It was barely light outside as she walked. She enjoyed the cold- as winter was her favorite season. It had been snowing a few days prior, causing the snow to stick to the ground without melting. Charlie listened to music as she walked, enjoying the cold as it woke her up and gave her energy. She turned the corner of her street, passing small shops and businesses that she quite frequently visited.
Here we are. She thought to herself as she had arrived to the shop. She opened the door and walked in, the smell of coffee filling her nostrils.
"Hello Charlie!" A man greeted her from behind the counter. "Would you like your usual?" He asked, receiving a nod from the woman before going to the back to make her coffee. There was one other person in the café, sitting towards the front door as they sipped on coffee. Charlie walked to the counter to wait for her coffee. A minute passed before the man came back to the counter, a mug in hand. "Here you go." He placed the coffee on the counter and slid it over to her, ringing her up. "Did you pull another all-nighter?"
Charlie looked up at him after grabbing her coffee and taking a sip. "Thanks Matthew. And yes, I did. School is whoopin' my ass right now."
"You graduate this year, right?"
"I do indeed."
The bell of the front door rings, making Charlie step to the side. "Thank you for the coffee, Matt." She said before sitting down at the other table by the glass windows and door. She watched the snow fall outside through the foggy window. Inside the coffee shop was very warm, making her sweat a little with the warmer clothes she had on. She still listened to music in her earbuds, humming to songs she enjoyed more than others.
Suddenly, she felt her phone vibrate.
Abby- Have you finished the project?
Charlie- Yes, I finished it this morning actually. I just need to revise it and email it to Mr. Shepard.
Abby- Lucky! I've been so distracted by Ben, I suppose I forgot about it.
Charlie- This is why I don't date.
Abby- Oh come on, you know you want a lover.
Charlie sighed and put her phone down, drinking some more of her coffee. A year ago she had broken up with her ex to focus on schoolwork. She wanted to become a web designer and get a job working for merchandise websites. The other person that had came in not long after Charlie had received his coffee and stood by the small fireplace towards the back corner. He wore a black turtle-neck sweater with black pants with a beige jacket. His hair was dark brown and curly, and he wore white sneakers which didn't look fancy like the other part of his outfit. Charlie turned off her music and put her earbuds in her pocket, standing up to go greet the fancy man. She grabbed her coffee and walked over to him, clearing her throat as she stood next to him. Looking down at the fireplace, she drank from her coffee.
"Makes it quite toasty in here, doesn't it." The man said, noticing Charlie stood next to him. Charlie nodded in agreement to the man, taking another sip of her coffee. "It's quite lovely." She replied. The man turned and looked at Charlie. She noticed that his eyes were a chocolate brown and he had one piercing in his left ear, which resembled a black chained cross. "I'm Joseph." He said to her, offering her a hand to shake. She took the man's hand with her empty one and shook it, "Charlie."
"Well it's nice to meet you miss Charlie."
"And you as well, mister Joseph." She replied with a smile.
Joseph smiled back to her and then looked back at the fire. "Do you come here often?" He asked, his accent obviously British.
"Just about every day. I don't sleep much." Charlie replied, also looking down at the fire. "I have too much schoolwork to have to sleep."
Joseph was silent, focusing on the fire. "Well it was nice meeting you Joseph. I must get going." Charlie told the man, drinking the rest of her coffee. "You stay warm out there."
Joseph turned at her comment. "It was lovely meeting you as well." He replied, smiling at her warmly. Charlie waved a goodbye before returning the mug to Matt to leave.
He seemed familiar.. She thought as she started her way back home.
