Lonely Hearts & Broken Parts (LBSC #1.2) | Complete

Chapter 7

The morning after swing dancing and talking with my mom, I didn't feel totally better about what had happened with Chelsea, but what could I do? It wasn't like we'd professed our love for each other or anything. I decided I wasn't going to dwell on it, and would stop by Cuppa to grab a coffee and muffin before heading to work.

I opened the door of the coffeeshop and groaned; the line was longer than I imagined.

The girl at the end of the line turned around and grimaced at me, her high ponytail brushing her shoulders.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I did that out loud," I muttered.

"Oh, I wasn't frowning at you. Merely giving you a show of solidarity. I came here looking for a quick cuppa and the queue's ridiculous," she said with a faint, lilting accent.

I repositioned my glasses on the bridge of my nose. "It's okay, the line usually goes by pretty fast."

"Oh good," she said with a smile of crooked teeth.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

Smooth, Malcolm.

"Gee, how could you tell?" she asked, still beaming. "Is it my clothes?" She gestured at her gray sweatshirt with its torn neck, her jeans, and hi-top sneakers.

"That was it," I said. "I saw the jeans, and I said, 'That girl is definitely not from here'."

She let out a peal of laughter. "I'm from Ireland. I'm in town visiting my brother at uni."

I shifted the strap of my satchel. "There are a lot of great colleges around here. Where does he go?"

"Braemore."

"Wow, he must be pretty smart."

"Not smarter than me," she said.

"Look--the line's moving!" I pointed ahead.

The girl clapped her hands in glee and faced forward. I realized I didn't know her name. Before I could stop myself, I swallowed and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and arched an eyebrow.

"I didn't get your name."

"Siobhan. Yours?"

"Malcolm."

Siobhan extended her hand. "Well, nice to meet you Malcolm." She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "That's what you do here, right? Shake hands." She winked at me.

"Or you can air kiss, but usually that only happens on those Real Housewives shows."

Siobhan and I shook hands, and she turned around again as the line moved and we got closer to the counter. I looked at my watch then ahead of me. Three people stood between me and the counter, and I still had to walk to my car and drive the ten minutes to work. If the people before me were quick with their orders, I could make it and have five minutes to spare.

Luckily, the two people before Siobhan were in and out before I even realized it. I put my phone back in my pocket and listened as Siobhan gave her order.

"One cranberry orange scone, one chocolate chip scone, and a large English breakfast tea."

"Okay," said Damien, the blond-dreadlocked barista who was an acquaintance of mine. "That'll be seven twenty-four."

"Oh! I didn't expect it to be that much," Siobhan said, her voice muffled as she pulled a wrinkled five-dollar bill out of her pocket and put it on the counter. She frantically dug in the cross-body purse slung over her torso. "I know I've some change somewhere."

"Geez, can you hurry up? Some of us have to get to work," someone snapped from behind me.

Siobhan looked up, caught my eye, and her face reddened. As someone who blushed several times a day with only the slightest provocation, I felt bad for her. If I were in her shoes, I'd be mortified and would think about never showing my face at the coffeeshop again.

"Ugh," another person grunted. "Really?"

"Well, um, never mind. Just the tea, please," Siobhan mumbled.

I stepped forward, my hand already reaching for the back pocket where I kept my wallet. "I've got it."

"Hey, man," Damien said, his hooded eyes brightening ever so slightly.

"Malcolm, you really don't have to," Siobhan said, cringing.

"It's no problem," I told her. To Damien, I said, "And can you add a large drip and an applesauce muffin? To-go, please." I handed my card to Damien before picking up the five-dollar bill and offering it to Siobhan.

"No, no, I can't let you do that," she said, waving the money away and shaking her head. "I'm already terribly embarrassed as it is."

I tucked the bill into the right pocket of her jeans, surprised at my own boldness. "Pay it forward."

Siobhan bit her lip, then looked down at the pocket. She looked back at my face, and I tried to determine if she was going to slap me or do something equally justifiable in response to my rash action.

"Here's the tea and scones." Damien gave Siobhan a bag with the scones and paper cup with a tea bag floating in it. "And here's a large drip and applesauce muffin. Have a good day, guys."

I accepted my coffee and muffin and smiled at Siobhan. "Have a good one."

She returned my smile. "Thank you again."

I drifted to the counter with creamers and sugars, and liberally sprinkled my drink. I'd just place the plastic lid on the top of the cup when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head and saw Siobhan holding her cup in both hands, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

It was my turn to raise my eyebrow.

She cleared her throat, looked down at her cup, then back at me before gesturing to the small two-person table where she'd set her bag of food. "Would you like to sit with me?" She hesitated. "Unless you're supposed to be somewhere."

I looked at the table, then my watch. If I left right then, I'd be five minutes late for work. I looked back at Siobhan whose body language read that she was shy, but her eyes were still twinkling. I remembered my mother's words.

Surrender.

"Actually," I said. "I think I'm right where I'm supposed to be."