Patience

Chapter 3 - Burnt Beans

"So how was your first day?! I can't imagine what you'd be feeling." Kate exclaimed as she poured me a glass of wine.

"Eh, it was what I expected. Met some people, filed some paperwork, faxed some papers. Nothing really interesting." I shrugged, feeling a little tired after the day I just had.

"Don't worry, some wine and some snacks will make you feel a bit better." Kate chuckled as she passed me the glass.

"Dani! You said you'd come meet our new friend! Where are you?" Kate yelled throughout the apartment.

"Chill your tits, I'm here." A random Danielle appeared from her room. Dani was the typical attractive blonde and blue-eyed chick.

"You must be this Felicia I heard about this morning. I'm Dani." She smiled, reaching in for a hug.  I gave her a quick hug back and sat back down onto the couch. Danielle strolled over to her cheery girlfriend and gave her a quick peck before sitting beside her.

"So what do you guys do?" I asked curiously as I took a sip from my wine glass.

"Well Danielle is a photographer, she's always been into that cool, artsy stuff. I'm the boring girlfriend and work a job at the bank. Exciting." 

"I mean it's helpful because I can't do taxes for shit." Dani chuckled.

"What kind of things do you photograph? Weddings? Baby photos? Landscapes?" I asked, taking another sip of my wine.

"Nudity, actually. Not like sexy, porn type crap. It's as Kate would put it, 'artsy' stuff." 

"Wow, that's actually really interesting. Need a new model?" I raised my eyebrows before we all chuckled.

"I'll call you within three to five business days."

Dani poured herself some wine while Kate took another sip.

"Any men or women in your life? You got a lover back home?" Dani asked.

"Nah. I've been single for about 2 years. The last boyfriend was not exactly ideal for me." I cringed at the thought of my ex-boyfriend. He was a couch potato with no job. Constantly smoked cigarettes in the house and repeated the annoying phrase of 'Don't worry baby, I'll get a job and then I'll put a ring on that finger.'. God bless he didn't actually get a job otherwise I would've made a big mistake.

"I'm sure you'll meet someone here who isn't terrible. Maybe Americans might tickle your fancy." Kate winked at me with a smile.

"Listen if you're asking for a threesome, I should let you know I have varicose veins that are super ugly." I joked.

"Nah, for real girl. Maybe a nice, sweet man in New York will sweep you from your feet. You never know." Danielle chuckled and I just shrugged.

"Let's hope you're foreshadowing here." I shook my head with a smile.

After a couple of hours of talking, eating, wine sipping and tipsy secret sharing, I decided to go home and get some sleep. Kate and Dani seem like great neighbors, I think we're all gonna be great friends.

After a long wine induced snooze, I woke up the next day a little earlier than needed. I had a slight headache upon awakening and jumped out of bed considering whether I really needed to get up or if I could go back to sleep. I decided to be smart and get up but I was too unbothered to make breakfast so I decided to hit up a local Starbucks for some coffee.

I walked into the store feeling so out of place. I've never been into a Starbucks before. They phased out in Australia a long time ago. I look at the menu totally confused.  Where's the long black? There's not even a short black, at least there's a flat white but what the fuck is a Venti? Can't you just say small, regular or large like Gloria Jeans maybe? Oh well, here goes.

"Hi, can I get uh... A... a hot grande... Latte macchiato? With whole milk?" I asked, clearly struggling with the words.

"Name for the cup?" The innocent teenage girl working the counter asked with a pen in her hand.

"Felicia."

They ask for your name on your cup? What kinda place is this? After paying for my mysterious sounding drink and waiting a few minutes for them to brew it, I heard my name called by the same teenager at the counter. I walked up and thanked her, taking the drink from the counter. 

"'Felesca'. Tell me this is a joke. You didn't even try." I mumbled under my breath, looking at the name that was written on my hot cup, I didn't expect for them to spell it right but c'mon. I took a sip from my coffee, immediately coughing from the taste.

"Disgusting. They've burnt it. Huh, I guess the news is right, Australia are coffee snobs." I shrugged and took another sip.

"They can't clearly live up to the standards that we have back home. Can you blame them?" A random voice had replied. He has an Australian accent too. I turned around to see a man with light brown hair and green eyes, smiling at me, sipping his coffee.

"What part of the country you from?" He asked.

"Uh.. The ACT. Canberra." I replied reluctantly.

"Ah, I'm from Victoria. Melbourne, Victoria. How long you been here for?"

"Only a few days, I just moved into the apartment complex over the block." 

"Ahh, what a coincidence, me too. Except I've been here for about a year." He chuckled, taking another sip.

I didn't necessarily expect to find another Australian this quickly into my trip but maybe it's a good thing?

"Ahh, where are my manners. Bernard, you?" He smiled, raising his hand for me to shake.

"Felicia. Or Felesca according to these guys." I giggled lightly.

"Well, Felicia, I must head off to work but maybe we should meet up sometime soon." He smiled charmingly, placing his cup in the bin beside him.

"Maybe we should." I smiled, blushing a tiny bit from his handsome smile. I grabbed a pen from my bag.

"Arm."

He willingly gave me his arm and I drew my apartment directions on his arm.

"Come up for a chat sometime." I smiled as I placed the pen back in my bag, walking out of the shop with my cup warming up my hand as it got exposed to the cooler wind. I then proceeded to walk to work to start a brand new boring day.