Just a little something I wrote for a class and found today. Didn't have time to polish it up so please excuse the mistakes and errors.
Peppermint Mocha
Today I arrived at the café as usual. I order my usual mocha and went to my usual spot. But there was something unusual about today. Today she sat in my usual spot. The girl I had never seen before in my life. I took my drink and took my seat, across from her, somewhat puzzled and intrigued. She was gorgeous, that was certain. And she was reading a book. A book on philosophy. So she was smart too. Gorgeous and smart. Now there was a combination. She looked up from her book and I looked down at my laptop. I looked back up just as she quickly looked down. Then she shyly looked up and our eyes met. And in that instant she smiled. And I smiled back. I sipped my mocha and was surprised. Surprised that there was something new in it. Peppermint. Just like her, it was unexpected but serendipitous.
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Today I talked to her. It took several encounters but gradually I got the nerve to walk over and introduce myself. We talked. For a long time. I was late for work. But I didn’t care. The next day and the next day and the day after that, we talked and laughed and cried and life seemed warmer and full of life. We grew closer as days became weeks, weeks became months, and before we knew it, fall had passed and winter had come. In those cold winter months, just the thought of her smiling face brought warmth to my soul. It was like the warmth of the smooth milk in my peppermint mocha, my new favorite drink. Whenever I sipped it, I thought of her.
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Today is the best day of my life. My heart keeps pounding. I can’t stop smiling. Am I dreaming? No, I’m not. Because I know I can’t sleep at night either. Because life is so much better than a dream now. Why? Because I told her. I told her I love her. And she said she loved me too. And we kissed! It was amazing. Out in the snow, in front of the café, the linger taste of the peppermint mocha’s chocolate still there. Like the chocolate, smooth and warm and sweet and spicy and comforting. How can I describe that kiss but amazing!
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Today I sit here alone in the café. She is gone. She said I’d be okay. She said we both knew it was coming. She said we could still be friends. Now I’m sitting here alone. Listening to the oppressive silence without her. Feeling the emptiness without her. Sipping my last peppermint mocha, because now, all I can taste is the bitterness of the espresso. And of love.
15 years ago