A Rainy Coffee Shop Latte with Mark

A Rainy Coffee Shop Latte with Mark

I was at that coffee shop near my old apartment, but it had the layout of my current office breakroom. I was waiting in line, feeling frantic because my phone was dead and I couldn't remember my debit card pin. Then Mark from my college study group tapped me on the shoulder. He looked a little older, maybe like a mix between him and my coworker David, but he had that same soft smile. He just quietly stepped up, paid for my iced latte, and said, 'Don't worry about it, I've got you.' We sat at a tiny corner table, and even though it was pouring rain outside the huge windows, it felt completely calm. We were talking about nothing important, just our day-to-day routines, but then he reached across the table and held my hand. His fingers were so warm, and my heart did this nervous little flip, like a rush of pure relief and butterflies at the same time. Then my alarm went off, and I woke up staring at my ceiling with this heavy, aching sense of longing.