9.3: Run Ins and Chats

   "C'mon, c'mon, work." I shouted at the coffee maker, rather aggravated. When I resided in Isla Paradiso, I'd have the occasional caffeinated beverage, a soda, maybe an iced latte, or energy drink, but I never had a heavy dependence on the substance. Delilah changed that  after a few weeks; she was an avid coffee drinker and while I didn't hate the bitter beverage, I much rather preferred the delicate flavors of tea. Sadly enough, the teas I preferred weren't caffeinated enough to ward off a caffeine headache, so I found myself screaming at the coffee pot every morning. "Finally!" I exclaimed, once my mug was filled to the brim.

   I took the mug, satisfied, and sipped the strong liquid. Supposedly this type of roast had more caffeine than other varieties, but I couldn't taste or tell the difference. I glanced out the window; the leaves were turning a lovely rainbow of yellows, red, and browns, the October landscape was gorgeous. I thought when I moved to the States I'd finally be able to enjoy Autumn and all the clothes and warm, fuzzy things associated with the season. My assumption had being horridly wrong; the high today was estimated to be about eighty-five degrees, right now, at seven-thirty am, my phone informed me it was seventy. I'd never seen snow, real snow, not the fake stuff that was used to decorate the gymnasium for high school dances, or experienced the cold, so I wasn't sure how I'd like it, but I still wanted to try the weather out, have a real winter.
   The last drop of coffee was the best, I'd decided happily as shuffled around the cabinets for another packet of coffee, I need more or I'd get a headache. There was only decaf left- I never understood those who drank coffee for the taste, the warmth- so, dejected, I opened the dishwasher and placed my mug inside, on the top rack. I'd have to buy more detergent and coffee when I went to the store. I opened the fridge, looking for eggs or yoghurt or fruit I could enjoy for breakfast. Coffee was fuel to me, but food was an experience, something take pleasure from. You had to eat; might as well eat what you like. There was nothing of the enjoyable breakfast sort, though; I'd have to buy those from the grocer's as well. I should go to the store today. In fact; I had nothing to do now, I'll go before I start procrastinating.
   I wandered down the stairs, eager to go to the small market Delilah favored. I'd been living with her for a few months and had learned my way around the city fairly well. The grocery store was right next to a quaint diner, down the street was a theatre, coffee shop, artesian perfume vendor, veterinarian, and a book store.

   "Good morning!"
   "Delilah..." I murmered. She was holding Anderson, a rarity, usually she left him sleeping until I could awaken him, and hadn't left for work yet, usually she was gone by six-forty-five. "And Anderson?"
   "Hi, Phoebe!" He exclaimed, smiling a toothy four year old smile. "Delilah takes me to school, yay, yay."
   "School? Delilah what's going on?"
   "It's take your kid to work day." She shrugged.
   "You don't like taking Andy toy your work. On take your son to work day you said he'd not be able to entertain himself."
   "Yes, but each day this week has a theme. Take your kid to school, wear school colors, dress up like your favorite superhero."
   "Sounds fun..."
   "And if the teachers participate in each day, we don't have to chaperone the elementary school football Superbowl."
   "Ohh." That explained it; she hated sports, especially when the players were four feet tall and not very good. "Well, I hope you have fun, Andy."
   "I will! I gets to paints, fun, fun, yay."
   "We're studying impressionism." She shrugged. "Plus, kindergarteners love vistiors. It'll apease them and Anderson, won't it, hon?"
   "Yeah."
   "Okay." I murmured, smiling, glad that Delilah was involving Anderson in something. She loved him and was a good parent, even if she originally never planned to have a child, she helped develop his vocabulary, read to him, took him to children's museums, made sure he did lots of artsy crafts, and made sure his motor skills were fine tuned.
   "Say goodbye to Phoebe."

   "Bye, bye, sis." He said, waving as Delilah exited.
   He'd have fun; he'd never been to Delilah's work before, no doubt he'd enjoy getting to see "big" kids who'd probably be enchanted by him. I suppose her taking him made my errands easier. Instead of hauling him with me, or calling a sitter like I'd planned, he'd get quality time with his step-mom, who he called Delilah or mommy two. I grabbed a reusable grocery bag that had my sketch pad in it and exited,  locking the door. I was off to go have a productive day.

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   "Thank you!" I called out, to the grocer. I'd spent a bit more time and money at the store than I'd planned; they'd just received a new shipment of herbal teas, my weakness. Also, Delilah and I were both terrible cooks; anything complex we'd burn or  mess up somehow, so I often bought duplicates of what was needed for certain recipes, so we could practice. Since I'd bought so much, they agreed to drop my groceries off at the apartment around four-thirty, when I knew Delilah would be home and able to help me haul everything to the appropriate location.
  My phone informed me that the time was ten-forty-nine; too early for lunch, most diners in this area didn't open until eleven. I didn't have any groceries at home, so I couldn't cook myself anything, and I was a wee bit peckish.
   "I'll go to the coffee shop." I decided aloud, as I walked down the brightly lit street, enjoying the warm sun on my skin and the quiet midmorning lull.

   I entered the shop, noticing no barista or customer roaming about. I knew after the morning nine-to-five crowd, but right before lunchtime, establishments usually didn't have a mass amount of patrons, yet I hadn't expected to see the barren wasteland that greeted me.
   "Hello?" I called out, seeing no one. Was the place open? I assumed so; the doors weren't locked, normally they opened up at five and didn't close until eleven.
   "Phoebe Janes?" I heard a confused voice call me name.

   "Yes?" I asked, turning to see who it was. Xavier? Xavier Tenant? I hadn't seen him since August when he'd been mugged; I'd been too embarrassed to go with Delilah to any social gatherings. I knew that it wasn't my fault, he'd insisted on walking me home and taking that shortcut, but still my irrational eighteen year old mind was screaming for me to avoid the gentlemanly twenty-nine year old, because I couldn't explain the fluttering sense of joy that occurred in my stomach whenever I saw him.
   "Hey, haven't seen you in awhile. The shop's closed until eleven; whatcha doing here?"

   "Um." I felt my cheeks flush a bright scarlet. "Well, see, the doors weren't locked."
   "Ah." He smiled. "Didn't read the signage?" There was signage?
   "What are you doing here?" I quickly asked, hoping to distract him from my blunder.
   "Training the employees how to use a new computer program to track sales." He shrugged. "I finished early, though, so now I'm free until one, then I've got an across down meeting at the office."
   "Cool." I weakly replied. "So..."
   "So..." He repeated. "How are you?"
   "Good." I glanced at my feet. "Sorry."
   "Sorry?"
   "The mugging... I felt bad, I just, I heard your phone and watch were taken, I can repay you."
   "Is that why I haven't seen you around? Pho, honestly, it isn't a big deal." He shrugged. "I wasn't hurt or anything and I'm the idiot who thought the dark, dank alleyway would be perfectly safe."
   "I'm glad you're okay."
   "I'm glad that you don't hate me for taking you that way. You seem like a difficult person to convince to forgive."
   "Please, as if you couldn't charm anyone into liking you or apologizing." I looked into his large doe eyes, inhaling, as I felt his hand on mine.
   "I dunno. I haven't tried my luck with ladies like you, before."
   "Like me?"
   "Headstrong, artistic, funny, generous." He shrugged.
   "You barely know me, yet you've analyzed my personality?!"
   "Delilah talks about you lots."
   "Really?"
   "Indeed, and Anderdson. she won't admit it, but she's smitten with the kid, I think she likes that he admires her, likes being able to have a student 24/7. Now, could I charm you into having lunch with me?"
   "I think you could." I winked.

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   "You pick good restaurants; this is delicious food." I gushed, trying to not inhale my food and actually enjoy the delicacy.

   "Thank you, though really, the credit goes to one of my ex-girlfriends. She use to be a waitress here, so I visited pretty often."

   "Ah." I simply replied, not wanting to venture into the subject of relationships when I'd never had one before. "How's work?"

   "Not bad. It pays the bill and then some." He shrugged. "Like I said when we met, it appeases my parents, so that's good. I'd ideally like to do something more computer and accounting oriented, so I'm using both my bachelor's, but the job market's not the best."

   "Maybe it'll get better."

   "Maybe." He smiled, taking another bite of food. "So what do you do?"

   "I paint, well sketch."

   "What do you sketch?"

   "Rooms." I blushed, hoping it didn't sound silly. "I like decorating them, in my pictures."

   "That's neat. You could sell them or become an interior designer, perhaps."

   "I dunno. It's just a hobby; I'm not sure I know enough to start a business off of my skills."

   "There's always college."

   "College?"

   "You never considered it?"

   "I did, sorta... Just, now, I mean. I'm a little late and my test scores were mediocre, plus with Anderson, and money."

   "You've got a tragic history that's great for college entrance essays, there's plenty of scholarships, and you're bright and bubbly; I'm not saying apply to Harvard or Yale, I'm just saying consider a state school."

   "A state school..." I did love designing rooms, the ideas he was telling me weren't brand new; I'd considered those options before, I just never thought I'd be able to do it... Maybe, maybe I could, though. It's be nice to be the first person in my direct family who I knew of to go to college, I'd be able to let loose and have a little fun, and it'd set a wonderful example for Anderson. Maybe I should, or at least ask Delilah for more information and assistance. "Thanks; I think maybe I might look into it, maybe even apply."

   "That's great! You've got so many possibilities available, don't end up like me, old, wishing I could have gotten a different master's degree and a different job."

   "You're not old."

   "I dunno. Sometimes I feel old." He shrugged. "I mean, I don't know what 'do it for the Vine' means, but I'm setting up retirement for myself.

   "Trust me, so many people would be better off if they were like you." 

   I liked Xavier; I'd never had many friends or gone out of my way to make and keep them, I'd never been able to talk about the future with them, with him, despite the eleven year age gap, I felt completely comfortable. My stomach would feel a bit warm, fuzzy, and jittery, but other than that, he was a handsome, helpful gentleman, who gave good advice. I should apply to college; I want to be able to enjoy my last few years of being a teenager, I love learning, I'd love to be an entrepreneur, college seemed like a wonderful plan.