Cherry Flavored Coffee, Part 2 (END)

Cherry Flavored Coffee1

Part 2: Sierra's Girl2

It’s true that I love Macy’s Cafe. Sure, coffee isn’t the best thing in the world, but somehow when Macy makes it, I like it a lot. Mom and Dad made a hasty stop here one time a few years ago, and I happened to be with them. It’s funny how it worked out, actually. We were served by the owner that day, and for some reason, both she and her place felt like old friends to me. Even so, I’m having a lot of trouble trying to figure out exactly WHY I’m standing outside the small pink and white building around a few corners from my house wearing a rain coat pouring out a couple gallons of water every few seconds. The rain is cold and merciless, the wind fast and chilling to the bone. The sky is dark and swirling like an evil prophecy at work. Looking around me and taking all this in, and I can’t help but think, This is crazy. What am I doing here again?3

The first door opens to reveal a tiny nook where many other dripping raincoats are hanging. I take mine off to put with them and can’t help but sigh in relief when I’m reminded of how it feels to be warm. Macy’s Cafe is always nice and cozy, and in the summer it’s always just cool enough. Another thing I’ve always loved about this place, it’s as weather friendly as a building can get. I take a minute to glance at myself in the window that gives a glimpse into the cafe itself and guide my fingers through my damp hair. It’s not dripping, but it’s not dry either, same with my clothes. Once again, I’m forced to wonder what I’m doing in this place on a day like this. 4

When I walk into the cafe, the tiny gold bell on the second door jingles happily like a bluebird. These are all kinds of people inside, all sitting together, drinking coffee, reading various newspapers and chatting away. There’s always a friendly atmosphere at Macy’s, especially on days like this. Macy herself, a tall, middle aged woman with graying hair, recognizes me and waves. I wave back, not resisting the urge to give her one of my most genuine smiles.5

Suddenly, a voice comes out of nowhere from a table by the windows.6

“Brit! There you are! Come on over!” Twice on the way over here I had asked myself what the hell I was doing. Oh yeah. NOW I remember. 7

Macy glances over at Sierra, and flashes me a questioning look. I can’t help but blush as I realize that I never brought Sierra here before...and for good reason. It’s exactly the boldness she’s acting on right now that I feared would cause trouble for Macy. I sigh, and give her one last smile and a shrug before turning and making my way over to the table where Sierra is waiting for me.8

I don’t have to look at her very long before my blush is renewed and I almost trip over my chair trying to pull it out. Sierra is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful girls in our school. It’s something I’ve (and I’m sure I’m not the only one) always been secretly jealous of. Without even trying, she can make the simplest outfit look like something special made just for her, and that’s exactly what she’s doing right now. A plain white sweater and an even plainer brown skirt. Geez. Her fire colored ringlets are slightly damp, same as my hair, yet still suspended around her bright face like I remember them. Her pale blue eyes watch me intently, scanning me with childish excitement like a little girl waiting to open her birthday present. There’s nothing on the table in front of us, so for the first few minutes I do nothing but stare nervously at it.9

I feel more than see Sierra tilt her head to the side, amusement gleaming in her eyes as she takes me in. “Come on Brit, chill out,” she tells me. “I’m not going to suddenly push you onto the floor and ravish you in front of all these people.” She glances around before leaning toward me, her left hand cupped over her mouth with a wicked grin curving her lips. “That is, unless you want me to.”10

I move my eyes to stare at her in complete disgust. “Screw you.”11

She smiles wider and leans back in her chair, stretching her arms way over her head, showing off her body through her clothes. “You’re always welcome to.”12

“Sierra, get your mind out of the damn gutter and let’s just get this over with.”13

“Wow, you’re feisty today,” she remarks as she settles her chair back onto the floor again. “But I should have expected that. Okay then, if you insist my dear. Let’s go get us some coffee.”14

Oh great. Now I have to introduce my crazy ex-girlfriend to one of my childhood friends. I close my eyes in silent exasperation as we both scrape our chairs back and walk (frolic in Sierra’s case) over to the counter. Sure enough, Macy has been waiting for us the entire time.15

“Hello Brittany dear,” she addresses me in a soft, gentle voice that reminds me of warm fire on a frozen evening. “Terrible weather, isn’t it? But all the same I’m glad you could make it out here today.”16

I’m not so sure I am, my mind is whispering, but I ignore it and return her heartwarming smile. “I’m glad to see you again too, Macy. How is everything? The business? Your husband?”17

“They are both well. Thank you Brittany.” It’s at that moment when she turns to Sierra and takes her in. “And I see you’ve brought a friend. Who might this charming young woman be?”18

Taking that moment to close my eyes and silently bear the pain of having to do this turns out to be a mistake, because before I can introduce Sierra, she does it herself. She has both hands behind her back and is smiling radiantly (once again, like a little girl) as she says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Macy. I’m Sierra. You really have a wonderful place here.” She holds out one of her hands to my friend, who looks at it curiously for a second before taking it. A huge blush blooms on her face. One cute thing about old Macy: she never was very collected about taking compliments. 19

“Why, thank you dear,” she tells Sierra, chuckling. As they smile at each other, my stomach starts to churn. I can’t take much more of this. I have to say something.20

“You’re right about the weather,” I interject, and can’t resist grabbing Sierra to pull her out of Macy’s grasp. “Would you mind whipping up some of your delicious coffee for us? It’s just what one needs on a day like this.”21

Macy’s blush deepens as a compliment of my own is added onto the one Sierra gave her. Chuckling some more, she agrees. “What would you lovely ladies like today? We have several new flavors, I’ve been experimenting with them. People tell me they are turning out well, and I would love your opinion on them.”22

“Sure!” Sierra agrees enthusiastically. I stare at the both of them in disbelief. “What are these new flavors?” she continues. 23

“Well, we have peach, apple, orange cream, strawberry, and cherry.”24

Sierra nods at each one, as if testing them out without even tasting them. I swear that on some level she’s telepathic. She rolls her eyes to the ceiling in thought, one hand at her chin, lips pursed. The only question on my mind is, what just happened? How did we get from compliments to new flavors? No offense to Macy, but I don’t want to try anything new. I’m just about to order my usual favorite, the almond mocha, when Sierra suddenly says, “We’ll both take a cherry.”25

HUH?26

“Ah, very good,” says Macy, and quickly sets to preparing.As for me, as if time stopped my hand is still on the counter, ready to order my mocha. Once again, what the hell just happened?! When I turn, slowly and rickety like a machine that needs to be oiled, to my ex, her eyes are shining and she’s flashing me a grin that is both wicked and angelic at the same time. Right now, my eyes burn as I deliberately focus on the wicked side of that smile.27

“I thought you were going to get me my favorite,” I growl at her.28

She remains unaffected, and that smile doesn’t go anywhere. Actually, it gets wider. “This will become your new favorite,” the frustrating girl tells me. Just as I’m about to pounce on and strangle her, Macy is back with two steaming cups of cherry flavored coffee. Gross. We thank Macy, and Sierra pays. Before I know it we’re sitting back at the table. I’m still glaring at Sierra, who’s blowing on her coffee, trying to cool it down. I glance down at my own cup again and wrinkle my nose at the swirling rose colored mixture inside it.29

“You do realize that there’s no way in hell I’m drinking that stuff, right?” I say just to make sure. Sierra pauses from her cooling operation, tilting her head at me.30

“Oh come on Brit, live a little,” she replies. As she picks up her own cup, I find it hard to keep my hands from folding into fists as she winks at me. “I wouldn’t have gotten it for you if I wasn’t sure you would like it.”31

I sigh, giving up. For a while after that, nothing happens. The rain still pounds the windows outside, Macy still serves people coffee among other things, people get up and leave while others come to take their place...it’s actually a very exciting cycle. Sierra sits across from me in all her glory, sipping her coffee and enjoying the hustle and bustle of the cafe the same as me. I still haven’t touched my own coffee, but find it better to stare at the cars going back and forth on the road. It shocks me when I admit to myself that even if I can’t stand her, it still feels nice to be in Sierra’s company again.32

I really did miss her. 33

Suddenly, something warm and tender finds its way into my hand, laying in front of me on the table. I look down in alarm to see that Sierra has taken one of my hands in her own. My eyes go wide, but when I look at her, she’s staring at the floor beneath her feet. What’s even more shocking is that there’s a slight dusting of pink on both her cheeks. 34

Sierra is BLUSHING? But...she never blushes! She never once showed that kind of emotion when we together, and I highly doubt with anyone else! I can’t help but just sit there and gawk at her. This is a getting weirder and weirder by the minute.35

I feel my heart nearly stop when those gorgeous eyes finally raise themselves to meet my boring brown ones. My ex’s lips curve upwards as she takes in the look on my face, but soon she’s back to staring downward nervously. Without thinking, my hand that isn’t holding hers moves forward until it does so. Now it’s her turn to look surprised as I entwine our fingers together. She in turn wraps her fingers around mine on our other hands. And with that, all we can do is stare at each other, feelings bottled up for way too long sweetening the air between us like french perfume. Memories rush back to me in floods, and I feel like crying again.36

“Brittany,” Sierra suddenly says. I jump, eyes widening once again as I contemplate bolting out of the cafe. I wasn’t expecting Sierra to talk, but she did...and used my full name too. 37

She has not called me by my full name since we were in elementary school, and she didn’t know me very well. 38

Fighting back the almost uncontrollable urge to cry, I find I have to say something. Sierra just said my name, so technically, the best way to respond would be ‘yes?’ So that’s what I say, or whisper rather, in response to her. A few minutes pass where nothing happens. Then, the next thing I know, Sierra is getting up, pushing back her chair. Our hands release each other, and she is kneeling down in front of me. Before I know what she’s doing, she brings her hands to my face and starts moving toward me.39

She kisses me. It only lasts a few seconds. My mind barely registers that I’m being kissed before she pulls away. When I do realize what she just did, my hand flies to my mouth and I instinctively scoot my chair back, away from her. 40

Sierra looks like she was expecting my reaction. She gets up, turning her head away, looking really sad. “Brit, about that thing I have to tell you...” she says. After a minute she turns back to me. I haven’t moved. “I know that I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I deserve to have you back even less, but...well...oh what the hell! I hate myself, okay? Ever since that day I haven’t been able to get the way you looked at me out of my mind! It’s been torturing me!” I’m staring at her, as well as a bunch of other people. She’s making a scene, but doesn’t seem to care. So like Sierra. The minute I think that, tears start welling up in my eyes again. 41

She calms down slightly, and continues, wrapping her arms around herself. “Brit, I can never truly tell you how sorry I am for what I did. It was wrong, it was horrible and I did it anyway. I wasn’t thinking at the time about you...about what you really mean to me.” I can tell it’s hard for her to hold my eyes, but at this moment that’s what she’s doing. I can barely breathe. Is it really Sierra saying these things? None of this sounds like Sierra at all. “What happened with Amber was...an experiment. She’s not something precious to me, never was, I just wanted to...well, you know. You’re the only person I’ve ever been with, and you always make me feel so...” The word. She doesn’t have to say it. I know what it is.42

Special.43

“And I wondered if someone else could make me feel that way too.” 44

I tear my eyes away from her. It’s too much, I can’t look at her anymore. I look deep inside each raindrop that hits the window, wondering if the wind carrying the rain away would take me with it too, if I so wished. “And did she?” I find myself whispering. I barely heard it myself, I wonder how Sierra managed. 45

Soon she’s back on her knees in front of me, a hand on my cheek, forcing me to turn and look at her. I’m not exactly crying, but I’m not exactly NOT either. I wish she wouldn’t look at me like that. 46

“No, she didn’t. I won’t lie to you anymore, I’ve seen other girls besides Amber. Over the summer. None of them were worth anything to me. Brittany, you’re the only person who ever made me feel this way. You, and no other.” The hand caresses my cheek, then moves down my neck. After sliding down my shoulder and over my chest, Sierra takes one of my hands again, and our fingers intertwine of their own will. “I am such an incredible loser for not figuring out sooner...that I’m in love with you.” 47

Oh. God. I quit breathing a long time ago. Now that REALLY doesn’t sound like Sierra, and yet looking at her now, I can read in her eyes that everything she’s telling me is true. Before I know what I’m doing, I reach up and take Sierra’s face in my hands. I draw her gently forward until our foreheads touch and my eyes close. 48

“I love you too,” I whisper into the air between us. “I have always loved you.” And to both our surprises, I whisper something else. 49

“I forgive you.”50

From there on, nothing is quite clear. I remember feeling Sierra’s lips on mine again, hearing people clapping and cheering around us and starting in alarm in her arms. Macy herself comes over and congratulates us, and I remember looking over at my cup of coffee, untouched this entire time. With Sierra’s eyes on me, I pick it up and take a tiny sip of the now cold caffeine. The sweetness of cherry nectar fills my senses...it’s delicious. Sierra was right, of course she was. 51

“So? How is it?” my girlfriend asks, wrapping her arms around my neck to draw me close. 52

“Mmm,” I say, shrugging. “It’s okay.”53

She gives me the most gorgeous smile I have ever seen in my life, leaning closer to put her mouth next to my ear. “Have I ever told you how absolutely adorable you are when you’re angry?”54

“Shut up!”