Chapter 4
The morning sun slanted through the blinds of the office and I squinted at my monitor. I tried to focus on the spreadsheets blinking in front of me, but it was hopeless. Jordan's laugh echoed in my mind again. I blinked rapidly, expecting the numbers on the screen to come into focus, but they only blurred further. My coworker, Lena, peeked over the cubicle partition. "Earth to Alex," she said with a grin, leaning on her keyboard.
"Sorry," I said, trying to sound present. "Just a rough morning."
She arched an eyebrow at me over her tortoiseshell glasses. I knew she wasn't buying it. I could feel the telltale flush on my cheeks — the way I always blushed when I was caught daydreaming. At least this time it wasn't about failing grades or awkward family dinners. It was about a girl in a café.
I closed my laptop halfway, hoping a second of fresh perspective might help. The coffee my mom had sent in this morning — a vanilla latte with extra foam, just as I liked — sat on my desk now lukewarm. I took a sip. The sweetness was gone now, diluted by time, but still comforting.
"Brain freeze," I lied. Lena waved her hand. "Mmm-hmm, sure," she teased. Her blue eyes softened. "Thinking about Lisa again?"
My stomach did a somersault. "Not Lisa," I said. "You've been smiling at your phone a lot," Lena continued. "It's kinda cute."
I huffed. "I'm not, okay? Just… something on here."
She winked teasingly. I sighed. "Okay, maybe I'm... just glad I did the laundry last night. No one wants more surprises from Mom's warnings about laundry day chores."
Lena laughed, letting me off the hook. "Alright, Mr. Laundry, get back to work before the boss spies on this conversation."
I obliged and tried to refocus. But my mind was already swirling with thoughts of Jordan. I could still feel the weight of her gaze on me when we met at the café. The smell of coffee on her fingertips. The way the morning sun had flared around her, making her hair glow.
I tapped the pen on my desk, remembering our brief exchange. We had barely talked — just a few shy hellos and an awkward grin shared over the counter. But something had clicked. A warm, curious feeling had settled in my chest and refused to leave. Now I couldn't shake it.
At one point in the afternoon, during a mind-numbing staff meeting about quarterly targets, I couldn't concentrate at all. I doodled on my notepad, sketching two stick figures by a café table, one with messy hair and one with cropped curls. I even wrote Call coffee date maybe under one drawing, then crossed it out. Wild imagination, I chided myself. We were practically strangers. Would it be weird if I did?
My phone vibrated. A group text from my mom popped up with an emoji of a rose and a message asking how my day was. Before I could respond, my brain drifted again. I looked around the conference room. My coworkers were arguing about budget forecasts. I chuckled softly — even budget fights sounded funny now. A life of spreadsheets and forecasts, I thought, and here I was daydreaming about a girl.
By late afternoon, something unexpected happened. My next conference call was cancelled due to a scheduling mix-up. Instead of being a headache, I felt a spark of free time. And with that empty block in my calendar, I had a decision to make. Stuck in the office crunch or a gamble? After all, I was after a feeling — a lucky feeling.
I stood up from my desk. My chair squeaked, and I swore my heart sank for a moment, expecting Lena to roll her eyes at me. But she was with the head of Marketing at that moment, scribbling notes on new campaign ideas. I adjusted my tie — work etiquette — and said, "Lena, I'm heading out. It's lunchtime, and I forgot to eat this morning."
She looked relieved. "Please tell me you're not going to lunch on instant noodles in the kitchen again. We aren't college kids."
I shrugged. "Not today. I think I might hit the café. New beans arrived." I smiled, a genuine curl of my mouth. "Fancy coffee from the café across the street?"
"Well, well," Lena clapped in mock surprise. "Is there someone you want to impress?"
I nearly laughed out loud, but caught myself. "Just craving a fresh brew. Maybe it's all the vanilla in my blood today."
Lena gave me a knowing grin, but got back to her brainstorming with Marketing. I turned to leave the office, feeling both silly and excited.
Outside, the October air was crisp. A little pre-autumn breeze curled around the city streets, rustling golden leaves along the sidewalks. I wrapped my coat tighter, and the scent of roasted coffee beans from a distant café already danced in the air. Maybe it was the same café, or just city life.
I walked the short distance from my building to the corner coffeehouse. The kind of café that knew your order, I remembered Lena joking. As I neared the entrance, my breath quickened. The windows were half-clouded with steam and warmth from inside.
I hesitated in the doorway. I was just going to get a coffee, a quick break. And then… there she was, Jordan, seated at the same corner table where I'd seen her last time, her laptop open and a steaming cup of chamomile tea in front of her, a paperback novel lying next to it.
For a moment, I froze. It felt like no time had passed since our last exchange, yet everything was new again — the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, the faint dimple in her cheek when she smiled at the person on a video call. The bell above the door jingled as I stepped in, and she looked up. Our eyes met.
"Hey," she said with that familiar half-smile, gesturing to the chair opposite her. There was a slight flush on her cheeks, or maybe it was just the warm air.
"Hi," I managed, trying to keep my voice steady. "Hey."
I took off my coat. Inside, the café was cozy: Edison bulbs hung from the ceiling, lighting up framed travel posters on the walls. The air carried the rich scent of espresso and cinnamon rolls. A quiet jazz tune played softly. I moved to the table and took the offered seat. "Mind if I join?"
"Not at all," Jordan said. She motioned to the spare chair. I sat, trying not to fidget.
Jordan glanced at her watch. "Your latte?" she asked, voice casual. "It was still here when I came in, so it probably got cold."
I realized I hadn't touched it. I gave a small laugh. "Oh, thanks for pointing it out. It's a good excuse for a fresh cup."
The barista — tall, with a neatly trimmed beard — noticed us and came over. "Another vanilla latte for the gentleman?"
"Yeah," I said, glancing at Jordan. "Make that two — one with extra foam."
Jordan raised an eyebrow, smiling. "I'll let you decide if your new friend gets a free pass on calories today."
I grinned at her. "Should I be worried?"
Jordan chuckled. "No, not at all. But just letting you know who you're dealing with here — always on calorie patrol."
I nodded, feigning seriousness. "Noted."
We turned to watch the barista make the drinks. As the machine pumped, I found myself just observing Jordan. Her profile in the warm light, concentrating as she read a paragraph from her novel. Her eyelashes fluttered. I realized I'd had questions, thought of things to say, but now my mind was blank again, replaced by the gentle rhythm of the café. I tried to recall something from our last chat in my head to break the silence.
When the barista returned with our drinks, Jordan blew lightly on her tea. "Thank you," she said as I accepted the latte. "This place does the best lattes."
"Best?" I attempted a smirk. "I may have to start judging cafes by how many people they send to the nose, apparently. I was about to have a stale one."
Jordan giggled. "Better to be sent out than choke on a freezer-burned roast. You've got a point there."
Her laughter lit something warm in me. The kind of laughter that felt safe, like coming home. I took a sip of my latte, savoring the combination of vanilla and rich espresso. "It's really good," I admitted.
Jordan sipped her tea. "Everything here is great. Well, except their wifi, but I mean, it's kind of nice to be offline sometimes."
I nodded. "That's true. Although now I'm in danger of embarrassing myself because we can't google answers."
"Depends on the question," Jordan teased.
Our banter seemed so natural, as if we were teasing old friends rather than two people who'd only exchanged a handful of words. I found myself relaxing. I leaned back in the chair, letting the world slow down around me. "So, how has your week been?" I asked after a moment, genuine curiosity lacing my words.
Jordan considered, fingers tracing the rim of her teacup. "Pretty good. Busy with work and Sasha's wedding planning — well, mostly hearing Sasha talk about it. I'm just content buying a cake in silence." She laughed softly. "I'm happy for her. It's cute, all the excitement. But I'd like to not be a part of wedding planning, you know? Not my scene."
I smiled. "Congratulations to your sister. I'm sure she's grateful you're on cake duty."
Jordan shrugged. "Got to pick a flavor. I vote for lemon drizzle, just because I have it every birthday."
"You are a glutton for lemon, it seems," I teased back. I leaned forward slightly. "Lemon everything, huh?"
She tilted her head. "Could be worse. I could be a chocolate person, and then I'd never fit into my wedding dresses."
I laughed, picturing her protesting the layers of chocolate cake. "True. Honestly, lemon cake is usually underrated."
The flow of words made me forget everything else again. I felt butterflies in my stomach. The coffee shop's ambient noises seemed to fade; all I noticed was Jordan's expressions as she spoke.
We talked about work — I about how my coding project was going, and Jordan about her graphic design projects. I mentioned how my boss complimented my presentation yesterday, and Jordan smiled earnestly for me. When I asked about Jordan's latest design for a client, she described it in detail, gesturing with her hands.
Our drinks cooled on the table as we lost track of time. Every so often, I caught Jordan watching me. Once, when she realized I'd noticed, she looked at her hands and brushed back a strand of hair, hiding a blush.
When Jordan excused herself briefly to use the restroom, I looked around the café. It was later in the afternoon by now. The crowd had thinned, leaving just a handful of people scattered at other tables, murmuring over laptops or quietly reading. The light had shifted, sunlight filtering through a back window. I felt content, focused, heart beating at a normal pace — calm yet alive.
Jordan returned, sliding back into her seat. Her eyes lit up. "Thanks for waiting! Sorry, you probably want another refill?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm good. Thanks." I noticed she was fiddling with something in her purse now. "Tired of lemon?"
She looked up, caught my drift, and rolled her eyes. "Never of lemon. But maybe more coffee, yes." She flashed a playful grin.
Before the barista came back around, I said, "Hey, Jordan… I'm really glad we ran into each other again. It's been a great afternoon, honestly."
Jordan's cheeks warmed. "Me too, Alex. I… wasn't expecting to see you again so soon, but I'm glad." She offered a small laugh. "I guess fate's a bit nosy sometimes."
"Fate's definitely nosy," I agreed. "Although, I kind of think we might be doing all the work here."
We shared a laugh, and the air felt even lighter. After a moment of silence, I realized I would probably have to get back to work soon. The comfort of the café and Jordan's company had made hours feel like minutes.
I checked my watch. "I should probably head back," I said reluctantly. My stomach knotted a bit, not wanting to leave.
Jordan nodded, but then looked up at me. "Well, don't disappear again, okay? I was kind of looking forward to this." There was a softness in her voice now, a hint of sincerity under the casual tone.
I caught that. She was saying something important without saying it outright. I gave a shy smile. "I won't," I said honestly. "Definitely not disappearing."
We finished our drinks, standing up together. I shrugged into my jacket. The tension of the idea of leaving lingered, but I steadied myself, facing her.
Before I walked out the door, I couldn't resist. I glanced at the novel she had been reading. On the cover, I recognized the title, one of my favorites. "You're reading 'Dreaming Cities'. It's a good one."
Jordan smiled, a bit surprised. "Oh, hey, you know that one? It's one of my sister's recommendations. I love it so far."
"I love it too," I said. "The part where the main character describes the city at dawn — I've never seen it in person but it feels real in the book."
Jordan beamed a little. "Exactly. It feels like I'm there, you know?"
I shrugged, trying to play it cool, but my eyes were honest. "We should swap notes after you finish it. Coffee next week?"
Her eyes lit up. Maybe I should have blurted out something like my number or some big romantic gesture, but instead I said, "Maybe I could actually do something like exchange numbers with you? Or if it's not too forward, next time we grab coffee, maybe I can buy a pastry too?"
Jordan laughed softly again, the sound utterly gentle. "I think I'd be happy with that. You can definitely buy the pastry."
I felt a surge of relief and excitement. "Great," I said. I fumbled in my pocket and pulled out my phone. I hesitated for a second, then opened my contacts app. I passed the phone to Jordan. "You can type your number in, if it's okay."
She did, her fingers brushing my hand slightly. My heart stuttered. She handed my phone back with a quick smile.
"I'll text you tomorrow," I promised, slipping my phone into my pocket.
Outside, late afternoon shadows were long across the street when I left the café. I turned back once before disappearing around the corner. Jordan was still seated by the window, sipping her tea and reading. Our eyes met, she waved, and I waved back, with a grin.
As I walked away toward the office, the chill in the air suddenly felt refreshing. I had something to look forward to now. The workday didn't seem so dull or unbearable anymore. My mind drifted forward, daydreaming about all the things I wanted to ask her next time.
And just as Lena had teased earlier, I realized the laundry had nothing to do with my daydreams this time. The real reason was far better.