Coffee and That Smile

This is my First Quinntana Story

I own nothing

I hope you all like it!

Hey, I just met you and this is crazy,
But here's my number so call me maybe
It's hard to look right at you baby,
But here's my number so call me maybe..

I hear my personal alarm beep through my phone, I reach out for it under my pillow and tap snooze.

(15 minutes later)

Hey, I just met you and this is crazy,
But here's my number so call me maybe
It's hard to look right at you baby,
But here's my number so call me maybe..

The thing with making your favorite song as a personal alarm is that, it's only good in your ears in the former, but it's irritating in the latter and everything about it makes you wanna throw up. I hate Carly Rae Freakin'Jepsen.

What is it with Monday mornings? Some people hate it because they still have a weekend hangover, everyone is in a rush to start their week and pretend to be a busy bee in this special day. I am a freelancer, a print ads graphic designer extraordinaire, I hold my own time except when meeting with clients which is the day like today. So most of the time I wake up whenever I want, I choose my own schedule, I am my own boss and yeah I am living my life. So I hate rushing, waking up early, hearing my alarm and I hate Monday especially because clients always choose this unholy day for meetings.

It's 9:00 am, and I am meeting this Mikey who will be giving the preamble of my work in about an hour. It takes me 15 minutes to walk to the train station, 20 minutes for the train ride; about 10 minutes for a walk to the meeting place and if my math isn't rusty yet that will give me 15 minutes allowance, an ample time to grab a latte.

The train ride was priceless; I will bet my life that the sardines are much comfortable in their can than the people inside that train. Seriously, the sweat, the mixed smell of the perfumes, and body odors. I regret taking a bath this morning. But I am still a little fortunate because after arriving at the station the train had some failure and there are some passengers that got stranded inside the trains. I hope they can still breathe in there.

Waking up early is taking a toll on my mood, I need my latte. I have a relationship w/ my coffee, so don't expect me to withdraw and breakup with it! I can handle not sleeping but I can't make it without caffeine. A sip of my favourite drink will bring magic to my glorious morning. Thank God there's a coffee shop few blocks from our meeting place.

I order my coffee for to go and take off to a diner where our meeting will take place. I always take the farthest seat from the door of an establishment, so I will not be bothered by the coming and going of customers. And just my luck, it is already taken by nerdy looking girl, so I just take the table near the girl still away from the door.

I still have 5 minutes for the meeting, enough for me to get comfy and shot a text to Rachel, a friend of mine who referred me to Mikey's company. I don't know what this Mikey person looks like so, I message Rachel, where I am seating and what my I am wearing so it will be easy for Mikey to find me. Alas, I have my focus to my coffee; the warm feeling that comes from the sleeves of my cup against my palm like it's begging me to drink it. I am about to take a sip when the nerdy girl who take the table giggled like there was no tomorrow, like her life is depending on it. And what's irritating is not only did she interrupt me with my coffee time but when I look in her direction it is like she is laughing/giggling at me. I raise my not so perfectly manicured eyebrows to show my annoyance. Then she stands up, joins me at my table and sits across me.

"That's not pink, that's orange!" she says, pointing at my shirt then she looks up, smiles at me, all teeth showing, obviously mocking me.

So this is "The Mikey" nice to finally put a face in the name, I was expecting a business as usual kind of client not this irritating dude. "Well hello to you Mikey, it's nice to meet you too, and its #F75D59." I say sarcastically.

"F What?!"

"It's the color code of Indian red, which is practically pink, the one that I am wearing." If she wants to play rough, I am not the kind of person who backs out, two can play this game.

"Oh right" she scratches her head. "I must be color blind." Then she smiles again from cheek to cheek. Argh she is such a dork.

An awkward silence comes after a few seconds.

"So let's go to business, you're here to instruct me about the ads." I wear my business as usual look to look intimidating.

"Yes yes, Off course, but seeing that we started at the wrong foot and I am sure that your coffee is a bit cold, let me make up to you." She stands up takes my latte without even asking me and throws it in the nearest trash can. There goes my magic potion. What the hell is this girl's problem?!

She went to the counter to order, she seems to be acquainted with the cashier and the crew base on how she interact with them. She must be a regular here.

When I meet up with clients, I go straight to business, I don't hang around and chit-chat about the weather today or whatever. So this right now is a complete 360° of what is supposed to be my ideal and usual client meeting.

"So I've seen some of your works and I must say, you are great in details, Wow! I'm quite surprise you are not managing a big company." Then she grins again. Does she really need to do that? It's irritating!

"I don't advertise myself so much and I choose my projects, I don't take everything that equates cash." I retort.

"For someone who works on ads, it's a bit ironic you don't advertise yourself. And you should hire manpower for job you don't want to do yourself."

Is she trying to tell me how to manage my own business?! Who the hell does she think she is?

"I like working by myself… I love being with me, myself and I… I remember waking up early today for a meeting about some ad campaign for your company, so about the paperwork." I spat out irritatingly.

She raises her hand to interrupt me. "The coffee is great here, I assume you are one of those caffeine junky, given the latte you were holding from that overrated, overpriced and overhyped coffee shop." And there's the smirk again. I just want to punch her face. Seriously?!

"That's my magic potion you threw a while ago and I don't drink from other coffee shop, I am a loyalist, so can we go now to business?"

"Magic potion huh?" she giggles "A loyalist and a loner, interesting."

"Did you just say I am a loner? Are you insulting me? And interesting? This is a business meeting, this is not a date!" what the freakin' hell!

"Well, maybe this is a date."

"What?!" I say deadpan. Is Rachel setting me up for a date?

"Well, I am sure you have been with business meetings before. One thing about it, is you should know your client's first and last name, address them by their last name with their title like doctor, attorney, or for some just mister and missus. The only thing you know about me is that my name is Mikey, nothing else. So this is a date, a blind date to be specific because you don't know what I look like."

"Are you serious right now?!"

"Ofcourse I am not" She grins

I was about to burst and let out my anger when our food is serve.

"So coffee" she pushes a cup in front of me. "It's not overrated, not overpriced and definitely not overhyped and most of all it taste better."

I eye the cup with skepticism.

"Go on, take a sip it will change your life." She says encouragingly.

"Are you always like that? All smiles like you're emitting disgusting positive energy to anyone you meet, I get it you have some pearly white teeth, and you can be a toothpaste or toothbrush model."

"Well yes! And do you always speak like that to your clients?"

"Ofcourse not but…" before I can continue she interrupts me.

"See, I told you this is a date not a business meeting and by the way, my name is Quinn, seems like Mikey is not available, so I am here to entertain you."

I am getting tired of our verbal banter so I give in with the coffee. And oh my God she is right this taste so good. This taste magical, no that's an understatement, this taste like heaven.

She must have read my thoughts, and grins even wider. I don't know that is even possible. "I told you so."

"You're right, this is something, and you have a good taste in coffee, point taken. So can we go back to business now? Please!" I hate pleading. Why the hell am I pleading?!

"Thank you that's the first time you compliment me in the duration of our conversation." She clears her throat. "Can I confess something?"

"What?" I say calmly. The coffee has a good effect on my emotions; I should try to visit this diner again.

"Mikey is being held up somewhere and he has the paperwork, I am just here to fill up the void."

"So you're a call girl?" I don't know if that is the right term. Who cares?!

"No, I am your girl, just for you, just for today."

I laugh at that… she is not bad at all. Maybe if she lessens her dopey smile a little, she will be less irritating and a bit interesting. Did I just think that Ms. Dorky Smile is interesting?! What did they put in this coffee?

"The coffee change you mood." Is she a psychic now?

"As I said Magic potion"

"I'll keep that in mind." And gives me that dorky grin again

"So you've researched about me?" I got curious.

"You can say that. I've known you for quite a while now; I've seen an article written about your ad creations and from then on, I became a fan... So can you sign this napkin for an autograph?" She hands me the diner's napkin.

I smile at her. She's not that bad at all.

"Sorry I'm late Ms. Lopez!" a third person speaks by my side.

"Mikey, glad you can join us." Quinn shakes his hand and whisper something to him. After a few seconds she turns to me, smile (ofcourse), wave goodbye and walk off to the counter.

I feel cold with the lack of her presence. It seems like I already miss her. What is wrong with me?

"Mikey, it's nice that you can finally make it" I shake his hand.

"It's Mike Chang, and I'm sorry again, I got stuck inside the train for 30 minutes, good thing the owner accompany you while I was gone."

"The owner?" I ask confuse

"That girl." He points at Quinn. "She said you looked bored, so she accompanies you while waiting for me, I must remember to give a big tip. So about the ad."

Mikey, I mean Mr. Chang is all business, straight to the point guy. The meeting only takes 15 minutes to be done, he does all the speaking, giving me the instructions of what they are expecting in the finish product of their print ad. After the meeting Mr. Chang bid his farewell because he still has to run some errands. I am shutting down my laptop, wrapping up things so I can go home and call it a day when a familiar smile caught my attention.

"I assume you drink your magic potion more than once a day so I got you one to go, this is also for invading your alone time while waiting for Mikey." She places the coffee on the table.

"Orange huh?!"

"I read your text message while you were typing, your phone is QWERTY it's easy to guess what you were typing; I was assuming you were in a date. Then you called me Mikey and started to push through with some paperwork, so I improvised. I hope you didn't mind my company."

"Oh believe me I did, you were irritating, but I must admit that I really like the coffee." With that being said, stand up and turn around to walk my way out.

"I hope it wasn't just the coffee you liked." I hear her say as I near the door. I look back to smile at her before I walk away.

Today is winding road; it's taken me to places that I didn't want to go. Today in the blink of an eye, I am holding on to something and I do not know why. Maybe I need to change my alarm tone so I will not forget the coffee and that freakin' smile.

So that's it folks a one shot Quintana Story.

Thanks for reading.=)