The Taste of Coffee

Rick sipped the coffee watching Karen. He then lit his second cigarette in a row. The act of smoking always served as a perfect camouflage for his looking at Karen. And today Karen looked angelic. Her short hair, unpainted lips and the dark t-shirt , everything looked different.

"Another mocha please.", Rick told the waiter.

"How can you drink mocha ? It tastes so bad."

"And you, plain tasteless black coffee ? It sucks !!!"

Both smiled. They had the same argument every time. They placed their orders. Rick put his hand across the chair, stretched himself and looked at Karen.

"Why are you looking at me like that ?", quizzed Karen.
"Nothing. Just looking at those marks on your face."
"Ah! They are from my childhood. The disease left their beauty marks.", giggled Karen. She continued to tell more about the marks, but Rick was not paying attention. His eyes were glued to her lips, which were popping up and down, her head bending sideways while she adjusted the jacket on the chair.

Karen didn't talk what she thought; she talked because that was a diversion for her thoughts. Rick talked what he thought.

Suddenly Karen asked, "You are not talking much today. You want to save your energy for your flight tonight ?"
"Not really. Well, I will not be hearing from you for such a long time that I want to capture the sounds in my pores.", smiled Rick.
"Oh ! Yes !"
There was a twinkle in her eyes, the way women appreciate flirting.

"Yeah, flying tonight to Columbia. Two weeks there and then off to Argentina for another two weeks.", Rick said changing his posture.
The evening wind in downtown Vancouver was getting cold. Rick rubbed his palms. He hated wearing a jacket.

"And what are you doing in the vacation ?", asked Rick.
"Nothing as always. I don't know. May be will go to Victoria to see my friend. You know her right ? But mostly here.", she stopped and then continued,"I hope you have a good time.", rather pensively.

"Thanks.', replied Rick.

Karen gave a deep sigh, and then looking at Rick said, "Owen asked me out for dinner this weekend.", she paused and then asked, "Do you think I should go ?"

Rick thought for a moment and then replied,"I think you should. He is a nice guy. Haven't spoken to him much though.'

There was a sudden waft of warm air.
"Oooooo ....", shouted both of them simultaneously.

"That was strange; like a warm chill.", gasped Karen.

It was strange for sure, Rick also thought. The downtown would no more be the same, nor the Coffee Beans cafe shop nor the beautiful lady who sat in front of him.

He looked around the coffee shop. The beautiful waitress was serving at the tables. She had an elegant figure and an eternal smile.

"She is beautiful, isn't she ?", asked Rick.

"Yeah. She is beautiful. You should have asked her out long time back. You waste a lot of time.", spurted Karen and then glanced away towards the street where a bunch of guys were playing jazz music. Rick looked back at Karen and sipped his coffee.

"You think so ? I waste a lot of time ?"

"What?", and then Karen continued, "They are playing good. I wonder if they are stage artists."

There eyes met for a second and then Karen said, "When is your flight ?"

"At 2 a.m."

'Okay.', and then with a naughty smile she said ,"How is Jenifer ?"

"Ha Ha Ha !', Rick laughed. "She is doing good. She got a promotion and will be going to Montreal for a month."

"You didn't ask her to join you for vacation ", giggled Karen.

"Okay enough ! Stop it !", Rick looked away to the music band.

Karen didn't talk about Jenifer anymore, just looked at Rick. Rick turned his face and starred into the eyes of Karen.

Rick thought - Never had she looked so beautiful before, and never had he felt so peaceful.

Rick's cell phone rang. He saw the number, but didn't answer. It rang again, he didn't pick.

"Who's that ? Jenifer ?", mocked Karen.

"No. This was from the travel agency. They want to confirm the tickets.

"So why don't you answer ?"

" 'You take a long time.' ", echoed in Rick's ear.

"Another coffee ?", Rick asked.

"Don't you have to leave early ? It's already nine now."

"Yes, I know.", Rick said. He probably wanted to say more, but the waitress came too soon.

It was getting dark outside. The downtown was getting crowded on the Friday night. It looked pretty with the people walking across the glittering high rise buildings. Rick thought about the several downtowns he had visited. All of them are beautiful in their unique way. May be the people make the place beautiful. perhaps the families and the couples make the atmosphere cheerful. Rick had his chances too. He always blamed the weather for not having taken the chances.

"So, are you seeing someone yet ? I guess its been a long time I have known you and never heard anyone in your life ?", inquired Karen.

Words , by themselves, do not have any meaning. When they are spoken with a changed tone, quizzing eyes, and a reluctant moving lips, they breathe life.

"No. Not really."

"Why not ? Jenifer is nice. And you know her."

"Yeah. Dorothy and Susana are also nice.", smiled Rick.

"Choose one ...", replied Karen taking her eyes away from Rick.

"I will do a lucky draw sometime to pick up one.", smiled Rick.

He turned around and watched the kids playing roller blade on the pavement.

The cell phone rang again. Rick didn't pick.

"Why are you not picking the call ? Something wrong ?"

"No. Nothing.". Rick looked into Karen's face. His face straightened and eyebrows drew in. The adrenaline rose. He lit another cigarette. Karen too.

The waiters had started putting the chairs back in. It was signal for the customers to leave. Karen looked around.

"I guess, we have to leave now. And see you after a month.", she paused and then said smilingly, "If you still drink coffee ..."

"Even if I don't, I can still bear your company ....", Rick replied looking at Karen.

"That's sweet ... Now let's go. You need to leave now."

They paid the bill, got up an walked across the street. Over the next few minutes, they talked about Vancouver and Bogota. They talked about life in general, past exes and would be exes.

They walked slowly side by side, walking leisurely. They crossed the huge malls and the small ones. People crossed them on the left and the right. But when people crossed in between, Rick had always felt uneasy. Why ? He didn't know. He did't want to know. He was never lucky in the crowd.

They kept walking, watching people. They knew so much about each other, that there were moments they didn't need to talk. Karen was slower than usual.

"Let's watch the juggler show.", said Karen.

"Sweetie ! You will be late.", smiled Rick.

"No, it's okay. Anyways vacation from tomorrow.", Karen replied watching the juggler playing with the five balls in his two palms.

They stood there watching the show. They stood close to each other, oblivious of the fact that there was plenty of space around. It is when the mind is not willing to accept, the body takes the lead. The only vacation that Rick wanted was to stay here with her.

The juggler finished his show. Everybody clapped. Some of them left few coins in the box. Karen and Rick stood there for some more time. The cold breeze swept across their faces.

They turned round to the street and kept walking. Streaks of light was falling on their faces from the tall street lights. Rick looked at Karen and turned his face away.

"What ?", asked Karen.

"Do you know why I had gone to Victoria the other day ?"
"Yeah, to see the place."
"No. I went to see you. I couldn't wait till Monday."

They started to walk even slower.

"Oh ! Is it ?', naughtily said Karen.

"Oh yes !", laughed Rick.

They walked a little farther, without speaking. Then Rick said," Lets call a taxi. We have been walking for a long time."

"Yeah. But I kind of liked today."

"Because there won't be anyone to waste your time from tomorrow."

There are moments in life that one needs to tell the thing that he needs to tell. He is left with no option, but to tell.The words come naturally, like the baby comes from the mother's womb. And then the person feels newly born.

"So you are leaving tonight ?", asked Karen hesitantly.

Rick gave a final glance to Karen, the glance of a lifetime.

"Wh..a...t ?"

"Nothing.", he paused, he sighed, and then his lips moved and he barely uttered the words, "I feel like kissing you."

There was a silence. Karen didn't move. Her lips didn't move.

Rick took his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hey Julie ! It's Rick. Please book the tickets.", he waited,"Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Okay.". He waited for some more time."Okay, good. Thanks Julie. Good night."

Rick kept the phone and shouted "Hey Taxi !!!"

The taxi came.

"Okay. See you then after a month. You have a great vacation.", Rick smiled.

Karen was starring at Rick's face.

"Now what ?", Rick asked.

"You say kiss me, and the next thing I know you are calling a taxi and sending me off."

"What am I supposed to do ?"

"You know what you really take a lot of time. Even for booking your tickets."

There was a silence. The taxi driver shouted," Hey guys! Don't waste my time.'

Rick stood there with his head down, like a school kid stands after being punished by the teacher for not completing his homework. Karen sternly looked at him.

"I booked two tickets.", Rick said slowly. "If you want to come ..."

Karen cut short Rick, "Fuck you ! That's why you were not answering the call."

Rick didn't answer anything.

"Now get into the taxi. We don't have time." She gave the directions to her house and then to Rick's house. In moments the taxi sped on the freeway. It was dark inside, occasionally lit up with the passing cars.

Karen came closer to Rick and placed her lips on his. Their hearts were racing faster than the car. Rick could taste the black coffee inside her mouth. He pulled himself away and said, " Does black coffee taste so good, or is it because of your lips?". Karen pulled him back," Stop talking."

The taxi driver smiled as he watched them through the rear view mirror.