"None of your business."
Wow. She really doesn't want to talk. And yet when I caught her eye from down the street, I could've sworn she smiled at me. Or maybe she was smiling at someone else. Or just smiling about whatever she was thinking about.
I should leave her alone but I can't just let her go. Not yet. I've been thinking about her nonstop since I saw her last night. If she goes, I may never see her again.
"Can I get you a coffee?" I ask. "I'm heading to the coffee shop to do some work but I'd love some company before I dig into reading files."
She notices my laptop bag. "Where do you work?"
"At a law firm down the street."
"I don't like lawyers," she says, picking up her pace.
"You don't even know me. And I'm barely a lawyer. I just got out of law school. I've only been on the job two days. I'm more like half a lawyer. Maybe not even that. Would you be willing to have coffee with not quite half a lawyer?"
She laughs, which makes me smile. I made her laugh. I like her laugh. It's soft and gentle, not at all like the harsh persona she's trying to pull off. I don't think she's really like that. I think under the harsh exterior is a good person. Someone who's kind and generous. I know it's strange to say that since I just met her but sometimes you can feel what someone's like without really knowing them. I feel it even more so after being around someone like Lisa. The contrast between Lisa and this girl is like night and day.
"You like brownies?" I ask, still walking beside her.
"Yeah. Why?" she asks, not looking at me.
"The coffee shop has great brownies. If you'll sit with me a few minutes, I'll get you coffee AND a brownie. That's how desperate I am for company."
She glances at me. "I prefer donuts, specifically apple fritters. They're my favorite. But the coffee shop runs out of them by noon."
"If they had one, would you agree to sit with me while I have my coffee?"
"Didn't you hear me? They don't have them this late. They run out by noon."
"But what if they didn't?" I ask, getting an idea. "How about this? If we get to the coffee shop and they still have an apple fritter, will you have coffee with me?"
She smiles. "Sure, but I guarantee they won't have any."
"Then you'll be off the hook. You can continue on with your evening."
"Fine," she says as we arrive at the coffee shop.
I open the door for her. "Ladies, first."
"I'll just wait out here. They're not going to have any so it's not even worth going in there."
I sigh. "Really? You won't even go in?"
She stands there, which I guess is her answer.
"Don't leave," I tell her. I race inside, not at all confident she'll be there when I go back out to the street. And from what she said, I'm not confident the place will have any fritters left. I should've made a different deal. One that would ensure we'd get a chance to talk.
"Excuse me," I say to the girl behind the counter. She has her back to me, putting something away.
"Hi!" she says, turning toward me. "What can I get you?"
"Do you happen to have any apple fritters?"
She smiles. "It's your lucky day! We have one left. We almost never have them this late in the day." She reaches into the bakery case and pulls out the fritter, placing it in a bag. "Anything else?"
Not sure what kind of coffee to get, I say, "That's it for now. I'll be back in a minute to get the coffee."
She scrunches up her nose. "Are you sure you don't want to just order it now?"