Despite having such a common name, Jim was amused that the cashier got it right. J-I-M she had scribbled onto his cup. This was probably the first time he experienced a coffee place getting his name right on the first try.
“Is that all?” she asked him with a cute smile that was accentuated by her slightly crooked teeth.
“Uh, yes.” he replied, trying hard not to blush.
“I was kidding, you’ve ordered plenty for one person,” she said. “This is all for you, right?”
How the hell did you know? He looked down at his tray. Two sandwiches, two donuts, two cookies, a bag of crisps and a slice of cheese cake. He had to collect his coffee from the other counter. He smiled sheepishly. Oh.
“Yeah, you got me.”
“On Christmas eve? Hope you’re not planning to hibernate or anything,” she asked.
“You’re real funny, you know that?”
“You’re real cute.”
It’s been a while since Jim experienced being hit on. Especially by a girl this attractive. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to tell her that he was feeling down. However, Jim couldn’t contain his sadness and began tearing up instead of responding to her compliment with words.
The cashier noticed and said, “please don’t cry! I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“No, you didn’t! It’s not your fault!” he replied as his eyeballs were sweating and the sobs began.
“My friends always told me I was too forward. This is why I spend every Christmas alone. Netflix and chill. By myself. Fuck, I shouldn’t have told you that.”
Jim started to laugh in between his sobs. “I’m just going through a miserable patch in my life right now.”
She passed him some serviettes. “Here, please wipe your tears. You look ugly when you cry.”
“Thanks,” he replied. He wiped his eyes and looked at the cashier.
“This is the part where you ask me out,” she leaned in and whispered.
“Oh. What time do you get off work today?”
“Depends on what time you want to get me off,” she replied.
“What?!”
“Depends on what time you want to pick me up,” she said a little louder.
“Oh, I misheard.. never mind. Let’s go out for dinner tonight. So we won’t have to spend Christmas alone.”
“You mean it?”
“Yeah, you can write your number on my cup.”
“Do you still want all this?” she motioned to all the food on the tray in front of her.
He laughed. “You can give it to your staff. It’s on me. I’ll just grab my coffee. I need it. See you at six?”
“Be sharp, I don’t want to have to stay here any longer than I have to! And please put on a shirt you didn’t sleep in.”
“You’re pretty demanding.”
She winked at him. “See you later, Jim.”
He smiled, turned and exited the café, waving at her through the glass as he walked out onto the snowy road.