Stella At The Coffee Shop...A Short Story

 Weekly Writing Prompt

This week's attempt took me a little longer than normal. There's a lot that can go on in a person's mind when put in this type of situation. I hope it's successful.

The rules are simple: The story must be related to the above picture and include the random words below. It must also be under 500 words. Most important, have fun and don't stress out. When you're done link your story to the blue link at the bottom of this site: HERE.

Random Words:

Crescent

Head-On

Imprint

Satin
Care-Worn

Enjoy!

 Stella At The Coffee Shop

It wasn't the miracle of life-sustaining air-conditioning that caused Stella's hands to shake, nor was it the kick of caffeine in her mostly untouched orange mocha frappucino grande that made her nervous...it was the e-mail she received 48-hours earlier.

Stella--it's your lucky day! Crescent Moon Dating Service has found what we believe is a perfect match for YOU! 

The message continued. The perfect match had a name, Todd. Stella knew a couple of Todds in her life, some were good guys, others were complete jerks. She hoped this latest incarnation of Todd was more the latter, but her luck attracted the former to her like moths to a flame. So much so, she could swear she had a "Jerk Magnet" imprint on her forehead. 

"No, I'm fine," Stella told the young barista as he asked if he could get her anything. He smiled and left. He was cute...probably a college kid. Definitely too young. Well, maybe...

Time passed and the 40-something woman began to worry. What if he doesn't show up? She told Todd, after accepting the date and agreeing on time and place to meet, that she'd be wearing a red silk blouse and he'd be wearing a red satin bow tie. She laughed when she read that. "Like Doctor Who," she said out loud to the only other occupant of her apartment, a cat named Riversong.

She scanned the coffee shop, her eyes searching the faces of strangers. She caught her reflection in a dark window and hoped her care-worn appearance didn't scare him away. A flush of embarrassment washed over her and she worried perspiration might show through her clothes.

This is stupid! she thought. He's going to hate me. I should get out of here as fast as I can, before he comes through the door. He's not here yet--I still have time, but I've got to hurry. 

But Stella remained, her fear of leaving overpowered her fear of the unknown. If I'm not going to leave, I might as well meet the challenge head-on. The moment her conviction solidified, Todd walked through the door.

Word Count: 356