The Lineup
An early-morning occurrence
He had seen her at Starbucks every morning for close to five months now. He was sure that she worked in the building across the street, the one that was next to his workplace. She looked like a professional; Marketing, perhaps. She had a vibe that conveyed a perfect combination of confidence and vulnerability. He was intrigued.
Yet on this morning in particular, she wasn’t there. Weird. She had been there at 8:15 or so like clockwork. And now it was 8:22 and she was nowhere to be seen.
A disappointment, no…more of a mystery, as this was strange, to say the least.
As he pondered the situation, he was interrupted by a tap on his left shoulder.
Startled, he turned around swiftly to see her standing behind him. He flushed uncontrollably.
“Do I know you?” she queried.
He hadn’t realized that she had been standing right behind him in the lineup for morning lattes and Grande Dark Roasts. Her morning routine had made her a few minutes late. Perhaps she wasn’t as organized and together as he had originally thought. Looks, after all, could be deceptive. He heard his sage mother’s advice in his head at that moment, too: Never judge a book by its cover.
