When Thomas met James, Continued

 

He was going to do it. He had wanted to for a while but was afraid of what the answer might be, especially if Vanessa was around. He had run into James numerous times since the coffee shop incident a few months ago. Luckily, they weren’t as eventful. Vanessa wouldn’t acknowledge him at all. That was probably for the best; he didn’t like her much. He tried not to be rude; obviously, she meant a lot to James for some reason.

Carly had warmed up to him a bit. Every once in a while, she’d hand him his coffee and tell him James had covered it already. That was what really seemed to wear him down. It took him a long time to accept that it was something James wanted to do. The first time, he got into an argument with Carly about it. She didn’t back down from anything. He once saw someone come in to rob her, and she somehow had them hanging their heads and apologizing. She ended up giving them free muffins. He didn’t hear what she had said, but it was impressive.

Thomas bounced on the balls of his feet, pumping himself up. He chickened out before and didn’t want it to happen again. He knew James would be in Carly’s soon. The problem was… Vanessa would be too. He paced back and forth.

“Grab a table and wait. That’s it. Just wait for them to get in there. Everything else can be decided from there,” he said to himself.

He squeezed his hands into tight fits a few times before walking across the street and into the coffee shop. The morning rush hadn’t started yet, so he was only of the only people inside.

“Morning, Thomas,” Carly said. She wasn’t exactly warm to him yet, but she wasn’t icy either.

“Good morning, Carly,” he said with a nervous smile.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re up to something,” she asked, looking him over carefully.

“Well… I… So, I think…” Thomas ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a puff of air. “I’m going to talk to James today. I think.”

“’bout time,” Carly said, crossing her arms over her chest. Thomas was stunned. He didn’t know how to respond. “I went from seeing you once or twice a month to at least twice a week, conveniently always when James will be in here.”

“I really didn’t think anyone would notice. Do you think he has?”

“Maybe,” she said with a shrug. “Him and Vanessa don’t miss much.”

“How much is their coffee order usually?”

“Depends on the day. You lookin' to pay?”

“Yea, I just don’t know how much to give you.”

“Tell ya what. I can see effort on your part. I don’t know what is causing it, but it’s a good effort. Give me what their normal is, and I’ll cover the rest if it’s more than that. I’ll tell them it was all you.”

“You don’t have to cover the difference… I can cover it.”

“So can I.”

“Well, thank you,” Thomas said, looking at his feet.

Carly nodded and started to get his coffee ready. It wasn’t James that caused the change in him, not exactly, anyway. The day he met James, he was pulled into two different meetings about his demeanor. The employee he had made cry filed a complaint, and a supervisor in another department called him in to chastise him for how he carried himself in the building. He had been put on notice. Changes would be made, or he would be fired. He broke his knuckle punching a doorframe when he got home that night.

All the events from the day crashed around him, but there was this one little spec of good. James showed him kindness for no other reason than to be kind. He didn’t understand that. It’s not that he had never received kindness, just not from strangers. When he started to lose his temper with people, he would think about what James said about how it doesn’t hurt to be kind. His boss still wasn’t completely satisfied, he still lost his temper more than they would like him to, but as long as progress continued, he would have a job.

He took his coffee from Carly and made his way to a table off to the side. His stomach was in knots, and he couldn’t keep from shaking his leg as he waited. Carly kept glancing at him, trying to conceal her grin. He had come a long way but still had a long way to go. At least he stopped calling her Kailey.

When James walked in, he swore his heart stopped beating. This was probably a terrible idea. He turned and looked out the window. He could probably just slip out the door and never come back here again. He waited until James and Vanessa walked past where he was and stood up. He glanced back and saw Carly raise her eyebrow at him. He knew it was a challenge and swore internally as he sat back down.

“I’m glad we beat the rush,” Vanessa said to Carly. “Friday mornings are easier to relax and enjoy without a bunch of people around.”

“Says the woman that chose to work with people,” Carly said with a grin. “You’re coffee and muffins have already been paid for this morning.”

“By who?” Vanessa asked incredulously.

Carley nodded her head in Thomas’s direction. James grinned and winked but didn’t have time to say anything.

“Son of a bitch. Really?” Vanessa said, rolling her eyes. “I’d rather you just replace the skirt you ruined.”

“Be nice, V,” James said, bumping his shoulder into hers.

“I am nice! Just not to assholes.”

Thomas stood up, his face turning red as he geared up to tell her off.

“Hey now,” James said, stepping between them. “Thank you for the coffee and muffins. That was a very nice thing to do. Wasn’t it, V?”

“Whatever,” she grumbled as she took her stuff to a table as far away from Thomas as possible.

“I just… I wanted to thank you,” Thomas said, forcing the anger down.

“There’s nothing to thank me for, but I appreciate it,” James said as he ambled over.

Vanessa was mumbling to herself on the other side of the room.

“I’ve been thinking about you and what you said a lot. I remind myself of you almost every day,” Thomas started. “I mean… I don’t just spend all my time thinking about you; I meant I’ve been trying to get a handle on my temper, and what you said about kindness has helped.”

James sat down across from him and grinned.

“I’m glad it helped. See, sometimes a little kindness is all someone needs.”

“I also wanted to ask…” Thomas started, running his fingers through his hair, making it stick out everywhere. “You know what? Nevermind. Have a good day.”

He stood up so fast he almost knocked the table over. James reached for his arm, which stopped him in his track.

“Ask,” he said warmly.

“It’s ok. I’m ok. I’ll see you around.”

“Ask,” James said again, lightly squeezing Thomas’s forearm before letting go.

“Well, I just wanted to know if I could, maybe, have your number.”

James flashed him a brilliant smile and pulled out a business card.

“My cell phone is on the back,” he said.

“No. Nope. James! You cannot be serious! After the way he treated Carly AND his selfish disregard for everyone around him!” Vanessa said as she strode across the room.

“V, everyone has bad days. Some people might argue you can be a bit… aggressive.”

“That’s a completely different thing! I do NOT threaten to have people fired or to take away their livelihood because I don’t like their tone.”

Thomas started to say something, but James held up his hand.

“Do you trust me, V?”

“Of course I do!”

“Trust me now. I’m giving him a chance, whether you like it or not,” he said softly.

“I just know how much you deserve, and I don’t want to see someone take advantage of your kindness,” she said, giving Thomas a pointed look.

“I’m not trying to,” Thomas said, trying to mind his temper. “I just want a chance.”

James kissed her cheek and winked at her.

“Extend some kindness, V.”

“Fine. But I’m not happy about it.”

“I’m not asking you to be,” James said. “Just be mad about it quietly.”

She gave him a dirty look before turning on her heel and stalking back over to her table.

“Weekdays are unpredictable. Saturdays are usually pretty good,” James said with a smile.

As he walked back over to the table Vanessa sat at, Thomas felt a sense of excitement for the possibilities to come. He finished his coffee, waved at James and Vanessa, and then headed off to work.