Coffee After Closing
1205 Words
The following Saturday arrived faster than Amelia expected.
She hated herself for noticing.
She hated herself even more for checking the entrance every few minutes.
"You're doing it again."
Amelia looked up from the register.
"Doing what?"
Mia folded her arms.
"Looking at the door."
"I am not."
"You've looked at it seventeen times."
"You counted?"
"I got bored."
Amelia laughed despite herself.
"I'm expecting a delivery."
Mia raised an eyebrow.
"Of what?"
"... Hot chocolate mix."
"The kitchen received that yesterday."
Traitor.
Amelia sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
Mia leaned across the counter.
"You hope Mr. Olympic shows up."
"I do not."
"You do."
"I don't even know if he comes here regularly."
"He probably trains all over the world."
"Exactly."
"So stop pretending you don't care."
"I never said I didn't care."
Mia's grin widened.
"Aha!"
Amelia buried her face in her hands.
"I walked into that one."
"You sprinted."
The morning rush swept through the arena as usual.
Families.
Birthday parties.
Teenage hockey players.
Beginner skating classes.
By midday, Amelia had almost convinced herself Adrian wasn't coming.
Maybe last weekend had been a coincidence.
Maybe he'd been visiting the city.
Maybe she'd never see him again.
The thought shouldn't have disappointed her.
Yet somehow...
It did.
She shook herself.
"Get it together."
A customer approached.
"One adult ticket, please."
She smiled automatically.
"Of course."
Another customer.
Then another.
She barely looked up anymore.
Until...
A familiar voice drifted across the counter.
"Good afternoon, Amelia."
Her fingers froze over the keyboard.
She slowly lifted her head.
Adrian.
Standing exactly where he'd been the previous weekend.
Black jacket.
Gray beanie.
Skates slung over one shoulder.
And that same easy smile.
"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten this place."
She blinked.
"I'm sorry?"
"The way you looked at me."
"I thought maybe you didn't remember me."
Heat rushed to her cheeks.
"I remembered."
He chuckled softly.
"I'm glad."
For a second, neither of them spoke.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Just...unexpectedly comfortable.
"Practice session?" she finally asked.
"As always."
She printed his ticket.
"This is becoming a habit."
"I hope that's not a problem."
She handed him his change.
"I don't mind habits."
Especially not this one.
She kept that thought to herself.
By late afternoon, Adrian had become the unofficial entertainment of the arena.
Children gathered against the glass to watch him practice.
My parents whispered his name.
Teenagers secretly filmed short clips from the stands.
He didn't seem bothered by any of it.
If anything, he ignored it.
Between routines, he spent nearly twenty minutes helping a little girl who kept falling.
He knelt beside her.
Adjusted her skates.
Showed her how to balance.
When she finally managed to glide three meters without falling, she squealed with excitement.
"You did it!" Adrian cheered, clapping louder than anyone else.
Her father wiped tears from his eyes.
"Thank you."
"It was all her," Adrian replied.
Amelia couldn't stop watching.
Most celebrities avoided attention.
Adrian embraced people without demanding anything in return.
She liked that.
A lot.
Closing time finally arrived.
The last customers trickled out.
The Zamboni hummed across the ice.
Lights dimmed one section at a time.
Amelia locked the register while Mia stretched.
"I need food."
"You always need food."
"I burn calories existing."
"I don't think that's how biology works."
"It is in my universe."
They laughed.
As Amelia reached for her coat, someone knocked gently on the counter.
She turned.
Adrian.
Already changed into jeans and a navy sweater.
His hair was still slightly damp from the shower.
"You work long hours."
She smiled.
"So do you."
"I enjoy mine."
"So do I."
He glanced toward the café.
"I was about to grab a coffee."
"Oh?"
"I was wondering..."
He paused.
"...if you'd like to join me."
Amelia's heart skipped.
It was just coffee.
Not a date.
Not dinner.
Coffee.
Still...
She hesitated.
"I don't want to keep you."
"You're not."
Mia suddenly appeared behind Amelia.
"I can finish locking up."
Amelia turned sharply.
"You don't have to—"
"I insist."
Mia's expression practically screamed, Go.
Amelia silently promised revenge later.
The café was almost empty.
Outside, snowflakes drifted beneath the streetlights.
Inside, soft jazz played through hidden speakers.
Adrian carried two mugs to a corner table.
"I guessed cappuccino."
She smiled.
"You remembered."
"I pay attention."
Something about those three words lingered longer than they should have.
"I didn't know athletes drank coffee."
He laughed.
"We survive on it."
"I thought it was protein shakes."
"Those too."
She smiled into her cup.
Conversation came surprisingly easily.
They talked about university.
Books.
Favorite movies.
Childhood memories.
Travel.
He spoke about competitions in Europe, Japan, and Canada without sounding boastful. Instead, he described tiny cafés tucked away in old streets, frozen lakes that looked like mirrors, and the feeling of stepping onto the ice in front of thousands of spectators.
When Amelia mentioned she had never left the country, he looked at her thoughtfully.
"You will."
She smiled.
"You keep saying things as if they're guaranteed."
"Some things are."
"Like what?"
"You'll graduate."
"I hope so."
"You'll become an accountant."
"I definitely hope so."
"And one day..."
He took another sip of coffee.
"...you'll travel."
She laughed.
"You sound very confident."
"I am."
"Why?"
"Because people who work as hard as you eventually get where they're supposed to be."
For a moment, Amelia forgot to breathe.
No one had ever said anything like that to her.
Not with such quiet certainty.
She looked away before he could notice how much those words meant.
They stayed until the staff began stacking chairs.
"I should let you go," Adrian said, checking the time.
"Early practice tomorrow?"
"Six in the morning."
She winced.
"I'll still be asleep."
"I envy you."
They stood together outside the arena.
Snow crunched beneath their boots.
The parking lot was nearly empty.
"This is me," Amelia said, pointing toward the bus stop across the street.
"You take the bus?"
"It's cheaper than owning a car."
He nodded.
"I'll drive you."
She shook her head immediately.
"That's okay."
"It's snowing."
"I'll be fine."
"I insist."
She smiled politely.
"And I appreciate it."
"But?"
"But I don't get into cars with men I've only known for two weekends."
For a split second, Adrian looked surprised.
Then he laughed.
"A sensible rule."
"I think so."
"I respect that."
He didn't argue.
He didn't pressure her.
Instead, he stepped back.
"Then let me at least wait until your bus arrives."
She wanted to refuse again.
But somehow...
Having him stand beside her beneath the softly falling snow didn't feel uncomfortable.
It felt...nice.
The bus pulled up five minutes later.
As she climbed aboard, she turned back.
Adrian was still standing there.
Hands tucked into his coat pockets.
Watching to make sure she'd gotten on safely.
He raised a hand in a small wave.
She waved back.
As the bus pulled away, Amelia found herself smiling at the window.
She barely knew him.
Yet something about Adrian Volkov made the coldest winter evening feel unexpectedly warm.
She had no idea that the man who waited in the snow to make sure she got home safely was carrying a secret that would one day shatter her heart.
- Writer
