First Coffee
408 Words
Chapter 2
Mia didn’t expect to see him again.
That rainy Tuesday night had felt like a glitch in her routine — something nice, fleeting, and destined to fade. People come and go in Manila all the time.
But three days later, while she was sipping an overpriced caramel latte in a crowded coffee shop near her office, someone tapped her shoulder.
“Excuse me… Miss Umbrella?”
She turned, and there he was — Leo — in a crisp light-blue polo, holding a cup of Americano. His hair was still slightly damp, as if the drizzle outside hadn’t bothered him.
Mia blinked. “You…”
“Me,” he said, smiling. “Mia, right?”
She nodded slowly. “Do you… stalk all the people you share umbrellas with?”
He chuckled. “Only the interesting ones.”
Her heart skipped, and she quickly looked away, pretending to study the latte art in her cup. “Coincidence lang ‘to?”
“Not really. I work in the building next door. Saw you through the window.”
Mia raised an eyebrow. “So you were stalking me.”
“Observing,” he corrected with a grin. “Mind if I sit?”
Against her better judgment, she gestured to the empty seat.
They talked at first about work, then about the best tapsilog in the city, then about their favorite local bands. She learned he liked Rivermaya over Eraserheads (“Don’t cancel me,” he joked), and he discovered she had a secret talent for sketching people she found “interesting.”
When the barista called out another customer’s name, the noise reminded Mia of the world outside. She glanced at her watch.
“Lunch break’s almost over,” she said reluctantly.
“Then let me walk you back,” Leo offered.
They stepped out into the gray afternoon. It wasn’t raining anymore, but the pavement was still slick. They walked side by side, the air between them charged with something unspoken.
At the entrance to her building, Leo paused. “Can I ask you something?”
Mia tilted her head. “What?”
He looked almost shy. “If it rains again… can I share my umbrella with you? On purpose this time.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “We’ll see.”
As she walked into the lobby, she caught herself glancing back and sure enough, Leo was still there, watching her go.
- Writer
