Walking out the door, her shoulders drop in relief. It's finally over. Jaz was a nervous wreck during the whole performance, but as usual, no one could tell; despite her nervousness, her performance was amazing.
Across the street there is a man entering one of the thousands of Starbucks in New York City's theatre district. Jaz follows and stands behind him in line for her ritual post-performance coffee. The man is very handsome. Already, it's clear that this is one hell of a tall, dark, and handsome stranger.
As she admires this mysterious, yet familiar man, he settles into a seat near the window. She watches intently as he opens the newspaper that he had been carrying under his arm and begins to read.
"Can I help you?" calls the cashier, breaking Jaz from her trance.
"I'll take a tall vanilla latte and a blueberry muffin please."
Paying for her order, she continues to watch the mysterious man. The question of where still remains, but she is certain she knows him. Retrieving her latte, she feels a presence behind her.
"Jaz? It can't be the great Jazmina Williams?" The handsome stranger asks.
"It can be and it is." With a friendly smile, she strains to place this man in her memory. "Um this is a little embarrassing, but I can't quite seem to remember who you are."
"I'm Drew Fields. Remember, high school? Drama class?"
Eyes widening, Jaz studies the man."Andrew John Fields! Wow. You look…different."
"Thanks, you look amazing."
Jaz smiles, biting her lip as the two old friends search awkwardly for words.
"Look, I know this might sound a bit forward, but, would you like to go out for dinner sometime? Tuesday maybe?"
Jaz hesitates. Throughout high school she had a crush on this man and it isn't until eight years later that he asks her on a date.
"I'd love to. Here, do you have a pen?"
Drew offers Jaz a napkin and a pen. Mind racing, she writes down her number and returns the napkin and pen to Drew.
"Here. Just give me a call and we can set it up."
"With pleasure. Good bye Jazmina Williams, enjoy your vanilla latte."
Drew used to be in on her little post-performance coffee ritual; they were with each other after every performance. Smiling at the memory of their first coffee run, she remembers that neither of them had ever been to Starbucks. Jaz had randomly picked the vanilla latte. Drew hated his Wild Sweet Orange tea, so they shared the latte. As they fell in love with the sweet taste of vanilla and the fun texture of the foam, an era began.
"Thanks, I will. Bye Drew."
Jaz watches the man of her teenage dreams walks out of the coffee shop.