"Wow, you should see this place," Logan texts as soon as he finds the coffee shop that is a used bookstore.
"Why?" A text pops back. And he can't concentrate on the menu at the counter. He is deciding if he would want to dine in, but of course, he keeps getting a text from Maddie who he doesn't know in person, but they are on a role-playing site and usually play fantasy games. But today, he is out and about and of course, he wishes he could bring Maddie along, but he has no idea where she lives. He likes to keep it a mystery. In fact, he is afraid he might faint if he met her in person. So it is safer this way. No pictures. No video.
"It's a bookstore and a coffee shop," he texts that it is kind of old and the menu is painted on the wall.
"Like those don't exist," she mocks. "Those kinds of places are everywhere."
"Duh," but he texts that this one is special. "They have records too. And cats."
"Cats?"
One rubs up against his bare leg, and he reaches down to pet the black cat and it purrs as if a theory session has started. Logan smiles as he rubs the cat between his ears. But of course, Maddie texts back and he stands back up to look back at the menu at the counter.
"I wish I had a cat," she talks about the one she had as a kid.
Logan stretches his neck wishing he had not brought that up. Finally, he manages to order an iced coffee and chicken salad sandwich. She tells him she has to study. They tell each other they will meet up online to play the game at midnight.
"So you better take a nap," she texts.
"Will do." He goes to take a seat at the back booth with his lunch and ponders what should he look for first. Probably the comics, but he notices some novels by Priest and he knows Maddie would love those.
Maddie envies Logan. She knows so much about him, but she doesn't know what he actually looks like. In her head, he's a nerdy guy with glasses with his head in his phone. She sighs, wishing she hadn't told him she had to study. She is tired of working on this paper about logic and forensics. Of course, she looks around from her booth to see if there are any nerdy guys in glasses. No just a guy with chicken salad on his tee-shirt.
She practically rolls her eyes at that. He is on his phone and slurping an iced coffee. She bet he put sugar in it. She doesn't like sugary things. She wishes she'd told Logan this. Although, she knows they would never ever go out for coffee. After all, he lives in Canada. She lives in Lincoln, home of the Huskers. Something else she has never mentioned. She thinks its best that he doesn't know everything about her, but sometimes..like today on this Sunday afternoon, she feels lonely. Even if she's got Logan. Sort of.
She goes back to her laptop to see what she can research. Maddie wants to finish this paper so she and Logan will have more time to train their dragon or at least they could chill trying to figure out who the good guys are in the village.
She scrunches her face and stretches out her arms in the booth that she has made home for the last four hours. Yes, she is certain of it now, she needs a mega-doze of vitamin D.
"Excuse me," the guy with the chicken salad on his shirt and even on his face shows up at her table. "Can..can I ..uh.." He sputters, she watches him closely guessing he needs napkins. She hands a bunch over from the napkin dispenser.
"Take as much as you want," she tells him.
He nods and clears his throat and finally thanks her while accidentally dropping his cold iced coffee.
"Shit!" She lets slip, taking what's left of the napkins to clean the spill before it reaches her laptop which she quickly closes and puts away. She manages to get most of the drink in her empty drink container. She'd had creamed ice coffee when she got here.
"That was a close one," he says.
"I'll say," she looks at him wide-eyed, wondering why he's still here.
"What are you doing?" He slurps at the empty drink so nonchalant yet not cool.
"Working on this paper," she checks her backpack where it is safe, and this guy just slips into the booth across from her.
"I have this friend who's working on a paper, too." he nods with a shrug while biting the plastic straw.
Her brow furrows. She's never had someone just sit in her booth, like this. "Do you do this all the time?"
"Do what?"
"Talk to strangers?" Maddie practically snaps as her small frown grows. She flicks her strand of blonde hair out of her face.
"Oh, I don't," he slightly cringes. "I don't do that well in social situations, actually."
"So I'm your guinea pig?" Maddie scowls.
"Well- I don't know my way around here, I..I'm sorry," he says quickly but he doesn't budge. "I mean, do you come here a lot?"
"All the time." She tells him about her horrible roommate who is in choir and sings constantly. "I need to move out." She hugs herself, but it hasn't happened. She'd hate to change her Internet service. "I mean, I need it."
"But you're here?"
"I have to have Internet for my game," she tells him.
He smiles then with a nod. He tells her he's Logan.
"Logan? Really?" Maddie cracks up. "Wow, so did your mom name you after Wolverine or the chief of the Fontenelle forest.
"You know, about the Fontenelle Forest?" His smile is open then. "Everyone thinks I'm named after Wolverine from X-Men. But my mom is a distant relative of the chief... who was um..his bones are scattered in the forest."
"Huh, seems I've heard that story," Maddie winces but she can't remember where. She finally tells him she's Maddie.
"Maddie?" Now he's laughing. "I have this friend I want to find some books for her. Although I'm not sure where I would mail them too, since we are just friends online and I'm..I'm afraid to ask for her address, I don't want her thinking I'm a stalker."
Maddie nods as if she completely understands. "Well, maybe this Maddie will help your Maddie." Funny, she feels surprisingly happy. She's not quite sure why.
