“Egocentric Bias”

"I can still remember the name of the place", Daniel tells me, "it was called something dumb, like Premium Roast or something." It wasn't actually called that but I didn't want to interrupt him. I think it was called "Loretta's".

"Coffee was never my thing. Hmm, now that I think about it, no one in my family was a coffee drinker", says Daniel, "Alcohol, yeah. My parents were really big on beer, every family party or get together, my parents always made sure that they brought alcohol with them. No matter the occasion for the gathering."

"You use to drink at that age?", I ask curiously. He looks at me with a little smirk and says, "No... but I would steal little sips of half empty glasses whenever I got the chance. Well, the point is that our family chose something else instead of caffeine. I always kind of thought if you were like a real big fan of coffee, you were one of those people who thought they were too good for others."

"Let me have a coffee, black", says Jeremy.

"Can I get coffee with two cubes of sugar, please.", I said.

"I'll get an ice vanilla cappuccino!", shouts Ashley in excitement.

"And you sir?", asks the waitress.

"Everyone had already ordered their drinks but I can remember clearly that I was just caught off-guard by you. By the time it was my time to order, I hadn't even glanced at the menu", Daniel tells me.

The Waitress stood over Daniel, looking and waiting for him to say what he wants. "Hey, Daniel", I said to him quietly.

"My bad, yeh can I get a a coffee with a lot of vanilla creamer", Daniel said to the Waitress. She smiles at him and says, "No problem. I'll be right back with your orders."

"I remember her smile, but at the time I didn't care too much about it. After she left, I just went back to looking at you. I couldn't keep my gaze away from your shining black eyes and curvaious lips. The small lamp's light over our table reflected off your beautiful dark skin so, so... I didn't have any words for it. I don't think, I have seen anyone as pretty as you. What made it better too, you had spoken to me", Daniel tells me.

"I didn't take you for someone who likes sweet things, Daniel."

Turning over too look at Jeremy, Daniel says, "Why, what does it look like I would enjoy?"

"Well… a more manlier drink like black coffee or a shot of espresso. Something with some hair on its chest", says Jeremy in a belittling tone.

"When he said that shit to me, I wanted to punch him from across the table. I could already tell at that moment that he was one of those people that gets kicks from talking down on people, you know, a real asshole!", Daniel tells me.

"Nah, I don't like bitter things. Never have", Daniel says to Jeremy.

"Well that's a shame. Bitter things can always make a person a little more charming."

"Hmm. Really? I never thought about it that way", Daniel says.

"Yeah that's right", Jeremy replies.

"From that moment, whatever little suspicion I had of this guy being a real son of a bitch was right!", Daniel tells me, "I really found his face to be annoying and the way he spoke, he was just asking to get a fist to the mouth. I mean we were suppose to be going on a date with girls and instead the fucking guy wanted to pick a fight with me. The nerve of that bastard."

"He probably was irritated by the fact that you were staring at me", I tell him. Daniel looks at me while taking a sip of his coffee, "Maybe, but either way, a guy like that didn't deserve to be on a date with a girl like you."

"Jeez, You sound like an old man Jeremy. Ordering black coffee", Ashley interrupts the stare down between Jeremy and Daniel. Jeremy breaks focus from his glare to look over at Ashley and somewhat embarrassed says, "I've been drinking it black since I was a kid, I'd never had that much of a sweet tooth."

"Is that why you're so short?", Ashley snickers at Jeremy. She then turns her attention to me, "What about you Selma? Just two sugar cubes sounds really bitter to me, do you have a sweet tooth?"

"Uh, no… not really", I said.

"I thought you were the sweetest thing."

"Shut up", I said.

"What? I'm telling you the truth. I was just saying how I felt. Anyways we sat down and enjoyed our coffees but I swear he kept looking at me. I could just feel that fuckers eyes on me throughout the whole date."

"Maybe because you kept on looking at me!", I tell him.

"Look, Im telling the story here. So… after a while Jeremy had to leave suddenly because his family needed his help with their counseling office and Ashley also had to leave prematurely because something about her brother", Daniel says, "Me and you stayed behind to finish our drinks."

Even though that did happen, he did sure gloss over the whole date and how we got to know one another. But he is right, we did somehow ended up being the last ones at the table.

"Soooo, How long have you been dating Jeremy?", Daniel asks me.

"We aren't dating", I quickly replied.

"When you told me that, I knew that this was my chance to be on the attack. I'm telling you Selma, I have never felt the same way for a girl like I felt for you before. I knew that I had to make you mine", Daniel tells me.

"Hmm, so why are you here?", he asks.

"I'm finishing my cup of coffee", I quickly reply again.

I remember this conversation that we had with each other. But whether or not I was so cold to him, I can't be for certain. I probably was, I remember being off put by Daniel and his entire demeanor. Quite honestly, I thought he was kind of an ill mannered idiot that couldn't read social cues. However, it's not like I could tell him then or as a matter of fact, even now.

"No I mean why did you come with him here", Daniel clarifies.

"Well he asked me out but that's about it, we hadn't spent anytime together until today", I tell him.

"I see. So you two aren't together during your breaks in school?", he contiues to ask.

"No", I said without showing any interest in continuing this conversation with him.

But he persist in having a conversation, "If it makes you feel any better, I was just asked to come to this date too. I didn't even know if Ashley knew my name until, like, three days ago. She just came up to me and asked me out."

"Yeah that makes me feel better", I said sarcastically but I guess this goes over his head because he says, "Really?"

"No, of course not!", I say with surprise.

"That was the first time you've shown me your angry face", Daniel says nonchalantly while taking a spoonful of oatmeal, "You have a very, very, very... adorable? Yes, a very adorable face when you are angry. You still do."

"God, I thought that this was going to play out better than this", I whined.

Slightly disappointed, Daniel says, "What were you expecting?"

"I don't know. Not this though."

"What? You didn't think you spend time with a stranger?"

"Well yeah."

"I'm offended, you know my name. I think that qualifies me to no longer be a stranger. You would have been with a stranger if you were here with him anyways", Daniel says with a smile.

"I guess."

"Yeh."

"You took one last sip of your coffee and you were completely over the conversation that me and you were having. You stood up and told me with such authority."

"Ok then Daniel Walsh… it was nice meeting you but I should be getting home."

He stops me and says, "Wait, What way are you going?"

"Why do you want to know?", I coldly say to him.

"I wanted to know so maybe we can walk together if I live in the same direction."

I pause for a second and tell him, "I live east of the citadel."

Daniel quickly answers, "That's great I live in that direction."

"Do you? I doubt that."

"Trust me."

"We payed for our drinks and began to walk out of the cafe. You stood behind me, to test me I guess, to see if I was heading in the right direction."

"Wait! Thats the wrong way!", I tell him.

"That's right, I get lost all the time", Daniel says embarrassed.

Laughing I tell him, "No, I was kidding. It's the right way."

Daniel looks at me and begins to laugh too, maybe out of relief, he says to me out of nowhere, "You have a pretty smile."

"Your face immediately got red, I didn't even know that a dark skinned person could get red."

"Shut up, don't look at me like that!", I shouted at him.