Elizabeth lived in the countryside. She picked a small town near where she grew up to settle down as she escaped the rat race of the city and her old life in it. Years of working her way up the ladder proved to be unsatisfying. So she sold her apartment and quit her job and moved herself and her cat back to a place where she could feel herself again. She had always wanted to write and this would be the perfect location for that. Far from the distractions of her old life. Nothing but trees and forest and rolling hills and most importantly the quiet.
After a few weeks she began to feel like the woman she used to know so long ago and took a part time job at the local bookstore. She didn't have to work. Her savings, well invested in a high tower bank in the city would keep her comfortable for years if she were careful with her money. She just wanted the contact again with people. Real people that don't walk into your office with an agenda of their own tucked under one arm. It would be a good chance to meet some of the people in the town and for them to get to know her. Mr. Yocholvsky ran a small tidy bookshop on the corner across for the cafe. Three days a week he would leave to visit his mother and on those days Elizabeth minded the store. It was quiet alright. Not a town of big readers she laughed on her bike ride home one day after spending the entire day alone in the store and not one customer came in. The quiet she seeked was there and gave her plenty of time to work on story ideas.
The Three Palms Cafe was far from any palm trees as a cafe could get but had the name and the three painted palms on the front wall above the aged sign with its cracked white paint peeling and gone from the corners. Inside was a long counter and several tile-topped tables. Behind the counter was Sam. He had been there since the dawn of time and ran the place. Mostly coffee and pie for the lunchtime crowd that would file in as usual at the same usual time. Some miles away a young man walked on the side of the highway in the heat. From a distance his figure was distorted in the waving haze rising from the pavements. He was tall and light haired that was in a tangle from the wind blowing across him. Each step was a struggle in the hot mid-day sun and he spun at the road with thumb out at the sound of an approaching car. He turned and held out his thumb and did so at the same exact moment as a young woman on a bicycle rode past him too close and he accidentally smacked her face and sent her off the bike in a spill.
'Are you alright? I am so sorry...here let me help you up!'
She rose up and brushed her dress off and scrapped her red hair back from her face slowly and panting from the adrenaline excitement of being tossed to the ground suddenly.
'I'm ok.... My fault for not looking where I was going. I can't believe I ran right into you hand.' Elizabeth laughed and held hers out to shake his.
'Elizabeth, friends call me Beth.' she smiled.
He stuttered and told her his name was Jack.
'How far is the next town?' he asked.
'Not far actually. Just around the next corner. Nice little town, great coffee at the Three Palms....' she said as she got on the bike and rode down the road waving back at him.
A rush of heat blew into the air-conditioned cafe as Jack walked in the door. He sat down at the corner booth and Sam called out for what he wanted.
'Oh...water and a coffee. I hear it is, great.' Jack gave a half smile and was happy to be sitting down after a long walk from his broken down out of gas car twelve miles behind the spot her knocked Beth off her bike.
The coffee was good as it always is in such spots. He drank down the water first then sipped at the great coffee and stared out across the street at the small bookstore.
Elizabeth said goodbye to Mr. Yocholvsky and took over things for the afternoon. Quiet as usual. She sat behind the counter reading but looked up from time to time and stared out the window across the street. Something was drawing her to do so but she could not figure out the feelings. Lost in her book again hours past without a jingle of the bells above the door to tell of entering customers. Then a shudder swept over her as she was startled by the unfamiliar sound. She looked up to see the young man she met on the highway.
'Hello again, I see you found us in the end.'She smirked.
'Um, yeah...you run this shop?'
'No.only a couple days a week, part time, you know.' she said.
She got a better look at him now. His hair was neater that earlier and he was suddenly more real than out there on the road. She thought to herself that he was handsome. Jack came forward. Stood up against the counter and was very close to her now. She felt his heat and presence.
'I was wondering, well if you knew of a good place to stay. My car is being towed in and I was told they couldn't go get it until the morning. Something about Jim not being here or something.' he mumbled to her.
