Page 22 of A Secret Chance
They stood there, each resting their hands on the back of the wooden chairs. The pause in the conversation was growing more and more awkward with every second.
“Shall we have a seat?” He stepped around the table and pulled out Lauren’s chair for her.
“Thank you,” she replied, surprised by the gentlemanlike gesture. As they settled into their places at the table, the barista appeared with two cappuccinos in large mugs, their foamy tops adorned with cinnamon sprinkles shaped like hearts.
“Thank you,” she smiled.
“You’re welcome, Lauren,” the young girl replied. As soon as she left Lauren picked up the tiny spoon and stirred away the heart.
“Do you know everyone in this town?” Baxter asked.
“I’m still new,” she laughed. “There’s still a good ten people I haven’t talked to yet.”
Baxter chuckled. “It must be nice knowing everyone.”
“Nice?” Lauren scoffed. “If you want everyone knowing your business.”
He raised his eyebrows, and Lauren continued but softened her tone. “I mean, most people here are good and try to help each other out. This is a solid community.”
“How long have you lived here?” Baxter asked.
“I grew up here,” Lauren replied.
“Oh, really?”
Lauren took a sip of her coffee. “I left to go to university, and then law school. I just moved back last year.”
“What brought you back?”
For a businessman on the opposing side, he seemed genuinely interested in Lauren’s life. A little too interested. She shifted; the wooden seat had suddenly become a hot seat. “A few things,” she replied. “I would ask what brought you here, but I already know the answer to that,” she laughed, trying to steer the conversation away from herself and toward the actual reason for their meeting. “Where did you grow up?” she asked.
“I went to a few different boarding schools, in Switzerland mostly.”
Lauren nodded. They had come from two totally separate worlds. He grew up eating croissants and expensive cheese, she had lived on bologna on white bread; with a slice of processed cheese if she was lucky. “That sounds nice.” She couldn’t even think of a good question to ask him about his fancy boarding schools.
“It wasn’t.”
“Really?” All of sudden, Baxter seemed a lot more interesting. “Why?”
“I didn’t fit in,” he chuckled.
“You. You didn’t fit in.” Lauren saw the quintessential Nautica model in the man sitting in front of her and didn’t believe a word he was saying.
“Yeah, you wouldn’t know it, but I was a bit of a...” he rubbed his chin. “I guess you could call me a hippie.”
“A hippie,” Lauren grinned. “I thought I smelled patchouli,” she joked.
He looked at her sideways and she saw the glint in his eye that came with a surprised smile.
“I had long hair, I loved going on solo canoe trips. The stuff that the guys in my class were into: girls, cocaine, partying, it didn’t really interest me.”
Lauren squinted her eyes at Baxter. “I’m trying to picture you with long hair, I can’t quite see it.”
Baxter sat up and puffed his chest out. “That’s because I also had a beard.”
“A beard?” Lauren was shocked.
“Yeah. Long before hipsters made them cool.”
