Digital

PROLOGUE: DATING AND WAITING

11:20. That’s what the digital readout on the wall clock in the Digital Café, a local coffee hangout for the eclectic mix of students at Great Ridge State University, said. Brian Kenley fruitlessly compared his phone with the digital, satellite clock. Of course the times still matched up; just like the previous three times he had checked them. Ashlie Hahn had agreed to meet him at 10:45 for “just coffee;” this would be the make-up “of-course-NOT-a-date” after the three previous casual attempts to meet with one another. Like a fool, Brian always believed in her and had an excuse all set for her absence. Once the god of his mother’s understanding set a female peer with a pretty face and a great set of…x chromosomes…in front of Brian, all of the rules of his judgment of character were null and void. As for Ashlie, he had been determined that she was the prettiest face to ever cross his path ever since beginning his second semester at Great Ridge State. It was partially evident, even to him, where his ability to read a person’s character had left off when it came to Ashlie.

He picked up his phone, having tried texting her thrice times to no avail. What he hadn’t tried YET was to message her over the Socialbook. He opened Messenger and typed in that he hoped that she was okay and even “helpfully” added the address of the Digital Café that he had chosen to meet at in case of a misunderstanding. There were two Digital Cafes that Brian knew of; one was a couple of blocks off of campus where GRSU’s students gathered so long as it was the middle of the day and Brewsers wasn’t open yet; the other was clear back in his hometown of Haven. Some shred of hopefulness nagged at Brian that Ashlie could like him eventually; but not enough to travel an hour off of campus on the gamble to make a day out of seeing Brian’s hometown in the middle of the week before they were officially seeing one another. In his fevered mind, even Brian wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment; and, as for Ashlie, it was time to face facts: she couldn’t even drive for a half mile off campus to meet him. He just didn’t seem that worthy of her time anymore…

Someone cleared her throat from over Brian’s tableside. He glanced up and into the face of Caitlin Kohl, a young coed from his evening class and, at the moment, an employee of Digital Café looming over him.

“Did you want a warmup, or an extra coffee, or a bagel…?” she asked as her usual professional smile was missing from her face.

Brian glanced up yet again in a start over the frosty reception in the coffee house. It was 11:25 and he had just occupied a two-top table alone for 55 minutes to take three sips of expensive coffee (if Ashlie had been expected at 10:45, naturally, Brian had arrived at 10:30 to grab a table at the popular coffee shop. Both of his parents had agreed on that cardinal bit of advice). Now, his coffee was cold, stale, and still pretty much full and he was still seated at the same two-top while the restaurant was filling up fast with impatient groups of students; all of whom had managed to meet one another at an appointed time. Besides, he did have a class coming up to get to…

“No.” Brian answered, successfully reading the room and dejectedly gathering his backpack in front his fellow students. “I don’t need anything else; I was waiting for someone, but I don’t need to tie up a table like that any longer.”

He got up, apologized profusely to the nearest couple who had bothered to arrive together at an agreed upon time, and started for the door. As he began to walk away, the customer service role kicked back in in Caitlin Kohl’s mind and she settled a hand on Brian’s arm.

“…I wasn’t trying to be rude or anything before.” She semi-pleaded in a hushed tone with her potential lost customer. “It’s just been kind of a long morning, you know; and…well…yeah…”

Brian wasn’t going to lie and say that he didn’t like the sensation of Caitlin’s hand on his arm; however, it had to be awkward for her to be in the middle of her shift and squeezing a customer’s arm, right?

“Of course not; you were properly reading a filling room.” He reassured her, delicately moving his arm to properly shake her hand off of his. “I’ll see you in class tonight.”

“Oh.” Caitlin answered. “Okay. Drive safely.”

The potential returning customer could barely even hear her anymore as he left the store. He could only spend an extra moment to reflect on groups of friends or loving pairs of students who looked forward to meeting together in between classes; and how his own fevered ambitions had almost messed that up for them.

He idled in the parking lot for three extra minutes to be gentleman enough to at least message Ashlie that she was off of the hook for even showing up any more and wouldn’t she like to reschedule on her terms? With that, he put the phone away and executed the drive of shame out of the coffee shop’s parking lot. Through the glass door, Caitlin watched him go, shook her head pathetically over his performance, and returned to her post behind the cash counter along with her other fellow coworkers. Caitlin Kohl knew well enough from personal experience when a person needed help in a social situation; and Brian needed serious help…