A violent gust of wind threatened to rip the door handle from his fingers.  Gripping tightly, JC pulled against the strength of mere air and yanked the door open. Stepping inside, he briefly brushed his feet across the strip of carpet that was already soaked with rain and scattered with bits of leaves.

Orlando was under torrential downpour. On top of the monsoon-like rain and winds, it was unseasonably cold. "This weather is ridiculous," he muttered to himself, shivering inside his jacket, swiping beads of water from his hair.

Inside the shop, it was warm and dry, the scent of brewing coffee luring him away from his momentary grumbling. Though it was just after Christmas, the festivity of the holiday season was still apparent. The windows were still smocked with cheer, garlands still hung from the edge of every surface and the music quietly seeping from the speakers above was a gentle Christmas instrumental. Guitar, if he was hearing correctly.

He stepped into the line, only about four people deep, listening to patrons rattle off their complicated orders. "Tall, skinny, soy hazelnut latte, no whip, no foam," chirped the woman in front of him. The clerk clearly understood whatever that meant, since she nodded, her fingers flying across the touch screen keyboard as she repeated the order back. Behind her, the order was repeated again, adding to the noise of grinding and foaming and banging, people whipping from one work station to another. Apparently coffee is a complicated thing.

"Hello sir. Would you like to try our new caramel flan latte?" The clerk glanced up at him and smiled, fingers poised over the keyboard.

"Uh...." He chuckled and consulted the menu board above. Not finding a description for whatever she just said, he returned his focus to her. "A what?"

"Caramel flan latte."

"Which is what?"

"Uhm. A latte that tastes like flan with caramel."

"So if I've never had flan before... you know what? I'll keep it simple today. Just give me a latte please."

"What size?"

"Oh, like a medium."

"So a grande?"

"Is that a medium?"

"Well, it's the middle size..."

"So if grande is a medium, then... wait, what's the biggest one?"

"Venti."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Medium. Grande. Yeah."

Her fingers moved quickly as she repeated his order. "So that's a grande latte. Any whipped cream or flavor in that?"

"Uh... no. I don't think so."

"Great." She tapped a few keys. "That'll be $4.90."

JC slipped a hand into his pocket, where he was sure he'd stashed his wallet, but the pocket was empty. As was the front pocket of his jeans, his other failsafe spot. He felt his face grow hot with embarrassment as he realized he didn't have his wallet. Panicked, he glanced back through the window at his car parked in front of the entrance. Maybe he'd left it there?

Nope. It was in the jeans he wore yesterday. What a great time to remember.

"I guess I forgot my wallet. Dammit, sorry. I'll come back-"

"I've got it," called out a voice from the background. A woman seated in a booth grabbed her purse and hurried to the front of the shop. Tall and thin, wearing skinny dark rinse jeans and a fleece sweatshirt, her smile was wide as she approached.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I'm okay, I'll just come back."

"It's no problem," she said with a smile. "I've done that before and it's really embarrassing. Someone helped me out. Just paying it forward." She handed her credit card to the clerk, who paused, one eyebrow cocked as if to make sure it was okay. The woman nodded and waved a hand as if to dismiss any further arguments.

"I really appreciate it," JC finally said, realizing she was not going to take no for an answer. "I can pay you back. I'll run and grab my wallet-"

"Oh, please. It's five dollars," she said, taking her card from the clerk and shuffling down the line to the counter where the finished drinks came out. She turned, a sneaky smile on her lips. "You don't happen to remember me, do you?"

The question was a surprise, since he almost never forgot a face. If he'd met someone, even in passing, he'd at least remember what they looked like. And he had a feeling that if he'd ever met her, he'd remember her face-a delicate oval shape, olive toned skin, thick, shiny hair that fell in waves just past her shoulders. Her cheeks were pink, as if she was warm; her eyes bright and dancing, searching his face for signs of recognition.

"Oh this is going to be awesome. You have no idea who I am."

JC wracked his brain from one end to the other. Granted, he'd met a lot of people in his life. This girl-his savior on a very small scale-didn't look familiar.

"Can I get a hint? A clue? A name? Something. Did we know each other?"

She chuckled and crossed her arms. "Yeah, we knew each other. Briefly, but we did."

He scraped the stubble on his chin with his palm, deep in thought. "Okay. How long ago?"

"Oh, a long time ago. Like, late 90's."

JC laughed. "Oh, man. I probably don't remember anything from those years. Do you know how long ago that was?"

"And yet I remember you."

"Well. Yeah... but-"

"Grande latte!" A cup appeared at the counter in front of him, the clerk pushing it toward him. He picked it up and moved aside so the next person could pick up their drink. The woman gestured toward the booth where she'd been sitting.

"Join me," she said, leading him to her table and then sliding into one side. She'd been working, obvious by the stacks of official looking papers and mini laptop propped open. She closed the lid of the computer and piled the papers on top.

"Okay, so. Fill me in.  I apologize, but I can't remember where we met or how I know you."

"Really? I'm hurt," she said, pouting. Teasing, though-he could tell by the glint in her eye. "Christmas, 1997."

JC settled into the cloth seat of the booth, wrapped both hands around the warm paper cup, and let his mind travel backward, nearly twenty years in the past.

"Okay. We had been in Europe. We got to come home for Christmas. I remember it being really nice because no one knew who we were here. We could go to the mall or McDonald's or hang out wherever we wanted to. By that time in Europe it was crazy."

"You did, in fact, go to the mall a few days before Christmas. Fashion Square Mall.  To buy a book that your mom wanted."

JC sat straight up, almost knocking his cup over. "Chicken Soup for the Marketing Soul. My mom worked in advertising at the time. You-" He pointed. "You helped me find it."

She giggled, nodding, grinning wide. "Remember you looked for it in the recipe section, because you thought it was a cookbook?"

JC shrugged, his face turning pink. "Hey, I never... I never said I was a really smart person. And I was tired, and stuff..." He laughed, sipping his coffee, licking the sweet liquid from his lips. "I was so frustrated, and I was like, standing in the middle of the aisle-"

"And I came around the corner and you were talking to yourself."

"And you asked if you could help me. Like God sent me an angel. Again." He lifted his cup and took another sip. "So when you said, ‘oh that book is over in self help', I felt really stupid. I remember that. I also remember thinking that made sense because chicken soup is just chicken soup. There's no special soup for marketing professionals."

She laughed, a loud giggle bubbling from her. "So I walked you over, right to where the book was and you grabbed it and then kinda... just stood there."

"No, I said thanks, and asked your name. And it was...." He paused, furrowed his brow for a moment. "It was..."

"You want help remembering?"

"No, no.  It's on the tip of my tongue.  I remember it was a cool name. It was..." JC stared at the surface of the table for a long moment, and then his head popped up. "Lizzy?"

"Liz," she answered with a smile. "Though, Elizabeth, these days."

"Taylor!" He shouted. "Your name was Liz Taylor. I remember laughing at that."

She nodded. It was her turn to blush. "Yup. You asked if I was THE Liz Taylor."

"I was being funny, obviously."

"Obviously."

"You look different. Way different."

"You think so? I just look older, I think."

"Well, so do I but I look the same. You look really different."

"I got a nose job about ten years ago. And my hair is longer. Darker. Other than that I look the same."

"Still a pretty girl," he said. Then lowered his head and sipped on his coffee. Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

"Still a handsome guy," she said, without hesitation. "Do you remember us flirting with each other?"

"Like crazy. I think I hadn't seen a girl in months." Her face fell; her lips formed a frown. "I mean--- I don't mean it like that. Shit. Sorry. I meant... you... you were nice to look at. A sight for sore eyes, they say."

She nodded. A moment later, the frown disappeared. "You asked me what time I got off that night."

"I showed back up right before the mall closed. We hung out in the food court and watched the cleaning crew until the security guard kicked us out."

"And we ended up in your car..."

"I remember now."  

Like it was yesterday, he remembered the cute girl he'd met at the bookstore at the mall.

‘So you guys have to work every day when you're over there? No days off or anything? No wonder you're happy to be back in this shithole.'

JC chuckled, his head leaning against the headrest. ‘We get Sundays off. But one day off out of six isn't much time. And it is nice to be back with my family.'

‘You have a girlfriend over there?'

‘Nah,' he answered. ‘Not really any time. We're not in one place for that long and the girls over there...' He glanced over at her. ‘They've got nothin' on the girls here.'

‘Really?' She smiled and shifted, leaning toward him. ‘How so?'

‘Well,' he said, shifting toward her. ‘They're not as pretty.'

‘Oh?'

"Yeah. And you have way better teeth.'

She giggled. ‘Is that all?'

‘Well, lemme check one thing.' He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers once. And then again. And a third time, but this time she opened her mouth. A deep groan rose from the pit of his stomach as the kiss deepened, tongues swirling around each other, hands madly gripping and stroking one another until one of them had to come up for air. And then it would start all over again.

The windows fogged and the air inside the car was wet and heavy with the scent of two bodies in heat, trying hard to resist what they obviously wanted.

‘Liz,' JC panted, taking a break from nibbling on her ear. ‘I really...'

‘You really...what?'

‘Like you,' he finished. ‘Really like you. But I have to go. My mom's probably throwing a shit fit. Which she can do ‘cause she works for a fertilizer company.'

‘Yeah, I gotta go too. My mom doesn't care where I am, but I have to open the store in the morning.'

‘Well...Can I see you again? Like, at some place more comfortable?'

She giggled. ‘Like where?'

‘Don't worry about where. I'll take care of it.'

‘Okay. When? Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I'm working until close.'

‘I don't know. I don't have a lot of time. We're leaving a couple of days after Christmas. I'll work it out, though, and I'll call you.'

Her shoulders sagged. ‘Guys never call when they say they will.'

‘I will call. I promise.'

He'd gotten home that night, wrapped up the book for his mom and put it under the tree. The next night Joey had come by; he and some friends were going out and coerced JC into going.  The rush of the holidays, mixed with time constraint swept him up like the tide and by the time JC remembered the cute girl at the bookstore in the mall, he was on his way back to Europe.

"I waited for you. For days and days."

"Yeah, I-"

"I stayed at the bookstore after hours, thinking you'd drop by." She shook her head. "You didn't. I never saw you again, at least in person, until five minutes ago in that line."

"Liz-"

"Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth, I am so sorry. I didn't do that on purpose at all. I got caught up and-"

"With some other girls? Some groupies?"

JC chuckled. "We didn't have groupies here. I just... things got crazy busy and we left again right after Christmas. We had a show New Year's Day in Germany."

Elizabeth was quiet, studying the faux wood grain of the table. Then she flicked her eyes upward to JC's face and smiled. "It was a long time ago, anyway. I guess I shouldn't still be hanging on to stupid feelings."

He sipped his coffee, feeling awkward. What started as a brief stop into Starbucks for something to warm him up had turned into a confrontation that made him feel guilty for something that happened so long ago he barely remembered it.

"I guess belated congratulations are in order," she said. "About a year later, I was watching the Disney channel with my niece and there you and the other guys were. I told everybody I almost went out with you."

He laughed, and thankfully she laughed with him. "Things got a little weird. And stayed that way for a long time."

"Was it fun though?" She asked. "Everything you dreamt it would be?"

"More," he answered. "It's everything you think it'll be and much more. Good and bad."  She nodded once, then fell silent, like she'd run out of things to say or tease him about. "So, you still live here?"

"Not still, but I do live here. I left for college, stayed gone for awhile. Came back a few years ago."

"Yeah my brother just moved back here a few years ago. Got married last year."

"I heard."

He nodded. Of course everyone was an expert on not only his life but the people in it. Comes with the territory. "So, are you still Elizabeth Taylor?"

She laughed. "And people still find that funny."

"I knew a guy named Michael Jordan. Poor kid. Scrawny white dude. No jump at all."

The sound of her laughing was music to his ears. She had a pretty smile and an infectious chuckle. He liked hearing it.

"That seems worse than Liz Taylor."

"He really had a hard time with it. I guess he's used to introducing himself as Not THE Michael Jordan."

"I should try that! Hi, I'm Not THE Elizabeth Taylor."

"A little long for business cards."

She shrugged. "I guess I'm stuck. So you're in town for the holidays?"

JC bobbed his head in agreement. "My usual trip. Gotta see the family. Mom gets an attitude if I don't make it."

"Understandable."

"Yeah. So..." JC squirmed in his seat, unsure if the next thing he was about to say should be said, but knowing he was going to say it anyway. "I really feel badly about leaving you hanging like that. I guess I never realized..." He paused again, and then pushed himself forward. "I uhm... I could make it up to you."

"How would you do that?"

"I'd like to take you out. Like I wanted to that night."

"If I remember right, you weren't talking about taking me out."

He blushed. True, he'd wanted to get her alone so they could have sex. "Touche'. Okay, I'd like to take you out like I should have wanted to that night, but my hormones couldn't plan that far ahead."

She didn't answer. Not at first. As if she was waiting for him to say he was joking, or for a camera crew to pop out of nowhere, she waited. And waited.

JC grew impatient and started to slide out of the booth. "Well, this was fun. Thanks for the coffee. Sorry about a long time ago. Have a nice life, Elizabeth."

"Wait, okay?" She held out her hand as if to halt him. He froze. "You couldn't wait a minute and let me think?"

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I thought you were trying to make me feel like an ass, and it worked. I was going let you gloat. You got me back."

"I didn't... I wasn't trying to get you back or make you feel like an ass. I..."

"You don't want to go out? That's okay. We don't have to. I was just offering."

"It's not that...it's..." She shook her head a few times, quickly, and then heaved a sigh. "Nothing. It's nothing. You really want to take me out?"

"I really want to take you out," he said, his tone softening. He tipped his still full but now cold cup of coffee toward her. "If not for leaving you hanging way back then, then to repay you for saving my ass today."