Spilt Coffee by Reneé Lystad

“Nobody has ever loved me as much as I love them,” Liam thinks as he stares at the 12 cats roaming around his living room. The cats remind him of each broken relationship he’s had. That’s how he accumulated so many. His first serious girlfriend broke up with him because he was too “nerdy.” To deal with the sorrow, he got a cat as a companion. Then it just kind of became a tradition. Each new break-up brought a new cat to his little family. Now he’s the creepy cat man.Liam teaches at Oxford University in England. He teaches literature—his favorite subject. He loved books growing up, and still does. He teaches with a fiery passion unlike any teacher he came across. Teaching takes him back to his childhood, reminding him of the stories his parents used to tell him. Liam’s job has always been enough for him, but since his last break up, he has been feeling especially lonely.

“You need a vacation,” his mother, Lynn, said.

“I don’t have time for that,” he said.

“Sure you do. You haven’t taken any time off since you started teaching. Take a vacation, Liam. Please, for me. I hate seeing you so down,” she said. The pleading look in her eyes reeled him in and he caved, as always.

“Fine,” he said at last, letting out a sigh of exasperation.

“Wonderful!” his mother said. Before he knew it, she had booked his trip and had his itinerary planned for him.

Two weeks later, Liam was on vacation in New York. He had never been to America and thought going to the Big Apple would be a good place to start.

Two days after arriving, Liam was looking at his phone while walking out of a Starbucks, and bumped into a man, spilling coffee all over the poor soul.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry! Are you alright?” Liam asked.

“Well, you spilled hot coffee on me. What do you think?” the man said, attempting to shake off the excess coffee.

“I’m terribly sorry. I should have been paying better attention. I was just looking up directions and didn’t see you.”

“You think?” the man retorted.

“There’s no reason to be hostile,” Liam said. “I did apologize after all. I’m happy to pay your dry cleaning.”

The man finally looked him in the face, pausing before responding. “You’re not from here are you?” he asked.

“No, I’m not.” Liam responded. “You’re just now noticing my accent? A little self-involved are we?”

“No more than you. Your nose was stuck in your phone while walking.”

“Again, I am sorry for that. As you pointed out, I’m not from here and was looking for directions to Rockefeller Center.”

“Well, you’re about six blocks west, in the wrong direction,” he said with a snarky tone.

“Oh, well, that explains my confusion. Some woman called Siri spoke to me through my phone and took me this way,” Liam said while looking at his phone puzzled.

“It’s called an iPhone. And Siri is a digital assistant,” the other man said. Liam looked even more confused. “You know, like a secretary, but in a computer?” he could see he was still not getting through to him.

“Ah, well, this is my first one. My mother insisted I get one before my trip. I prefer my flip phone,” Liam said.

“Okay. You need to get with the 21st century. Look, I’m running late for a meeting, so I don’t have time to sit here and tutor you,” he said.

“I’m trying to be polite here and give you the benefit of the doubt, but you sir, quite frankly, don’t deserve my kindness. I’m sorry that I have caused you to be late, but you’re at fault just as much as I here,” Liam said.

The other man finally realized that Liam was simply trying to apologize for spilling his coffee all over him, and he was being an ass about it. The man, who was dressed head to toe in the finest Dolce and Gabbana suit you could find this side of Manhattan, took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

“I’m Mike. Nice to meet you,” he stuck out his hand and paused, waiting for Liam to respond.

Liam was taken aback. This man who had been an ass for the last five minutes, was suddenly trying to be cordial. Liam slowly and cautiously stuck out his hand.

“Liam,” he said. Mike grasped his hand firmly and shook it.

“Nice to meet you, Liam. I’m sorry for my jackassery. It was uncalled for.”

“Consider it forgotten. I’ve run into plenty of jackasses already. I’ll just add you to the list. Sorry for the coffee and the cause of your tardiness. Can I at least pay for your dry cleaning? That is clearly an expensive suit, and I did make a mess of it with my coffee.”

Mike looked down at his suit, “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ve got more at home.”

“No, really. Please, I insist. I won’t take no for an answer,” Liam looked at him pleadingly. “Please. It would make me feel better about the coffee. Here, take my card,” Liam said as he pulled a business card out of his wallet.

Mike took the card. “Oxford huh?” he said reading the card.

“Yes. I teach there.”

“Well, Mr. Evans—”

“Oh please, just Liam.”

“Alright, Liam. It’s been nice bumping into you, but I really do have to run.”

“Of course. And again, so very sorry.”

“Not to worry,” Mike said, as he took off quickly down the street.

Later that evening, Liam received a call. It was Mike. They talked for a few minutes and agreed to meet the next day to work out the dry cleaning bill.

The next evening, Liam took a cab to the dry cleaners. Mike was waiting out front when he arrived, coffee-stained suit in hand.

“I said I would pay for that,” Liam said as he got out of the cab.

“Listen Liam, I’m a prideful bastard, so I’m not going to let you pay for this. I will, however, take you to a pub to repay you for being such an ass.”

“Well, that’s very thoughtful of you, but unnecessary. Then I would just owe you double.”

“Oh no, I’m going to let you pay,” Mike said clapping him on the shoulder.

“And the jackassery continues,” Liam said.

Mike laughed out loud. “Well, this jackass is going to show you the time of your life, and you might even make a friend or two, starting with me.”

Liam paused before answering. “Well, I guess making a friend wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Lead the way.”

They stopped at Mike’s apartment first to drop off the dry cleaning, then made their way to a nearby pub. Just so happened, Mike lived right above one. McBlarney’s was its name. It was a very noisy sports bar full of booths that lined all the walls, with table and chairs in the center. The two chatted idly for an hour until the crowd died down enough for them to efficiently hear each other. Liam decided to try a beer for the first time in years. He found he enjoyed it.

The two men talked for hours getting to know each other. Green shaded lamps hung above each table in the pub. The light cast down on them just enough to highlight both of their chiseled jaws and impeccable cheekbones.

“You know, for a guy who is clearly not hurting for money, I would expect you to live in a slightly nicer neighborhood,” Liam said.

“Yeah, well, I figure why waste all my money on a nice place when I could use it to impress women and hook up with whoever I want?”

“Really? So, you’re a player huh?” Liam asked. This guy was starting to sound like a terrible person. Certainly not someone he would want to be friends with.

“Yeah. I tried the whole commitment thing when I was younger, but it always ended horribly. So, I decided to just be an eternal bachelor.”

Well now he was just starting to sound lonely. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. In fact, he sounded a lot like Liam himself.

“Yeah, I get that. I have 12 cats. One for each break up I’ve had,” Liam said with a sigh and sheepish grin.

“Dude, you’re sad,” Mike said.

“I know,” Liam said. “But enough about that. Where are you from Mike?”

Mike came from a huge Italian Catholic family. Born and raised in Manhattan. After watching his best friend get gunned down at age 14, and witnessing the killer get off scot-free, Mike decided to become a lawyer. He was a partner in his father’s firm.

Liam was an only child raised in England. His father taught literature at Oxford as well, raising his son with the same passion. Liam grew up with classics like The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. His bedtime stories were not the usual ones parents told their children. His parents believed you are never too young to learn anything. Liam was tutored from a very young age through college. His parents wanted the best education for him.

The more they talked, the more the men found they had in common, including the string of bad relationships and their love for football. Of course, it wasn’t the same, because Liam enjoyed English football, which was soccer. Before they knew it, it was last call. They ordered one last beer, downed them within a minute, paid their tabs, and went their separate ways.

The following weeks Liam spent in New York, he and Mike became good friends. They met for coffee every day, occasionally had lunch together, and were out drinking almost every night. Eventually, it came time for Liam to go back to England. Mike invited Liam to an office party on his last night in town.

The party was held on the fifth floor of Mike’s office building. The floor had a massive ballroom for these occasions. There was a DJ in the corner with his spin tables and a disco ball hanging from the center of the room. Multi-colored lights were flashing all around, making it feel like a Led Zeppelin concert. Mike attempted several times to get Liam out on the dance floor, but Liam was not having it. He didn’t feel comfortable putting himself out there just to suffer the mockery. Liam just kind of kept to himself most of the night. Mike introduced him to a few of his colleagues, but Liam wasn’t in the mood for conversation. He found an empty table to sit at and observe the scene. Mike looked over at him every now and then throughout his conversations to make sure he was okay. It was the end of the night before Mike could separate himself to get some conversation time with Liam.

Plopping himself down next to Liam in front of the stonewall water fountain display, Mike sighed and then spoke, “I can’t believe you have to go back to England already.”

“I know,” Liam said. “It has been great fun. You know, you may not be, but I’m sure glad I bumped into you that day with my coffee.”

“Well, my dry cleaning didn’t appreciate it much, but yes, I’m glad too. You’re a lot more fun than you realize, Liam. And you’ve become a great friend to me. I hope you know that.”

Liam turned to face him. “You have become a great friend to me too, Mike. I never thought my first trip to America would be as great as this.”

“It was destiny. You bumping into me was your destiny, so you could meet a great American to really show you the awesomeness that New York city has to offer.”

Liam laughed, “Yes, I suppose it was.”

They found themselves staring into each other’s eyes. The silence rose between them like a black hole in space. Several minutes passed as they gazed at each other.

“I’ve never noticed how the lights twinkle in his eyes,” Liam thought to himself. Feelings of euphoria rose in Liam that he could not quite understand.

“What is happening to me?” Mike thought to himself. “I’m finding it suddenly very hard to resist his lips. What the fuck is wrong with me? I am not gay. I’ve banged more women than Casanova. But those lips, they’re so plump and full. He could be a model. Man, pull it together Mike. Snap out of it. But I can’t seem to fight this urge to . . .”

These thoughts rolled through both of their minds as they found themselves leaning into each other. Time seemed to freeze as they moved in and their lips finally met. Fireworks went off in their minds as they kissed each other. It was like both stopped breathing as soon as their lips met, and they were feeding off each other to get their breath back.

When they finally broke apart, they looked at each other with dismay at what just happened.

“I better get back to the hotel,” Liam finally said. “I still have a lot of packing to do.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mike said. “You know, I’ll come by in the morning and give you a lift to the airport.”

“Oh it’s alright, the hotel has a shuttle,” Liam said.

“No, I insist. Please?” Mike said with a pleading look.

Liam contemplated his answer. “Only if you let me pay that dry cleaning bill,” he finally said.

“Alright, you twisted my arm,” Mike said. “I’ll see you in the morning. Come on, I’ll call you a cab. I’m in no shape to drive, otherwise I’d take you to the hotel myself.”

Both men lay in their beds that night not being able to sleep. That kiss kept floating through their minds. What had it meant? Why did it happen? Was it because they were both so drunk, or was there a part of them that wanted it?

The next morning, there was silence the entire ride to the airport. When they arrived at the terminal, Liam couldn’t have unbuckled his seatbelt faster.

“Liam, wait,” Mike said, as Liam reached for the handle. Liam sat there frozen, his back turned to Mike.

“Liam, please,” Mike pleaded. “Look at me.”

Liam didn’t move. “This isn’t me,” he finally said.

Mike reached under Liam’s chin and pulled his face toward his own, forcing Liam to look him in the eyes. “This isn’t me either. I don’t understand this any more than you do,” he said.

“It was the alcohol. We both had a lot to drink,” Liam said.

“Yes, we did,” Mike said, finally letting go of Liam’s chin. “But we both know that’s not the whole reason,” he said, reaching his hand now to the back of Liam’s neck.

“I can’t do this. This goes against everything I’ve been taught,” Liam said.

“Remember, I’m a born and raised Catholic. This goes against my beliefs too. But I know that I have never felt what I felt last night, with anyone,” Mike said.

Liam paused before he answered. “Me either,” he said.

“Look,” Mike said. “I’m not looking for anything right now, obviously. You’re about to get on a plane back to England. I want you to sleep on this. I know how I feel, but I think you need some time to figure out what this means for you. Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to buy you a ticket to come back here one month from now. If you want to come back and talk about this some more, then come. If you discover you just can’t do this, then don’t come. No hurt feelings, okay?”

With tears in his eyes, Liam emphatically nodded his head. In a rush of emotion, he leaned in and planted a passionate kiss on Mike’s lips. He then quickly exited the car, grabbed his bags, and headed inside the airport without a glance back. He knew if he looked, he would want to stay, and he couldn’t. He had to get back to his job. And Mike was right, he needed to take the time to figure out if this was what he wanted.

Once back in England, the months seemed to fly by. Liam called Mike every other day. They had long conversations about each other’s day. Of course, with the five hour time difference, they ended up talking into the late night hours for Liam, while it was only ten at night for Mike.

Liam did make that trip back after a month apart, and they had “the talk.” They decided to make it work. They took turns visiting each other. It was rough at first, but over time it became easier, and each time they saw each other, they both felt it was well worth it.

Time flew by for the lovers. Before they knew it, it had been two years since that day they bumped into each other outside a Starbucks in New York. They had grown very close to one another, not just as lovers, but as friends too.

One evening, while relaxing in Liam’s living room, Mike decided to go for it.

“You know, this has been going really great.”

“Yes it has,” Liam said taking a sip of his beer.

“So good, that I think we should make it permanent.”

“What? You mean like move in together? I think that would be a little difficult, seeing as we live on separate continents.”

“No,” Mike said sitting up and looking into Liam’s eyes. “I mean get married.”

Liam froze with the beer bottle to his lips. He finally laughed to break the silence. “You’re joking right?” he finally said.

“No. I’m very serious. It’s legal in New York. We could have the ceremony there and live here. Or there, whichever you prefer. We both have jobs that can take us anywhere.

“Mike, I just got tenure. I can’t just up and leave my job. That would be suicide.”

“Then don’t, and that’s wonderful. Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“I don’t know. I was working up to it and then you sprung this on me.”

“Well, then we should go out and celebrate both.”

“Both?”

“Your promotion and the engagement.”

“Mike, I haven’t even said yes yet.”

“So what’s holding you back?”

“I don’t know.”

Liam stood and began pacing back and forth for a minute while Mike watched him pleadingly. After about five rounds of pacing the entire length of the room, Liam stopped in front of Mike who was still sitting on the couch. Liam sighed before answering.

“Yes,” he finally said.

“Yes?” Mike asked.

“Yes,” Liam said, a smile creeping across his face.

“Yes!” Mike said, as he leaped up and kissed Liam all over his face.

“You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world.” Liam couldn’t help but smile too, as he leaned in and returned Mike’s kiss.