Free Five Minutes Late by Rich Amooi

Starbucks? It wasn’t considered a date?  
    “Of course, of course,” she said, completely confused. “How come you don’t date?”
    “Anybody ever tell you that you ask a lot of questions?”  
    “Yes. I mean … no. Well, sometimes my mouth rambles. Especially when I’m nervous.”
    Cedric tilted his head to the side. “Why would you be nervous? We’re just having coffee.”
    “Just having …” She shrugged. “It’s just that—I don’t know. Have you ever tried online dating?”
    God, she couldn’t believe she just asked that.
    “I don’t believe in online dating.” Cedric stood up. “I’m so sorry. I … just remembered that I have to meet with a customer. God, I can’t believe I forgot.”
    “Oh …”  
    “I’ll walk you back to the library.”
    She slowly got up. “Okay.”
    They walked back to the library in silence as Ellie tried to figure out what had happened. They approached the front of the building and the electric door slid open.
    Ellie forced a smile. “Thanks for the coffee.”
    “You’re welcome. Well … I guess I’ll see you around.”
    “Okay, see you around.”
    Whatever that meant.

Chapter Seven
    Cedric walked away from what was perhaps the most beautiful woman in the world—and maybe the smartest too. At least his day couldn’t get any worse.
    Or so he thought.
    Cedric watched in the distance as a motorcycle cop placed a ticket on his windshield.
    He couldn’t even begin to imagine what the ticket could have been for. There was no meter there, he was parked straight, and his registration was up to date.
    The cop slid his helmet over his head, strapped the buckle under his chin, swung a leg over his motorcycle, and straddled the bike.
    “What’s the ticket for?” asked Cedric, approaching him.
    “Why don’t you read it?” He slipped on his leather gloves.
    Nice guy. His voice sounded familiar. He looked down at the badge on his chest.
    V. Cunnings. Cedric grabbed the ticket from the windshield and searched for the infraction.  
    “What?” He walked to the back of his car and saw for himself the broken taillight. “That wasn’t broken when I got here, I’m sure of it.” He glanced down to the ground at the plastic pieces from the taillight and pointed to them. “Someone just did this.”
    “Do you have a witness?”
    “Of course I don’t have a witness. I just walked up. You saw me.”
    “Well then …” He started the motorcycle. “I can’t help you.”
    “Did you do this?”
    Vlad got off of his bike and got in Cedric’s face. “You better watch your accusations, if you know what’s good for you. I have no problem taking you downtown and throwing you in a cell for a day or two.”
    Cedric opened his mouth and Vlad held up his index finger. “Don’t fuck with me.”
    Vlad turned back to his bike, swung his leg over it, revved the engine a few times, and took off.
    Cedric folded the ticket and tucked it in his pocket. “Unbelievable.”  

    ***

    “What a jerk!” Ellie paced back and forth in front of her computer screen as Julio listened on the speakerphone.  
    “Who?” asked Julio.
    “Cedric, the guy I had coffee with. Seriously, he deserves to be kicked in the balls.”
    “Ouch. Not the boys.”
    Ellie could not believe her eyes as she stared at Cedric’s online dating profile. The online dating profile of the man who said he didn’t date.  
    “He lied to me! He has an online dating profile and it says right here he was on the website within the last twenty-four hours. He’s dating alright.”
    “Nothing wrong with that.”
    “Yeah, but he said he didn’t believe in it. How could you not believe in online dating anyway? Online dating exists, so you have to believe in it. You can choose to not participate in it. But since it exists, you have to believe. That’s like saying I don’t believe in the stars or the moon. Well, you know what? Look up in the sky. Do you see what I see?”
    “Oh, I love that song. So does