They started coming into the coffeehouse about 8 months ago. The woman was perhaps in her mid-forties. She colored her hair. Sometimes the roots grew out to where Eden could see them, streaks of gray among the black. She was about Eden’s height, a little over 5 foot 3, unless she was wearing heels. And she liked to wear heels. She wore them with jeans even. She always had a blazer on. Her name was Meg and she drank iced coffee with no flavoring. She always asked for Eden to leave room for cream. She carried a bag that was big enough for a laptop, though Eden never saw her use while she was there.

The man’s name was Park. He was older than Meg Well, maybe. Not by much. His beard was graying, but it was hard to see because it wasn’t thick. He still had a full head of hair though, no balding even though his temples were silver. He wasn’t tall for a man, but he was taller than Meg. Unless she was wearing heels. Then they were the same height. He wore everything from jeans, to suits, to sweats when they came in. Sometimes he had a backpack. Sometimes he brought nothing. He would usually arrive first, and he would wait near the counter for her before he ordered. He drank everything on the menu, but he had his favorites—the cappuccino with a swirl of vanilla syrup, or the americano. Lots of days he just ordered black.

“Do you think they’re dating?” Eden asked her coworker, Annie. Meg and Park came into the coffeehouse in the middle of the day, at least once a week. It was usually slow at that time of day and she liked to gossip about the customers to anyone else who was with her.

“Beats me,” Annie said, smacking her gum, though she too was looking at the table were the pair were talking with their heads close together.

They never touched, but they always smiled. Sometimes they would hug, but not all the time. Mostly they would just sit, leaning into each other, just like they were doing now. It always made Eden think of the scene from Lady and the Tramp when the dogs were eating spaghetti. All those two needed was an excuse to kiss and Eden was sure they would do it. Whatever was in their bags from day to day went untouched.

They didn’t do any work together. The laptops, if they had them in their bags, never emerged. They didn’t check their phones. They didn’t ever write anything down on a notepad produced from Park’s backpack or Meg’s purse. These were not meet ups for anything other than drinking coffee and staring into each other’s eyes.

“Maybe they’re having an affair,” Eden said. The shop was slower than usual today.

“He doesn’t wear a wedding ring,” Annie countered as she swept the floor.

Eden stuck her hands into her apron pocket, studying that hands of her patrons. She could clear see that Park did not wear a wedding ring, but she couldn’t see Meg’s left had at all. It was clutched around her coffee cup. Meg’s hair was tied up in a ponytail today. She was wearing a black turtle neck under her blazer, and her jeans were a dark wash. She had a patent leather black pumps. She had crossed her legs and was sitting back in her chair as Park told her a story. He was in jeans and tennis shoes, and his zip up was dark gray. He had been wearing a green plaid scarf but he’d taken it off his neck about ten minutes ago, and it was slung over the back of her chair across the peacoat he wore. Meg laughed at something he said and then leaned forward, nearly whispering to him in response. It was so annoying that Eden could never hear what they were saying.

“Maybe he’s her brother,” Annie said, coming behind her to whisper the words into her ear.

A customer approached the counter and she was momentarily distracted from her spying. She took the man’s order and as she stepped the espresso machine, she saw that Meg was standing up. Park stood too. Today they hugged. It was a short hug today—not a lover’s hug, not a long, lingering “I’ll miss you”, not a hug for someone who is having a rough day. Just a quick one armed hug. They were both still holding their coffee cups as they moved to the door. Park took Meg’s cup so she could button her jacket, and then she returned the favor. The two of them stared at each other, smiling awkwardly, like they didn’t want to say goodbye. Then Park leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. She laughed and it looked like he apologized, though Meg didn’t look upset at all. Her face was rosy, glowing even. They left the coffee house.

Eden handed the drink to the waiting customer at the counter, then went to find Annie. She was putting the broom away in the back. “He’s not her brother,” she said. “He kissed her!” she said.

Annie didn’t seem nearly as scandalized as Eden felt. “What kind of kiss?”

“Just a quick peck on the cheek,” Eden said.

Annie frowned, and blew a bubble with her gum. “Eh…could still be her brother I guess.”

“My brother never kisses me. And he doesn’t look at me like that.”

“Yeah, that’s fair,” Annie said. “Next time they come in, you should ask how they know each other.”

“What…just…ask?” Eden gasped.

“Why not? They come in here all the time. You know their names. You now exactly what Meg is going to order, and you can form a good guess for what Park is going to order based on what he’s wearing. They make chitchat with you sometimes. Why not ask them?”

So, when they came in the next day, she did.