A short story inspired by users on SALT SOCIAL about your classic Christian coffee shop date.

Nothing scary about getting to know someone over coffee. Definitely worth it. Nothing to lose and so much to potentially gain

-Luke.

Jackie sat just outside the coffee shop window.  Those rafters are a pretty cool color, she thought, but I’m sure he’d still be able to see me if I walked closer.  She waited just a couple more seconds with her hands in her navy-blue romper pockets, then lurched forward toward the door.  No going back now, she thought, her feet outpacing her brain and into the shop.

Breathing in the overwhelming aroma of espresso, she looked around for Aiden.  He wasn’t in the corner, or by the window, or upstairs in the mezzanine.  I’m here first, she thought, exhaling all her nervous energy in one breath.  Should I order, or just wait…I think I’ll just hang out on my phone.

She sat on the stool by the wall in front of a water cooler.  There were rainbow waves on the walls behind her, and behind the recycle bin was a print-off of Oscar the Grouch reaching over the bin and saying “Don’t be trashy! Recycle your cup!”  Jackie chuckled.  Dumb, but charming nonetheless.  

Jackie leaned over and opened up SALT SOCIAL.  She’d been following a thread about whether coffee dates count as a real date.  One of the comments said:

I think so, it’s a date. I don’t know if it’s necessary to clarify, because after all if you accept that coffee, it’s because you took your time to get to know that person at least a little, right?

-Johnny

Glad she didn’t have to worry about that.  They’d decided to meet in a coffee shop after church. It wasn’t a Starbucks or a Cafe Nero, but a quirky independent little place, and one that he’d recommended.  Also the way he B-lined through the aisles of chairs to where she was standing at the front of the church to ask her out was a pretty dead-on giveaway.

Right at that moment, Jackie looked up and saw Aiden just outside the door.  He seemed to be talking to someone out of sight, and then he leaned forward and she could see someone’s hand on his back – a hug.  A full-frontal hug.

Jackie got up to see who it was, but they were gone before she could get an idea.  Aiden was smiling when he came in, though, and immediately pointed at Jackie.

“Hey you!” he said, bounding up to her the same way he did when he saw her through the aisles at church.  His mop-head style haircut and sharp-angled face looking down at her sparked an electric wave through her whole being.  For a split-second, she imagined what he’d look like in a tux with a boutonnière.  Aiden came up and gave her a big bear hug, way more than he gave to the mystery person at the door.  I was reading into it, she thought, must have just been his friend.

“Weird seeing you here,” he mused, smirking.  “Been here long?”

“Just a few minutes,” Jackie said, her cheeks turning a spotty coral under her curly bobbed locks.

Aiden looked at the counter and back at her, pointing at the coffee machines.  “Oh – did you not want any coffee?”

“Just waiting for you!” she said, the eagerness in her voice getting a confused-looking response.  

They came over to the counter and she waited in line behind him, expecting him to turn around and ask what she wanted.  To her bewilderment, she only saw the back of his printed tee until after she’d heard the beep of his card being scanned.

Maybe he’s just not a traditional guy.  That’s okay, kind of rude but I’m sure we can work it out still.

He turned around finally.  “I love the espresso here – their mochas and stuff aren’t as good, but their espresso is top-notch.  I’ll meet you over at the table.”

“Okay.” Jackie looked despondently at the person behind the counter, who gave her a knowing look.  Despite Aiden’s recommendation, she ordered a mocha anyway, and pulled out her phone to pay, forgetting SOCIAL was still open.  She read a couple of comments while the barista was typing her order in:

I think making sure that both parties define the ‘coffee date’ the same is important. Some may misunderstand.

-Alisha

I will always ask, is this a date? Why make things so complicated 😅?

-Lydia

Jackie sat down with her cream-laden coffee in hand.  “Sorry, I didn’t take your recommendation.”

Aiden laughed.  “Booo!” he said, pulling out his phone and scrolling through.  Jackie just stared at him and hesitated.

“So is this a date?” the words came out of her like a freezing gust of wind threatening to make her coffee cold.

Aiden brushed his hair back and gave her a shocked look.  “Whoah really?  Oh crap…”  He put his phone down.  “I mean, you seem cool and all but I wasn’t like…I guess it could be…” He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Jackie, who shook her head in seeming disbelief.  “I guess I could have been more clear, sorry about that.”

It took everything Jackie had to not stand up right there…throw the hot mocha in his face… but she realized it wasn’t all his fault in the end.  “It’s okay,” she lied, “I wasn’t thinking it was, just checking.”

“No worries, sorry I just didn’t..yeah.  Let’s move on.  Cheers!” he held his tiny shot of espresso up and clanked her large porcelain glass, which she barely reciprocated.  A little bit of her mocha’s cream topping fell on the table, narrowly missing her open phone.

She was glad she read those comments.  Maybe they can be just friends after all.

There is no hard and fast rule.  It can depend on the philosophy/upbringing of both individuals involved. I would personally say yes unless I knew there was a reason it wouldn’t work out… but some people think first a date and then a ring…

-Ralph

SALT Social

Conversations like these can really help us feel connected in an increasingly solitary world.  Come connect with a vibrant community of single Christians on SOCIAL – a community feed built right into the SALT app!  

SOCIAL is the go-to space for users to connect on a fun, engaging platform that’s about sharing life together.  Ask for relationship advice, share a worship song, or post a photo of your favourite coffee spot.  And who knows, you might meet someone amazing along the way!

Join in the conversation today on SOCIAL! You’ll need to download the SALT app to not miss out.

Want to hear what our community said about whether guys should make the first move? Read it here.

Or would you like some first date tips and tricks? Read them here.