Coffee Boy (Dallas Liu FF)

3

A week drifted by without a glimpse of Dallas. He'd mentioned being swamped with work, but doubts crept in. Maybe it was just an excuse to dodge me. I should've known better. Guys like him wouldn't bother with girls like me. Yet, he kept sending sporadic messages, though they grew less frequent. Sighing, I glanced at my phone once more. Why was I torturing myself? His replies only came at odd hours—either dawn at 5 or late night after 11. What kind of job demanded such odd hours? I needed to let go of chasing him. If he wasn't interested, so be it. Still, I'd wear his sweater tonight. I'd grown accustomed to its fading scent.

Tucking my phone away in the bookstore counter drawer, I busied myself shelving the freshly delivered books. The jingle of the doorbell startled me—a visitor. "If you need anything, just holler," I called out, not bothering to turn. Our patrons preferred to browse without interruption.

"I'm not looking for anything in particular, but I've brought something," a familiar voice said. Goosebumps pricked my skin as I turned. There he stood, in a simple white shirt tucked into his pants, the same leather jacket from our last encounter, clutching two coffee cups. Dallas?

"I've got the day off. Thought I'd drop by," he said, flashing that irresistible smile. He handed me a cup. I was speechless. "Should I leave?" he asked, unsure. "No! Please stay. Thank you for the coffee," I managed, sinking onto one of the sofas for customers. Dallas settled beside me. "Am I disrupting you?" he inquired. I shook my head. "It's a slow day. I'm sorry if it seemed otherwise. Your visit just caught me off guard," I explained. He took a sip, then admitted, "I wanted to see you again. Last week was chaotic."

I chuckled. "I thought you were giving me the cold shoulder," I confessed, cheeks burning. He looked apologetic. "Never. My schedule's been nuts—up at 5, sometimes home past midnight. But seeing you again was always on my mind," he confessed. I sipped my coffee—cappuccino with oat milk and sugar, just how I liked it. He remembered. My heart fluttered.

"I thought you were brushing me off," I admitted. He placed a warm hand on mine, locking eyes. My breath hitched. "Never, Cara. Please don't think that. Let me make it up to you," he said earnestly. I shook my head. "It's not your fault. I tend to overthink," I replied, but he persisted. "Let me take you out. A date," he proposed, blushing slightly. I smiled, glancing shyly at my fingers. "A date? Where to?" I inquired. "It's a surprise," he grinned, his leg bouncing nervously.

Our eyes met again. "I'll go on a date with you. Not because you owe me, but because I want to," I said softly. His grin widened. "Are you free Wednesday? No work for me, finally," he suggested. "Wednesday's my day off too," I revealed, smiling. "Then it's settled. I'll plan the whole day," he declared, and for the first time in a while, everything felt just right.