Step Up

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve:
A Classic

I watched him through the window as he pulled up to the coffeehouse where I was waiting. I decided, rather than having to explain why I was in an alley, which I much didn't feel like doing, that I could just walk the distance and grab a hot chocolate while I waited.

The bell above the door rang as he walked in.

"Pumpkin spice latte, no foam." He told the barista, leaning into the counter and then pushing off and walking over to me.

"Ooh, feminine." I teased.

"So I like coffee," he chuckled, "there's no harm in that." He sat down.

"Oh, no! Why this is it no ordinary coffee, no!" I mocked, " It is but a pumpkin spice latte, and with no foam!"

"It's a classic!" He demanded.

"Yeah, if you're on scream queens." I joked.

We both let out a few laughs before a waitress came over to the table where we were sitting and handed Josh his latte.

"Can I get the either of you two lovely couple anything else?" She smiled.

"Couple? Oh no." we both said awkwardly in sync, "we're just friends!" We tried to reassure her.

"Hmm." She nodded smiling, not buying a word we were saying and I awkwardly laughed.

"Uh, peppermint mocha latte please," Josh added, "extra whipped cream."

He returned his smile to me after the woman walked away with his order.

"Oh?" I said confused, "and who might this other refreshment be for?"

"A certain beautiful young blonde that I just so happen to know loves whipped cream and minty things."

"Oh, really? Because this 'beautiful young blonde' may already have a drink." I nodded, moving my warm cup, slightly.

"What? Hot chocolate? Where's the peppermint? The whipped cream? Come on, that's like comparing Chanel to Walmart." He looked at me like I was crazy mixed with stupid and I laughed.

"You're such a girl. Okay. We're in the middle of summer and the city decided to 'bless' us with 30 degree weather rather than rays of sunshine, and I'm just trying to enjoy it with a warm cup of hot chocolate, rather than running away to Florida for some actual summer heat." I said, trying to hold in the laughter with a smile.

When the waitress returned with the to-go coffee cup full of the peppermint drink, Josh smirked and then threw away my half-filled cup of hot chocolate in the trash bin.

I gasped with a laugh, clutching where my heart is, before he handed me the new cup, put some cash on the table for the drinks and a tip, and then grabbed my hand pulling me out of the cafe to his car.

For a while, I forgot about the incident with Lucas, but once we got in the car, I got to thinking about it again.

Why did he do it? One minute he's yelling at me and the next he's kissing me? It makes no sense.

"Did you even give him a chance?" He smiled.

"What?" I questioned instantly, turning my head to him.

"The latte? Did you give it a chance." He chuckled.

"Oh," I said relieved, "the coffee! Right!" I must've heard wrong the first time.

I giggled nervously, picking up the coffee from its holder on the car door and took a sip. But with my luck, Josh hit a bump and when I clutched the cup, the lid popped off and the drink poured onto me, covering my shirt and leaving a spot on my jeans.

"Damn it!" I yelled with my hands in the air.

I could see how nervous he was in his facial expression when he grabbed a bunch of napkins out of the department under the radio and started dabbing at my clothes while I couldn't help but smile. I let out a laugh and he looked at me crazily before he laughed too and dropped his head to cover his face with his arm in embarrassment.

"We gotta stop meeting like this!" I jokingly mocked, bursting with laughter at my comment.

He let out a laugh of embarrassment and then looked at me with pity for himself. I sucked in my lips, holding back a smile.

"Uh, there's a gas station down the road. You can clean up there." He leaned up and started driving again.

Ten minutes later
I was in the bathroom of the gas station trying to clean my shirt and pants while Josh was out looking for something, not covered in a peppermint latte, for me to wear.

I couldn't clean the top of my shirt without taking it off so I tried untying the strings from around my neck but it had been double knotted.

'knock, knock, knock'
I heard at the door and then Josh's muffled voice, "Maya?"

"Yeah, it's-- it's unlocked."