Please Stand by the Shore

Chapter 4: Morning Coffee

Eddie's POV

I awake to the smell of fresh coffee. Sheepishly I turn on my side to see if Chloe is still in bed beside me, but the spot is empty. As I roll towards her side of the bed, her scent wafts from the pillows and sheets, and I catch myself enticed by the smell. A rustle coming from the kitchen breaks the trance, and I roll myself completely out of bed. Making my way across her apartment, I spot her dancing in the kitchen. She's wearing a white crop top, pj bottoms, and some granny style slippers. Not wanting to spoil the moment I let her continue her moves until she catches a glimpse of me from the corner of her eye. Although I've clearly startled her, she brushes it off and gracefully takes a bow in my direction and says,

"This morning's entertainment brought to you by: Me"

"Well don't stop on my account." I laugh while making my way over to her.

We come together in a tight embrace, the top of her head hitting my shoulder blade, snuggled in. I gather her height to be around 5'3 roughly, which I am very thankful for. My height is something that I've always felt self conscious about. But Chloe and I fit perfectly together. Breaking off the hug, she steps back towards the counter and grabs a mug and places it into my hands. 

"I'm sure you have amazing coffee in Seattle, so this might taste like shit in comparison." Her voice is humorous, but I still reassure her that I'm the farthest thing from a coffee snob. But man is she right, we have some amazing coffee there.

We make our way onto her balcony, the sun beating down onto the concrete floor. Squinting towards me she inquires,

"So any plans for the day?"

"We're doing a small acoustic session over at that record store, uh, Stubards? I think. The one with the giant music sign above the logo. That'll kill a few hours." I take a sip of my coffee and continue, "Then after, head back to the house to make dinner for a gorgeous woman."

While waiting for her response, I suddenly feel the tension rise in the air. Fuck, I should've been more specific. I quickly follow up with, "If you're free that is."

She lets out a quick chuckle and places one hand on her forehead, as her cheeks begin to glow a pink hue.

"Yeah, of course, sorry... I just, yeah. Didn't want to assume."

Leaning over I place a small kiss on her still rosy cheeks, "Good, it's a date then."

Chloe's POV

I feel the rumble within my stomach and recognize it to be hunger pains. Squinting at the oven's digital display, I realize it's already 5 pm. I decide to grab a bagel at one of my favorite coffee shops downtown. While waiting in line I spot two guys ahead of me both sporting Pearl Jam shirts, discussing how excited they are to see them play. The record store is only a few blocks away from where I am. Would it be crazy to stop by and see them play? Maybe I would just stop by for a bit...

When I pull up to the store, the line is already snaked out the door. I can't believe how bustling the little store is, people of all ages lined up. After roughly half an hour of standing in line, I finally make it inside. I suppose I hadn't realize the full extent of the band's rising popularity. Towards the back of the store there's a small stage set up, where the band's already preforming. I make my way through the crowd until I get a good view of Eddie. I sense the rise of butterflies in my stomach; I still can't get over how handsome he is. As soon as he begins to sing I'm at a loss for words. It's hauntingly beautiful. His voice is even better live, though it feels tame in this small room.