TEACH ME HOW TO LOVE [RE-WRITING]

Coffee

Her eyes met with the other woman's.

"Care for a cup of coffee Miss," Cossy asked.

Cossy was one of the house maids at the mansion. She was a gentle woman with pale black hair and in her late forties. She was more familiar with the family more than the other workers. It had been about ten years since she had started working for the Woods.

"Thank you Ma'am, but I'm okay," Nina replied with a faint smile.

"No you're not. Look at you. You've turned pale. Plus,  your legs are not helping much to confirm what you're saying."
Cossy poured two cups of coffee and placed them on the slab.

Nina had been unable to realize that her legs had been shaking. Her skin has developed goosebumps and her fingers were shivering. She was clearly freezing.

"Come on. Sit here with me." The fairly tall woman placed the cups on the kitchen slab and gestured to the girl to take a seat.
Besides the slab were a few stools.

Nina sat down and took one of the cups in her hands. She did not feel the heat of it until after a few minutes, after her numb palms regained the sense of feeling.

"Call me Cossy please," the woman said and took a sip of her coffee.

"I'm sorry I can't call you that."

Cossy's rolled her eyes and touched her forehead, in disbelief.
"Oh my. Rick!"

"Haha.  He's funny." Nina giggled.

"He's like that, but only around ladies," she said. 
"He's gentle with women but harsh with boys/ men.
You should have seen how angry he was when one of Tom's friends broke the sink last year."

"He doesn't look like he can get angry. He's been so sweet to me ever since I got here." Nina looked surprised.

"Who? Me? Are you ladies talking about me?", a deep voice interjected.

Nina's eyes shot up to look straight at Cossy, who was staring at the person behind Nina.
The woman's eyes drifted back to Nina, meeting her seemingly scared gaze.
The now more serious look in her eyes warned Nina that it was a Woods that stood behind her.

It's him.  That's his voice.
Her heart jumped at the thought.

Nina was not sure whether to turn or just keep looking at the woman seated across from her.
The motion of the person behind her saved her from her indecisiveness.

Tom walked around the slab and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Nina could not help but scrutinize his figure.  Her eyes roamed from his messy spiky hair, to his evidently strong shoulders, continuing down to his ankles.
She had a bit eye nutrition.

The tall boy turned as he sipped on the coffee. He placed the cup beside Cossy's hand and pulled a stool for his butt to rest.

"So what are you ladies talking about?", he said with a wry smile.

"Oh it's nothing Tom." Cossy was quick to answer. " I was just telling Nina here about Rick."

"Cool. Where is he?"

"In his quarters probably." Cossy shrugged.

Tom's brows furrowed, he looked to be thinking about something. And then in an instant, he smiled to himself, before turning his eyes to Nina.

"You're Nina. I'm I right?," he said.

"That's me."

"Nina. Where are you from?"

"Around"

"Around? Interesting." Tom laughed.
"How come my sister has never mentioned you to me?"