Teagan's POV
Colton and Teagan walked towards the sandwich shop, with him looking towards the direction they were going while she was looking at him. He did offer to help her, after all. Perhaps she should have been more grateful. She shook her head. No, she wasn't going to let him win!
Her mouth twisted into a snarl as she thought of her family's bakery wasting away as more and more people started pouring into Colton's Creations while her family's bakery was left in the dust.
"Look..." Colton started but stopped when he saw the bitter snarl on her face. "You okay?"
"Just peachy..." Teagan managed to get out with gritted teeth.
He gave her a heavy sigh. "I know you're not convinced that I'm here to help you, but it won't help if you don't have a better attitude about this. "
"But I heard from Miss Simmons−"
Colton bit back a laugh. "Wait, Miss Simmons? The same woman who's known to gossip from time to time?"
She winced, feeling like she should have remembered that important piece of information. "Oops."
"No offense, Teagan, but I think you're seeing this person through rose-colored lenses."
"Thanks for telling me the news. Now I feel a little embarrassed."
Colton laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be. It's one of the things I l−like about you."
She turned away as she basked in the compliment. "For a minute there, I thought you were going to say 'love.'"
Colton gave her a nervous scoff. "What? No, don't be ridiculous." He cleared his throat. When did it suddenly get so hot out here?
Teagan laughed at his composure. "Whatever you say, Cutie."
Colton stopped in his tracks, turning towards her with a teasing grin.
"Not a word, Colton. Not a single word!" she said with a huff, walking into Heavenly Blends as he trailed after her.
The coffee shop had a vibrant atmosphere. Different paintings from artists all over the community were showcased on the chestnut brown walls. Various waiters and waitresses brought food out to tables full of customers, some who were there for a relaxing day out while others were there for business meetings.
Teagan instantly felt uncomfortable, the sounds of various people chatting all at once, causing her to feel lightheaded. Her heart rate increased as she slowly began to realize that this wasn't her type of scene. Her hands trembled, her eyes darting from one corner to another, desperate to find a way out. Stop overreacting, Teagan. It's just a crowd of people for crying out loud. She could only imagine what Colton must think of her right now.
She looked at Colton, his warm, comforting gaze differing from the annoyed gaze she thought he would have. "I can tell you don't like it here. Come on, let's go try the patio."
It turned out that the patio was a stark contrast to the lively energy emitting from inside. "Do you feel better now?"
"Yeah, thank you," she replied in a shy tone.
He chuckled. "You're so adorable when you're shy."
Teagan fought back a grin. "Shut up."
"You're blushing, Milady."
She swiftly punched his arm. "Quit it."
"Sorry..." I'm gonna pretend that didn't hurt.
A waitress came by, wearing a white long-sleeved top with a long, black skirt. "Hello, you guys! Would you like to start off with anything to drink?"
Colton gestured to Teagan to order. "Ladies first."
Teagan stammered, completely caught off guard. "Oh, uh, I'll have the Honey Vanilla Latte."
"And I'll have the Mocha Latte, please."
The waitress scribbled something down on a notepad she held in her hand. "Excellent and for the appetizer?"
"Hummus plate," Colton piped up.
"And for lunch?"
"I'll have the jerk chicken sandwich. And for you, Teagan?" Colton said, waiting patiently for Teagan to order.
"Turkey sandwich please,"
The waitress jotted down the orders as fast as her fingers would allow her to. "Sorry if I'm a bit slow. I'm kinda new here."
"Don't worry about it." Teagan gave her a dismissive wave. "I remember what it was like during my first job, so I kind of understand what you must be going through right now."
The waitress smiled, moving her attention to Colton. "Is this your girlfriend? She's really nice."
"She really is, isn't she?" Colton remarked.
That's the third time she had gotten flustered by him. Determined to have the last word, Teagan scoffed and looked up at the waitress. "He wishes. The only place where that would ever happen is in his dreams."
The waitress laughed as she sent a sly smile his way, watching the banter between the two customers continue.
Colton put a hand over his heart. "Ouch. You wound me, Princess."
Teagan laughed, causing Colton to grin.
He shrugged. "Well, at least I made you laugh. Can I get a little more than that, Milady?"
Teagan stayed silent for a moment, thinking up a quick response as Colton wore a triumphant grin on his face.
After a few seconds, she spoke up. "Nice try, Colton," Teagan replied, moving her face closer to his as she booked him on the nose.
The waitress giggled. "As exciting as it is watching you two, I need to get back to my job. Nice meeting you."
Colton stuttered as he tried to come up with a response.
Ten minutes later, their waitress came with their appetizer, along with a small cup of ice.
Colton shot the waitress a blank look. "Um," He gestured to the ice, pointing his finger at it. "What's this for?"
Teagan answered before the waitress had a chance to respond. "I bet it's to cool you down. From where I'm sitting, you're starting to look a little flustered," she replied, wearing a smug look on her face.
The waitress snorted, giving Teagan a high five, which she happily accepted.
Teagan heard Colton mutter to himself, probably wondering how she managed to get the better of him.
YOU ARE READING
From Conundrums to Kisses | ONC 2020
Short Story[ONC Longlister] Teagan's beloved family bakery is struggling, and her fear of taking risks has them losing more customers by the day. Enter Colton, a guy who is stealing her customers away but also could be the answer to her current predicament, wh...
