Late Night Munch

13

" A coffee shop? Really?" Emma asked.

"Live on the wild side with me." He smirked. "I won't tell anyone."

She couldn't deny that she missed having a little bit of espresso in her life. From a young age she was enamored with the whole coffee culture. It was one of the easiest ways to socialize and it tasted amazing, so it was a win-win.

"You're a bad influence and right after I hyped you up to my dad." She tsked.

"Mark my words its one of the best coffees you'll ever try in your lifetime." He said.

"Alright. Breaking the rules once wouldn't hurt." Emma replied.

He cheekily grinned, "And if you get shit for it send your therapist my way. I'll take full responsibility."

Immediately after opening the door she was consumed by the rich smell of coffee beans. The low chatter and dim yellow lights gave her flashbacks from when she use to go out with friends to local shops near them. Emma looked over at Tucker and recognized the familiar nostalgic smile teasing his lips.

"It's been a while since I've been here. They have other drinks, but coffee will always be a temptation I can never pass up." He said.

"I remember my dream job was to open up a local coffee shop. I genuinely wanted to spend the rest of my life making coffee for other people." She said.

"If you ever do it hit me up. Sounds like paradise to me." He grinned.

They took their coffee to go and took a stroll around the neighborhood. Tucker brought his camera like he promised. She had no problem taking advantage of the opportunity that presented itself when a stray cat curled its tail around his ankle.

"He likes you." She said.

'Hey buddy' he cooed. Emma stifled a laugh when she heard his baby voice. " She's just jealous you didn't come up to her isn't she." He continued.

"Come on give us a little smile." She said. 

He shot up a quick peace sign, his laughter was contagious and she was lucky the shaky camera captured a clear image. "He's purring." He said in awe. 

"As your potential future roommate I say we should get going before we're both suckered in to taking this little guy home with us." Emma said. 

Tucker wiped his hand on his jeans and did a small solute to the grey tabby. He almost dropped his coffee when he was tripped by the cat's lean body. "Looks like he doesn't want us to leave." He said.

"Do you think he'll follow us?" She asked.

Tucker shrugged, " Maybe. There's a high probability he belongs to someone in the neighborhood though. He doesn't look underfed or has matted fur."

"Ah, so another hopeless free spirit." Emma said. 

They continued their stroll and of course the curious tabby followed them for a couple minutes before it turned back around to more familiar territory. Emma had already made up her mind before she even saw the inside of his apartment. The neighborhood had a great atmosphere,  and besides the friendly people they came across on the street the block had an aesthetic that could only be found in the movies. 

"It's not much, but it's home." He said. 

There wasn't a lot of furniture, but she wasn't surprised. Tucker gave off a minimalistic vibe and guys in general don't overly decorate their homes. The natural light gave justice to his modern condo. She liked when spaces were well lit and open because of the positive energy it gave off. 

"On the right we have the kitchen and over here is the balcony you might catch me smoking in every once and a while." He said.

" I didn't know you smoked." She said. 

He nervously ran his fingers through his tangled hair, "Is that a deal breaker? I'm sorry I should have said something sooner. I don't do it as much as I use to, but if I'm stressed or overly anxious I'll come out here to relieve some tension." 

"It doesn't really bother me. You just took me by surprise." She said. 

He redirected their conversation to ease any lingering awkwardness,"Let me show you the room. Jason moved out most of his things out already."  

All that was left was a metal bed frame in the center of the room. She liked that the rooms were on the opposite side of the house so it gave them a sense of privacy. The bedroom surprisingly even came with it's own bathroom. It was the perfect living space if you needed a roommate. 

Tucker suddenly felt a wave a nervousness while she scrutinized the place. What if she didn't like it? Even worse what if she was lying and the smoking was a deal breaker. For all he knew she had already made up her mind, but was being polite to avoid any awkwardness. All these thoughts kept him from noticing the gentle manner she caressed the wall as she explored. The only thing he was focusing on was the panic building in his chest. Hundreds of scenarios and outcomes making it difficult to breathe as he spiraled into the hellhole of probabilities.

"You okay?" She asked, breaking him away from his thoughts.

"Yeah." He lied, " What do you think?" He asked. 

The seconds passed by agonizingly slow. He swore he could see her body movements at a -0.25 speed.Even something as simple as Emma blinking caused him to rub his eyes to see if he was seeing things correctly.

"When can I move in?" She asked.

And with that simple phrase he felt like he could breathe again. 

. . .