Chapter 2
Accidental Dates
Samantha tried to focus on her work at the coffee shop the next morning, but every time she glanced up, she caught Ethan waving at her from the corner. She groaned. Mondays, apparently, had a sense of humor.
“You again?” she said, raising an eyebrow as he approached, coffee in hand.
Ethan grinned, his signature lopsided smile in place. “Guilty as charged. I thought I’d make up for yesterday’s coffee calamity.”
Samantha crossed her arms. “By showing up? Or by spilling more coffee?”
“Neither!” he said, holding up a small cup. “I brought muffins. As peace offerings.”
She blinked. “Muffins?”
“Yes, muffins. Chocolate chip. Extra chocolate. Also, I made sure there’s no coffee in them this time. I’m learning.”
Samantha laughed despite herself. “Well, I suppose that’s… considerate. I guess I’ll forgive you.”
Ethan tilted his head dramatically. “Consider yourself officially forgiven and… maybe owed a muffin-fueled apology date?”
Samantha froze. “Wait. Are you asking me on a date… because of muffins?”
“Not just muffins. Also because you’re funny, and I’d like to see if your laugh works outside of awkward coffee collisions,” he said, shrugging as if it were the most logical reason in the world.
Samantha groaned and shook her head, though a smile tugged at her lips. “Fine. But only because I like muffins.”
Ethan’s grin widened. “Perfect. Muffin date it is.”
As he walked away, Samantha realized she was… actually looking forward to it. Maybe Mondays weren’t entirely terrible after all. Maybe, just maybe, they were the beginning of something unexpected, messy, and completely delightful.