Chapter 34
THIRTY-FOUR
The only thing I had to look forward to for most of the day was when Josh would text me from time to time. But my phone is still trash, so I could only send back an emoji in response.
Work in the lab is interesting, which makes the time go by faster, and soon, Clay and Josh come in to get us to go eat.
When Josh’s gaze finds mine, my heart skips a beat. He comes over and pulls me into a hug, sniffing my hair.
“You’re not big on texting, it seems,” he comments, his face still buried in my hair.
“I—” I start, but Clay interrupts with an annoyed huff.
“I’m starving, guys. Can we schedule the smooching for later?”
Josh rolls his eyes at me, and I can’t help but smirk as he gives me a quick kiss on the nose before taking my hand and leading me out to where the others are waiting.
“Today is Pizza Friday.” Josh wiggles his eyebrows at me as we enter the cafeteria.
I laugh. “Of course, that is something you like.”
“You will see why. Can I grab a slice for you too?” he asks. “Even Clay gets one from time to time since it’s so good.”
We walk up to the counter, and Clay and Sophia are already getting their pizzas. “We’ll meet you at the table,” Sophia tells us.
I note the price on the display, and it’s only five dollars. Fuck it. I made good tips yesterday, and they all got one, so why not.
I grab a slice of Margherita and join Josh at the cashier to pay, then we head over to our usual table.
“… no, I will not make that mistake again. He kissed like a dead fish,” Sophia complains.
“Who are we talking about,” I ask.
“There is a cop who is into Sophia, but she went out with him once and never gave that poor man a chance again. He looks at her like a lost puppy.” Clay snickers.
“It was just awful. He is nice and all, but the kiss he gave me…” she makes a sour face, and her body shakes, “… not a fucking chance. Agree with me, Carolina. Guys who can’t kiss are not dateable. Kissing is important.”
“I wouldn’t know,” I reply quietly, shrugging.
“What?” Sophia asks.
“I’ve never kissed someone before,” I say, focusing on my pizza.
“Wait, you’ve never been kissed?” Clay asks, his eyes widening in surprise.
Sophia chimes in, “Don’t be mean, Cooper!”
“I’m not being mean. I just can’t believe it. How come you haven’t kissed anyone? You’re twenty-two!” Clay says in shock.
Dammit! Why did I have to open my mouth?
Trying to appear unaffected, I casually reply, “It just hasn’t happened.” The entire conversation bothers me, so I try to change the topic, asking, “Are you guys looking forward to Sunday?”
Clay refuses to let it go, probing further, “Are you one of those girls who is waiting until marriage?”
Caught off guard while taking a sip of water, I almost spit it out. Chuckling, I say, “Nope, not planning on getting married.”
He furrows his brow. “We’ll come back to that, but what is it then, kitten?”
Sophia jumps in to defend me, saying, “Maybe she simply wants it to be with the right person, in the perfect moment. Maybe she’s a romantic. Stop bothering her!”
I smile at her, thankful for her attempt at defending me.
“That’s a sweet thought, but honestly, I’ve reached a point where I don’t care about the circumstances.
I just want it to be someone who genuinely wants to kiss me,” I admit, looking at Josh before quickly looking back down at my hands in my lap.
I’m surprised at myself for opening up like this. It’s not like me, but they already feel like friends. It’s as if I finally understand what friendship is supposed to feel like, even though I’ve never experienced it before.
Josh gently tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, causing me to turn and meet his gaze. Sitting next to me, he looks at me with such tenderness and warmth as he cups my cheek. My heart races in response.
Then, he softly says, “I would love to kiss you. May I?”
His eyes shift from my eyes to my lips, and in a whisper, I surprise myself by saying, “Yes.”
At that moment, time seems to stand still as Josh leans closer.
With a gentle touch, his lips meet mine.
The kiss is soft, sending a rush of emotions through my entire being.
The world outside melts away, leaving only the warmth of his touch and the sweet taste of his kiss. My heart pounds in my chest.
Eventually, he pulls away, resting his forehead against mine, smiling.
The world comes rushing back as Del Moro shouts from behind us, “See? I told you guys, Lee likes fat, poor, emo girls.”
I quickly pull away from Josh and put on my indifferent mask, although it’s harder with my heart in chaos from that first kiss. Josh is fuming, and it’s obvious he’s about to stand and defend me, but I tug at his sleeve, signaling him to stay seated. He looks at me, searching my face for guidance.
I mouth, Don’t.
I gather my courage and rise to my feet, crossing my arms over my chest, my face void of emotion.
Facing Del Moro, I say, “Careful, your constant fixation with my body could lead others to think you want the fat, poor, emo girl yourself, and we can’t have that now, can we?”
“Go back to the ghetto you crawled out of, Costa.” He sneers at me.
Unfazed, I retort, “Oh, don’t worry, I will. And I’ll make sure to say hi to your mom when I get there.”
I know ‘your mom’ jokes are cheap, but it’s funny because his mother lives in the same building as me, and I often see her. It hits a nerve for him because he despises the idea that his own mother is no better off than he thinks I am.
“Fuck off,” he spits out before storming off with his partner.
Clay begins to slow-clap from the table, saying, “Iconic, kitten… as always.”
I glance over at Josh, and his expression is filled with unease. My heart sinks. He must regret kissing me and the attention it has brought upon him. He’s such a sweet and shy person, and I’ve inadvertently made him a target.
I bite my lip.
“Carolina…” He starts, getting to his feet.
I quickly check my phone and say, “Sorry. I have to go. See you Sunday.”
I grab my backpack from the floor, trying my best to hide the rush of emotions, and make my way out of the building, fighting the urge to run.
In a state of shock, I watch her fine ass walk away, feeling a mixture of regret and disappointment.
Suddenly, a sharp slap connects with the back of my head when I sit back down.
“You’re such a stupid fucking idiot, you know that?” Sophia hisses at me.
“I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make a move, and honestly, if he hadn’t done it, I would have,” Clay says, and I furrow my brow at him. “Xander would have understood.” He shrugs. “Being someone’s first kiss is special.”
Sophia raises her voice and shouts at us, “It is fucking special! She waited twenty-two years for her first kiss, and you, you idiot, did it in the cafeteria, in front of everyone, and now this kiss will forever be tainted by that asshole.”
I wince. I had thought it was a spontaneous and romantic moment, but she’s right. I acted like a complete fool.
“Don’t be so harsh. It looked like she enjoyed it,” Clay notes, trying to defend me.
Sophia lets out a frustrated sigh. “Sure, she seemed to enjoy it. But afterward, she practically ran out of here because you looked at her as if you already regretted it,” she accuses.
My head spins to look at her. “I don’t regret it,” I almost shout. “It was the best damn kiss I’ve ever had.”
She shakes her head disapprovingly. “Well, that’s not what your face said.”
I stand, pushing my chair back. “Which bar does she work at? Do you know?” I ask. “I need to talk to her.”
Clay and Sophia both stand as well. “She only said it’s in Harlem.” Sophia scratches the back of her head.
“Just text or call her,” Clay says.
“I swear I am going to punch both of you. You don’t just text after something like this,” Sophia points out.
Clay places a hand on my shoulder. “Looks like we’ll be going on a bar-hopping adventure tonight to check some liquor licenses.” He winks at me.