17. Violet
Violet
“Coffee before talkie.”
Monday afternoons at the café are constantly busy. The weekend rush flows into Monday, the morning regulars have come and gone, with the afternoon folk showing up needing their coffee order to get them through the day along with some sugar. The whisper of the espresso machines fill the space.
Today is just giving me too much time to think. And unfortunately, my brain has decided there is only one person worth thinking about.
Everett Callahan.
I wipe the counter for the third time in ten minutes, staring out the front window toward Main Street. The late afternoon sun stretches long shadows across the sidewalk, and a few people wander by carrying shopping bags or walking their dogs.
Two days.
It has been two days since the fundraiser. Two days since the busiest, most exciting thing Lavender Creek has seen in years. And the entire town is still talking about it. Every single person who has come into the café this morning has mentioned it.
“Best event we’ve had in ages.”
“My kids haven’t stopped talking about the petting zoo.”
“That cotton candy stand was genius.”
And my personal favorite: “When does the theater open?”
Every time someone asks that question, I feel a little spark of pride on Everett’s behalf.
It’s still a couple of months away, Everett is hoping to have it open by the end of May, but now, after the fundraiser, it suddenly feels real.
Like the theater isn’t just Everett’s dream anymore. It also belongs to the town.
I wipe the counter again, then sigh, because no matter how many times I replay that day in my head, my brain keeps landing on the same frustrating detail.
He never kissed me.
Not when we were tucked away in the corner, when we were inside the theater, or when the last of the town had gone home. There had been moments, several of them, where the world seemed to pause and the air between us felt thick. Moments where I was absolutely certain he was about to lean in.
And then, nothing.
I rest elbows on the counter and groan softly. Maybe I’m imagining it. Maybe Everett is just naturally charming and friendly, and I am the idiot reading way too much into it. Maybe the flirting wasn’t flirting at all. Maybe we are just flirty friends.
These thoughts make my stomach twist. I grab my phone before I can talk myself out of it.
Me:
Hey, are you free tonight?
Everett:
Depends on who’s asking ;)
I smile despite myself.
Me:
The café closes at six. Want to come by after?
A pause, watching the three dots on the screen as he types.
Everett:
Sounds great, I’ll be there!
My heart does an annoying flip.
By the time six o’clock rolls around, the café has emptied out. Brie has left after finishing the day’s baking. Maddie has locked the register, and the last of the chairs are flipped onto the tables.
I wipe down the final counter just as the bell above the door chimes.
“Hey there, partner,” he says, walking inside. He automatically locks the door without me having to ask.
“Oh, hey there,” I say back.
Outside, the sky has faded into a deep evening blue.
Everett steps further in, glancing around the peaceful space after everyone is gone.
“Feels different in here when it’s empty. It’s so quiet,” he says.
“I like it,” I say, walking around the counter. “Coffee?” I ask as I raise the coffee pot of freshly brewed decaf.
“Always,” he says, grinning at me.
He leans against the counter while I pour him his coffee. I can feel his eyes following my every movement. Which is, distracting.
“So,” I say, sliding the mug toward him, walking around I pull out a bar stool and sit, “the fundraiser was so good wasn’t it!”
Everett pulls out a stool and sits beside me, facing me. Our knees touch, shooting electric sparks throughout my whole body. “It was something, huh? Much more than I ever expected.”
“I’ve been hearing about it for the last couple of days. Every customer has had something positive to say,” I tell him. “People are also asking when the theater is opening. I’ve been saying a couple of months just to give you some wiggle room.”
“Can I ask you something slightly embarrassing?”
Everett quirks an eyebrow. “You can always ask me anything.”
I take a breath.
“Are we… flirting?”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Is that embarrassing?”
“A little,” I respond.
“Why?” he asks.
“Because I’m starting to feel like maybe I imagined it,” I say.
His expression shifts.
“Imagined flirting?” he asks.
“The moments…” I gesture vaguely between us. “The almost kissing ones.”
My stomach drops.
“Okay,” I mutter, covering my face with my hands. “I regret asking, it sounds so dumb.”
“Violet…”
“It’s fine,” I blurt out. “I just needed to know if this was all in my head or if you are embarrassed to be seen kissing me in public because after Ryan, I’m trying really hard not to read things wrong again and…”
“Hey.” His voice is gentle but firm.
He lowers my hands.
Everett is watching me like he is choosing his words very carefully.
“I didn’t kiss you,” he says slowly, “because the first time I kiss you deserves to be better than a crowded street with half the town watching.”
My brain goes completely blank.
“What?” I ask.
“I didn’t want our first kiss to happen between a cotton candy machine and a goat,” he replies.
A laugh slips out before I can stop it.
“Fair,” I say.
He pulls his stool closer to mine. “I wanted it to happen somewhere quiet, where all I am thinking about is you, not the theater or the fundraiser, I want my attention to just be on you, on us.”
My pulse speeds up.
“And after we talked about what we are to each other.”
I swallow.
“What are we?” I ask.
Everett looks at me like I had just asked the most important question in the world.
“Violet,” he says softly, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
My breath catches.
“And I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the day you handed me that first cup of coffee.”
The café suddenly feels very small.
“I tried to play it cool,” he continues. “But every time I see you, I like you more.”
My heart feels like it is beating in my throat.
“I didn’t want to kiss you until I knew we were on the same page,” he says quietly.
“We are on the same page,” I whisper.
His hand slides along my jaw. His other hand on my thigh, and once his lips touch mine, it’s slow, careful, like he has been waiting for exactly this moment.
My fingers curl into the front of his jacket as I lean closer.
When we pull back, his forehead rests lightly against mine.
I can’t stop smiling.
“Okay,” I breathe.
Everett laughs quietly.
“Okay?” he asks.
“That was worth the wait,” I say. “Also, you know how noisy our town is, would you be okay with keeping this a secret from everyone until we figure out what this is between us? I don’t want you to think I am hiding you.”
“I agree, you are definitely worth the wait, Violet. And no need to explain, I will wait as long as you want, this is new, it’s better to explore things without having everyone watching,” Everett says back as he kisses my forehead.
He’s looking at me like he wants to kiss me again. I’m not going to say no, it’s not everyday a man as gorgeous as him even looks my way, let alone wants to kiss me.
I swallow, suddenly forgetting how to breathe. The room felt small and hot, every inch of my skin feels like a shock of electricity from his touch. His hand brushes my waist lightly, barely there, but sending goosebumps all over my body.
I’m not sure when it happened but he’s standing above me, this man who is way out of my league is standing over me looking like he wants to devour me and I’m basically begging him too, waiting for him to lean in again.
My breath hitched as his thumb brushed softly against my cheek. He was close enough that I could feel his breathing against my skin.
“Violet,” he whispers.
Before I had a chance to respond, his mouth was on mine, slow and passionate. A moan leaves my mouth and before I could be embarrassed, Everett reacted like it destroyed whatever control he had left. His hand tightened at my waist as he kissed me deeper, like he wanted to remember me.
When we finally pull apart, catching our breath, his eyes stay on me, with a hunger in his expression, like he already missed my mouth against his.
“Will you go on a date with me?” he blurts out, looking deep into my eyes.
I blink. “A date?”
“Yes, a date,” he says. “A real one, dinner, no fundraiser planning, no work talk, no town watching.”
My smile spreads slowly.
“I’d love that,” I say.
He grins. “Good, me too.”
“How’s Saturday night?” he asks.
“Saturday is good for me. What are we doing?” I ask.
Everett shrugs. “You’ll have to trust me.”
I pretend to think about it.
“Well, I guess I’ll just have to trust you.”
He leans down and kisses me again. Right there in the middle of my coffee shop.