5. Chapter 5
Nick
Damn, I’m tired.
I swear this is my thought every morning as my alarm goes off.
It’s gone off at the same time every morning for as long as I can remember, and while it never used to bother me, lately I’ve found myself exhausted. Exhausted by the long hours being a business owner requires. Exhausted by doing the same thing day after day.
Don’t get me wrong, I love our shop. I love that I get to keep my dad’s spirit alive by carrying on his and mom’s dream.
It’s just now I’m getting older and nearing my mid-thirties, I struggle with the feeling that I should have done more with my life.
I honestly hoped to have a family by now. A wife. Maybe a kid or two.
While I may not have any children, or even a single prospect in the wife department—hell, I couldn’t even tell you the last date I went on—I do have a damn nice home to be proud of. And most days, that’s plenty.
Today, like so many other days, I wake up before dawn, start the strongest coffee I can manage, and take a few minutes to plan my day.
As I stand in my kitchen, I realize something is very, very wrong.
The air is suspiciously empty. No rich, nutty perfume of brewing coffee, no gentle hiss or burble from the countertop machine.
Just silence. Cold, heavy, uncaffeinated silence.
I glare at the coffeemaker, willing it to do something…
anything. It just sits there glaring back at me, the carafe cool to the touch.
Traitor. My soul wilts just a little; I need coffee like most people need oxygen.
No shame. My blood type is probably Arabica at this point.
I poke a few buttons and give it a hopeful jiggle. Nada. The machine has flatlined. There’s a brief moment of denial. Maybe if I stare hard enough, it’ll spring to life. Nope. Just the sound of my own stomach grumbling and the faint hum of the fridge to keep me company.
I sigh, grab my hat, keys, and what remains of my dignity, then head out the door to Pour Decisions, the local coffee shop and my only shot at surviving the morning.
I send up a little prayer to the caffeine gods: let the line be short and my face stay civil.
Honestly, nobody deserves to meet me pre-coffee. Consider this your warning, world.
Luckily, the drive into town goes by quickly.
The sun is out, my windows are down, and I’m able to find a parking spot along Main Street, not far from the front of the coffee shop.
As I walk into the small, eclectically decorated space, I’m immediately hit with the overwhelming scent of freshly ground coffee beans and baked goods.
An apple cinnamon scone and a large black coffee are calling my name.
The line isn’t long, just one person ahead of me.
I hop in line behind a petite blonde, overhearing her order with the barista.
“I’d like a small iced caramel macchiato—no, wait, let’s do a medium. Oh, and instead of iced, let’s make it hot. It’s a little chilly out this morning. Wow, those scones smell delightful. Can I get an apple cinnamon one, please? And a chocolate chip cookie…Okay, I think that’s it.”
I can hear the smile in her voice as she orders, and she does a cute little wiggle when she gets her change back from the barista.
“Thanks so much,” she says before moving over to the counter to wait. I want her to turn around. She doesn’t look familiar from behind, and while it looks exceptional from this angle, I want to see her face.
“Hi, Nick. We don’t usually see you this early. No coffee at home?” Brandi, who also happens to own Pour Decisions, smiles up at me from behind the counter as she writes my name on the cup, already knowing my order.
“Coffeemaker died this morning,” I say, trying to keep my gravelly voice as polite as possible. “I’ll take an apple cinnamon scone too, please.”
Brandi winces, glancing over and then back at me. “Oh, that sweet lady just got our last one. A new batch is in the oven, but it’ll be another ten minutes or so.”
I let out a small groan and glance over at the blonde, whose back is still to me, oblivious to my agony.
“That’s alright, Brandi. I’ll do a blueberry muffin instead. Thanks.” It is definitely not alright, but Brandi doesn’t deserve my crummy attitude, so I just nod.
“No problem, Nick. I’ll give you a holler in just a bit.”
I move aside, allowing the man behind me to step up and order.
I try my best not to stare at the blonde woman beside me.
She no longer has her back to me, but all I can see is her profile.
She’s bouncing on the balls of her feet, and I can’t tell if she’s nervous or excited.
Maybe a little bit of both? Maybe she just has to pee?
I can’t keep my eyes off her regardless.
Her blonde hair catches the sun when she moves, and without approval, my brain decides it’s the prettiest shade of gold it’s ever seen.
A small smile crosses my face, again without my approval, and she catches me out of the corner of her eye.
She stills, then finally turns to face me.
“Sorry, I just really love coffee, and I’m kind of excited for that scone. Did you smell them? They smell heavenly.” Her blue eyes sparkle with anticipation.
She’s so adorably enthusiastic that I don’t have the heart to tell her I wanted an apple cinnamon scone too, but she got the last one.
“Yeah, they smell great. They’re my favorite,” I tell her, trying not to sound too petulant. “You’ll have to let me know how you like it.”
Just then, George, the other coffee-shop employee, pops up with the mystery blonde’s order. “Lydia? Here you go, ma’am. You got our last apple cinnamon scone. Enjoy!”
She looks up at me, a cute red flush creeping into her cheeks. “Did I take your scone? I am so sorry. Here, please take it. I also got a chocolate chip cookie. I really don’t need both.” She talks a mile a minute, trying to shove the bag into my hands, her face full of chagrin. Damn, she’s cute.
“No, ma’am, I can’t. But thank you,” I tell her, tipping my hat as I wait for my own order.
“At least take half? I feel just rotten I took the last one.” Her grin is infectious. As silly as I feel, I take the half of the scone she offers me.
Grinning, I say, “You’re pretty sweet. Thank you.” I take a bite and try to hide my groan.
“Isn’t it amazing? I’m going to gain so much weight working just around the corner, but I think these scones will be totally worth it.”
Working just around the corner? Who is this girl?
I’ve never seen her before. I would absolutely remember those baby blues and that dimple in her left cheek.
Her entire face is breathtaking. So much so that I find myself staring, and when she catches my eye, I cough and look elsewhere before it becomes weird.
“Are you new here? I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Nick.”
I reach out my hand to shake hers, and her sweet grin grows even bigger.
She reaches out and gently shakes my hand. “Hi, Nick. I’m Lydia. Yeah, I just got into town.”
She takes another bite of her scone, then a sip of her coffee, only briefly taking her eyes off mine.
I find myself staring at her mouth. At her perfect, plump lips as they wrap around her cup.
Well, that’s new. I can’t remember the last woman I was attracted to, but this girl, Lydia, is stunning, and I’m getting the feeling she has no clue how attractive she is.
“Well, I better get to work. I’d hate to be late on my first day. It was great meeting you, Nick. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
She turns to leave, and I find myself not ready to say goodbye, but unable to voice the words. So instead, I look like a total nerd and wave at her. Just as I finally work up the nerve to ask her where she’s working, Brandi calls out my name for my coffee order.
I grab it, but when I turn back around, Lydia is gone, the bell over the door dinging as she goes.
Well, hell. This is going to be interesting.