Chapter 6
Lucy
Two months. It’s been two months since I met Aria and we collectively kicked Jacob to the curb.
I feel like I might need help because a part of me is still at the restaurant.
Still reveling in Jacob’s face when I sat down beside him.
Still bubbling over with joy in splitting the victory Scotch with Aria.
Still in that kiss.
Aria and I have texted almost constantly, but it has all been surface-level.
She has come in at least once a week for coffee and spends time chatting with me and whoever is working the counter with me.
I greedily hoard the memories of every time her eyes meet mine and her whole face lights up.
Goddess, her gray eyes sparking to life like I’m her favorite person…
It makes nights like tonight so much harder.
Because the other habit Aria has developed is bringing her first dates to Karma.
Every Friday night, like clockwork, Aria arrives at 7pm sharp with a new guy on her arm. He always does his best to charm her and not once has any of them succeeded in securing a second date. It started about a month A.J. – After Jacob – and the last four Fridays have been a study in slow torture.
Somewhere around the second Friday, I was able to figure out why it was so difficult to watch these dates and identify the emotion.
Jealousy.
I am so glad she feels safe enough around me and in my shop to use it for meeting new people, but damn it all, am I the only one who can’t get that kiss out of my head? Whose memories of that moment have caused many sleepless nights and flooded sheets?
Or, the insidious thought creeps up on me before I can quash it, did that kiss have the opposite effect?
It hasn’t escaped my notice that she has only brought men through for her dates. Did that kiss…well, did she decide she wasn’t bi after all? Did I turn her off women as a whole?
I shove that thought to the back of my mind and busy myself wiping down the tables that had recently been vacated by a few customers.
The coffee area tends to be slower this time of the evening, though there are a few stragglers that haven’t moved over to the couches in the bookshop zone.
I spot the stressed college student panicking over a pile of papers and his laptop and make a mental note to throw in a free muffin with his next espresso to make sure he doesn’t pass out.
Again, I cringe inwardly, remembering the same student passing out during winter exam season. We had to call an ambulance. It was a whole thing.
The chime of the door has my head snapping up and taking in Aria.
This evening, she is wearing a deep plum wrap dress that makes every one of her curves look delectable with a pair of strappy black heels.
Her long cherry red hair falls in waves past her shoulders and her smile – goddess, her smile – is the biggest I have ever seen it.
That last detail tastes bittersweet. I love that she’s happy. I do.
I just wish I was the reason for that smile…
Forcing a smile onto my own face, I look to Aria’s companion, expecting to see another of what I’ve identified as her usual type: a tall, well-dressed man, generally clean-shaven, and always the perfect gentleman.
I thought I knew exactly what I would find, which is why I am left slack-jawed at what – or rather, who – I find next to her.
She is beautiful.
She is the antithesis to Aria’s vibe with her ripped black jeans and metal band t-shirt and kickass combat boots.
Her half-shaved dark purple hair is cut in a edgy pixie style, with lavender streaks scattered throughout.
Her makeup is light, but flawless, showcasing her eyebrow and lip piercings perfectly.
All in all, she’s gorgeous. And nothing like me.
It’s that last thought that does me in. I feel my eyes prick with tears and I turn and book it to the back room to try and compose myself.
Cierra can handle taking their drink orders tonight.
No big deal. I will settle myself then come back and continue doing my job.
No reason to feel like my heart is splitting in two and my stomach is twisting into a mess of knots that could never be undone.
She is my friend. I am okay with this. She is my friend. I am okay with this…