Coffee & Brunch

## 14.3 — Coffee First

The brunch place ends up being only a few streets away from the beach house.

The closer you get, the more crowded the sidewalks become with tourists, families, and other couples wandering through the little coastal town beneath the warm afternoon sun. Small shops line the street beside the ocean while music drifts faintly out from open storefronts and cafés nearby.

The entire town somehow feels exactly like the kind of place Jane would romanticize immediately.

And judging by the expression on her face?

You’re correct.

“Oh my god,” Jane says softly while looking around. “This place is adorable.”

“You say that about every beach town.”

“Because beach towns understand me emotionally,” she replies confidently.

You laugh quietly while she squeezes your hand once before tugging you toward the brunch café.

The place itself is small and bright inside, filled with warm sunlight, hanging plants, and the smell of coffee strong enough to immediately improve Jane’s mood by at least thirty percent.

“Oh yeah,” Jane says while breathing dramatically near the entrance. “This is exactly what I needed.”

“You haven’t even had coffee yet.”

“I can sense it spiritually,” she replies seriously.

A hostess leads both of you toward a small table near the windows overlooking the street outside. She’s probably around your age, wearing a loose cream-colored off-shoulder sweater tucked into a short black tennis skirt with white sneakers and layered gold necklaces resting against her collarbone. The sweater hangs just enough off one shoulder to look intentional, exposing smooth tan skin while the fitted skirt hugs tightly against her hips and thighs every time she walks between tables.

And honestly?

She’s attractive.

The skirt shows off her legs constantly while the soft oversized sweater somehow makes the contrast even worse, especially when she leans slightly to grab menus from another table on the way over. The movement pulls the fabric tighter across her chest for a second while the skirt rides subtly higher against the curve of her ass.

Your eyes drift automatically before you can stop them.

Unfortunately, your brain apparently enjoys making bad decisions today.

Thankfully Jane is too busy looking around the café to notice.

The second both of you slide into the booth across from each other though, your attention immediately shifts right back where it belongs.

Honestly, the outfit should be illegal.

The pale blue tank top hugs Jane’s body perfectly while the sunlight pouring through the café windows catches warmly against her skin. Every little movement pulls the soft fabric slightly against her chest while the denim shorts somehow continue being distracting no matter how many times you’ve already seen them this morning.

And unfortunately for you?

Jane notices immediately.

“You’re staring again,” she teases while opening her menu.

“You wore THAT outfit,” you reply.

A faint blush warms her cheeks while she tries unsuccessfully to hide her smile afterward.

“Good answer,” Jane murmurs proudly.

A waitress walks over a minute later with menus and waters. She smiles a little extra at you while setting your glass down before brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Can I get an iced vanilla latte?” Jane asks immediately.

“You didn’t even look at the menu,” you laugh softly.

“I came prepared,” she replies smugly.

The waitress laughs quietly at that before looking back toward you. “Smart honestly,” she says lightly. “That’s one of our best drinks.”

You glance up politely before ordering your own coffee and food while Jane keeps studying the menu beside you completely oblivious to the slightly flirty tone in the waitress’s voice.

Eventually the waitress smiles once more before heading back toward the kitchen.

For a while, the conversation stays easy.

Comfortable.

The kind of effortless back-and-forth that only happens when being around each other already feels natural.

At one point Jane steals your sunglasses off the table and puts them on dramatically.

“How do I look?” she asks confidently.

“Like you’re about to commit tax fraud.”

Jane gasps. “That was one time.”

“You still don’t know how taxes work.”

“Nobody knows how taxes work,” she argues.

“That’s deeply concerning from someone in nursing school.”

“I save lives,” Jane replies proudly. “Numbers are somebody else’s problem.”

You laugh quietly while she grins across the table at you.

Outside, sunlight reflects brightly off the ocean visible between buildings farther down the street while people continue wandering lazily along the sidewalks. Everything about the afternoon feels warm and unhurried.

Then eventually the drinks arrive.

Jane takes one sip of her coffee before immediately closing her eyes dramatically.

“Oh my god,” she says softly. “That’s incredible.”

“You look emotionally affected.”

“I AM emotionally affected,” she replies.

You shake your head while she keeps drinking her coffee like she just reunited with a lost loved one.

Eventually the food arrives too.

Pancakes for her.

Breakfast burrito for you.

And somehow within two minutes, she’s already stealing bites off your plate again.

“You ordered your own food,” you point out.

“Mhm,” Jane replies casually before taking another bite anyway.

“And yet mine keeps disappearing.”

She smiles smugly. “Sharing is romantic.”

“That feels manipulative.”

“It’s cute manipulation,” she corrects.

Honestly?

Again, she has a point.

At one point while laughing at something you say, Jane accidentally gets whipped cream near the corner of her mouth without noticing.

You smile immediately.

“What?” she asks suspiciously.

“You’ve got—” you start before leaning forward slightly and brushing your thumb gently along the corner of her mouth.

Jane goes noticeably quieter afterward.

Not embarrassed exactly.

Just softer.

Her eyes stay on you for another second while your hand lingers briefly against her face before pulling away again.

And suddenly the entire atmosphere at the table feels warmer somehow.

“You’re being really sweet today,” Jane says quietly.

You smile a little. “You make it easy.”

A faint blush spreads across her cheeks almost instantly while she looks down at her coffee trying unsuccessfully to hide her smile afterward.

Honestly? You could probably stay here with her all afternoon and never get bored.

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You chose to go out for brunch with Jane instead of staying in:

Relationship Status: +1%

The relaxed time together out in town strengthens the emotional comfort and playful chemistry between you and Jane, making the relationship feel even more natural and emotionally connected afterward.

BF Points: +0 BF

While getting briefly distracted checking out the waitress costs you some points emotionally, the affectionate brunch date with Jane balances things back out overall.

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