Intermission - Going for it (Part 2).

Seriously, even though Thomas was serious about asking Maria out on a date, he had no idea how to do it. Truth was, most of the time it was him who was getting asked out, so he didn’t have that much experience. And even then, the experience he did have was practically useless here because asking out an older woman was another thing entirely.

Another group of girls came into the shop, not in uniform and looking a bit older than senior high school girls. Oliver was quick to attend to them with that charming, professional smile of his that made all girls swoon. Thomas snickered.

“Is Oliver even bringing college girls here?” he asked Maria.

Maria smirked. “I feel bad using him like this, but hiring him was the smartest choice I’ve ever made. I’m waiting to see if this amount of customers remains consistent, and if it does, I’ll give the boy a raise. He’s not just a pretty magnet for customers, but he does good work.”

“Don’t feel guilty. He’s always saying he’s happy he dared to take this job. He says it’s helped him get over his fear of people. Or at least get better at hiding it.”

“Yeah, he does thank me every once in a while. I don’t have the heart to tell him I hired him for his looks.” Maria frowned, as if realizing what she’d just admitted. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

Thomas shrugged. “I don’t think he’d be too insulted.”

Oliver had to go close to them to grab some pastries, set them on a tray and take them to a table full of whispering, giggling girls. He did so quickly, and Thomas would bet it was to give him more time alone with Maria.

“Doesn’t that get annoying, though?” he asked jokingly, subtly gesturing with his head to where Oliver was getting hit on by the college girls.

Maria laughed. “Not particularly. Actually… it bothers me a little more when those girls come over.” Like Thomas, she subtly gestured with a nod towards the table where Grace, Alice and Noelle were.

“Them? Why?” Thomas asked, his chest tightening.

Maria smiled wryly, narrowing her eyes. “Makes me a little jealous. The way they look at him makes me wish I had someone like that for myself.”

Thomas snorted. “Really? So I’m not the only one.”

Maria smirked teasingly. “Jealous of your friend?”

“Yes, and I admitted as much. We… sort of had a fight over it a couple of days ago. I was jealous of what he has and… said some things I didn’t mean.”

Maria’s expression softened. “You guys made up?”

Thomas nodded with a smile. “I apologized, he forgave me. It was the way I said it that was out of line.”

Maria giggled. “It’s rare to see guy friends as close as you two.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. Maybe it’s different now, but all the guys I knew acted like they were too tough to be ****, even with their friends. Oliver talks about you a lot, and you come to see him often. I like that. I’m happy for you guys.”

Thomas swallowed a groan. He rubbed the back of his neck with a wry grin. “I mean… Oliver is my best friend, that’s true. I can talk to him about things I can’t talk to anyone else. That said, that’s… not the main reason I come here.”

“Oh?” Maria’s grin was replaced with a look of surprise.

It wouldn’t shock Thomas if she had put two and two just from that, but he wasn’t gonna stop there. His heart raced, pounding hard against his chest. His ears burned, too, and with mouth was getting dry.

“Yeah. I might have developed a crush on the shop owner. I’m basically just like those girls.” He tried to be casual, taking a sip of his orange juice to moisten his mouth and his lips.

Maria pursed her lips and stared at Thomas. He was glad she was keeping her eyes on him, at least, instead of looking away. It was stuff like that that made him appreciate the maturity of older women.

She sighed with a frown. “Didn’t think I’d be attracting customers, too.”

“You should’ve seen it coming.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah. I keep trying to think of a surefire way to ask you out on a date, but nothing comes to mind.”

That in itself was the best way he could think of at the moment. Maybe the fear of being rejected had something to do with it, but being casual felt more appropriate than trying to be a romantic with a woman who had already seen all that before.

Maria smiled with a regretful frown. “I’m 27, Thomas.”

He nodded. “I figured it was around that age.”

“And you still want to ask me out?”

“Would it be off-putting if I said it was at least part of the reason?”

Maria couldn’t help but chuckle. She shook her head with a smile. “You’re serious.”

“I am.”

When Maria turned to look at Oliver as he walked from one table to another, Thomas’ heart almost stopped. However, he then saw Maria smirk.

“Oh, what the hell. Your friends can handle something even more complicated. This is tame by comparison.”

Thomas swallowed. His hands shook and he had to **** himself not to smile yet. “You mean…”

“On one condition. Don’t tell anyone about this. Oh, who am I kidding? You’ll tell Oliver. Then… Don’t brag to people that you got a date with me. You might be 18, but that’s not gonna stop people from spreading the word that I went on a date with a high school boy.”

Thomas nodded. “I wasn’t planning to.”

“Are you free this Saturday night?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll call you later, then. Leave the planning to me.”

“A-Are you sure?”

Maria smiled. “Do YOU want to stress over what to do for our first date?”

“...I’ll leave it to you, then.”

Maria’s smile widened. “We’ll have a good time, I promise. Now, I better start helping out your best friend before all these girls eat him alive.”

Thomas remained there, sitting at the counter, watching as Maria got to work like nothing major had happened. Meanwhile, Thomas was stunned.

She said yes. There had been something in the back of his mind telling him he had a good shot, but he still believed he was aiming out of his league. Yet… she said yes.

Holy crap.

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