Back at the Cafe

Alex went to work the next day. He could not stop thinking about Mia. The way she held his hand at the door. The way she sat close on the couch. It made his chest feel tight every time he remembered.

She came in around the same time as always. Her hair was down today. She smiled when she saw him.

"Hi," she said. She walked right up to the counter.

"Hi," he said back. His voice sounded a little rough.

"The usual?" he asked.

"Yes please. And maybe one of those cookies if there are any left."

He made her drink. He added the extra shot without asking. When he gave it to her their fingers touched again. She smiled bigger this time.

"Thanks," she said. "You always know what I need."

She went to her table but she did not open her laptop right away. She looked over at him a few times while she ate the cookie. Once she caught him looking and she did not look away fast. Her cheeks got a little pink.

It was slow in the cafe. After a while she came back up for a refill she did not need.

"How was the rest of your night?" she asked. She leaned on the counter. Close enough that he could smell her.

"It was okay," he said. He wanted to say more. He wanted to tell her he thought about her the whole time. But he did not.

"I had fun yesterday," she said. She looked at him when she said it. "You are really easy to be around. And smart too."

He felt his face get hot. "Thanks. You are easy to be around too."

She stayed there a minute longer. They talked about nothing big. The weather. A song she heard. But every time she smiled at him his stomach flipped. When she left she touched his hand again. Just a light touch on the back of it.

"See you soon?" she asked. Her voice was soft.

"Yeah," he said. "See you soon."

She walked out. He watched her go. His hand felt warm where she touched it.

The rest of his shift he kept replaying it. The way she looked at him. The way she said she had fun. The way she touched his hand like she wanted to stay longer.

When he got home he lay on his bed. He picked up his phone. He thought about texting her. Something more than just hi. Something that said he liked her. Really liked her.

But he did not send anything.

He thought about her on the couch. How close her leg was to his. How her hoodie slipped a little and he saw the shape of her. It made him hard again. He felt bad about it. She was just being nice. She did not know he was thinking about her like that.

He rolled over and stared at the wall.

God he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to pull her close and see if she would kiss him back. He wanted to know if she felt the same pull he did every time they were near each other. But the doubt was loud in his head. She is just friendly. You are reading too much into it. She is out of your league. If you try something you will mess it up.

He closed his eyes. But he could still see her smile. He could still feel her hand on his.He was in too deep now. And he did not know how to stop it.