Coffee Cup Confessions - Trish Williford Page 0,17
she’s bouncing on her toes.
She’s nervous.
I step closer to her and put my thumb on her chin, tugging her lip free from her teeth. “I’m nervous too,” I admit.
Nervous that I’m about to make the biggest mistake of my life by saying good-bye to you.
Her green eyes meet mine with question, but before she can ask, I grab her face and cover her mouth with mine. I figure if this is it, there’s no harm in kissing her good-bye.
Except this kiss isn’t saying good-bye.
It’s igniting something undeniable.
Her hands fist into my coat and pull me closer, walking us backward until I have her pressed against the wall. Our bodies fit together like two adjoining puzzle pieces, and I’m not sure that I’m physically able to break our connection.
She pulls away slightly, and I know that if I’m going to go through with this, I need to do it now. Otherwise, I’ll lose my strength to do so.
Bile rises to my throat as I begin to say it. “I like you—”
“Wait,” she interrupts. “I like you too … but a serious relationship isn’t what I’m looking for right now. I’d like to still hang out, but we both are so busy with our careers that a new relationship probably isn’t the best idea.”
What the actual fuck?
She’s giving me an out, not allowing me to do the dirty work myself. Suddenly, the tables have turned, and I’m feeling self-conscious as hell.
“Was I that bad of a kisser?”
She laughs and shakes her head. “Quite the opposite actually. I’m trying hard not to pull you inside right now and beg you to continue. I don’t want feelings to be confused by lust. I like talking and hanging out with you, and maybe we can see where things go. I’m not opposed to more dates … just no rush and no pressure.”
“No rush and no pressure,” I repeat her words and feel myself nodding. “I’m glad you’re thinking straight.”
“It’s not easy right now.” She laughs. “Promise we’ll still hang out and text?”
Here’s where I say good-bye. Lie to her. Tell her we want different things and that I won’t be calling or texting anymore.
Leaning to close the space between us one last time, I press a long, simple kiss to her soft lips. They taste like strawberries, and the thought of never kissing them again is harder than I imagined.
Taking a deep breath, the words come out on their own. “I promise.”
Those aren’t the words I meant to say, but I needed to say them.
Fuck that money. Fuck Mandy. I haven’t felt this way about anyone since my divorce, and I can’t let it slip by. I meant what I told Misha in the coffeehouse—that I haven’t smiled and felt this kind of happiness in a long time—and I’m not going to lose it.
Misha wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me to her. “I was afraid for a second that you weren’t going to agree,” she admits as her head is tucked into my neck.
I kiss the side of her head. “Like I said earlier, I like you. No rush and no pressure.”
When she finally pulls away, she reaches inside the door and grabs a white box from the nearby table. “Here, I saved you some of the desserts I made, so you can try them.”
“Is there a ten-layer cake in there?” I’m already salivating at the thought.
“There might be a piece. You’ll have to wait and see.”
The box is taped shut, and I’m unable to easily open the lid.
“Oh, I taped it because Drew would have stolen the chocolate-covered pretzels,” she explains.
“Thank you for the desserts. I’ll let you know what I think when I get home.”
Her smile is as bright as the sun reflecting off the ocean on a summer day. “Great. Thanks again for tonight.”
“Anytime. Good night, Misha.”
Mandy’s waiting outside her car in the empty parking lot of Mama Java’s when I pull in. She’s holding an envelope in her hand, and when I get out of the truck, she’s smiling.
“And you are officially relieved of Misha duty, sir. Thank you for your hard work. Here is the second half of your payment.”
The white envelope is handed to me, twenty-five hundred dollars just waiting for me to grab it and put it in my bank account. The money would most definitely help toward Carrisa’s college … but it would mean never seeing Misha again.
The decision isn’t even hard.
I take my wallet from my pocket, pull out the first check Mandy