“Oh my God,” Andi said, putting a hand to her chest and standing up. “I’m so sorry. Here I am going on and on and coming at you with all my blabbing. You want to be alone. That’s why you didn’t want to get coffee yesterday, right? And here I am, invading your office like some mini-Godzilla, forcing the issue.”
Hollyn’s nose wrinkled, her tics winning the battle. “No, it’s just…”
“I’m assuming stuff I shouldn’t,” Andi filled in with a nod. “I have a bad habit of that. Just because I want to make more friends here doesn’t mean everyone does. I’m sure you wanted a private office because you wanted privacy, and here I roll through trying to be all ‘Kumbaya, let’s all bond as lady bosses.’”
“Andi—”
Andi walked toward the door. “I swear I won’t barge in again. I don’t want to be that person talking nonstop on the plane to the person trying to read a book.” She turned her head and smirked. “Well, I’ve been that person. I don’t want to be her again. I’m evolving!”
Andi put her hand on the doorknob to walk out.
“Wait.” The protest fell past Hollyn’s lips.
Andi turned, gaze curious. “Yeah?”
Hollyn took a deep breath and set down her coffee, emboldened by her small success with Jasper earlier and probably the remnants of her anxiety pill. “Talking to strangers freaks me out, and there’s no way I can do a podcast, but I’m not here to be alone. Maybe if we become…not strangers, I won’t be so…” She swept her hand in front of her, indicating herself. “Like this every time we talk.”
Andi stared at her for a moment, and then a little smile curved her mouth. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Andi’s smile went full grin, and she clasped her hands together at her chest. “Did we just start a lifelong friendship?” She gave an exaggerated nod. “I think we did.”
Hollyn laughed at her boldness. “You name your future children on first dates, don’t you?”
Andi’s smile didn’t abate. She pointed a finger Hollyn’s way. “Just wait. I’ll totally be a bridesmaid at your wedding. This is happening. I can feel it.”
Something taut and tangled unwound a little in Hollyn’s chest. Andi was too disarming to stay nervous around. “That wedding invitation may be a ways off. I’m as smooth with guys as I am with coworkers.”
Andi gave her a sly look. “I don’t know, Ms. Gets-Her-Coffee-Hand-Delivered. You may be smoother than you think.”
Hollyn scoffed. “Not hardly.”
“We’ll see.” Andi waggled her fingers in a little wave. “I’ll let you recover from my full frontal attack for now, but we’ll chat soon.”
Hollyn nodded. “Sounds great.”
Andi walked out of the office, shutting the door behind her and leaving Hollyn with a smile and her hand-delivered coffee. She looked down at Jasper’s drawing again, a warmth having nothing to do with the decaf moving through her.
Maybe it was finally happening. She’d put herself out there like Mary Leigh and Cal had been encouraging her to do, and the world hadn’t crumbled. Andi hadn’t laughed in her face when she’d admitted she was nervous talking to people. And Jasper hadn’t held it against her that she’d been rude yesterday.
This wasn’t middle school. People weren’t here to be cruel or to make fun of her or to hurt her. They weren’t here to exploit her weak spots. She needed to start giving people the benefit of the doubt and stop assuming the worst.
She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and typed.
Hollyn: Thanks again for the curbside service. Mr. Handsome Decaf was delicious. I only felt slightly guilty drinking anthropomorphic coffee.
As soon as she hit Send, she groaned at her use of the word anthropomorphic. Who used that kind of word, especially in a text? She might as well have followed up with #WordNerd.
Jasper: That’s going to be the name of my new coffee shop. Anthropomorphic Coffee. I’ll attach little paper arms to the cups and draw faces on them. Hipsters will love it. Vegans will feel guilty for drinking it.
Hollyn: HA
Jasper: Will I see u in the morning or should I watch for another text?
A little flutter went through Hollyn, and she chewed her lip. Did she want to risk face-to-face when this was going so well? She was so much better in