about! I call it the sinking feeling. When you know something’s not right.”
“But, Grant,” I protest. “There’s a problem with that. How do you know the feeling of meeting ‘the one’ if you only get to have it once?”
Grant nods, then swallows his wine and pours us both the rest of the bottle. “That’s true. It’s something of a riddle. But let’s back up for a second—so you’re saying you believe in true love?”
“I used to. I guess my parents’ divorce has thrown me for a loop. But I’d rather believe in it, than not believe in it. They had a special relationship for a long time and had six great kids. What about your parents?”
“My dad is a judge, mom is an elementary school art teacher. They complement each other so well it’s crazy. He brings the order, she brings the heart. So yeah, maybe it’s corny—and I don’t think there’s just one person out there for each of us that makes us happy—but I believe in the whole soul mates thing. I believe we meet someone who is meant for us.”
“She does the art and she brings out his heart!” I giggle, then hesitate realizing my joke is a bit corny. “Have you met anyone like that yet?”
Grant inhales a deep, long breath. He clenches his jaw and his shoulder muscle twitches. He turns to me with his deep grays. “I’m not sure.”
My heart races. “Why not?” I nervously swallow down another gulp of wine.
“Because I haven’t kissed you yet.”
My jaw drops. “I didn’t even know that was an option.”
He shakes his head. “Come on, Maya. Don’t play dumb.”
“Okay, fine. I knew it.” My mouth feels dry.
He spins back to me, takes my wine glass out of my hand, and sets it down.
“Let’s find out, then.”
He guides me to the sliding door that leads back inside to his apartment and presses me lightly into the glass.
I feel the heavy intensity of his eyes on me, and I’m hyperaware of how our bodies are touching. His flat stomach presses into my torso, my finger hooks into a belt loop of his jeans, and I lick my lips.
His hands thread through mine and he raises them over my head.
I close my eyes and feel his lips on mine, and the entire world slows down.
Tilting my head to the side, he presses his lips over mine, swirling his tongue in my mouth as he cups my jaw.
My heart slams against my chest and I’m euphoric.
He kisses me like I’ve never been kissed, moaning into my mouth. I feel it in my entire body.
When he pulls his mouth from mine, we’re both breathless.
“Wow,” I say.
“Wow is right.”
A pit forms in my stomach, permeating through my entire body. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt.
“What kind of wow?” I ask, unsure if I should tell him that my entire world feels like it just shattered.
“You’re a good kisser,” he says. “Really good. But was it…you know? Did you get that feeling?”
“I don’t even know this feeling. I don’t know what just happened.” To be honest, I feel everything, but this, right now? This is not what I imagined. “Like if this was magic or not? I just don’t know.”
He lets go of my hands and pulls away. “Well, if you’re not sure, the answer is no.”
“Is it?”
“Have you ever heard the expression, ‘if it’s not hell yes, it’s no?’”
“No, what does it mean?”
“It means that unless your answer to a question is an undeniable, ‘hell yes, Grant, that kiss blew me away’, the answer is no. And that wasn’t a ‘hell yes’. So Maya, our fate is clear, isn’t it? Let’s just be friends.”
Um, beg your pardon?
He pauses for a moment, studying me, maybe waiting for me to say something else about the kiss.
Honestly, I can’t even comprehend what just happened to my body, let alone think straight.
“But, Grant,” I protest. Why does my body feel like Jell-O all of a sudden? The run, the wine, am I in a food coma? The words aren’t coming out the way I want them to.
“Look, I’m not offended, Maya,” he continues. “We both know we’re amazing people. We’re great friends.”
“Best friends, even,” I croak out.
“Yes, you’re right. Best friends…and we deserve to date someone who is hell yes for us. For you, that’s not me. Not when your response is ‘I don’t know’. So now we know we’re just meant to be friends, we don’t have to go wondering whether or not we could be together,