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“Kira!” Erica shouts, pushing her to the side. Kira stumbles and looks up at Erica with wide eyes. She’d been pouring coffee into a cup and it was at the brim. “You could’ve burned yourself. You know how hot that shit is. Please be careful.”
Kira nods. “Thanks, Erica. I was…”
“Distracted, I know. Now, are you going to keep drooling over the hot brunette, or are you going to write a pick-up line on that coffee?” Erica asks, smiling. Now that the panic of Kira burning herself (again) is gone, Erica’s relaxing.
“And write what?” Kira asks.
“Something cute. Related to coffee. Or just tell her how hot she is. I believe in you,” Erica says, with a wink. She hands Kira a black permanent marker and smiles. “You’ve got this.”
Kira shrugs. “I don’t know.”
She stares at the coffee cup in her hand and bends down, knocking a fork onto the ground as she does. She winces and gives Erica her best apologetic face. “Sorry.”
Kira knows that if you’re going to write anything on a cup, you’re supposed to do it before there’s hot liquid in it. But now it’s too late. So she’s stuck at this awkward angle.
She writes something quickly and then stands up to bring it to Allison at the end of the counter. She gives her a quick smile before she spins on her heel to walk the other way. She can’t watch Allison read her message.
“Did you write anything?” Erica asks, looking at Kira.
“Yes!” Kira hisses. “Leave it alone, okay?”
Erica nods but then Kira’s shaking her head. “No, no, tell me. What’s she doing?”
“Kira, she put another cup on. She’s not going to see it,” Erica says, with a sigh. “I’m sorry. What did you write?”
Kira’s face grows hot. “It’s super dorky. I’m not saying.”
“Did you call her hot?”
“Yes?”
Erica laughs and claps her hands together. “Then that’s perfect! I’m sorry that she covered it up.”
“It’s fine,” Kira mumbles. “A girl like her wouldn’t be into me anyway.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Erica tells her. She pats Kira’s shoulder. “Don’t give up just yet. I think you’ll surprise yourself.”
“Uh huh, yep, sure. I’m going to go clean the tables.”
Erica lets her go without another word. The thing is that Kira’s been making a fool out of herself ever since Allison started to come into the coffee shop. She can’t count how many things she’s broken, dropped, or knocked over. It’s embarrassing. And it’s embarrassing to think she’d ever have a chance with Allison anyway.
Allison is everything Kira isn’t. She’s graceful. She’s quick on her feet. She’s beautiful and smart and she has a smile that could outshine the sun. Kira doesn’t want to be her. She just wants to be around her all the time. Because Allison could make a girl feel like she’s the only person who matters with those eyes of hers.
Kira starts with an empty table on the opposite side of the coffee shop from Allison. She only lets herself glance at her twice. Honestly, it’s ridiculous how incredible Allison is.
Erica always lectures her on the fact that she can’t compare herself. But it’s so damn not to do just that. Kira feels a tug in her tummy when she gets a bit closer and she looks up at Allison now. Allison gives her a smile.
“How are you today, Kira?” Allison asks.
“Gr–great. You?”
“Pretty good. I’m having a hard time convincing myself to go to Mr. Harris’s lecture today though.“ Allison looks down at her coffee.
“You have Mr. Harris? Ugh, he’s the worst. He always ends up talking about himself!” Kira says, excited to have something to say. Allison smiles again.
“He does. He thinks the whole world revolves around him,” Allison says.
“Plus he smells. That sucks. What would you do instead of going to his lecture?” Kira asks, moving on to clean a table closer to Allison now. She turns a little too quickly though and knocks over a chair. Her face heats up as she bends down to pick it up. “God, I’m always doing that.”
“I was thinking of maybe hanging around here?” Allison says. “Lydia’s travelling this week, and Scott and Stiles are busy with their boyfriends. I don’t really have anyone to hang out with.”
“Erica’s lots of fun,” Kira says, nodding. She ducks her head and wipes down the table. She has to scrub one area to get some sauce (that she’s not sure she even recognizes) off.
“I meant you, silly.” Allison waits for Kira to react.
“Me?” Kira says. “Why would you wanna hang out with me?”
“Well, Erica’s too busy drooling over her hottie there,” Allison teases. Kira glances to see that Boyd has come back. Ah, the famous Boyd. The first guy that Erica ever willingly gave her phone number to on a cup. “And we’re friends, right?”
“Right,” Kira says, nodding. She looks at Allison and then she sits down across from her, cloth and spray bottle in hand. “I like when you come in.”
“Do you think Erica would let you go on break right now?” Allison asks. Kira shrugs. “Good. I have a personal rule to never eat chocolate alone. I’m going to get us a brownie.”
Kira’s lips part and then she closes her mouth. She doesn’t know what to do, so she leans back in her chair. Allison’s been coming in here for a few weeks now. In that time, Kira’s embarrassed herself far too many times, but Allison was still too kind to her.
Erica gives Kira a thumbs-up and a wink. Kira ducks her head and blushes.
“Alright, here we go.” Allison sets the brownie in front of Kira. “Erica said it was on the house, so lucky me that the girl I like works here, huh?”
Kira’s head flies up. “Girl you like?”
“I haven’t exactly been subtle.” Allison leans in and says, “You can’t be surprised.”
“I–I am though.”
Allison sighs. She shakes her head and pushes the brownie towards her. She waves her spoon at Kira. “You and I are going to have to work on that. But for the record, I think you are the cutest clumsy girl I’ve ever met.”
Kira bites her bottom lip, a little unsure of herself, before she says, “Take your second cup off.”
Allison’s eyebrows come together but she lowers her fork and does just that. Her smile is contagious. She spins her cup around to show Kira. “My coffee’s hot, but you’re hotter. That’s so lame, I love it.”
Kira laughs. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Allison says. “Now, are you going to help me eat this brownie or what?”
“I’m going to help you eat this brownie.” Kira bobs her head and takes a bite. She lets a moan escape her lips. “Jesus. This is a good brownie.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to control myself if that’s how you always eat chocolate,” Allison murmurs, leaning forward. Inspired, Kira takes another bite of the brownie.
She rushes, and some of it doesn’t make it into her mouth. It falls to the plate and she puts her hand up to her mouth. Between bites she says, “Okay, so I’m not sexy.”
But Allison’s laugh is worth the embarrassment. And then when Allison puts her hand on Kira’s thigh underneath the table, well…Kira doesn’t mind making a fool out of herself so much.
“I think you underestimate yourself. You’re a nut, but I like you.”
“I like you too,” Kira says, honestly. “Think something’s brewing between us?”
Allison laughs. “Kira, was that a coffee pun?”
“Yeah. I’ve kind of been saving it up for a few weeks now,” Kira says. She covers her face because blush is creeping onto her face.
Allison reaches up to pull her hands away. She intertwines her fingers into Kira’s. Kira thinks that anything’s possible.
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