I saw a smile on her lips and couldn’t help but smile back. “Sure did. You?”
“I did. But I know what would make it the best concert for both of us.”
The girls with her giggled. She turned my way, an eyebrow arched as if expecting some lame line. “Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“A coffee date.”
She stopped, so I did, too. “Coffee?” Her voice skeptical. “Is that code for something? That’s a new one.”
I knew where she was going with that, and I played dumb, trying to hide my smirk. “Besides a caffeine fix, I’m not sure what it would be code for. Care to enlighten me?”
I noticed her friends staring.
She gave me a smile. “If I have to enlighten you here, then I would say there’s another problem that you should probably be concerned about.”
She was a breath of fresh air. I chuckled. “I’m Brandt. Have coffee with me. Just coffee.”
Her eyes sparkled, and we were momentarily lost in each other’s gaze. Finally, someone bumped her and she fell forward. I caught her, loving how her waist felt in my hands. I wasn’t letting go until she said, “Yes.”
She looked up. I wanted nothing more than to push that wayward bit of hair behind her ear, but I left my hands on her hips.
“Just coffee?” she asked, suddenly shy.
“Just coffee…for now. We’ll see where it goes.” There was something strong between us—a hurricane force.
She didn’t immediately shoot me down, which was a good thing. Still, my breath caught in my throat as I waited for her answer.
Finally, she spoke, “I’m Nikola, and I’ll give you my number. If you remember it, text me, and I’ll meet you for coffee. It’s 555-555-5689.” She stretched up on her toes and whispered, “I hope I get a text from you.”
Her breath tickled my ear, and I wanted to turn my face and kiss her. Nikola backed out of my arms, turned, and sashayed away.
Shit. Shit. Shit. I started repeating the number in my head while I fumbled for my phone. Was it 5689 or 5698 or something else? Fuck. I decided to go with 5689.
While she was still visible, I typed a quick text. If I had to, I’d chase her again. I didn’t care what she thought. You’d have to be numb not to feel the energy between us.
Me: How about Kennedy’s Coffee tomorrow at nine?
Nikola laughed with her friends. She reached for the front pocket of her skirt and pulled out her phone. After she read it, she turned and smiled at me as she typed.
Nikola: That was fast. I think you have yourself a date. See you then.
Me: Great. See you then.
We were both smiling. Nikola gave me a little wave, turned, and walked away with her friends. We had something special…I could feel it.
My mind focused again on tomorrow’s coffee date. I hoped for the same result as the last time we met at Kennedy’s. And, maybe, instead of a few years of happiness, it would be a lifetime this time around.
But I knew what was coming tomorrow. Tomorrow Nikola was going to want answers. She was going to get the truth.
I pulled up to my mum’s house, feeling fresh from a shower. Adam and Ainsley were already here, as was my brother, Logan. It had been a while since I’d seen him. When I got inside, everyone made fun of me for being stubborn and not wearing a coat. I just shrugged.
My mum’s laughter filled the room. She never remarried after losing my dad. Recently, I’d asked my mum why she hadn’t dated since my dad had died. It was right after my one hookup, and I felt empty and guilty. Her response had been simple.
She’d said, “I had the ultimate when it came to love, and that’s enough to last the rest of my life. When I’m lonely, I wrap myself in the memories of him. That’s enough for me. Anything else would pale in comparison—I can’t settle for second best.”
It made sense. After that, I refused to settle for second best—even if that meant a lonely life. I used memories of Nikola and me to help soothe all the regret I felt each night.
The aroma of cooking ham and collards filled the room. Taking it all in, I salivated. My mum kept the house she and my dad bought together. It felt like home. Ainsley, wearing a red dress, stood at the bar arranging cookies on a platter. Mum stood at the counter, wearing a green apron, with her shoulder-length brown that she’d recently cut. My brother, Logan, tried to sneak bites from the food on the bar.
As I walked past my brother, I ruffled his hair. He ducked out of my reach.
“Hey, I’m going out later,” he said. “Don’t mess with perfection.”
Logan slugged me in the shoulder as he stood. My mum smiled at our playful banter. Logan and I had always gotten along well.
I greeted everyone. “Where’s your man-friend, Ainsley?”
Ainsley giggled as my mum walked up to me. Nora, our bartender at the club and Ainsley’s best friend, had told me about the ridiculous term Ainsley had given Adam in a moment of panic at the grocery store.
“The manfriend is about to go to the store to get some ice. I bet he’d like the company. Faith is teaching me the art of making the best collards.”
Faith was my mum, and she’d always insisted on my friends calling her by her first name. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. Mum knows her stuff.”
My mum chuckled as she gave me a hug. “You might be a bit biased.” She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I love having my boys here.”
I hugged her back. Logan had made his way to the stove and tried to sneak some ham while mum was distracted.
“Damn straight, I’m biased! You need help, or can I head out with Adam?”
“Logan, get your hands out of the ham,” my mum scolded.
Logan shot away from the counter like it was on fire. We laughed. Mum had eyes in the back of her head. Now, she looked me over. She’d always said I looked like my dad. “You seem happier today. Anything good I should know about?”
“Just a good day, Mum. New year, new beginning.”
She gave me a soft smile. “Good. I’m happy to hear that.”
Logan’s phone rang and he walked out of the kitchen, saying, “I need to take this. I’ll be right back.”
Adam walked in. I cocked my head to the side. “Hey, manfriend? You up for some company?”
He looked at Ainsley as she mashed her lips together, trying to stifle a laugh.
“This is your fault, you know, baby. It’s one of the reasons I need to get you down that aisle sooner rather than later.”
Adam’s tone was full of love. It was amazing how much his outlook had changed so quickly. When you meet the right person, nothing else matters. He’d tried to keep her at a distance with his damn “rules,” but love had won. I hoped that was in my future, too.
Ainsley blew him a kiss. “Deep down, you love your nickname. No matter when you get me down the aisle, you’re stuck with it.” She giggled as he gave her a kiss.
Now that I had another chance at love, my stomach didn’t hurt when I saw them together. She pushed him away. “Go get ice. Take your MFS with you.”
My mum laughed at the exchange and watched Adam with loving eyes. I knew she’d
also thought he’d never find this kind of happiness.
I couldn’t help but ask, “MFS?”
Adam walked toward me quickly, “You don’t want to know. You’re about to get tagged with a nickname. Walk away—fast.”
“Oh, hell. Never mind. Don’t answer, Ainsley.”
We left the kitchen as Ainsley called out, “You’re the manfriend’s sidekick!”
Adam laughed as I muttered, “Fuck.”
We headed to the gas station. Not even out of the neighborhood, I blurted, “I saw Nikola last night. She ran off when she saw me with this random girl. Long story short, I explained everything and Nikola has agreed to have coffee with me tomorrow.”
Adam stopped the car in the middle of the road and looked at me. “Are you shitting me? Or did you grow a pair of balls and go after your woman?”
“I grew a pair, and I’m going to fight for her. It’s going to take time, and she’ll have to learn to trust me again, but she’s at least giving me a shot.” It felt good to get it out in the open. I needed someone to talk to that wouldn’t push me and ask for constant updates, like my sponsor. Adam was always safe—I could trust him with anything.
The car started to move again. “I’m glad, Brandt. Regardless of what happened, you still deserve to be happy. You and Nikola both deserve that.”
“Thanks. I’m finally starting to believe it. Does Ainsley know what happened with the drugs yet?”
I figured she had an inkling, considering I’d helped find an interventionist when her mom had a breakdown, but I didn’t know how much she knew. It was on my mind as we pulled into the gas station. The streets were empty and we were the only customers there.
Adam replied, “I think she has an idea, but we’ve never talked specifics. She won’t push, either. I promised I’d never tell anyone.”