Chaps & Cappuccinos

by A. J. Macey

  “There’s my gorgeous girlfriend.” Reid’s smile was warm, his cheeks flushed from his efforts.

  “Mmm…” was all I could manage, making him chuckle.

  “We should probably get our pants readjusted, and while I enjoy just lounging here with you half-dressed, I don’t know if we’d ever leave.” A burn worked its way over my cheeks, the blush not from embarrassment but from the idea of staying here with Reid and no clothes.

  As if on cue, a knock sounded, Kingston’s voice filtering through the door. “Hurry up, you two. I’ll be downstairs.” My heart leapt into my throat, the blush growing until I felt it creep down my neck and up to the tips of my ears.

  What if he heard us? I nearly panicked, but as soon as I had the thought, there wasn’t as much worry as I anticipated. There was more of a hint of excitement, much like there had been when he brought up thinking about me masturbating in the tub. Huh… wonder how that would go if he listened on purpose…

  “All right, Cali girl, you heard the man,” Reid said in a mock-stern voice, off my wandering trail of thoughts.

  “Yeah, probably should get ready then. I’m sure Jesse would be peeved if we just left him at the library,” I joked, pretending I wasn’t just letting my mind live in the gutter. Shifting as I talked, I grabbed hold of my jeans and started to get dressed. As I adjusted everything, I noted how slick my panties were, and I felt my blush intensify, creeping over the rest of my body at that point.

  Holy crap, nothing like having to go to the library with wet panties.

  Hopefully, they’ll dry quickly. Otherwise, it’s going to be very difficult to keep my thoughts out of the gutter and away from naughty things.

  Yeah… that’s a no on the drying quickly.

  Fifteen minutes later, we were pulling into the library parking lot, and I shifted for what seemed like the fifth time in as many minutes. Oh well, not like I can do anything about it now, I thought with a sigh.

  It was also totally worth it.

  “We’re a bit early for picking him up, so I think I’m going to go check out some of the books recommended for the gen ed classes,” King said as we headed inside.

  “I think I’ll join you. There were a couple of science books I wanted to flip through to get a better handle on what direction I wanted to possibly go. You coming with, Cali girl?”

  “Nah, Jesse and I are almost finished with our most recent book, so I think I’m going to go pick a couple out for him to choose from. I have my phone on me, set to vibrate, if you need anything or want to know where I’m at,” I told them, giving a little wave and heading toward the fiction and fantasy section of the library.

  There were so many choices lining the shelves, each one catching my eye. I wanted to look at them all, but I forced myself to slow down so I didn’t end up taking an entire row of books off and making a mess trying to choose. Running my finger over the spines, I scanned the titles and author names. When one sounded good, I shifted it out slightly and glanced at the cover. If it still seemed good, I pulled it off and read the blurb. Yeah, I judge books by their covers, just like everyone else.

  After searching through what seemed like fifty books, I had two in hand. One book by Sarah J. Maas that I knew a lot of people had been talking about over the last few years. The other was something a bit different than our usual, a Dean Koontz story that sounded scary yet appealing to both our tastes. With them cradled in my arms, I started to weave through the shelves toward the children’s section. Only before I got there, I was almost run over by a man with a book return cart, my choices falling from my arm when I reached out to catch myself on the closest aisle.

  “Ope, sorry about that,” he stated, grabbing a couple of the books that had fallen off and to the floor. Kneeling, I started helping to pick up.

  “It’s all right,” I reassured, snatching up the remaining books and grabbing hold of the ones I’d picked out. After checking to make sure there weren’t any more that had been dislodged, I continued, “Kind of hard to see around these shelves.”

  “Well, I guess that makes us even then,” the man said when he straightened and we finally got a good look at one another.

  The man I’d run into at Coffee Grounds a few months ago.

  He looked the same as last time I saw him, but that wasn’t too surprising since it hadn't been that long ago. There were slight changes I couldn’t seem to put my finger on. Maybe a haircut or weight loss? It didn’t really matter though; he was still a stranger to me beyond these run-ins. At least he was good-natured about it.

  But holy crap, talk about karma.

  “That it does,” I joked, skirting around him and the cart in an attempt to continue on my original path instead of standing here in the middle of a walkway chatting. I knew Jesse would be getting off soon, and I wanted to see him surrounded by all the little kid wall decorations and furniture. The thought of my quiet, stoic boyfriend amidst an array of colors almost made me chuckle. “I’ll just let you get back to work. I need to find my friend anyway.”

  “You take care now,” the man instructed with a dip of his head. As soon as I had moved around him, I continued down the main aisle, taking care to not run into anyone else before I finally reached the children’s area.

  Aww, I almost cooed out loud when I found him. Instead of him frowning and looking out of place, he was sitting on the floor with three little kids. Jesse was making grand arm gestures, telling some extravagant story. Leaning against one of the shelves, I listened, my cheeks hurting with how much I was smiling.

  “Mr. Jesse! We have a new guest, and she didn’t hear the beginning of your story!” the little girl exclaimed, pointing to me. Jesse glanced over, his expression morphing from the angry monster he’d been telling them about to soft and filled with love.

  “That’s all right, Marie. She’s heard this story before. Haven’t you, Love?” I nodded, playing along.

  “Love? Does that mean you two kiss?” the older of the two boys asked, his face scrunching up before he made a drawn out ‘ew.’

  “That’s so cute,” the girl squealed, smacking the boy on the arm. “Don’t be a meanie, Jake.”

  “What? It’s gross. I’ll never kiss a girl,” he huffed, crossing his arms.

  “Can you finish the story, Mr. Jesse?” she asked excitedly.

  “Of course I can,” he obliged. Listening to the rest of his story about a monster and the hero that saved the town was fun. The kiddos were engrossed, the youngest still not having spoken as he listened with wide eyes and a slack jaw. At least until the story was finally over and the faintest of ‘wows’ escaped him. After a few more questions about if he’d be back next weekend, Jesse and I were alone.

  “You’re so cute with kids, Jesse,” I told him softly, leaning over and pressing a kiss against his cheek. “Also, I found a few books for us.”

  “Dean Koontz and… The history of Germany from the mid-1800s to today?” he asked, looking at me like I’d lost my mind.

  “Ugh, no. I had a run-in with one of the workers and our books got mixed together. It was a Sarah J Maas book; we can pick it up on the way to the front,” I explained as we got up and left the kid zone.

  “Sounds perfect.” Jesse leaned over until his breath washed over my neck and his lips tickled my ear. “Only if I get to kiss the hell out of you in the stacks again.”

  Death by teasing.

  I’m sure of it.

  “I could be persuaded,” I said with a giggle, grabbing hold of his hand and leaning into his chest. We barely made it out of the kid’s zone before he pulled me into a random and empty aisle. Curling his arms around me, he trapped me between the hard wood shelves and his muscled body.

  His kiss was intense, making my toes curl and my body ignite. I knew I should have cared that we were in a public place, but we were in a section of the library I knew was pretty often empty, so I let go and enjoyed being wrapped up in Jesse’s arms. There were no wandering hands or leisurely movements, his tongue swirling
around mine in a hurried wave of passion. The moment seemed to stretch on, yet was over way too soon, Jesse pulling back after one final brush of his tongue.

  “There, that persuasive enough?” he murmured, his words husky and deep. Giggling, I nodded, enjoying the smile that spread across his face. “Good. Now let’s go get the books you wanted checked out and put the history book back.” We had just turned the corner, nearly colliding into a librarian in the process.

  “Excuse me, dears, but have you seen a book cart recently? It was near the desk earlier, and I can’t remember where one of the other workers or I placed it,” she asked, looking at Jesse. “Wasn’t sure if either of you had seen one of the other volunteers with it.”

  “Nope, I haven’t,” Jesse told her.

  “Uh, I think I saw one over by the fantasy section, but that was about fifteen, twenty minutes ago. Not sure if that was what you meant or not,” I offered, wondering if the man from earlier was just a do-gooder or if he had been a volunteer, but before I could ask the librarian or tell her about him, she gave us a grateful smile and started toward that section of the building. “Well, good thing we finished making out when we did; otherwise, that would have been embarrassing.”

  “Eh, I guess, though I would much rather keep kissing you,” he confided softly, “and do more, so you better be ready next chance I get, Em.”

  Oh, I definitely would be because doing more with my quiet, gentle boyfriend?

  Sign me up!

  14

  March 19th

  I missed out on Cinnabon today, but I still considered it a win.

  #DinnerAndMovieDate #TheClassicsReallyCanBeTheBest #ThankfulThursday

  “Hello?” I greeted, balancing the phone between my shoulder and cheek so I could finish brushing my hair.

  “Hey, Babydoll.” Kingston’s smooth, melodic voice filled my ear. “I was just calling to see if you had any plans today.”

  “Nope, I thought about going to the mall for a bit but hadn’t decided yet. Why, what’s up?”

  Spring break was officially half over and, true to my word, I had spent most of it either working or relaxing, but with Jesse volunteering eight hours a day over at the thrift shop and the three of us taking turns with him, we hadn’t had much time together with all three of us.

  “Reid’s with Jesse today, so I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a date with me? I know it’s short notice, but you’re busy going dress shopping with Mom and Lyla this weekend, so I thought we could hit up that movie that came out last week and get some food.”

  “I’d love to!” I immediately threw away the idea of going to the mall. The mall would still be there another day, and I’d rather spend time with Kingston than walk through stores alone anyway. “Any idea when? I’m almost done getting ready for the day, just had to work out a knot from hell in my hair, but I think I’ve got it.”

  Really, Emma? Talking about your hair tangles?

  Social awkwardness: one. Emma: zero.

  “I’m not doing anything now if you’re up for it. We can get lunch and stuff. I do need to drop off Reid’s phone though; he forgot it this morning. Want to join?”

  “I’d love to. See you in a bit?” I asked, my smile obnoxiously wide as I started to dig around in my makeup bag.

  “Be there in twenty, Babydoll.”

  As soon as we were off the phone it took everything in me not to squeal in excitement, loving that Kingston was growing more confident in our relationship. I finished getting ready as quickly as I could. Knowing there was no time to style it fully, I threw my hair up into a ponytail and got dressed. I glanced in the mirror one more time to make sure everything looked good, my eyes trailing over my outfit: a dark pair of jeans, my favorite maroon blouse, ankle booties, and a lightweight jacket. After tossing on a scarf, a light coat of lipstick, and mascara, I was ready by the time he pulled up. Thankfully, my mom was spending the day in the office for the first time in what seemed like months, so I didn’t have to listen to a lecture or see her judgmental gaze.

  “Hey,” I greeted, slipping into the passenger seat.

  “Morning, Babydoll. You look beautiful today,” Kingston murmured, leaning over for a kiss. A slight burn of a flush bloomed on my cheeks, making me glad I’d continued to forgo blush in my makeup routine. King’s kiss was strong and warm, a layer of minty Chapstick coating his lips.

  “Thank you, you look pretty good yourself,” I whispered against his mouth, a smile growing when he chuckled. Kingston wore his usual attire of khaki pants, boots, and a button-up shirt that was rolled at the sleeves, his jacket sprawled out in the backseat. The green of his shirt made the honey brown in his eyes pop, a nice contrast to his golden tanned skin.

  “Thanks. We ready to go?”

  “Yup, I have everything I need.” With that, King pulled out of the driveway and started toward the thrift store.

  It was a quiet ride, Kingston and I holding hands and listening to the radio as we drove through town. It was that perfect time between morning rush hour and lunch time, so traffic was light and we reached the store in no time.

  “Want to come in? I’m sure Reid and Jesse would love to see you,” King asked as he parked.

  “Sure, might check out the racks quickly too. I love a good thrifted item.”

  The shop was fairly empty, a few people scattered throughout the different sections, but for the most part it was just employees and Reid and Jesse. Since they were talking with one of the guys who worked there, Kingston and I veered off to the side and started flipping through the racks.

  “Oh my god.” I burst out laughing when I looked up and found Kingston wearing a gaudy and quite hideous faux fur coat.

  At least, I hope it’s fake.

  “What? Don’t think I can pull off the Siberian resident? Living life in the middle of a tundra?” he joked, my laidback boyfriend striking a subtle pose with a lifted chin and regal frown. It was reminiscent of Reid, but seeing King goofing off was different, and something I was definitely enjoying.

  “I was thinking more like a pimp since all you need is a cane and a big bling ring.” Pulling a jacket off the rack, I slipped it on with a smirk. “There, now we match in ridiculousness.”

  “Nah, shoulder pads and sequins are coming back into fashion, haven’t you heard?” King couldn’t even get through his entire question before dissolving into a fit of laughter. His eyes watered as he leaned against the shiny metal rack to help keep him upright. “I can’t, with you in shoulder pads bigger than a quarterback’s, you look like an alien.”

  “Just you wait then.” Darting down the aisle, I scooped up a hat and a pair of sunglasses I had noticed when we first got here. “Hello, human,” I rattled off, doing my best to sound like a robotic extraterrestrial, standing back up from where I had kneeled. Only instead of it being just King, Reid and Jesse stood with him, all three looking at me with laughter in their expressions.

  “Hi, boys,” I greeted warmly, not embarrassed that I was making a fool of myself.

  “That’s... certainly a look, Cali girl,” Reid mustered, smashing his lips together. “Though I think I prefer the hats and girly look, not sure if a dystopian post-alien invasion vibe is quite your style.”

  “Yeah but think of all the people I could shoulder out of my way in the halls with these things.” I shifted my shoulders back and forth to demonstrate my point, earning another bout of chuckles. “How’s everything going today?”

  “Good, though kind of slow since it’s a Thursday. We’ve got lots of unpacking and organizing stock in the back versus picking up used clothes,” Jesse explained, looking at King and me with narrowed eyes. “You two are going to put those back where you found them, yes?”

  “Of course, dude, I mean… unless you want me to just lay Yogi bear here in the middle of the aisle for you to pick up,” Kingston challenged, quickly shifting out of the way when Reid tried to swat him with a lanyard he had in his hand.

  “There,” I exclaimed a few mome
nts later, sliding all the items back into place. “All picked up. You get your phone?” I asked Reid, continuing to scan the racks.

  “Yup! Oh, King,” Reid started, the three of them chatting as I walked down the aisle. At the very end, buried among a bunch of tanks and tees, was a sweatshirt. The same cornhusker hoodie Reid always wore, the one he was wearing that very moment, so I plucked it from the mess and held it up. It was about the same size as Reid’s, so I folded it over my arm and headed back to the guys, figuring one purchase wouldn’t be so bad. I knew I had a good chunk of my paychecks saved for emergencies, but after the issues with the bills and groceries, I didn’t want to risk it.

  “Find something, Em?” Jesse questioned when I reached them.

  “Yup, figured it’d be nice to have my own so I don’t have to steal Reid’s all the time.”

  “Woah, woah, woah,” Reid cut in, looking at the sweatshirt in my arms. “Nope.”

  “What—” I tried to ask but when Reid yanked the object from my grasp and passed it to Jesse. Before I could say anything, he pulled on the back of his hoodie. As soon as it was off, he flipped it around and adjusted it over my head, pulling it down so my arms were trapped under the warm material.

  “There, now it’s yours,” he told me proudly.

  “Reid, you can’t just give me your hoodie,” I countered, but at the sharp shake of his head, I knew I wasn’t going to win this argument.

  “I like seeing you in it, so I’d rather wear a different hoodie and see you in it than you buy one,” he admitted. “Please, Cali girl?”

  At his plea, any remaining protests faded, and I nodded, flashing him a thankful smile. One of the workers called for Reid and Jesse, bringing in a dolly stacked with boxes, so we said goodbye and left. After Kingston put the fur coat back on the rack.