by Amanda Tru
She slid in. “I’m sorry I didn’t come out when you got here. I agreed to do the inventory this morning. Liberty told me she’d talked to you?”
He smiled because he couldn’t help it. She was acting so shy now that he’d agreed to go out with her.
“Liberty suggested I take you out sometime. I think it’s a good idea.”
Addi’s eyes went wide, and her mouth slackened slightly. “Oh, I didn’t realize I would be the topic of conversation.”
“It’s just one date. I didn’t figure you’d mind.”
She fidgeted in her seat. “I guess you didn’t get the email, then? From Betwixt?”
“I did―that’s what helped me decide it was a good idea. Mind if I just pick out someplace fun to go?” He’d take her somewhere he would enjoy going because a date with Addi was more like going out with a friend and he didn’t need to impress her.
“Sure. I’d better get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.” She got up and dashed away to the back, leaving him alone in the front of the store. He didn’t know women all that well, but her response wasn’t quite what he’d hoped it would be. She hadn’t even smiled. Instead, she’d looked worried. He yanked out his phone and checked the movie theater schedule, ordered two tickets for that Friday night, and sent Addi a text, knowing she’d see it in a minute and hopefully it would draw her back out to talk to him.
Drew: Addi. Got tickets for Friday. I’ll pick you up at 5:00.
He watched the door and plastered a smile on his face, praying she would be happy. She’d accepted him so far. There was no reason why she should quit right away. Of course, Lauren hadn’t given him any hints that she was losing interest either.
His phone buzzed.
Addi: Sounds good.
But she didn’t come back out.
“What did you do?” Addi slid to the floor from her spot on the couch and buried her head between her knees.
Liberty laughed and slid a box of dark roast across the floor then marked the clipboard in her hand. “I did what you should’ve done when Kaylie tried to originally set you up. I made lemonade out of lemons.”
“This is my job you’re playing with. Do you get that? If I get fired, I have nowhere to go. I don’t even have enough money for bus fare back to my parents’ house in Michigan.”
“Why are you under the delusion that Kaylie has to know? As Drew said, it isn’t like you’ve never hung out before. You have. This is two friends going out for an evening. Afterward, you can tell him Kaylie wanted to see him again and let him choose. She seems to forget that he has the choice in all this. Maybe if she hadn’t treated him so bad, she wouldn’t have to sneak behind his back to get a second date.”
Addi’s stomach pitched. It was dirty and underhanded, and she didn’t want to do it. Not to any friend, but especially not Drew. “I feel like I have no choice. You’ve been there, Liberty. You were faced with no job. Remember?” Though Liberty had enough income to live comfortably for a while, she had lost her job and faced a terrifying illness.
“It isn’t fair for her to fire you for this. If she tries to do it, I think you should report it to her parents; they are the ones who hired you.”
She’d gotten a letter right after training that the company had been turned over to Kaylie, and basically, Mr. and Mrs. Viro would be silent partners. “I don’t think they want anything to do with The Bean. They sign the checks, but they have nothing else to do with the employees. The only other person in any sort of management capacity is the manager at the Uptown location, and I’ve never even been there. I only met her briefly at the Christmas party.” Addi didn’t feel like getting up, but her shift would end soon, and she’d have to go to school and pretend to pay attention. How would she go through the next two days at work, knowing she would be going out with Drew, and knowing she shouldn’t if she wanted to keep her job?
“So, he really said we were just friends? He actually said those words?” Addi glanced up at Liberty and caught the brief look of pity on her face before she wiped it away with a smile.
“Who cares what you call it? It’s still a date, and it could lead to more.” She knelt in front of Addi.
“Or less. What if he realizes I’m nothing special?”
“What if he realizes you’re the greatest thing since the stars were created?” Liberty rested her hand on Addi’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Believe it or not, there are people in this world who don’t see you like Kaylie does. It might feel like they’re rare, and maybe they are, but that just makes them all the more special. Go with Drew. Be yourself. Have a great time, and if he asks you again, go.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Because that seemed exponentially more likely.
“Then laugh it off and pretend like you’re still friends until it’s true. Good friends don’t just happen, they’re put in our lives for a reason. You are the reason Kaylie asked me to take her spot here. She may not have realized it, but God did. We needed each other.”
Liberty stood back up and held out her hand, then helped Addi off the floor. “Let Friday worry about itself. We’ll take care of the Kaylie situation next week. She can wait that long.”
Later that night, Addi flipped through her closet for something to wear on Friday. She didn’t own a lot of clothes. If it wasn’t really a date, did she have to dress up? It wouldn’t matter if Drew didn’t even notice. She’d avoided going back out to talk to Drew because she didn’t want to put too much importance on it, talk too much, and make him think she was as excited as she was. If she did dress up, would he think she was trying too hard? She flipped through some shirts with big flowers printed on them. She’d gone through a tropical phase years before that was pretty embarrassing now, but she couldn’t get rid of the shirts either.
Her phone buzzed, and she yanked it from the waistband of her leggings and swiped across without looking at who it was.
“Addi,” she answered.
“Hey, were you avoiding me today?” Drew’s voice sounded tentative as if he’d considered his words for hours before saying them.
“No. I just had inventory to do.” And to keep from freaking you out about the date.
“Okay, because I agreed to go out with you and you vanished. If you don’t want to go—”
“I do!” She slapped her forehead at her haste. “I mean, of course I do. Why wouldn’t I? You’re a great guy. A great, she paused, flinching at the word, “friend.” She swallowed hard and prayed he didn’t read too much into her excitement. What if he canceled?
“Good. I was worried. I’m looking forward to it. So, in honor of the disaster that was my last date, is there anything you’re allergic to or averse to that I should know about?” He laughed for a second, then let it fade to a nervous chuckle.
“No. I’m pretty easy to please. I’m sure wherever we go will be fine.” She bit her lip. “So, I was sort of planning my outfit for Friday, do I need to dress up, or casual? You said tickets, but I don’t know what that means, exactly.” Not that she needed to know an exact itinerary or anything.
“Nothing fancy. Just be yourself, and you’ll be perfect.” She loved how his voice sounded over the phone.
“Then I’ll just be normal if that’s what you want.” She flinched again. Could she ever say anything to him that sounded cool or romantic? How would he ever see her as anything but a friend if she couldn’t make herself act flirty like Kaylie?
“Normal has worked so far.” He laughed. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ve got a business meeting tomorrow with a new client. I won’t be coming into the shop. Didn’t want you to miss me or think I was skipping out on you.”
He’d thought about her enough to tell her his schedule? “Thank you, I probably would have. But you’ll be there Friday morning?” Making her nervous the whole time.
“I plan on it. See you then.”
She smiled and backed away from her closet. There was no need to worry about what Drew thought of her. “Can’t wait.”
/> Drew asked the cabbie to wait while he ran up to get Addi. The man didn’t want to, shook his head wildly in protest, but finally agreed and Drew rushed to the front door. This time, no one waited to mumble at him, but it still reeked of old cigarette smoke in the whole lobby. He buzzed her apartment.
“I’ll come right down,” Addi’s voice crackled through the old intercom.
He would’ve rather gone up to her room and walked with her back down, but if she didn’t buzz him in, he had no choice in the matter. Through the glass doors, first he saw heels, then amazing legs, in a knee-length purple dress that clung perfectly all the way up to beautiful shoulders. Addi’s hair was completely down in voluminous curls that his fingers wanted to feel. She smiled nervously at him through the glass as she opened the locked door.
“Wow. You look amazing.” He couldn’t even think of any other greeting.
She blushed and tucked her chin. “I hope I’m not overdressed. This is maybe a little nicer than normal.”
“It’s great. You’re great.” He sounded like a fool. No wonder he couldn’t keep a girlfriend.
He reached out and took her hand. It was warm and soft in his as he pushed open the door and held it for her. He led her to the cab, then again opened the door for her and waited until she ducked inside.
Suddenly, his planned date of dinner and a movie didn’t seem quite nice enough. They could go to a movie any night. She knew where he’d taken Kaylie. Would she think he thought less of her because he didn’t do something just as nice with her?
The cab driver sped off toward the theater and Addi settled into the seat next to Drew. She always smelled like coffee at The Bean, but tonight she smelled like soap and fruity hair products, not strong perfume. He slid a little closer to her, and she sent him a shy smile. Conversation had been so easy over the phone or text, or even when they’d gotten together as friends. Why did the label of “date” make it so much more difficult? He’d tried to relieve some of that tension by insisting it wasn’t a date at all, but that didn’t seem to be working for either of them.
The car stopped in front of the theater, and he helped Addi out. She wobbled slightly on her heels, and he slid his arm around her to keep her from falling, then didn’t want to let go. When he didn’t, she tentatively put her arm around him, and he led her inside the theater. When he’d booked the tickets, he’d chosen an action movie, but he’d mostly chosen for himself. That seemed like a poor choice now.
“Is there anything you’d like to see more than anything else?” He glanced at all the movie posters lining the wall. There was the typical kids’ film, a YA magical film, a boatload of rom/com and chick flicks, and two action movies. They didn’t have anything that might appeal to both of them if Addi was the chick movie type.
“I wanted to see Ransom Note. I heard it’s good.” He couldn’t tell from her eyes if she’d just said that to make him happy or if she really wanted to see it. It was the movie he’d originally chosen.
“Are you sure? I didn’t know what you’d like.” Though they were now about a foot apart and looking at each other, he couldn’t make himself let go of her waist.
“I actually like them, though I don’t get to go often. If you don’t mind, that is. We can go see something more for a date if you want.” She broke eye contact with him and stared at the posters.
“No, I think that’s perfect.”
The conversation just wouldn’t flow as he’d hoped. They waited in the snack line for a few minutes, but conversation still wouldn’t come. He bought some treats to share, then he turned in his tickets, and they went down the hall that led to all the theaters. Addi carried the giant pop, and he carried the popcorn because he didn’t want her to get oil on her dress. He’d also grabbed napkins so that if he put his arm around her later, he wouldn’t leave a handprint on her shoulder. Movie popcorn might be good, but he wanted her to remember their first date for him, not an oily mess on her dress.
Addi settled in about as close to the screen as he usually liked and right in the middle. He sat down next to her and then she slid the pop in the holder between them. They had some time before the movie started, and small groups of people chatted all around them in the semidarkness.
He didn’t want to mention his date with Kaylie, because that would bring Addi down, but even the twenty minutes they’d spent together so far was better than the other date as a whole.
“I know I would miss you at the coffee shop, but have you considered finding a job in your field, so you could intern?” He’d learned a lot when he’d interned with a huge ad agency in nearby Dallas.
Addi settled in and relaxed a little. “I have, but I’m not sure where I would go. A church counseling atmosphere is different from a standard clinic. I also don’t know that I would get paid and I would need to. Right now, I don’t have time between school and work.”
“I can’t imagine the coffee shop pays all that well and you aren’t there full time.” Since she was turned slightly to face him, with her knee against his, he laid his arm across the back of her seat and gently tugged at the ends of her hair. It was even softer than he’d thought it would be. “By the way, I like your hair down.”
She laughed and leaned forward, out of his reach for a moment. “I can’t exactly wear it this way at work, but thank you.”
She’d dodged his first question by answering the second. What he really wanted to know was if she was as nervous about this as he was. Did she have doubts in herself like he had?
“You said before that you don’t drink coffee, so why work in a coffee shop?” She hadn’t settled back in her chair yet, so he moved his arm. He didn’t want her uncomfortable around him.
“I needed a job, pretty badly actually, and I didn’t have all that many skills. Everyone seems to like the coffee I make for them because I follow the recipes to the letter. I don’t go by looks or whatever because I don’t know what each drink really tastes like. So, I have to use the guides. It makes it a good job for me.”
“You do make a pretty amazing cup of coffee, even when you don’t have the guide to go by.”
She smiled and settled back into her chair, leaning her shoulder against the backrest. “I know your coffee by heart at this point.”
He wanted her to know a lot more about him by heart, but what he wanted and what would happen weren’t up to him.
“I’m glad I wandered into The Bean. I might still be searching for that perfect cup of coffee if it wasn’t for you.” Just maybe, her imagination would take that and run with it.
“Or you would’ve just put up with the coffee Kaylie made because you liked her first.”
His heart pinched. He would forever kick himself for making such a mistake. He’d judged based on looks, and now he couldn’t see Kaylie as even close to as attractive as Addi.
“Does it help that I know better now?”
She flinched. That was unexpected. “Kaylie really isn’t so bad.”
No, he wasn’t going to let Kaylie derail another date. “Let’s not talk about her. We’re here to have fun.” He wanted her to look back up at him again, not down at her lap where her fingers were locked tighter than Fort Knox. He reached over and pried them apart, then held them. “Why even bring her up? What’s going on?”
Addi swallowed hard, and he watched her throat constrict, then she batted her lashes and stared at the lights but wouldn’t look at him.
“Hey, you can tell me.” He let go of one of her hands and tilted her face down to look at him. “Please?”
A tear raced down her cheek. “Kaylie wants to see you again. I told Liberty, and she said she’d take care of it, but instead, she set you up with me. I shouldn’t even be here. This should be Kaylie.”
He wanted to gather Addi close, but he couldn’t without spilling popcorn all over and making Addi a spectacle “No, it shouldn’t. I don’t want to go out with her again. Ever.”
She flinched again and pulled away from him. “Just consider it. Remember, we�
��re just here as friends. Let’s have fun and pretend like we didn’t set this up as a date. She’s changed a lot over the last week.” Addi wasn’t usually one to avoid his eyes for an entire conversation, especially not something important.
“Any reason why you’re broaching this now when we’re supposed to be on a date? Or didn’t you want to be here at all?” He knew it. She’d already decided to ditch him.
Addi reached out and took his hand, holding it tightly. “No, not at all. I want to be here. More than you know. But we’re both nervous―can’t we just go back to acting like friends and have a great time? And tomorrow, when you think back on tonight, consider Kaylie’s offer?”
He wanted to forget that she’d ever mentioned Kaylie and have a great time, but he couldn’t. Why would Kaylie want to see him again except to try to get the phone numbers of his friends? “Sure.” He turned away from her and stared at the screen, and she did likewise. As soon as the ads started showing, she made fun of a few, and he explained to her why some were bad and others were good.
Soon the movie was rolling and they spent the whole show commenting on it to one another quietly. Two hours, a tub of popcorn, and about a gallon and a half of pop seemed to go all too quickly. When the lights came up, Addi’s face was rosy with laughter, and her eyes were bright, not misty as they had been before. Maybe she was right. They were destined to be great friends.
“I think after I turn in my review of this date, I’m done with the dating scene for a while,” Drew said. The realization that Addi would rather he go out with Kaylie than ask her again, sealed his fate. He’d thought Lauren was his only, but he’d been wrong. It was Addi.
“Think you’ve found your match?” She glanced at him, then back down at her feet.
“I’m sure of it. It’s just too bad she doesn’t really like me.” He laughed because he couldn’t show her how hurt he was.
“You never know. There’s always your second chance.” She kept walking, and he wanted to slow her down, hold her hand, keep her in that moment for as long as he could. Their date would be over before he knew it and he might never get another chance.