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Hannah sighed, chewing on her straw. Things could be worse, she supposed. They didn’t fully kiss. And Luke was a nice guy. But what if Michael heard and thought that Hannah was taken? It didn’t matter—she wanted Jessie’s input on the situation more than she was worried about news of it getting around.
“He did. He was super helpful and we kind of hit it off. But then we nearly kissed and it was… I don’t know.”
“What?” Jessie gently smacked Hannah with the back of her hand. “Why didn’t you text me right away?”
“We didn’t actually kiss, so I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.” Hannah lifted one shoulder. “But it was awkward since I decided not to at the last minute.”
“Did you not want to kiss him?”
“That’s the thing. I don’t know. It felt right at the time until I got into my head about it.” Hannah ran her fingers through the end of her ponytail. “I was thinking about how much I like Michael and I wouldn’t want him to think I wasn’t interested if people found out.”
“Ah.” Jessie nodded in understanding.
“So I think I should try to make a move on Michael and ask him to the luau, especially if you think that he’s giving out positive signals.” Hannah bit her bottom lip. “But the problem is, is it enough?”
“He doesn’t have to be in love with you already. He just has to be interested enough to get to know you more,” Jessie said. “I think you should go for it. What do you have to lose?”
“Oh, um, a lot?” Hannah huffed a laugh even though the idea of getting shot down made her sweat profusely.
“Or you could get a date to the luau with a great guy.” Hannah finished off her croissant. “If you don’t take the shot, how do you know if you would have made it or not?”
Jessie was right. Hannah was going to ask Michael to the luau. She’d kick herself if she missed the chance.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Hannah’s outfit options were limited—she had her red t-shirt with The Crab’s logo on it, or her dark blue t-shirt with The Crab’s logo on it. But instead of her usual denim shorts, she chose a denim skirt that she could still move around in, and took extra time in doing her makeup and hair.
She wound her dark hair around her curling iron and released it, tugging it and letting it bounce. It had taken her an extra twenty minutes, but she thought she looked much nicer than usual. That gave her the boost of confidence she needed. She was going to Tidal Wave Coffee to ask Michael to the luau before work, just as Jessie had urged her to do.
Willis had left earlier than her to sign for a delivery, so she hopped in her car and drove off to the coffee shop. She put on her most upbeat, motivational music, trying to keep her spirits up despite her rapidly pounding heart. Any progress she made on that front disappeared the moment she walked into the shop and saw Michael there, talking to one of his baristas behind the counter.
He was dressed in a wetsuit, like he was going to go out surfing after making sure his barista was set up for the day.
Hannah swallowed, resisting the urge to play with her hair as she walked up to them.
“Hi, Hannah,” Michael said with a smile. “How are you?”
“Not bad.” Hannah cleared her throat. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure, of course.” He walked around the counter.
“Can I make you anything while you talk?” the barista asked.
“Sure, an oat milk latte would be great. Thank you.” Hannah paid for her drink, then went over to the table where Michael was waiting for her.
He looked way too handsome for her to focus on her goal. His dark, wavy hair was pulled back out of his face, showing off his high cheekbones and stubbled jaw. For a moment she nearly backed out, but she sat down and took a deep breath.
“What’s going on?” Michael asked, the easy smile that made Hannah’s heart flutter spreading across his face.
The words that she had rehearsed over and over again since she got the courage to ask Michael to the luau disappeared from her head entirely. She cleared her throat again and tried to recover.
“So, I was just… I just wanted to tell you that I like you a lot. And I know that you might not have wanted to ask me out or anything like that since we basically only know each other from around town and from the time you saved me. But I hope we can get to know each other more,” Hannah said. It was more or less what she had rehearsed in her head, and it had come out smoother than she thought it would, given how nervous she was.
Michael didn’t respond, so Hannah kept going.
“So, would you like to go to the luau?” Hannah asked. “With me, I mean.”
Michael took a deep breath, shifting in his seat. “Thank you for telling me. And for asking me. While I think you’re very nice, I’m not interested in being anything more than friends.”
