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“I think some local coffee might be a good trade, if you’re not seeing anyone, of course.”
As if to betray me, my mind immediately went to Griffin. To the way he made me feel during our time together.
But it didn’t mean anything. We had a fake arrangement, and the hookup was only fun. It wasn’t anything more than that, and I needed to remember it. He wasn’t really my boyfriend.
“I’m not … seeing anyone,” I replied, somewhat flustered by the change of conversation.
“Would you be interested in going on a date with me?” he asked, brown eyes glimmering back at me.
While I shouldn’t have been surprised, hearing the words directly from his mouth made a strange nervousness course through me. I hadn’t been on a date for a while, and the thought alone shook me.
Even if Griffin and his lingering touch remained on my mind, the thought of getting to know someone new was intriguing. I didn’t see the harm in branching out, especially since there was nothing between Griffin and me.
“I recently came out of something pretty serious, and I’m not sure I’m ready for something like that,” I confessed, feeling a slight flush in my skin. “Would we be able to keep it casual?”
I expected Noah to be put off by the question, but he shrugged. “No worries, I understand. Coffee can remain just coffee.”
His acceptance made me breathe out with relief, and I smiled at him.
Pleased to hear it, Noah pulled out his phone and tapped the screen before handing it to me with a new contact open. “Do you mind?”
Feeling a dusting of color through my cheeks, I took it from him and typed my number into it before handing it back. “Not at all.”
“Perfect, I’ll be in touch,” he said with a final grin. “Thanks again. I’ll see you around.”
Nodding, I watched as Noah turned and left, tucking his phone back in his pocket. Stunned by how everything unraveled, I couldn’t move from my place yet.
I never intended to find myself going on any dates, but I was curious. A light feeling filled my chest, and I wondered if Cora’s pestering had been for good reason. If it was time for me to open up again.
“He’s pretty cute,” Willow said from the back of the shop.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. I never heard her come in again.
“You scared me!” I said, clutching my chest. Between the startling and how easily I agreed to see Noah again, my heart didn’t know what to do.
“Sorry,” Willow murmured with a smug look on her face. “Consider me intrigued.”
Knowing she had potentially overheard the conversation, I felt mortified. Retreating into my doubt, that flicker of hope I felt blinked out. “It was nothing.”
Carrying two cartons of food, she approached and handed one to me, smiling. “It looks like someone is interested in you, Sara. That’s very exciting.”
Even if she was my friend, part of me wanted to be swallowed up by the floor.
She softened and gave me an encouraging smile. “Come on, don’t be so serious about it. You should put yourself out there and have some fun. Everyone sees how hard you work—you should have the chance to let loose too.”
Sighing, I didn’t want to argue with her. Graciously taking the food from her, I sat across from Willow and started eating.
While the prospect of seeing Noah again made my stomach twist with anticipation, I couldn’t help but wonder what was ahead of me.
Chapter 13 - Griffin
The day went by agonizingly slow, all because Sara sat heavily in my mind. But returning home and finding my place on the front porch didn’t relieve any of that anxiety.
Feeling so restless made sitting still feel like a task, but I was itching to see her again, regardless of how much I dreaded it at the same time.
We hadn’t exchanged any words after sleeping together, and I didn’t know where we stood yet.
But the moment I saw her walking up to her house, the pressure to make the most of it consumed me.
