My head started shaking of its own accord. Hoping to any god who would listen that he hadn’t heard me talking about his future babies, I pulled my knees up before scooting across the grass to give him more room against the oak tree. “Not at all.”
He held out one of the coffee cups in offering, and I tried not to hesitate too long before accepting it. The cup was toasty against my palms, warming each finger as I watched Noah set his own cup and messenger bag on the grass. Then I noticed another bag on his shoulder—my backpack. He set it next to the tree as I gaped. Then he peeled off his charcoal blazer and laid it on the even ground.
I could only continue to sit and stare stupidly as he settled cross-legged atop the blazer. Noah’s posture was as rigid as an ironing board, and he looked wholly out of place sitting in the university quad beside me.
His eyes were focused on the handful of students milling around or heading to their next class. I watched him sip his coffee, feeling decidedly like a stalker but still absurdly confused at what had possessed him to bring me coffee.
Warm, thoughtful coffee.
My eyes finally tore themselves from Noah’s immaculately styled hair, and I eyed the cup skeptically. A boy in high school once gave me herbal tea while insisting it was coffee. When I accidentally spat it out at his face in surprised disgust, he claimed both drinks contained caffeine and got the job done. Needless to say, I did my best to avoid said boy through the rest of my years at school. It was a petty grudge, but I’d clung tightly to it, proven even further when I’d chosen the definition of coffee as my senior quote for the yearbook—followed by “not to be confused with herbal tea.”
And my counselor said I lacked drive.
“It’s not going to bite you,” Noah said, and I realized I’d been frowning at the cup in my hand as I recalled that stupid tea boy. I looked up to see Noah’s head tilted curiously. “I thought you liked coffee.”
“I do…” I hedged. I worried my bottom lip before sparing the cup another wary glance. “I’m just picky about what type I… Never mind, it’s not important. This is great. Thank you.”
I offered a shaky smile and gathered a breath for courage before going in for a cautious sip of the warm liquid.
Followed by a gulp.
Then another gulp, and I looked at Mr. Black Coffee in surprise. “There’s sugar in this.”
Noah spared me a cool glance before looking back at the students milling around. “There is.”
It was true. The otherwise plain coffee held a tiny bit of sweetness to it. Not nearly enough, but it was something. I was floored that the thought of adding sugar had even crossed his mind, but that didn’t stop me from diving a hand into the front pocket of my backpack.
I dug around through the mess of school supplies I’d restocked after the pen-tastrophe in Music Theory, but it didn’t take long to fish out three sugar packets. I made quick work of ripping them open and pouring each one into the steaming cup.
Ah, much better.
Noah shook his head in exasperation, and his eyes lingered on the sugar packets.
I could only offer a sheepish smile. “I always carry extras. Just in case, you know?”
“I’m starting to understand,” Noah said with an amused tilt to his lips. “I was afraid of going overboard, but it looks like that was never a risk.”
I snorted a laugh and took another gulp of the magical substance. “Was that another joke? Careful. I’m beginning to think you aren’t as prickly as you seem.”
He drank his coffee, hiding what I hoped was a smile as he returned to people watching.
I tossed the empty sugar packets into my backpack before pulling out a few crumpled dollar bills. They were wrinkled in the worst way, and I used my palm to hastily iron them out as smoothly as I could against the grass.
“Here. For the coffee,” I said. I leaned over and lightly placed the bills beside Noah’s knee.
He barely spared the money a glance before shaking his head and moving the bills to rest next to my thigh. “Consider us even on this one. You looked like you could use it today.”
… Be still, my beating heart.
He knew I needed coffee.
Was it possible to swoon while already sitting down?
I tried to suppress my stare of amazement, but the truth was staring me in the face as I felt my cheeks warm.
I definitely had a crush on Noah Kincaid.
“Mondays are rough,” I whispered.
