AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t know, tea, lattes, hot chocolate on occasion.”
“Anything that doesn’t have a shit ton of caffeine in it?”
“You don’t work as hard as I do and not live on caffeine.”
“I beg to differ.”
“I’m not an athlete,” I remind him. “Healthy isn’t exactly on my priority list. Whatever keeps me going, that’s what I live on.”
“And that’s why I chose you,” he says, very matter-of-fact.
“What is?” I stop at the crosswalk directly across the street from The Coffee Shop.
“You’re a hard worker, like me.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” I give him a sideways glance before quickly crossing the street as soon as the sign lights up with the walk signal.
“Is it an insult to be referred to as someone who works hard?” He steps in front of me in order to reach the door first, holding it open for me.
“No.” I stop just inside the door, wishing I were more like Alina so that I could say what I really want to say, which is the real insult is being compared to him in any way at all. “I guess it’s safe to say you don’t want anything?” I hitch my thumb toward the counter.
“No, I’m good.”
“Perfect.” I spin on my heel and head toward the girl standing behind the register.
It isn’t until I’ve placed my order and am waiting at the opposite end of the counter that I glance back to see where Archer went.
I feel both a sense of relief and disappointment when I spot him at a small table by the windows. A part of me was hoping he had decided I wasn’t worth the trouble and had headed right back out the door, but the other is weirdly glad he didn’t. And then, of course, there’s the irritation I feel that he chose to sit somewhere on full display for anyone walking by. He’s no one if someone isn’t gawking over him, I suppose.
Shaking my head, I retrieve my coffee once it’s ready and then reluctantly join him at the table where he’s set his phone face up so that I can see the messages that light up his screen one after the other as I take a seat.
“Doesn’t that get exhausting?” I point toward the device with my free hand, using the other to hold my coffee, which I don’t let cool before lifting to my lips.
I need it so badly that I’m willing to sacrifice a few taste buds to get the boost of caffeine into my body a little quicker.
“Sometimes.” He shrugs, leaning back slightly in his chair like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
Reluctantly setting my coffee on the table, I reach into my bag, which I set on the floor next to my chair, pulling out my planner.
“What are you doing?” He stares at the notebook in front of me like it’s a snake about to bite his perfect little face off.
“You said you wanted to work out scheduling.” I gesture to my planner. “This is how I schedule. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Not at all.” He shakes his head. “I just don’t think I’ve ever seen someone keep a paper planner before.”
“Let me guess, you use your phone.” I grab a pencil, turning to the current month.
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Clearly not.” I again gesture to the open planner in front of me. “Now, are we going to do this or not?”
“You really are pretty busy.” He eyes the calendar with scribble marks on nearly every available space.
“I thought we established this already.” I quickly move on. “I’m mostly free in the evenings, except for Wednesday. I have class until eight that day.” I tap my pencil on the open book impatiently when he still hasn’t moved from his position.
“I do extra practices most evenings. We practice afternoons five days a week with two morning practices. And then I have class.”
“So you’re free when?”
