“You were saying…” He takes a swig of his drink, eyes on me, and never wavers.
It’s rare to find a guy who doesn’t want to tell me all about his achievements and how much money he makes. I mean, Kai’s an attorney. I’m sure he makes plenty and could easily go on and on about his job. My brother-in-law is a nice guy, but even he hops up on his soapbox now and then.
Kai’s aura tugs at me. I rarely share so freely with people. But he doesn’t need to ask twice; his kind eyes and relaxed demeanor invite me to continue.
“Well, where shall I start?” I tap my chin for exaggeration. “College?…After college, I decided to let my spirit be free and travel. I experienced the country’s natural beauty from Joshua Tree to the Green Mountains in Vermont. When I landed in Vermont, my friend, Lia, and I decided to backpack through Europe. So we took off on a trip mostly funded by Lia’s grandparents.”
“A traveler. What was your favorite part of traveling the country?” he asks, leaning in, elbows on his knees, absorbing every word.
Heat rolls up my neck and stains my cheeks under his intense regard. I’ve never had someone so intrigued by my story—by me. In a self-conscious tick, I tuck a few loose strands of hair behind my ear.
He doesn’t need to twist my arm for me to share. I’m comfortable talking to him. I want to share all my deep, dark secrets with him, knowing he will listen without judgment. I have no idea how I know that, but I do. He’s calm and relaxed. I can’t help but feel the same around him, with my shoulders down and leaning back in the chair.
“That’s a hard question.” I hum, thinking about all the memories of that trip. “So many, but growing up on the East Coast, Joshua Tree National Park was breathtaking. Everything about the landscape out there was like nothing I’ve ever seen. The number of pictures we took was insane.”
“Well, from what I know about the park, I can imagine you wanting to capture the beauty of it all.” His gaze sweeps quickly over my face, landing for a couple of seconds on my lips, which entice me to lick them. Those crystal blue eyes go wide enough for me to see, and then he looks away.
Was he talking about the park or me?
My mouth goes dry, and I take a sip of my lemonade before saying, “It was a fun trip.” With that, his eyes are back on me. “But nothing beats our month-long trip to Europe with all the magnificent architecture, cafes you want to sit at all day, and being able to see so many cities and really get immersed in the local culture. It was a trip of a lifetime. I’d love to go back one day.” I sigh. “But when we got back stateside, I couldn’t head into the corporate world. All my life, I’ve had an entrepreneurial spirit—I took it from selling friendship bracelets in middle school, candy bars in high school, study notes in college, to opening up a cafe at the age of twenty-four.”
His eyes open wide, and his mouth opens, but nothing comes out.
“Yup, I know—crazy right?” I chuckle and shift in my seat under his watchful eyes.
“Maybe crazy, but I think it’s more like…bold and impressive. Your entrepreneurial spirit shines through, and I feel lucky you chose to sit with me today.”
The warmth filling my chest isn’t from the sun beating down on me. His words ring true. Making me feel seen again. I’m more curious about him than ever.Who is this guy?
“You’re easy to talk to. I don’t know anything about you except that you work at Dane and Logan’s law firm as a defense attorney. Why did you decide to go to law school?” I sit up straight, cross my legs, and lean on the chair arm. Curious about this polo-shirt-wearing guy, I clear my throat and raise my eyebrows at him. Waiting patiently for him to shareabout himself. Getting a glimpse into who this man sitting in front of me is, he has all of my attention.
He rubs his jaw. “A story for another time. You started telling me yours, please go on.” He gestures with his hand for me to continue.
I hesitate for a second. I’m doing all the talking while he sits intently listening. “The cafe idea came after all the traveling. We always stopped at a local cafe, and they were all different, but most had the same homey vibe, no matter what city or country we were in. Sipping coffee or tea while sitting in a cafe or on their outdoor seating always reminded me of home. Maybe it was the coffee, the people, or the vibe of it all. I wanted to share it with people back here, so Lia and I decided to open up a cafe.”
Kai scratches his jaw. “Sounds like a wonderful vision. I think about all the times I’m at the cafe downtown. It’s comfortable. The deep smell of rich coffee beans does have that effect. You were able to turn your vision into exactly what you wanted. But that doesn’t explain how you went from that to this awesome van you have now.”
“Well, my friend and I were working a lot. Finding reliable and competent help was nearly impossible. After almost two years, we decided to close the cafe. She went her own way, but it was only a couple of months before we were back on the same route. I went mobile with my best ideas and created Pages & Brew, and she decided to move in the pastry direction with her van. We’re still close and crash together at a short-term rental whenever we are at the same festivals.” The nostalgia of those years bounces around in my head. We really had a string of luck to do what we wanted.
With a grin, he points at me and says, “You’re full of great ideas. Where do you take Pages & Brew?”
“All over the East Coast, food truck festivals are the bread and butter of the business. It’s been an adventure.” I sit reminiscing about the last trip to Portland, Maine.
“Do you locally source your products?” he genuinely asks with a smile shining back at me.
“We’re able to source locally for the coffee and food items. New England Coffee Roasters is the best around. It took a lot of trial and error to find the right coffee, but we did when we owned the cafe, so I never changed. When I’m in the area, I’ll stock up if I’m heading out of the region.”
“Do you visit other cafes and coffeehouses?” he asks, resting his elbows on his knees and steepling his fingers, his eyes shimmering with anxious anticipation.
I move to the edge of my seat. “Yes, I love to. It really keeps you motivated and on your toes knowing what others are doing in your industry.”
“Makes sense. So tell me where you were before you landed here in Saxville?”
I open my mouth to answer, but pause.Where was I?Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally—where was I, really?Drifting. Running. Hiding in plain sight. Never staying in one place too long. Always searching for the next place, the next reason to leave…
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Portland,” I say, but it comes out quieter than I mean it to. “Like I said, I did food truck festivals along the coast. It was…good. Busy. I like staying busy.”
Busy enough to avoid getting too close. To anyone. There’s no point in making too many connections. I like my lifestyle—it’s freeing. Sometimes lonely, but then I pack up and find the next new exciting place.
