One of the reasons Nicole had clung to working as much as possible when she was going through chemo, was because of her longing for normalcy, but it was also because the pace at the school was non-stop. Work was the only place she could turn off her brain. Surrounded by a sea of kids learning and playing, plus all the interactions with parents, left no time to think of herself.
She was in awe of the love the parents had for their kids. School was wildly hectic and yet for her, a rare peaceful place where time flew by. As the last bus pulled out of the parking lot, she opened her desk drawer and pulled out her purse. She fished out her keys and said goodbye to Nancy. There was no way shewas going to check her phone in front of her. She walked out into the afternoon sunshine and began walking home. As soon as she was out of the school parking lot, she pulled out her phone. There was a new text from Sean. She stopped suddenly, her hands shaking as she unlocked her phone to read what he had to say.
SEAN: Great! Can’t wait to see you at Common Grounds tomorrow at four. (Smiley face emoji.)
She was so filled with energy she couldn’t help herself from having a little skip in her step as she crossed the empty lot on her corner. She finished her walk thinking of what to say next. She walked up her front steps and plopped into the patio chair on her front porch.
NICOLE: It’s a date! (Heart eyes emoji.)
Her thumb hovered over the send button. Should she send heart eyes? Was it a bit much? She backspaced and added the basic smiley emoji. Hopefully, their tea would go so well that the next time she sent a text she would be able to add heart eyes—or even the blow a kiss emoji.
Chapter Seven
SEAN
He’d spent the day at Jesse’s putting together the schedule for the next week. The Oktoberfest events he was collaborating on with Hop’s Heaven meant that he needed to have staff at the restaurant as well as staff for the food stand over at Jasper’s place. It was going to be tight, especially with his sous chef Charlie being unreliable as of late. He needed to look for someone to replace Charlie. Sean had printed out a help wanted sign and taped it in the window of Jesse’s and printed one to hang up on the community board over at Common Grounds.
He’d showered and shaved for his date. He decided to follow Mable’s fashion tips from the other day. He’d put on a light grey Henley, paired with his favorite faded jeans. With wallet, keys, and phone in hand, he gave himself a once over in the mirror before feeding Hermie and heading out the door. He was running early as usual, so he put on his David Bowie playlist and took the long way into town from his apartment.
The leaves were beginning to change and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, making it a perfect day to drive around Marley Lake and then into town. As he drove around, he saw a few people out fishing at the community pier. The lake was strictly catch and release; you had to be on the lookout for turtles as for whatever reason; the lake was teaming with them.
When he drove along the east side of the lake, he noticed a few kids were playing on the Lake Park playground, as well as couples walking along the bike path. If the weather stayed nice, he could take Nicole on a date here. They could go for a walk around the lake and then have a little picnic. He had a nice bottle of wine he’d been saving for a special occasion. What could be better than sharing it with her?
He turned up the volume and sang along with David Bowie. The sun was shining. It was warm, but not hot, and he was on his way to spend time with a beautiful woman. Life was good. A few minutes later he pulled up in front of Common Grounds and parked his Jeep. It was a quarter to four, so he had time to hang up his help wanted sign and pick a suitable spot to sit with Nicole.
He found a small high-top table for two facing the door that was away from the counter and tucked next to a door to a small private room. This would give them some privacy to talk freely without anyone overhearing them. He checked his phone quickly just in case Nicole had tried to text him. She hadn’t. Now he just needed to wait. Sean had a feeling the next few minutes were going to take an eternity.
Ding. The door chimed, and Sean’s head popped up expectantly. It was only a noisy group of pre-teen girls so he turned his attention to his phone and started scrolling on his social media. Now would be a good time to make a couple of posts for Jesse’s Pub, but his concentration at the moment was wavering. Butterflies had filled his stomach and now they weremaking their way into his arms and legs. He bounced his leg under the table.Ding. A delivery driver came in and picked up an order.Third time's a charm,he thought nervously.
Ding.The door opened and there she was. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked around nervously.
He smiled and waved. “Nicole!”
She walked over to the table. He loved her eyes and the way they crinkled when she smiled. Her hair bounced as she walked and he imagined how soft it would feel when—yes when, and not if, he ran his hand through her hair and pulled her to him, kissing her slowly and gently. He wanted to taste her.
He got up and moved around the table. “Is it alright to give you a hug? I’m a hugger.”
Nicole nodded and entered his warm embrace. She smelled of vanilla and jasmine with just a hint of spice. She gave him a small squeeze and stepped back. He quickly pulled out her chair, and she smiled and sat down.
He moved back around to his chair and sat. “Hi,” he said brightly.
“Hi.” Her eyes gleamed in a way he’d not seen before. She twisted a lock of her auburn hair.
They both looked at each other for a moment, smiling nervous smiles unsure of who should speak first. “What?” they both said at the same time, and then they laughed.
“Ladies first.” Sean nodded toward her.
“What are you thinking about getting?” Nicole asked him, leaning forward.
“I’m going to try their brown sugar iced tea latte.”
“Oh, that sounds good," she said.
“How about you?” He leaned his head toward her.
“I’m going to stick with my tried and true and get their herbal mint tea with a splash of almond milk and honey.”
“Solid plan. You stay here, and I’ll go place our order.” He tapped the table with his wallet and stood up.
