I'll Follow You Into the Dark Ch. 3

This incident in the rain-soaked Honda was far from the beginning. The beginning was the magic. So entirely beautiful.

“Let’s get coffee tomorrow. Right now, I gotta take my girl home.”

“Text me”

Here we are in the place where we first met. In the very same table from which my heart beat 40 miles a minute two years ago. It hasn’t changed. His presence still made my stomach do back-flips. I remember when it wasn’t so complicated.

We both stare into our coffee mugs hoping that an answer lies there. Some orb of all-knowing truth. The comforting hands of our mothers. There is just clumped sugar and cloudy milk. All of a sudden Cesc looks up at me and cocks his head. His lips curve upward in that playful smile of his.

“I remember when…”

“Susette? Yeah, hi, it’s me. Chloe. And I was wondering if you could pick up my dry-cleaning on the way back to the house. Pleeaassee girl! Just this one time and never again, I swear! I left 40 bucks on the kitchen table. Love you, kisses!”

I snapped my phone shut and grinned. Shit, she’s going to KILL me if I make her late for another date with Lover Boy. I walked up to the front of the counter. That barista is all sorts of sexy. Flirt girl! At worst you’ll get a free latte.

“Hey!”

“Good morning”

Guh. Look at those baby blues.

“Same to you. Can I get a skim chai tea, large.”

“Sure. Your name?”

“Chloe. What’s yours?

He looks up at me with a playful smile.

“Max”

He winks.

“Max. I like it. Strong, simple, manly. Any sort of digits that come with that name?”

He blushed fervently. A rosy red creeping up his neck.
Hook, line and sinker.

He wrote his number down on my take-away cup. I flashed my celebrity smile once again.

“Thanks, Max. Hope the rest of my day is just as…OH FUCK!

I turned smack-dab into a chest. Searing hot milky tea burned through my new Topshop blouse.

“Shit, shit fuck!

“Oh my God. Miss, I am so sorry.”

“Great. Now I have to go back home and change. I’m going to be so fucking late for work.”

I looked down at the mess we had made on the floor. We both scrambled to pick up my work papers which had now turned a honey-brown. My credit cards and cup were also strewn everywhere. I’m gonna strangle this kid. Eventually I scraped everything together. Never taking my eyes off of the floor to make sure I didn’t leave something important. And so that Max couldn’t see my obvious mortification.

“Sorry miss. I will pay for the…how do you call it?....Ehm…”

“Dry-cleaning.”

“Ah, yes.

“Fine. Give me your address I’ll be sending you a check.”

Oh. My. God. Chocolately eyes. Strong jaw. Lazy stubble sprawling across his jaw. Stunning. I am at a loss for words. The last time I fell this hard was when I was 9 years old. I was in love with my neighbor, Brandon, after he bandaged my boo-boo when I was too afraid to tell my Mom I’d been roughing around with boys. He placed the softest kiss on my knee… Oh this guy’s lips look just as soft. Pale pink as he bit the corner and looked up sheepishly from under those Maybeline lashes.

Brandon who?

“At least let me buy you a new latte. Please.”

I glanced at my watch. Sure, I could spend a few extra minutes for a free latte. And for him.

“Ok. I guess I’ll just have to live with my new yellow shirt.”

He laughed. Soft, honest, genuine.
Hook, line and sinker.

I’m the victim this time.

It’s the same laugh he was performing now. After all of the shit we had gone through, we could use that magic telepathy that only is a byproduct of many mornings sleeping wrapped in each other and talking about everything and nothing deep into the night, and laugh. He is my best friend.

Was.

Is.

“I still have that yellow shirt, you know,” I giggled.

“Seriously?”

“A souvenir. From the best day of my life.”

He cleared his throat.

“Yeah…” He said into the frosty window.