Avianna's Point of View
"This is yours, right?" he asked.
I looked at what he was holding, and he was right, it was my wallet.
"Oh my gosh, thank you! I didn't even notice that I dropped it," I said gratefully, taking the wallet from his hand.
"Next time, be careful," he replied.
"Yes, thank you so much," I repeated, still relieved.
He gave me a small nod and was about to start running again when he suddenly spoke once more.
"Can I invite you for coffee?" he asked, making me stop in my tracks.
"Huh? Uhh… sure, okay," I answered, a little surprised.
He did return my wallet, after all. He seemed nice enough.
"At the coffee shop where you work, so you'll feel safe," he added.
I smiled and nodded.
We jogged side by side toward the café.
"Do you have work there today?" he asked.
"Not today. On weekends, I have a different job," I explained.
Then I suddenly stopped, realizing something.
"Wait a minute," I said, frowning at myself. "I'm about to go with you without even knowing your name."
He chuckled lightly.
"I'm Calix. Calix Hales," he introduced, extending his hand.
"I'm Avianna Blair, but Avi for short," I replied, shaking his hand.
"Avi? How about I call you Yanna instead?" he asked.
"No one's ever called me that before… but it actually sounds nice," I admitted.
"Then Yanna it is," he said with a smile.
---
When we arrived at the coffee shop, Mia was on duty. The moment she saw me, she immediately flashed me a teasing smile. Since there weren't too many customers yet, we were able to order right away.
"One hot Americano. How about you?" Calix turned to me.
"Hot latte," I answered.
"One hot Americano and one hot latte, to go," he told Mia, who looked at me with that mischievous grin plastered on her face.
"To go? I thought we were having coffee here?" I asked, raising a brow.
He paid first before turning back to me.
We walked over to the waiting area and sat down to wait for our drinks.
"You seem awkward and uncomfortable with the way your co-worker looks at us," he remarked.
He wasn't wrong. Mia's stares could burn a hole right through me. I'd probably just end up feeling embarrassed the whole time.
I nodded, then pulled out my wallet, fishing for money.
"How much was everything? Let me pay. A thank you for returning my wallet," I told him.
"Nah, it's fine," he said casually.
"I insist."
"You can treat me next time," he replied with ease.
Next time? Wow. Did he… have a crush on me? I chuckled inwardly at the thought. He sounded so certain there would be a next time.
When we finally got our coffees, he invited me to the park. We sat on a bench under a big tree, sipping quietly at first before our conversation flowed naturally.
"You're new here, aren't you?" I asked.
"Yes. I just arrived last week," he replied.
"I knew it. No wonder I've only seen you recently," I said.
"And you? Have you been here long?" he asked in return.
"Mhm. Since I was eighteen," I answered.
Our conversation stretched on and on, covering all sorts of basic things about our lives. He mentioned he worked at his dad's company, though he didn't share where exactly.
By the time we decided to head home, I finally noticed the time, itwas already eight in the morning.
"This is me," I said as we stopped in front of my apartment complex.
He simply nodded and smiled.
"Thank you for the coffee. And nice meeting you, Calix," I told him, smiling back.
"Nice meeting you too, Yanna."
---
It was already noon when I woke up. I must've dozed off right after coming home earlier. I got up to prepare something to eat.
After cooking some eggs and bacon, I sat down with my plate and checked my messages on my phone while taking a bite of my food.
I saw a message from Caius.
Caius: Do you have plans today? Your shift's later tonight, right?
Me: I'm planning to go to Jules'. We've been planning since last week to learn how to bake cupcakes with Sophie. You know… girls' bonding time.
Caius: Alright, take care.
I didn't get the chance to reply because Jules' name suddenly popped up on my caller ID. I immediately answered.
"Hey, girl? Where are you already?" Jules asked.
"Wait, I'm still eating," I replied.
"Sophie's on her way here. Hurry up, okay? And don't you dare bail on me!" he yelled so loudly that I had to pull my phone away from my ear.
"You're too loud! I'm coming, sir!" I teased.
"Hey, what do you mean sir?!" he snapped back.
I didn't answer anymore and just hung up, laughing.
---
I finally arrived at Jules' house, and the moment I stepped inside, I was welcomed by noise and chaos. The two of them were huddled in the kitchen, eyes glued to a YouTube video of a cupcake recipe. They had already started without me since I was late because of traffic.
"I give up!" Jules groaned, dramatically throwing his hands in the air.
"What do you mean you give up? I literally sacrificed my date with Jared for this, so don't you dare back out now," Sophie snapped back, clearly annoyed but also amused.
"Are you two about to fight over cupcakes?" I cut in, laughing as I leaned over the counter to peek at the video. "Let me see that."
"Good, you're finally here. We need your help," Sophie said, relief flashing on her face as if I had just arrived to save them from total disaster.
Once I understood the steps in the video, I immediately got to work separating the egg whites from the yolks. I asked Sophie to start preparing the icing while Jules busied herself with arranging the cupcake liners in the tray.
Nearly an hour passed before we managed to finish the batter and the icing. Now, all that was left was to wait for the cupcakes to bake. While waiting, the three of us gathered around the dining table, chatting and catching up on each other's lives.
"I have a new date tomorrow," Jules announced proudly.
"Oh, please. I hope this one's not just another one-time thing or worse a one-night stand," Sophie replied with a roll of her eyes.
"Don't jinx it," Jules shot back, making us all laugh.
"What about you, Sophie? How are things with Jared?" I asked curiously.
"We're fine. We actually have another date tonight," she said with a little smile. "I don't know what's wrong with us, we're addicted to dates."
"And what about you, Avianna?" Jules suddenly turned her attention to me, her eyes narrowing.
"Me? What about me?" I asked, feigning innocence.
"I have a feeling you're hiding something. A secret boyfriend, maybe?" he teased.
"What? No! Of course not." I tried to laugh it off, but the truth pressed at the back of my mind. Should I tell them about Calix? We weren't dating or anything, but it felt strange having this new presence in my life. I wasn't used to knowing another guy outside our circle, outside of Jared and Caius.
"What's with that 'but…'? Spill it!" Sophie leaned forward, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
"Spill the tea!" Jules chimed in, both of them staring at me like eager interrogators waiting for my confession.
"Fine, fine. I met someone," I admitted at last. "I was with him this morning."
Their expressions instantly shifted into matching smirks.
"The other night, after we had that early dinner, I went to the gym," I began. "I saw him there, though it was nothing much. Just a quick interaction. I honestly thought it ended there. But the next morning, he showed up at the café where I work. He stayed the whole time, working on his laptop, like he was making the café his office."
"That's… a lot of coincidence," Sophie said slowly. "Are you sure he's not a stalker?"
I shook my head quickly. "I don't think so. This morning we bumped into each other again while I was jogging. I didn't even notice I dropped my wallet until he handed it back to me. After that, he asked me out for coffee. We talked. He said he's new around here, which explains why I've only just started seeing him. That's all. Nothing special." I shrugged and checked on the oven, pretending not to notice their knowing smiles.
"Is he good-looking?" Jules asked out of nowhere.
"Huh? Oh… well, yeah, I guess he is," I admitted reluctantly, suddenly feeling shy.
"There it is. Meanwhile, my poor contender doesn't stand a chance now," Sophie sighed dramatically.
"What contender?" I asked, confused.
"Caius," Sophie replied, grinning. "He's my bet for you. You two would look perfect together."
"What? No way! We're just friends. We don't see each other like that," I insisted, shaking my head.
"Maybe that's what you think," Jules countered slyly.
"Duh, I'd notice if that were the case," I said with a laugh.
"She's so dense," Jules muttered, and both she and Sophie burst out laughing.
I only rolled my eyes and smiled faintly. There was no way they were right. Caius and I had been friends for so long that I was certain we both felt the same, that our relationship would never go beyond friendship. That was the boundary we never crossed.
Well, except for Sophie and Jared, of course.