Chapter Three - Coffee and Cookies

Seven days ago Bella had placed her name and number into my hand before walking out of my door. She’d asked me to give her at least a week.

I hadn’t been convinced that I could wait that long, so I’d thrown the scrap of paper in my open and empty safe and slammed the door shut sealing it in and avoiding temptation. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had the ability or the strength to give her a week. If I had any chance at winning her over I had to do as she asked.

So today, one painfully long week later I’d called a few clients, changed my schedule a little and arranged to leave work early. I’d made it back to my apartment by 3 p.m. I now sat on the edge of my bed. My eyes squeezed shut in frustration, eyebrows knotted together and my hands buried in my hair. Any more force and I’d be pulling handfuls out.

What the fuck was the code to my damn safe?

Over the last hour I’d tried every set of numbers I thought it could possibly be. I was about to give up and drink myself straight through Friday and into the weekend when it clicked.

08*02*08

That was the date I’d helpfully suggested to Rose that she would be better off leaving our apartment forever. With my expected level of distrust with her, I’d changed the combination that day.

Clicking through the combination and turning the knob as fast as I could, I pulled open the door grabbing the only thing occupying the cold space -- a small crumpled piece of paper. Smoothing the paper out across my thigh, I saw Bella’s untidy handwriting spelling out her full name and a phone number.

I flipped the paper over in my fingers deciding on my next step. I’d had a week to think about it, but I was as clueless in this moment as I had been the minute she’d stepped out of my front door.

As the paper turned in my hand, I noticed a familiar logo on the other side.

Little Brown Bookstore.

I knew that place, a cute little antiquated store across town. I’d spent many hours browsing the shelves for hidden gems. Thinking about it now, I realized I hadn’t been there in a while.

Looking closer I saw a work schedule of some kind under the image. It wasn’t just any work schedule – it was Bella’s work schedule. And according to this, she’s working right now.
This changed my options dramatically.

If I call her she can ignore my calls. If I see her face to face she has to at least listen to me. Doesn’t she?

With my mind made up I grabbed a clean t-shirt and a pair of jeans from the closet and changed out of my work clothes. Checking my appearance in the bathroom mirror, I ran wet hands through my hair to restore a small amount of control back into it.

Grabbing my wallet and keys, I raced out of the apartment down to the parking garage below.
Slipping behind the wheel of my car, I threw the keys in the ignition and closed my eyes, willing the engine to start. I found a silent prayer often helped.

I didn’t use my old station wagon during the work week anymore, and I always forgot to start her and let her run for a little while, like I should. She was temperamental and I should treat her better. I’d bought her used with my savings when I was 16, and I couldn’t even think of parting with her… but owning a car while living in the city just frustrated me.

I preferred now to walk, to catch the train… I liked to people watch. People fascinated me, and people watching and driving don’t go hand in hand.

But today, I wanted to get to my destination as quickly as I could. Thankfully the engine roared to life on my first attempt. See, how could I part with her faithfulness?

I made my way out of the garage, ignoring the huge oil stain the car revealed as I left my designated spot, and headed in the direction of the bookstore and the woman of my dreams.

Eddie Jr. jumped at the mere thought. I had to remind him he likely wouldn’t get any action any time soon.

Twenty minutes and seventeen red lights later, I circled the block looking for a spot to park. I’d passed by the store front a few times now and each time stolen a glance through the window. The darkened interior didn’t allow me to see much past the display in the window.

My heart was beating faster and the death grip I had on the steering wheel at the thought of seeing Bella again soon was doing nothing for my sweaty palms.

After a further five minutes searching, I had no more patience left and abandoned the car in a 15 minute drop off only zone. I secretly hoped for a ticket – because a ticket would mean she’d let me stay longer than I could even hope for at this point.

Gathering every ounce of confidence that I could, which wasn’t much at this point, I turned towards the store front.

The fear of the unknown was killing me.

I stood outside and watched an elderly gentleman enter and moments later a harassed looking woman in her 30s with three children, all who looked to be under school age, leave.

The door seemed to be working just fine, so why wasn’t I using it?

A final nudge, and I took two long strides, pushed the door open and then I stopped dead in my tracks.

There she was.

She looked even more exquisite than I had dared to remember.

Bella was no more than ten feet from me, working away behind the counter. Her hair falling in soft curls, obscuring my view of her face as she looked down at the project in front of her. My fingers itched to reach out and push her hair behind her ear.

I longed to touch her in reaction to that pull again.

The door closed behind me causing the bell to ring and her head popped up to greet her new customer.

Her mouth opened to speak then she stopped before a sound came out. A blush fanned across her neck and face. Deep in her eyes, even from this distance, I swear I saw a flicker of lust, happiness, relief?

“Bella.” I broke the silence.

“Edward, what… what are you doing here? How did you….” She hurried out the words, flustered and nervous all of a sudden. Her blush deepened.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t speak to me if I called. I don’t mean to corner you, but we need to talk.”

Bella looked back down, still holding the documents she’d been working on when I came in. She scrunched the pages in her hands, then smoothed them back out on the counter. Nervously fumbling, I strode over to her and gently laid my hands across hers, effectively stilling her movements.

A spark jolted between us, and we both jumped slightly at the contact.

“I’ll leave if you want me to, but I beg of you, please, please just give me a chance.”

As I spoke, she looked up to meet my gaze. “OK. Coffee? I have a break in 20 minutes. There’s a coffee shop around the corner. I’ll meet you there.”

My heart began to beat faster than I thought possible as the exhilaration and glee ran through my body. I nodded my acceptance as I was finding it hard to form an actual word, then I turned and almost skipped out of the store.

Twenty minutes. I had twenty minutes to pull my shit together, calm the fuck down and prepare for the conversation that had to win Bella over.

She was giving me a chance. That alone was more than I could have hoped.

I danced back to the car, noting the lack of ticket on the windshield, and climbed in to locate a more permanent parking spot. The old girl started up for me once more, and I made a mental note to treat her to an oil change in the very near future.

~

Nineteen minutes later I glanced at my watch for the 50th time and nervously mixed another packet of sugar into my coffee.

I’d questioned the barista to see if she knew ‘Bella from the bookstore’, and when she had, I’d asked her to prepare Bella’s usual as well as a drip coffee for myself. I now sat in one of four large brown leather armchairs placed neatly around a low wooden table at the back of the coffee shop.

The corner afforded some privacy away from the rest of the patrons, yet from my spot I still had a clear view of the door.

Right on time the door opened, and a stream of sunlight poured in splashing across the floor and counter. Through the light came the most pleasing sight known to mankind, or at least that was my take on the view unfolding in front of me.

I stood to gain her attention and waved her over to our table.

Watching her walk towards me with a hesitant smile on her face was like heaven. Eddie Jr.

thought it to be more like internet porn and sprang to attention to greet her.

I gave myself a mental pat on the back for remembering to wear underwear, at least it kept him under control somewhat.

Bella made her way over and with a quiet, but friendly ‘hello’, slid into the armchair opposite mine. I gestured towards the latte and the oatmeal raisin cookie placed in front of the chair next to me and pushed them towards her before sitting back down.

“How did you know what I order here?” she questioned, with a slight hint of concern in her voice.

“The girl behind the counter, I asked if she knew you. She did.”

“Oh, right, Jessica… of course.” She answered. “And how did you know where to find me?”

“The paper you left, with your number. You’d written it on your work schedule.”

“Ahh, right, that’s where that went.” She sounded relieved that I wasn’t stalking her.

A silence fell over the table, but unlike the silences of last week, this quickly became awkward. I combed my mind for the right words to start the conversation I so desperately needed to have with her, but she beat me to it.

“So, Edward, not that I’m upset to see you, but what are you doing here?”

Talk about diving right in on the questioning.

“I had to see you again Bella. You asked me to wait a week, I did, but I couldn’t wait any longer.”
I couldn’t bring myself to look her in the eye and instead looked down into my coffee while fiddling with a napkin, tearing the edges over and over.

“Wow, OK… Edward, I’m not just some booty call that you can come calling on when you feel the need.”

How could she think that? Did she really think I was here for a booty call?

“Bella, that’s not why I’m…” I began, but was cut off from saying more. I lifted my head in surprise and found myself looking into the deepest pools of chocolate brown.

She locked her gaze on mine, and I watched as a flurry of emotions crossed her face. “Last week that wasn’t me. I don’t do that. I’ve never done something like that before in my life. But I was needy, it had been way too long since I’d… well, since I’d… you know.”

I nodded but didn’t respond. Boy did I know.

A few moments passed, she took a sip of coffee. The red of her lips as she brought the cup up to her mouth sent waves of desire through my whole body and caused a dance party to start in my pants.

The mix of feelings was overpowering, the lust causing my physical reactions and the honesty spilling from Bella’s lips causing my brain to swim.

“I had made a, well I guess a kind of bet with Alice, the girl on the train with me. I told her that I’d have the next man that paid any form of attention to me.” she continued, “I know, that sounds awful. And honestly I never thought I’d go through with it. But then you were the next man… and well, I just acted out of character.”

If I thought I was confused with this whole situation for the past week, that confusion had nothing on what I felt now.

Was I a bet that was never meant to be?

As Bella continued, I wanted to reach over and capture her hands in mine. Let her know wordlessly that I knew she wasn’t that kind of girl, I’d felt it too, whatever it was.

“When I woke up with you I got scared, I wanted to run. But something was stopping me from cutting the cord altogether.”

“That’s why you left your number?” I asked, as the realization that she was as confused as I began to set in.

“I just needed to go, needed to figure out what had happened.”

“Bella, may I cut in?”

She nodded and moved further back into her chair, curling her legs up underneath her and wrapping both her tiny hands around the warm coffee as if to draw heat and comfort from it.
“I’m not that kind of guy either. I can promise you that. Everything that happened was purely from the draw we both felt, and I know you felt it too.”

Bella gave a small nod and looked back down into her coffee.

Taking a deep breath, I continued. “Bella, please give me a chance. Let me do this the right way. Don’t you think we should at least try?”

Bella surprised me again by answering my question softly but with passion. “Yes. Yes, I do think we should try. But Edward, I’m scared. I’ve been hurt before.”

My body moved of its own accord as I stood from my seat to move closer. I sank to my knees in front of her, taking her drink from her and placing it on the table, I took both her hands in mine. I looked up into her almond shaped eyes and relished in the surge of energy passing between us. The pull I felt to kiss her was immense, but I couldn’t abuse the trust she was giving me.

Keeping a hold of her tiny hand, I moved up to push her hair back from her face, using the back of my hand. I kept the contact longer than I should, but it was hard to pull back.

“Bella,” I began, “I’ve been hurt too. I’ve held back from allowing myself any kind of relationship since. Until I met you. Please give me a chance?”

Bella pulled my hand towards her lips and placed a chaste kiss on my knuckles. My skin broke out in goosebumps, the heat passing to the tip of every limb.

“I will give you - give us - a chance. Just don’t hurt me, that’s all I ask.”

“I won’t. I’ll do everything in my power not to.” I promised her.

I moved back into the chair next to her, and we kept the contact through our knees touching.
Finishing our coffees and sharing the cookie, we made small talk about the past week and secured plans for dinner the following night.

We didn’t bring up the events of last week again at all.

Twenty five minutes later, she had to leave to get back to the book store.

I wrestled between pulling her in for a passionate kiss goodbye and simply placing a small kiss on her cheek. With regret, I chose the latter.

As my lips touched her skin, I felt the heat wash over her and saw the blush rise from her chest and spread across her cheeks. The color looked so beautiful on her. It was the same color her skin turned when she came. And anything that reminded me of that was sublime.

Anything that reminded Eddie Jr. of that on the other hand was enough to make him attempt a jailbreak through my zipper.

If I was going to take this slowly, I was going to have to get him under control.

Bella broke our hold and started towards the door.

“Thanks for the coffee Edward, I’ll see you tomorrow at 7?”

“Yes, seven… I’ll be there.” I smiled and watched her leave. My smile growing larger by the second as the realization that she had said yes set in.

I drove home in a daze. I was actually surprised to find myself digging through my freezer looking for something to eat. I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten there.

Throwing a Hot Pocket in the microwave and grabbing a beer, I sat at the kitchen counter and went over the last few hours in my head. They’d gone better than I could have hoped.

Now I just had to get through the next 24 hours and I’d see her again.

I stumbled through the evening, watching TV, surfing the internet… anything to keep my mind off Bella. But nothing worked. By 9 p.m. I called it a night. The afternoon had been an exhausting roller coaster of emotions.

As my head hit the pillow, my last thought before I drifted to sleep was of Bella.

She was going to give me a chance.