Page 11 of Grounds for Love

“I sure did,” I say as I put the lid on the cup and slip a cardboard hand protector on.

He clears his throat and looks around to make sure nobody can overhear. The place is empty so he has the all clear. “Well, you see, I make horrible coffee. I always have. This morning when I was dumping some grounds in the coffeemaker, I couldn’t stand the thought of drinking my own coffee. I thought I’d stop by, you know, since I’ve never been in, and grab a cup to take to work.”

Hmmm, I don’t think so. All that indecision outside for a cup of coffee? “That’s your excuse for stopping by. What’s your purpose?”

His shoulders straighten and he looks me in the eyes with a determined glint shining in his. “To ask you out again. There’s a street fair on the mainland on Sunday. I thought I’d see if you wanted to go. With me.”

“I see,” I say just as the door opens and a handful of customers walk in, Mr. Long being one of them. I notice he eyes Rod suspiciously. I make sure the top of Rod’s cup is secure and hand it to him. With a smile, I say, “I don’t think so. Enjoy your coffee and have a great day,” before going to take the next rush of orders.

I can’t help but sneak glances at his astonished face before he turns and walks out. I do feel guilty for turning him down twice. If what Kimberly said is true, Rod has never made a move to date. I’ll admit I’m attracted to him, but is it wise to get involved and end up hurt because of our pasts? A teeny-weeny bit might be because I’m still holding a grudge from our first meeting where he told me to fuck off. Maybe he didn’t actually drop the F-bomb, but I know what he meant.

I’ve shot him down twice and he’ll probably never make another move to ask me out. I avoid the niggling feeling inside that’s saying I just lost out on a good thing.

I look up at Mr. Long and smile. Wasn’t I just thinking I didn’t want to end up like him? So why did I turn Rod down? Am I giving out mixed signals? More like confused ones.

“Here ya go, Mr. Long,” I say and expect the same request for a kiss, but instead he shuffles out, muttering that it looks like he has competition.

Once I think about it, I chuckle and get back to restocking.

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