Page 14 of Sidelined Love

“So, what the hell was that all about, huh?” Asher nudges me, his smirk widening. “She was the reason you wanted to come here before practice.”

I try to brush it off with a laugh. “The coffee’s good here. That's all.”

Asher laughs, clearly amused. “Sure, dude, it's all about the coffee. Nothing to do with the barista making you lose whatever cool points you had.”

“Whatever, Ash,” I reply, trying to hide the smile that is threatening to appear on my lips. He's not really wrong, but I'm not about to admit it.

He leans closer, lowering his voice a bit. “Look, I don't know if I've ever seen you shift your routine or schedule for anyone,and clearly, she's caught your eye. If you’re into her, just go for it.”

“You make that sound so easy,” I say as I glance back at Hailey, who’s now sharing a laugh with her coworker. She's back at her register and Asher and I are two people away from being at the front of the line. “I barely know her.”

“That hasn't stopped you from taking any other girl back to your place and fu?—”

I roll my eyes and interrupt him before he can finish his sentence. “Listen, it's not that simple. I can't play it like I usually would.”

“Why?”

I cross my arms over my chest, preparing to explain. “Because I'm not sure if she likes me.” I make sure to whisper the entire sentence because the last thing I need is for anyone to overhear what we're talking about.

“Based on what I saw, I would say ninety percent no, ten percent yes.”

“I don’t mind those odds because it’s not a zero.”

Silence follows instead of a response from Asher, which is something I hadn't been expecting. Before I can question him about it, it's our turn to place our order, with no one else but Hailey.

Her hazel eyes land on me first before darting to Asher and then back to me. “So you do know how to stand in line.”

“Well, he knows how to force someone else to stand in line for him,” Asher chimes in as if she is talking to him. He sticks his hand out and says, “Asher. I’m his best friend and one of his teammates.”

“Hailey,” she says as she does the same. I'm not sure why I'm somewhat surprised she returned the gesture, but I am. With a sigh, she asks, “What can I get you?”

As Hailey leans forward slightly to hear my order over the chatter in the café, I can't help but mirror her actions, allowing me to get closer to her if only for a few seconds. It's then that I smell something vanilla and citrusy. It's cutting through the smell of coffee, and I find it intoxicating.

A piece of hair falls out of her bun. I watch as she quickly tucks it behind her ear before her gaze narrows at me.

“Can I get an Americano? Make it a large because it's going to be a long day.”

Hailey nods and it seems she's fighting to not give a more colorful response before saying, “I can only imagine how much energy you're going to have now.”

“Wouldn't you like to know,” I say, unfazed by her dry tone. “Gotta stay alert for practice, classes, and for your comebacks.”

Hailey’s expression doesn’t change much, but I catch a small smirk as she starts pouring coffee into a to-go cup. “I hardly call what we are doing sparring.”

“Maybe sparring isn't the right word. How about flirting?”

She scoffs. “I thought we talked about this yesterday, never mind that that's the complete opposite of sparring.”

As she hands me my coffee, I take a moment to study her, trying to capture her reaction to my comment. She's unfazed, but there's a spark in her eyes that wasn't there before. I glance at the display of food to my left before looking back at her. It is when I decide to lighten the mood a bit. “Quick question. Asher and I were debating what the best snack for studying is. A blueberry muffin or a chocolate chip cookie. Which would you prefer?”

Hailey looks startled for a second before she catches herself expressing an emotion. “You guys really have nothing better to do than debate snacks?”

“It’s a matter of survival,” I reply without missing a beat. I can feel Asher staring me down out of the corner of my eye,probably wondering if I've lost my mind. It's not my fault that there is food staring me right in the face. Plus, it gives me a way to keep our conversation going while still keeping it about the coffee shop.

“How about an actual meal?”

Asher laughs from behind me, apparently catching on to what I'm doing. “That’s not the fun or sugar rush we’re looking for.”

She sighs again. “Well, if it's sugar you want, the muffins are your best bet. But don’t blame me if you're feeling like shit after a sugar crash.”

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