Page 28 of Beanful Wishes

Her eyes move to the bookshelf, scanning the titles. "Hemingway, Steinbeck, Vonnegut... I'm impressed, Mr. Harrison."

I feel a warmth spread through my chest at her use of my last name. It's playful, familiar. "What can I say? I'm a man of hidden depths."

She laughs, the sound making my heart skip a beat. "Clearly.” She pulls a book from the shelf, and flips through it, when a piece of paper falls out. Sophia bends to pick it up, and I recognize it immediately—the card from the Wishing Wall that inspired the Reading Oasis project.

"You kept it," she says softly, her eyes meeting mine.

I nod, suddenly feeling vulnerable. "I keep all the wishes we fulfill. To remind me of the impact we're making."

Sophia's expression softens, and for a moment, we just stand there, looking at each other.

"We should eat before the coffee gets cold," I say finally, breaking the spell.

We settle at the small dining table, the plate of pastries between us. Sophia takes a bite of a chocolate croissant and closes her eyes in bliss. "These are amazing. Where did you get them?"

"Little bakery down the street," I reply, watching her enjoy the pastry. "I thought you might like them. You have a bit of a sweet tooth."

She pauses mid-bite, looking at me with surprise. "You noticed that?"

My cheeks heat up. "I notice a lot of things about you, Sophia."

Her eyes widen slightly, and a faint blush colors her cheeks.

"Sophia.” My heart pounds so hard I'm sure she can hear it. "I need to tell you something."

She sets down her coffee mug, giving me her full attention. "Okay," she says softly.

I take a deep breath, my mind flashing to our walk by the river. "Sophia, about last night..."

“Yes?” Her eyes met mine with a mix of curiosity and warmth.

“I’m interested,” I say. “Interested in seeing where this could go. I enjoy every moment we spend together, and I find myself thinking about you even when we're apart."

A small smile plays at the corners of Sophia's lips.

"I know we started as partners in this project, and that's important. But I hope we can be more than that,” I say. “A lot more.”

I fall silent, watching Sophia's face for her reaction. Her eyes are bright, but I can't quite read the emotion behind them.

After a moment that feels like an eternity, she speaks, her voice soft. "Jake, I've been feeling the same way."

“But?” I hold my breath.

“What we’ve been doing is important. I don’t want to jeopardize the work we’re doing with the Wishing Wall. What if things don’t work out with us?” she asks.

It’s a valid question. As is mine. “What if it does?”

The sun-dappled streets of historic downtown Wilmington stretch before us as Sophia and I stroll hand in hand. The old buildings and cobblestone paths seem to whisper stories, much like the wishes on our wall.

"You know," Sophia says, "starting something more between us is a bit of a risk. We've been great as collaborators and friends."

I give her hand a gentle squeeze. "True, but let's be honest. We already crossed that line. Last night's kiss made that pretty clear."

Sophia chuckles. "You've got a point there."

I slow our pace. "Maybe we should take it slow, though. Get to know each other better outside of the Wishing Wall projects and the upcoming community event.

“Not the worst idea. After all," Sophia says with a mischievous glint in her eye, "I still haven't seen this famous Reading Oasis you've been working on."

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