Page 22 of Champagne Kisses
“Adam, as long as I’ve known you, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about a real date. Do you even know what a date is?” I put my drink down and pretend to take notes. This asshole islovinghaving something to hold over my head.
“A date,” he says in the most patronizing voice possible, “is when a man and a woman meet at an arranged place and time to do something fun. Most people do dinner, some people do drinks, and some people do something more original."
I roll my eyes and pretend to turn an imaginary page when he continues.
"If the date goes well, you might get a chance for a kiss at the end, or a second date.” I close my fake notebook and throw a piece of bread at him to wipe the sarcastic grin off his face.
“Alrighty then.” I get up to clear my tray, smiling the whole time. “Back to the salt mines for me. Thanks for being no help whatsoever.”
Eric tips an invisible hat at me and I chuckle on the way back to my desk.
In the privacy of my office, I pull out my phone to check out Maya's socials. I know I'm stalling, but I'm also legitimately curious about her.
It's_Personal on Instagram is just a bunch of pics of her products. She's got everything from jewelry, to t-shirts, to canvasbags, to mugs. She even partners with a distillery for personalized spirits. It's_Personal on Facebook and LinkedIn are more of the same. Maybe her personal socials have more details.
There is no "Maya Davis" on Facebook or TikTok. I didn't see her snapping selfies or regularly checking her notifications, so that doesn't surprise me. She has a Pinterest board, but it's just inspiration for her crafts (art supplies, clothing patterns), dessert recipes (I knew she could cook), and cute animal pictures. So far, she doesn't have anything revealing online.
I hit the jackpot with Instagram. MDavis_98 follows It's_Personal and an account for Pratt alums. Her feed features shots of her cooking and eating food, plus reels of her making pottery or snuggling with Khan. There are no pictures of her with a guy since February, so it looks like she really is single. She's never in a swimsuit or arching her back for a thirst trap (unfortunately), but she looks genuinely happy and fun to hang out with.
I open the message app and start texting. I won't miss an opportunity with her again.
Chapter twelve
Maya
Afaint ding sounds from my phone. I look around at my messy apartment; it's starting to look like a hoarder lives here. After rifling through the hoops and canvases all over my couch, I find my phone lying face down in a bag of thread.
Adam (Champagne Flutes)
Adam (Champagne Flutes):Hey there.
Adam is texting me? That can't be right. I must have fallen asleep while doing needlepoint again because there’s no way Adam would text me after last night’s debacle.
I cringe remembering that I actuallywavedbefore sprinting to my car. He stood in front of his apartment and watched me drive off with a big grin on his face and, because God's got jokes, I then had to wait at the red light at the end of his block. I couldstill see the laughter in his eyes in my rearview mirror. I bet he and his friends have already had a good laugh at how ridiculous I am.
Adam had only gotten hotter the more time I spent with him. I found out he’s got a great sense of humor, he’s smart, and we like the same music. Then, after hours of semi-successful flirting, I freaked out and called him my “road trip buddy”. Ugh! You can hardly blame me for running after that.
I throw the blanket off my lap, phone gripped tightly in my hand. No matter how hard I blink, the message doesn’t change. Either I’m still sleeping or Adam actually texted me. If Adam really did text me, what do I say? Why would he be texting? I start pacing rapidly until the obvious occurs to me: He probably just left something in my car.
Adam (Champagne Flutes)
Hi there.
Adam (Champagne Flutes):So, thanks again for the ride, Maya. You really saved me.
Not a problem at all, Mr. Park.
Just kidding, LOL
Adam (Champagne Flutes):lol, I was about to say! If you can’t use my first name by now
LOL, I was only teasing
Adam (Champagne Flutes):Oh, so you're a tease? … Interesting, lol.
Can Adam evernotflirt? My goodness! It's like our car ride unlocked some sort of frisky gene.
Adam (Champagne Flutes)
