Page 7 of Loving Josy
“Very funny,” I say, rolling my eyes. “But seriously, I’m just going to be present. Every day, every event she’s going to see that I’m not going anywhere.”
“Persistentandstubborn,” Esteban jokes. “I like it. You’ve got my vote, man. If she doesn’t fall for you, it’s her loss.”
“I’m sure she’ll come around,” Austin adds, nodding. “And you know Violet’s in your corner too. She’ll do whatever she can to help.”
“Good to know,” I say, feeling more confident with my friends backing me up.
Esteban gives me a playful shove. “Just make sure you don’t get yourself banned from the coffee shop for beingtoopersistent. We need our morning caffeine, and I’m not about to start making my own coffee.”
“Noted.” I laugh. “But don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
“I hope you do.” Austin starts walking to his car. With a wave, he adds, “I will see you guys later.” Once Austin is gone, I turn and look at Esteban. “How about I go on my first run for coffee and lunch?” I ask while I smile at him.
“Starting early, I like it. Sure, I will text you the guys’ order,” Esteban says, turning back to the house.
I start walking to my truck, preparing myself to win Josy over. “If I don’t have a text with their order, I won’t order anything for them. Make sure to send that text,” I holler to Esteban.
I hop in my truck and start driving to the coffee shop. Turning the radio off I start to think on how Josy will react when she sees me in her coffee shop again.
Arriving at the coffee shop, I park and check my phone and see the text from Esteban with the guys’ order. Taking a deep breath, I get out and make my way to the door.
Opening the door to the coffee shop, my heart sinks a little—Josy isn’t at the front counter. Instead, Violet stands there,smiling like always. Austin made the right call falling for her. She’s gorgeous with long blonde hair, a stunning face, and curves in all the right places.
“Hi, Noah. I’ve never seen you here before. How’s the house going?” she asks.
I try to hide my disappointment as I answer her. “The house is going great. I’m hoping we can finish it in the next month. Actually, Austin was there earlier to check on our progress. You should come and see how it’s coming along.”
“I want to.” Violet’s voice is full of excitement. “But since it’s almost done, Austin wants me to wait. He says it would be a great surprise if I see it when it’s completely finished. I’m trusting him with the final touches, but I really can’t wait.” Her smile is infectious as she wiggles with excitement.
“I get it. But trust me, you’re going to love the house. Just wait and see,” I say with a small smile.
“Anyway, are you going to order something? Is Esteban not feeling well today?”
“Esteban’s busy at work, so I offered to come and make the order for the guys.” I’m trying to conceal the fact that I plan to come here every day from now on.
“Oh, that’s great,” Violet says, a mischievous smile on her face. I am pretty sure Austin told her about my plan and she knows why I’m really here, but I’m not going to say anything. I give her the order and wait as she starts preparing it. While I walk around the coffee shop, I see people sitting everywhere, eating and talking, and I’m glad to see that Josy’s business is thriving. I’m disappointed that I haven’t seen Josy today, but I guess I’ll just have to try again tomorrow.
Violet calls my name when she finishes my order, packing all the pastries and sandwiches in two bags. Just as Violet is handing me the drinks, Josy emerges from the back.
She looks stunning, as always. Her hair is down, cascading over her shoulders, and she’s wearing shorts that show off her long legs, paired with a simple coffee shop t-shirt. When Josy sees me, she does a double-take and freezes in place. I like that she has a reaction to my presence. That means that she was not expecting to see me here.
You just wait, sweetheart, I will be everywhere you go from now on.
I take a step closer, offering her a smile. “Hi, Josy. Your coffee shop is amazing. You did a great job with it.”
For a moment, she just stands there staring at me. It feels like an eternity before she finally responds, her voice a bit quieter than usual. “Thanks.”
I wait, hoping for more, but she falls silent again, leaving me hanging. The tension in the air is palpable, and I can feel Violet’s eyes on us, watching our every move.
“Is this your order?” Josy asks, pointing at the bags and cups.
“Yeah. I came to pick up lunch for the guys,” I answer.
“Well, I guess you don’t want to make them wait for their lunch.” She’s pushing the bags toward me while giving me a nod, signaling me to get going.
“Are you kicking me out of this fine establishment?” I jokingly ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course not. I’m just making sure the food you ordered doesn’t go bad because you decided to stay longer talking to us instead of leaving,” Josy replies with an evil smile and I know she’s giving me a hard time. If she thinks I’m going to leave and not come back because of her attitude, she’s mistaken.
