Page 3 of Beautiful Beginning

“What about him?” Lauren turned her head to the side. “The one with the waist-length locs.”

“The one who stands in the middle of campus selling handmade soap?” I blurted but covered my mouth so he wouldn’t hear me.

Nia couldn’t stop her laughter long enough to utter, “Entrepreneurial at least,” coherently.

Lauren didn’t point out anyone else. But it didn’t stop me from admiring the other men we passed along the way to the coffee shop. If they weren’t marriage material at least they were something beautiful to stare at.

Nia said, “And how about that guy you were talking to before we left for summer?” It wasn’t like the three of us went the entire summer without talking. We stayed active in the group chat. Called often and visited each other a handful of times.

“Nia…” I stopped walking and looked at her. “You mean the dude I shared with two other girls?”

She jerked her head back like it was fresh news. “Two other girls? Wait.” She closed her eyes. “Did I miss that?”

Lauren reminded us, “Yes. You were heavy into your finals. But all summer she didn’t mention his name once. You didn’t think that was long over?”

We looked at Nia and waited for her to reply.

“Oh. Guess I didn’t think about it.” She twisted her lips to the side. “My bad.”

We continued to the coffee shop, and when we walked inside we were fortunate to not wait in a long line.

“Hey,” I said as I approached the counter. The guy on the other side looked familiar. I’d seen him on campus often. But never said much to him. He always seemed to be rushing somewhere. “I’ll have the iced mocha with oat milk.”

“I got you.” He smiled and his eyes looked to be digging a hole into my soul. “What else can I do for you?”

Considering the summer was long—in more ways than one—I had some things in mind. But I didn’t tell him the salacious things I could have done with his smooth lips. Or the tingle he would have given me with his beard. I shook my head and said, “That’s it.”

“Hmm…” he hesitated. “I can get that started for you.”

Lauren stepped to the counter and said, “Guess that means I’m paying today.”

I looked from the ground I focused on. “Huh?” Lauren, Nia, and the sexy man behind the counter were all staring at me.

“Well, you must think coffee is free because you stepped aside without paying.”

My eyes widened and the guy laughed. “I’m so sorry.” I reached into my purse for my wallet. “Here.” I outstretched my hand toward him, and his fingers graced mine. The little contact sent a vibration through my body. I blinked as he scanned my card. And when he handed it back I gripped the tip of it to avoid that same contact. The interaction was already awkward as hell.

I moved back to my spot away from him. Away from the girls, and waited for my cup of coffee.

“Whoa.” Lauren eyed me after she ordered. “Was that something?”

I looked behind her. He gave Nia the same smile he gave me. And I remembered the statistics,two to one.“No, not him.”

She hunched her shoulder and turned toward the counter. “Too bad. Seemed like a little something, something stirred up there.”

“Iced mocha,” the girl behind the counter shouted.

I grabbed my coffee. “The only thing stirred up around here is coffee.”

Lauren mocked a laugh and said, “Lame.”

“C’mon, let’s go,” I said once they had their coffees. Outside the café I only took a few steps before I felt icy cold liquid dripping down the front of my shirt. “Shit,” I yelled.

“Shit.” The man in front of me raised his hands. “My bad.” He leaned down and collected my half-empty cup. “I can grab you another one.” He stared at my wet shirt. “Some napkins.”

I flicked coffee off my hands and said, “Please.”

He ran inside and returned with a heap of napkins. Lauren and Nia helped with the near impossible task of drying me off.

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