7. Rebecca

7

REBECCA

Lily had tried to help me salvage the notebook, but nothing short of a miracle could put the tiny pieces back together again. It was worse than a Humpty Dumpty and it was never going back. She'd apologized until we both nearly cried, but I'd reassured her that everything was fine.

She didn't believe me. Lily knew what that book had meant, the hopes and dreams it held within its worn covers.

I'd recover. I just needed time. I'd reassured her of that before she left for the night with one last apology and a promise that she'd go through it sliver by sliver and write down anything she could. I'd told her not to bother.

And by the time I made it into work the next morning, I'd come to the conclusion that maybe it was for the best. Maybe I'd held onto those ideas for too long. Cole's class came back to me, the probability and statistics scrolling through my mind like a bad dialogue. Trends changed. I needed to be able to go with the flow and not lock myself down with my version of popularity.

The coffee shop door jangled, drawing me out of reliving last night and back to work where I belonged.

Lily approached the counter from where she'd been refilling the grinder with fresh coffee beans. The guy ordered a plain black coffee that Lily filled from the carafe and went on his way.

"Going to be a slow day." I scrubbed at a stubborn spot on the counter, using the motion to keep myself focused. An idea sparked. I almost reached into my apron pocket for my notebook before letting my hand fall. "You know what, it doesn't have to be slow. Or boring." I eyed the clock. "It's almost time for Robert."

Lily's lip curled upward in a snarl. "Ugh. Again?"

"Yep." Every Friday, like clockwork, Robert Roberts showed up at one p.m. on the dot for a caramel macchiato and a bagel. He always had some new trick up his sleeve, some new joke to tell with a ridiculous punchline that made no sense, then he'd ask Lily out on a date.

She always said no, and he'd go sit in the corner booth and watch her like a lovesick pup for an hour before he left to finish his day at the newspaper office. He was harmless. A bit annoying, but utterly harmless.

"You want to try your exploding whipped cream trick again?" I cocked my head toward the booth where Robert always sat. "He always asks for extra whipped cream. You could leave the canister there for him, act like you're busy in the back, and let him add it himself."

Lily's eyes rounded, her smile stretching wider the longer she thought about it. "Let's do it." Still grinning, she ran to the back and started preparing the canister.

A ring at the door brought me to my feet as a whole group of businessmen and women walked in.

"Hi. I was wondering if we could use your shop for a business meeting? Our venue is having issues and sent us here." A bulky man in a pinstriped suit joined me at the counter. "There's only eight of us, and we won't take up more than an hour of your time."

"As long as you don't expect us to shut down for you." Not that it would be a problem. Robert was usually our only customer during the Friday lunch hour. Most people in the near vicinity headed to the food trucks a couple of streets over where they could get decent food and fresh coffee at the same time.

The man nodded, his double chin wagging. "Not a problem. We really appreciate it."

"If everyone wants to place their order, I'll bring them over." I poised myself to scribble down eight individual orders and tried not to think about how we'd pull off the prank now with all these people. They even wanted to use his regular booth for their meeting. "You can pull a couple of tables together if that makes things easier."

"Oh, no. This is fine." He shuffled away after ordering a basic latte and dropped his briefcase onto the booth where Robert typically sat.

Lily emerged from the back, took one look at the group, and set the canister aside with a pout. "I'll start a fresh pot of coffee." With that, she turned back while I poured coffees and added syrups and blended hot milk into froth. The simple routine of working eased through me. I wasn't used to having so many customers, and the thrill of it gave me the distraction I needed.

When the door chimed again, I called out, "Be right with you," without bothering to turn around.

"Take your time." David's voice, smooth and rich, drifted over my skin and drew out a smattering of goosebumps.

He shouldn't be here. What was he doing here?

I fumbled the cup in my hands, catching it before it hit the ground and almost banging my forehead on the counter in my haste.

Chatter from the business group rose in pitch, and another voice joined David's. "What's going on?" Robert joined the fray, his nasally whine slicing through the noise.

"Sorry, Robert. You'll have to pick a different booth today." I motioned in his general direction, unwilling to turn around and face David until I had myself under control.

"Here's your macchiato." Lily walked past me, the generous cup in hand and a smile plastered tightly in place. "I made it myself since I knew you'd be upset about losing your booth."

"Oh. Well." Robert stuttered around, his steps faltering when he approached. "I'll just… take it over there."

"Great. Thanks for being so understanding." Lily's uber sweet voice probably made Robert's head explode.

He didn't say a word, even after Lily backed up to me and took the overflowing coffee cup from me. She jerked her chin toward where I knew David stood, his attention squarely between my shoulder blades. I felt his gaze, even though it shouldn't be possible. The feeling of being studied settled in my bones, but not in the creepy kind of way I sometimes felt when walking down a dark alley.

Drawing myself upright and matching Lily's smile with one of my own, I turned. "Hi. What can I get for you?"

"Coffee. Two cream, one sugar." He stood right where I'd thought, with his back to the door and sunlight peppering his silver hair until it shone.

I remembered the texture of it and my nipples peaked. I forgot how to breathe, how to talk, when he reached over the counter and brushed the pad of his thumb over my upper lip. He stuck his thumb into his mouth, licking it clean. "Caramel."

I'd never been dumbstruck before, but it hit me with the force of a semi truck. I poured his coffee, added the sugar and cream, and slid it toward him.

"Thanks for leaving this out." Robert grabbed the whipped cream can and shook it. Before I could shout a warning, he pressed the nozzle. Maybe it was the extra shaking, maybe bad luck. Either way, the canister gave way with a pop and whipped cream shot toward the ceiling. Robert dropped the canister. It hit the floor, bounced, then careened toward the business group, still spraying whipped cream at a frantic pace.

"How much is there?" David watched the whole thing while sitting at the counter, his coffee in one hand and the other braced on his thigh.

"What the hell?" The businessman jumped up and covered his laptop with both arms, using his jacket to shield it as best he could.

White plops of foam dropped all over the team.

Lily raced out from the back room, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open when she spotted the disaster. "What happened?"

"Robert." I couldn't get past that before laughter overrode the horror. I burst out in great, heaving guffaws. Covering my mouth with both hands, I ran for the back, bursting into the quiet and trying to snuff out my chuckles.

Lily's, Robert's, and David's voices collided with the group's, and a flurry of annoyed shouts rang out. I should get myself together and help, but the laughter felt too good. After the shitshow I'd been through the last few days, I needed the laugh. I stopped long enough to wipe tears from my eyes, but the sight of whipped cream on the back of my hand started me all over again.

"Okay. How about this?" I emerged from the back in the middle of David raising his hands. "Free coffee for all of you. I'll pay."

"If your computer was damaged, I'll cover a replacement." Robert shot a look at Lily to check her reaction, and when she gave him a grateful smile, he puffed out his chest.

David sat back while Lily and I refreshed all the coffee orders and handed them out, including his and Robert's. I carried his over last, pausing close enough that his elbow touched mine. "You never said what you were doing here."

"Enjoying a cup of coffee." He said it with ease, but the look in his eyes said so much more. It said things I could hinge my hopes and dreams on but dared not trust. This whole thing was ridiculous.

Wait. That was it. Ridiculousness. Romantic comedy. I should write a romantic comedy. What happened in the coffee shop would make an excellent meet cute, that perfect moment when the hero and heroine met for the first time and sparks flew between them. I itched to run home and start writing but tamped down the urge.

Lily and I had a serious study session planned. I'd write once we finished. On the computer this time. I might love old-fashioned typewriters and the melancholy of putting pen to paper, but my career depended on my getting this right.

David finished his coffee, paid the bill for him and the group, and added a tip to the jar. "See you tomorrow." The words were a promise that weakened my knees.

Lily and I finished our shift, and I rode with her to my apartment. She managed to wait until we were inside with our laptops open and notes on the table before she burst out, "Okay, so what the hell was all that with David?"

"Nothing."

She held up a finger while making a buzzer sound in the back of her throat. "Wrong answer. Try again. The truth this time."

"Truth." I mulled it over, considering how much I could say. "I don't know. I like him, a lot." I chewed on my lower lip before giving in and confessing everything. "I have a crush on all three of them."

Lily was in the process of reaching for her drink. Her curls were piled high on top of her head in a messy bun, and she'd washed off her makeup, revealing her freckles and peachy complexion. Her eyes grew comically wide, and she picked up her drink, turning it around in her hands while tucking her feet under her and leaning into the corner of the couch. "All of them? Like, to what extent?"

"I don't know." I stopped her with a look when she opened her mouth to protest. "That's the honest truth. I slept with David, but yesterday, in Cole's office, I would have kissed him."

"And Ethan?" Her expression tightened, closing off her thoughts and making it hard to read. "Would you sleep with all of them?"

"Maybe."

One eyebrow went up. "What about all three of them at the same time?"

"I thought we were being serious." I kicked her knee. I'd never even thought about sleeping with more than one guy in the same week, much less at the same time.

She shrugged and kicked me back. "It could be interesting. But who would put what where? Or would you line them all up like pogo sticks and just bounce your way down the line?"

I snorted out a laugh. "You're horrible."

"Think about it." Excitement bloomed, brightening her cheeks. "What would that feel like? You know David's dick already. What if you had one of them in your pussy and another in your ass? I bet it would feel amazing."

That. That right there was one of the many things I loved about Lily. She always found a way to look at the bright side of things. Got a crush on three men? No problem, fuck them all. At the same time.

"What if one of them got stuck? Like how dogs do? Ooh. Or!" She clapped her hands over her mouth. "Is that what they mean in werewolf books when they talk about getting knotted?"

I had no idea, and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out. But her constant chatter and questions had ideas pouring into me. The meet cute I'd thought of earlier turned dark and twisty. Instead of one man in the coffee shop, suddenly, there were three. And they didn't just meet over spilled coffee, but they took the woman into the back room to help her get cleaned up. I could imagine it, meeting three hot men like Ethan, Cole, and David and feeling overwhelmed with sexual desire. It almost overtook me every time I walked into their lecture halls.

"You're imagining it, aren't you?" Lily nudged my knee with her toes and puckered her lips. "Come on, admit it. You'd totally suck one of them off while the other two banged you blind."

A vivid image of that very thing appeared in my mind. Sweet heat spread through my limbs. I tried to ignore it—and the knowing look on Lily's face—but she made it impossible. "Who would you chose to go where?"

"I'm not talking about this anymore." It was fun at first, but things were feeling too real, too vulnerable. "I write romance novels. I don't live them."

"Nothing says you can't do both." Lily took a drink from her glass and shimmied her hips. "Get a little life experience to write about. Nothing wrong with that."

"I don't think any man would appreciate his moves in the bedroom being written about in my books." Even if she made a good point, I couldn't do that. I couldn't explore sexual fantasies then write about them. It felt crude.

Lily snorted. "It's not like they'd read it. Most romance readers are women. Cater to them, give them the satisfaction of a good story and a solid fuck to dream about."

"Okay. Okay." I clapped my hands over my ears. "Can we change the subject?" I was getting too intrigued by her suggestions. I'd never follow through with them. My imagination would have to be good enough to carry me through the story. It wasn't like I was ever going to experience England in the 1800s, either, but I could still write about it.

Fitz pranced into the room with the tippy-tapping of his nails clicking on the hardwood. He whined at Lily and jumped onto the couch between us, curling up against my leg.

Lily scratched between his ears. "Fine. We'll study, but think about what I said. You'll only be their student for six months. Once you're out of their classes, all bets are off."

Six months. It stretched ahead of me, a bleak landscape of sexual want and frustration. I'd have to work it out on my own with my close, personal friend. My brand-new dildo.

At least I had a new story idea to work on. And with Lily's words burrowing deep into my brain, I knew I'd end up writing my versions of Cole, David, and Ethan into the story. Like she said, it wasn't like they'd ever read it.