5. WES

5

WES

She scoffs, completely ignoring my last sentence, but I'm serious when I say I don't think I can handle just being her friend. I have this insane attraction to her and I've been warring with myself on whether to go for it or not. Staying away from the bar became a chore but going there to find her scared me as well.

I shrug. "I never said I didn't like you."

I take a breath and let it out, remembering what Maverick told me. I'll never meet someone if I'm not open to meeting someone. But I'm not interested in the young games either.

Deciding to just be honest about it all, I say, "Listen, you're right. We got off on the wrong foot. You definitely don't hold yourself like a kid and I apologize that I was treating you that way. Do we want to start over?"

She watches me with narrowed eyes before the woman behind the coffee counter calls her name. She steps forward to grab her coffee and the other man working behind the counter calls my name and places another coffee down. "Cream, no sugar. Catch you later Wes."

She spins on me, a smile taking over her face. "Well, well, my friend. Looks like we have the same taste in coffee." She switches her coffee cup to the other hand and extends her palm to me. "I'm Hazel. It's nice to meet you."

We sat at the table in that little coffee shop for almost three hours. We talked and laughed and spoke about serious things, too. I told her about the town of Magnolia Point and I told her about the antics that Jay and I used to get into. I warned her about Maverick and his loverboy ways. She laughed and told me she got that feeling from him immediately after he offered her a seat that first time we met.

"This was a nice surprise today, Hazel. I'm glad we had a chance to talk. I have to ask though. Why are you being nice to me after I've been such a dick?"

She raises a brow at me as she collects her belongings, packing her bag full. "I've been taught to always give second chances. Just because the first meeting didn't go as planned, doesn't mean the next will be the same. My grandma was a big gift giver and always said ‘Giving freely and giving with a good heart will never go unrewarded.''"

I lean back in my chair, making a show of cupping my hands behind my head. "Well then, gift me, baby!"

We laughed together and as we wrapped up our impromptu date, and I just knew Hazel would become an important part of my life.