For the Love of Friends(27)

Probably not if I really liked him. But what are the odds of it actually working out? Besides, I don’t want to be the girl who got involved with two different groomsmen.

That’s fair . . . So what are you going to do?

I hesitated again. Doing nothing sent a clear “not interested” message, but it would be rude to not acknowledge him, especially when he had bought me two coffees this week. And even if I wasn’t interested per se, there was something about Alex that I did like. He would make an awesome friend.

I looked at the line, which had died down to only three people, then checked my watch. Hell with it, I thought, and got back in line.

“Do you remember the guy who bought me my coffee?” I asked when I reached the barista.

“Of course,” she said. “He’s in here every day.”

“Can I pay for his order for tomorrow and leave him a note?”

She grinned and handed me a sleeve and a Sharpie. Her name tag said she was Taylor. “This is like Romeo and Juliet.”

I rolled my eyes. “That makes you the nurse and means we’re all dead by act five. He’s just a friend.”

“Wish I had a friend like that.” She grinned. “He’s cute.”

“All yours,” I said, starting to write: Why? Being late works out well when I get free coffee for it—you’re encouraging bad habits! —Lily. Too flirty, I told myself, then grabbed another sleeve. Taylor smiled irritatingly and I tried again. Never gonna happen . . . but thanks for the coffee! —Lily. Much better. I handed it to Taylor.

“I liked the first one better,” she said.

“Just friends,” I said again. I paid for the coffee and left, much later for work than usual.



I made it until lunch before I texted Megan. What’s Alex’s story?

The three dots appeared immediately to show she was typing. Funny . . . he asked Tim the same thing about you the other day. What’s going on there?

Nothing.

My phone rang. Megan knew me better than that.

“Tell me everything,” she said.

“There isn’t anything to tell. We hung out a little at your party and then I ran into him at Starbucks on Tuesday.”

“Yeah, he told Tim he ran into you. And?”

I thought about leaving out the coffee note, but I hadn’t encouraged anything, so there was nothing wrong with telling Megan that he had been flirty. Maybe. Was he being flirty?

“What are you leaving out?” She really did know me too well. I told her about the coffee cup.

“Aww, I like that. He’s a good guy.”

“What’s his deal?”

“He went to high school with Tim. He’s divorced. Got married a few years ago, but it didn’t work out.”

I recoiled slightly. Sure, I knew people who had been divorced. At thirty-two, who didn’t? But I had avoided dating into that pool. Anyone who had already hit that level of commitment seemed like they were on a different plane of existence than I was. “Kids?”

“Nah.”

“When did they split up?”

“Last year, I think? He was kind of out of commission while they were married, then he started trying to reconnect with people after it ended. Sounds like she was pretty controlling.”

“So is he, like, hitting on me?”

Megan laughed. “Since when do you need to ask that question?”

“I don’t know, this one is weird.”

“He’s a little weird. But not creepy weird. Just . . . quirky.”

“I can see that,” I said. “But, like . . . what now?”

“Do you want his number? I can ask Tim.”

“God no!”

Megan laughed again. “Is that not how dating works anymore? I’m an old, soon-to-be-married lady. I don’t know how you kids do these things nowadays.”

“Dating happens entirely through coffee sleeves now. You’ve missed everything.”

“Apparently. Are you interested though?”

My heart twisted a tiny little bit in my chest—not over Alex, over the question itself. I could read between the lines of the word she chose to emphasize. Megan would give her blessing if I were serious enough. But otherwise she didn’t want to deal with the fallout and I couldn’t fault her for that. We had been down a similar road before.

“No,” I said quickly. Maybe too quickly. “He seems cool, but just as a friend.”

I heard her sigh in relief. “Obviously I’d say go for it if you liked him. But . . . you know . . .”

“I know, Megs. I promise. Just friends.” A pause. “What did he ask about me though?”

“Just what your deal was.”

“What did Tim tell him?”

“That you’re really easy when you switch from martinis to wine. But he already knew that.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

Megan laughed. “K. Text me later!”

I shook my head. She was ridiculous.



I wouldn’t say I rushed to get ready for work on Friday morning, but I was mildly more conscious of the time than I typically was. Not that I wanted to get to Starbucks while Alex was still there. No, that would be way too awkward. And would probably lead to him asking me out, which I would absolutely say no to and would definitely make things more awkward. But I was anxious to see if I got a reply. No matter what I told Becca, it was cute.