by Allie York
“You are exactly right.” His brows furrow and he pulls out his wallet for a third time and takes out a card. I take it and flip it over. It has his name, the police department emblem, and his cell number. He takes the card in and I watch through the glass door as he hands it to Greer and points at his truck. She takes the card and waves at me. Looks like I’m getting in a strange man’s truck and going wherever it is he wants to take me. After a second, he comes back out, jogging to the truck with a huge smile on his face.
“I guess this means I’m going with you?” I ask, putting my arms into the sleeves of his coat to warm myself up.
“Unless you want me to take you back inside. You can always watch me run out of twenties paying every guy in there to not talk to you for five minutes.” He leans against the open door, “Or you can let me take you for a coffee and we can talk for a while. I promise not to keep you too late.” Wyatt has the sexiest smile I have ever seen in my life. I only hesitate a little before putting my foot on the edge of the truck and reaching for the door handle. My foot slips at the same time my fingers miss the handle and I grab for anything to keep me from face planting. I throw one hand out in front of me, but it’s too late. I know I’m about to eat the floorboard of his truck. Right before I’m KO’d, I stop falling and the jacket I’m wearing is pulled nearly off of me. I’m back on my feet before I can process that I didn’t hit the ground.
“You’re determined to die in front of me, aren’t you?” Wyatt spins me to face him, putting a hand on each of my shoulders, and looking me over to make sure I’m not hurt.
“Nothing personal, but this is just how I am. It’s only a little worse in front of you.” I force a laugh to lighten the mood. He’s going to uninvite me to coffee any second now.
“And why is it worse in front of me?” Wyatt offers his hand to help me into the truck. I take it and climb in, settling into the most luxurious leather seats I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting my butt on.
“Because you are super-hot,” I say stupidly. “I mean, you’re… yeah, you’re hot and it makes me clumsier because I’m distracted.” No point in lying to him. I wait for his reaction, assuming he’s about to call me a spaz and leave. He doesn’t. He starts laughing and I join in, covering my face with my hands. This is hands down the most awkward conversation I have ever had, and I once had a whole discussion about whether Chewbacca has nipples. “Sorry, I made this so weird.” I look at him through a crack in my fingers.
“Oh, no, this was weird when I started paying other men not to talk to you.” He reaches into the truck and pulls my hands from my face. “Can I take you for a cup of coffee without you falling? I feel like I should have packed bubble wrap.” He keeps my hands tucked safely in his. My heart rate kicks into overdrive and I take a breath to slow it down.
“Coffee sounds great, but no promises on the falling. I take my clumsy side to the extreme. It’s like my own personal superpower but I struggle to control it most of the time.” He brushes his thumbs over my knuckles and a chill runs up my arms.
“Let’s go get coffee.” Wyatt gives me a sexy smirk and places my hands in my lap. He closes the door and runs around to climb in. I take the opportunity to check out the truck. The truck has it all: soft leather seats, a screen for the backup cameras, more lights and buttons than my car by far. I turn to see a car seat strapped in the back. Right, I’m going for a cup of coffee with a guy who has a kid. He’s a dad. A good one by the sound of things. I don’t have kids, never really thought about it, but I can’t imagine being a mom and not being in my child’s life. It sounds like he has Cruze all the time.
Motion at the door of Words for Nerds catches my attention and I realize that Greer and Tuesday have been watching the entire time. I think it’s safe to say that they will be in my apartment when I get home. Wyatt closes his door, starts the truck, and pulls out of the parking spot to go find coffee. “Ready?” Wyatt puts both hands on the wheel and turns to look at me before leaving the lot.
“Ready.” I give him a smile and a nod.
Four years. That’s how long it’s been since I went on a date. I have no idea if going to coffee with a cop who paid other men not to talk to me counts as a date, but in my mind, it’s a date. My last date was a first date as well. He took me to a comic con and the day ended with him leaving me there to go home with a woman dressed as slave Leia. This was after he asked me to not dress up for the event because he wasn’t into women that nerdy. I stupidly listened because I was so excited that I’d been asked out. It was not a high point in my life, but it did teach me a lesson. I learned not to hide who I am. I love my nerdy, quirky, clumsy self and if I can’t be accepted how I am, then screw them.
“Is this okay?” We pull into the lot of The Hollow Cup, one of East Hollow’s independent coffee houses.
“Perfect.” It’s not a drink made by Tuesday at Second Breakfast, but The Hollow Cup makes a great holiday blend coffee that is only available from Christmas to Valentine’s Day. It’s my favorite.
“Think you can get out of the car without losing a war with gravity?” I stop looking at the front of the coffee shop to glare at him.
“I’ve kept myself alive for twenty-six years. I think I can manage.” I roll my eyes and unbuckle.
“I know you won’t die but getting seriously injured is another story altogether. If you get hurt, the two girls you work with may kill me. I feel like they could get away with it too.” He quirks a brow at me.
“Valid concern. The twins are a pretty scrappy pair and would have no trouble hiding a body.” I nod and open the door to carefully step out onto the pavement. Once I’m on my feet I realize that I’m still wearing his coat and start to take it off, but he meets me on my side and adjusts the collar around my neck.
“Those two are twins?” Wyatt tucks his hands in his pocket, and I follow him into the warm coffee shop. As soon as the door closes and cuts us off from the outside chill, he shakes his hands out and leads me to the line so we can order.
“They’re twins. Wild, right?” I don’t need to study the menu, but Wyatt seems to be unfamiliar with the drink selection. The line moves quickly, and the barista gets to us way before Wyatt figures out what he’s doing. I order mine and, while the order is being put in the computer, lean up to Wyatt’s ear.
“How sweet do you want it?” I whisper in an attempt to help him decide on a drink. When I lean too far, I have to grab his forearm, so the move comes out way more seductive than I intended. He turns to look at me, eyebrow arched and a devilish grin on his face. I realize then what I’ve done. “The coffee!” I whisper hiss. “How sweet to you want your coffee? Oh, good grief.” My face is so hot that it might as well be on fire. Wyatt laughs.
“I just want coffee.” His shoulders shake while he continues to laugh at me.
“We’ll have two of those,” I tell the barista, trying to recover from my embarrassment, and Wyatt pulls out his wallet to pay. My entire purse is at the shop, so it’s a good thing he didn’t use all those twenties at speed dating. After he pays, we move down the line to the pick-up counter and wait for our drinks. He watches the barista with so much attention that I get to check him out. I mean really check him out. I’m still wearing his coat, so I get to admire the entire package. His dark hair is cut short in normal cop fashion and he definitely goes to the gym on a regular basis to have shoulders and arms like his. Even under his button-down, his biceps bulge against the fabric when he moves. I move down, checking out his narrow waist. Then I get to the best part. Wyatt Collins has the kind of ass dreams are made of.
“Are you checking me out?” I jerk my eyes up from his ass to his blue eyes so fast that it gives me a head rush.
“Yes?” I admit, but it comes out as more of a question. “Yes.” I say it more firmly. No harm in him knowing I think he’s hot, so I might as well be honest when I get caught.
“Good.” He stares into my eyes for a beat longer before grabbing our drinks from the barista. He offers me a cu
p and as soon as my cold hands wrap around it, I lose my grip and I watch in mortified slow motion as the cup falls to the ground. At the last second, I reach to catch it and so does Wyatt, but we both fail when my face hits his shoulder and I fall back on my ass, seeing stars as the pain from hitting my nose shoots up to my face. The cup meets the floor and the lid flies off, releasing coffee everywhere in a mushroom cloud formation. In my peripheral vision, I can see the barista shake his head and start another cup. This is going to be our first and only date.
“Shit!” The swear comes out a little too loud for a crowded coffee shop but is less embarrassing than being flat on my ass in a dress with my nose burning and eyes watering. Thank god I have on leggings or everyone in here would see my Gryffindor panties.
“You are determined to die and take me out with you.” Wyatt stands, wiping his hands off on his jeans before reaching to help me up. I take his hand and let him haul me to my feet.
“Are you okay?”
“Physically or mentally?” I can’t meet his eyes. Mostly because mine are watering so much it looks like I’m crying, but also because I continue to make an ass of myself.
“Both?” He starts laughing and I cover my face with both hands. This is exactly why I’m single. I uncover my face in time to see him take my second cup from the barista as another employee comes to clean up my mess. “Really, are you okay?”
“My butt, my nose, and my pride are all pretty wounded,” I admit. Wyatt holds my second cup close to his chest, away from me, while I apologize to the employee mopping and thank the barista. They both give me a pitying smile. I should be used to pitying smiles by now, but it still stings a little.
I follow him to a table in the back and he pulls out a chair for me before sitting down. Once he seems satisfied that I’m not going to spontaneously fall from my chair, he slides my cup across the table. “So, you were checking me out?”
“How many squats a day are required for that kind of butt? I’m asking for research purposes.” I sip my drink and the cinnamon and nutmeg in the coffee invade my senses.
“How do you know that I don’t have this butt from chasing down hardened criminals and climbing trees to save baby kittens?” He sips his drink and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
“This is good.” He takes another sip and leans in, resting his forearms on the table, cup between his hands. “Anyway, baby kittens and criminal chasing.”
“Two reasons that your claim is unfounded,” I hold up a finger, “One: We live in East Hollow and the hardened criminal thing isn’t real here.” I add a second finger. “Two: Firefighters save kittens, not cops. So, how many squats? This is important research I’m doing.” I stare him down until a smile breaks out across his face.
“I’ll have you know that I chased a shop-lifter from the grocery store the other day for a whole parking lot before he turned around to return the pack of gum he lifted. And I don’t need a ladder to save kittens, I can climb trees like… like Spiderman. You underestimate me.” He takes a long sip of his coffee, looking proud of his Spiderman reference.
I roll my eyes. “Just answer the question. Stop making my job harder. I need to know.”
“Fine.” Wyatt flips his hand around dramatically. “I do roughly a hundred a day. More if I happen by the gym that day. Now tell me about your legs. I know that level of toned calves comes from something besides lying in bed reading comics.”
“Officer Collins, have you been paying attention to my calves?” I arch a brow over my cup and take a sip. I can feel my cheeks getting pink and hope he doesn’t notice in the dim light of the coffee shop.
“I’ve noticed more than your calves, but we can start there so you know that I’m capable of being a gentleman. Now tell me how you achieved such shapely legs, Miss Reynolds.” Wyatt picks up his cup and takes a sip.
“I do not lie in bed and read comics all day. That’s what I do at night. Duh. During the day, I put up stock, lift heavy comic boxes, take inventory, vacuum at least four times a day, and walk the entire floor a million times. My life isn’t nearly as glamorous as you think it is. I like to thank my shorter stature and tall shelves for my calves. Reaching up to dust takes more calf strength than one might think.” I give him a pointed look.
“Well dusting looks good on you. I just assumed all comic shop owners were a little like the ones portrayed in the media. I was wrong. Consider this my apology.” He laughs.
I pretend to think about it. “I’m not sure one cup of coffee can make me forgive you here. I take stereotyping pretty seriously.”
Wyatt leans in further. “What if I offer you a whole dinner and not just a cup of coffee? Although, it is pretty good coffee.” He takes another drink, tipping the cup all the way back to finish it.
“I might accept your offer, but you have to promise that the stereotyping won’t happen again.” I pin him with my best evil glare.
He holds his hand out to shake and I offer mine in return. “Deal. When are you free?”
I tap my chin. “Well, we have D & D night every Wednesday, speed dating every Friday, and the once a month comic artist class on Sundays. Other than that, I’m free every night after six. Unless it’s Tuesday night, then we have girl’s night with baking cookies and a classic horror movie.” I never thought about how tied up my evenings are with work. I love it, but I do spend a lot of time at Words for Nerds.
“I have a kid and my schedule isn’t as busy as yours.” He thinks about it, rolling the cup between his hands on the table. “Maybe it is, actually. Cruze stays with my dad half the week and goes to pre-K the other half. Tuesday night we do karate, and Thursday we do library story time. Saturdays he goes to see his other grandparents. I’m free those evenings until eight.” He twists his lips up in thought.
“I’ll be at speed dating next week,” I suggest.
“Will you be participating?” He asks nonchalantly.
I shrug. “I didn’t want to tonight, but you showed up, so I had to.”
“Right, I tipped the scales so there weren’t even numbers and it had nothing at all to do with the fact that you want to date me.” Wyatt smirks.
“It has zero to do with wanting to date you. We barely know each other. It has to do with losing a bet and nothing more. I now owe them all drinks. I never thought you’d show up and my friends seemed to think you might, so I told them if you showed up, I would join in. They were also teasing me about falling all over you the other day. It’s not exactly what happened, but my friends suck and love to make fun of my singleness.” I shrug and finish my drink, setting my empty cup on the table between us.
“I think I like your friends.” His blue eyes sparkle at the thought.
“I hate them,” I deadpan.
“Wait, you don’t want to date me? Then why are you here? This is definitely a date.” He gives me an appraising look.
“It is?” I feign confusion. “And I didn’t say I’m against dating you. I just didn’t join speed dating with the sole purpose of dating you. I joined because I lost a bet.”
“You sure know how to make a guy feel good. I love taking women out because they lost a bet. It’s like high school all over again.” Wyatt winks at me. I have a hard time believing he had trouble getting dates in high school, or any time for that matter.
“That’s not what I mean. If I didn’t want to be here, I would have stayed to talk about Doctor Who.” I fidget with my cup, unsure of whether I actually hurt his feelings or not.
“Or vintage game systems?” he offers.
“Or soccer,” I add. “So, this is a date?” I honestly was unsure until he told me. I had high hopes of it being deemed a date but didn’t want to assume.
“This is definitely a date.” Wyatt picks up my cup and goes to toss it in the trash. I watch him walk away, enjoying the view more than I should. I can’t help it; his ass is amazing. Captain America’s ass amazing. Before I remember to stop staring, Wyatt catches me staring and arches a brow. I cough and look away.
/>
He looks pretty cocky when he gets back to the table. “Up for a walk or something? The park is right next door.”
“It’s freezing,” I counter quickly and instantly regret it. Of course, I want to go for a walk with him. Why wouldn’t I? I’m on a date with the hottest guy ever, so yes, I want to extend said date.
“I have another coat in the truck if I’m not mistaken, and a little cold never hurt anyone.” He offers his hand and I take it, ready to go for a walk with a very sexy cop. He gives me one of his smirks, leaving me flushed, and we walk hand in hand to the parking lot. He unlocks the truck and opens the back door to pull out a coat. He puts it on, rubbing his hands together to warm them. “See? Another coat.” I notice the patch on the shoulder declaring him an employee of the East Hollow Police Department.
“Thanks for letting me borrow this one.” I take his offered hand and we stroll past the front of the coffee shop and on to the park.
“Can’t have you freezing after I kidnapped you. It looks good on you,” He lies.
“It hangs to my knees and I look like a kid playing dress up.” I let the sleeve flop over my hand and wave it at him.
“It’s still cute. Take the compliment and stop arguing.” He squeezes my hand in his. We pass the parking lot and go on to the trail surrounding the park. You’d think it would be dark, but the park is one of the best lit places in East Hollow and our town is like one of those quaint movie towns. While we are technically on the outskirts of a major city, we don’t claim anything other than East Hollow. We have holiday festivals, community meetings, and town events. Our little park is complete with a playground for big kids and smaller ones. It has a dog park and a gazebo in the center. Every month has a different theme and the lights will change accordingly. Right now, the lights on the gazebo are light blue and twinkling. We take our time down the path at a slow pace, hand in hand, and in awkward silence. A small group of men are playing basketball on the courts across the park. A pair of bikes races by us, lights cutting through the darkness in front of them. Some teens are gathered in the gazebo, playing music from a phone. The silence between us is suffocating.
