Chapter One

There is a coffee shop exactly three minutes and thirty-four seconds away from my House
I go even though I think the coffee is crap and my excuse is homework
It takes me exactly twenty-three steps to get from the car parked in the far parking spot In The parking lot to the front door of the building
And another ten to get to the counter where I place my order
Not only is that the place where I ordered my first Twisted Sister
But it is also the place where I first saw you
The real reason I frequent this coffee shop that I never actually order coffee at

When I walk through the door I feel my heart hesitate on step eight when I see you
The site of you hit me like a wrecking ball
You hair like a tidal wave and your eyes like sirens both ready to wreck my life in the Best way possible
I convince my feet to take the last two steps and you greet me smiling
You compliment my outfit and I make a joke about being too hipster for my own good And you laugh
That sound
That beautiful symphony made my whole world stop spinning and my head start
You have no idea how you affected me at that first meeting

After that I went back to that coffee shop multiple times a week to do homework hoping To see you each time I took that twenty-third step to the front door
Every time you were there you made a point to talk to me
Even once getting distracted and and sitting at my table instead of leaving
You sat down at the seat across from me and said hi
Somehow your voice cuts through my noise cancelling headphones and dances across My eardrums like flower petals
I look up from my computer screen and see you smiling at me
That sight makes my heart drop to my toes
It then scrambles to recover climbing up my bones and rising back up to my chest as my Voice rises out of my throat tripping over my teeth and my tongue in response to you

You asked if I was busy
I was but I lied and put my computer away so that you would stay
We talked for hours telling stories and getting to know one another
The shop closed and we simply sat outside and continued speaking with one another
Throughout the entire conversation my heart was pounding
And I was trying to build up the courage to ask you out
You beat me to it
You asked if I wanted to see a movie and I could barely get the words out in an attempt At responding

Absolutely