Beta's Second Chance

Coffee

When Maverick finished exercising, he wanted to return home to shower and choose his outfit for the coffee date. Matthias was hesitant, but since Maverick was insistent, he let his Beta return to his house.

Returning to his house was painful since it held so many memories, but Maverick had to confront his past to heal. It took him ten minutes to get to his house on foot since the pack's houses were close. His house was not as big as Matthias's, but it had a modern look, made of wood and stones. There was a little garden that had dead flowers; Ofelia loved flowers. When she died, Maverick lost the motivation to take care of it.

Once inside his house, it was dark and cold. The living room and kitchen were in disarray when the lights were turned on. It had been a couple of months since he had a clean house; his depression had gotten the best of him. Maverick went to the bathroom and showered, and when done, he slowly made his way to his room. There were beer bottles, boxes of takeout, and some of his uncleaned clothes when turning on the lights. An odor hit his nose, and he wanted to vomit. In his room were two closets; one held his clothes, and the other held Ofelia's. The Beta wasn't ready to open his deceased wife's closet, but he opened his closet, and there were a few of his clean clothes. 

It took him a couple of hours to try on and decide what to wear. He wore a simple black t-shirt that clung to his muscular body with a dark blue suit over it. Maverick also wore ironed dark blue jeans with dressy black shoes. His hair was clean-cut, and his face was clean-shaven. He also wore his favorite Aventus cologne. 

It was 6 p.m., and the Beta finally decided to go. He went to his garage, got inside his black Mustang car, and drove toward his destination. The traffic wasn't bad, and getting to the coffee shop was no trouble. Maverick arrived early but decided to wait for Iris in his car. When it was 7 p.m., Maverick exited his car and waited for Iris outside the Tierra Mia coffee shop. He could smell different spices in the shop; it was calming. Maverick needed something to soothe him since he would meet with Iris. 

Suddenly, a silver 2011 Honda drove into the parking lot of the coffee shop, and he knew it was Iris. Once the car parked, Iris got out of her car. Maverick felt his world go slow when he saw her in her tight, dark blue jeans, clinging to her bottom and legs. She wore a slightly loose tank-top white shirt with a dark jean jacket on top. She wore light makeup that made her face shine. Iris walked toward him, smiling. "Maverick, you're here. I thought you were going to back out."

Maverick snapped back to reality. "O-Of course, I would come here. It would be nice to have someone else to talk to." He cleared his throat, trying not to look at her too much. However, the scent of cinnamon and vanilla overwhelmed his nose. It was so addicting that he wanted to hold her in his arms.

Iris smiled as she motioned him inside the coffee shop; they were hit with the smell of handmade desserts and drinks. "Luckily, there aren't many people around. I know this place doesn't have the best parking spot or location."

"Which is why you picked it. I have a hunch that you knew many people wouldn't be here." He noticed her slight smirk. 

"Maybe." Iris looked at the menu, trying to hide her blush. "Everything here is good; I'm going to get a frappe. How about you?"

He looked at the menu, and although he wasn't used to many Mexican-style flavors, he was intrigued by all of them, even the desserts. "I'm thinking of getting something warm. What do you recommend?"

"Well, the horchata latte is delicious. You haven't had horchata before, have you?"

"I haven't, but I will try it out."

The two went to the cashier to make their orders, and once it was time to pay, Maverick was going to get out his credit card, but he was beaten to it. "I'm paying since this was my idea!" When he was about to speak out, she motioned away from the cashier when the drinks were paid. "Please don't feel guilty. Besides, we can meet each other again, and you can pay the next time." 

Maverick sighed as he put his credit card away. "It still doesn't feel right for me. I don't mind paying." He motioned her to sit by the windows, far from other people. "How can you be sure that we will meet again?" Deep down, Maverick wanted to see her again; by her actions alone, he could tell that Iris was strong-willed. 

She put her hands together on the table while looking at him. "Because I feel that you and I are similar. Although, I wouldn't have done what you were about to do." It got quiet between them. Iris felt wrong to bring up his attempted suicide. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it in a bad way."

"No, don't worry about it. You saved my life, and I'm grateful that you did. My best friend gave me an earful."

"Well, I'm glad. I can't imagine the pain of losing your loved ones, but you're brave for trying to start a new life." One of the employees announced their orders; Maverick motioned her to keep seated while he went to fetch their drinks. Once he arrived, he sat and gave Iris her drink; the two took sips. "Mmm, delicious. What do you think of your drink?"

He took a sip, and he tasted different spices. "It's pretty unique and tasty. I can feel it warm my stomach." Something was crossing his mind that he was curious about. "If I may ask, why were you at the park that night? There wasn't anyone else there." He noticed her body flinch momentarily. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

The young woman shook her head while taking a small sip of her frappe. "It's alright. It's only fair to know my side. I was at the park to express my emotions. I caught my now ex-fiance cheating on me with my sister."

Maverick almost spit out his drink. "I-I'm so sorry. No one should have to go through what you did. Betrayal is one of the worst things anyone can do toward a loved one." Anger built up in his gut that her sister betrayed her in such a manner. "Do your parents know?"

She sighed. "They know, but they only blame my ex, not my sister. They say that she's innocent and was seduced."

"You've got to be kidding me. They're defending and enabling her behavior. I think that's why your sister did what she did." A growl was suppressed as he saw her eyes soften; it looked like she wanted to cry. The Beta wished to find her ex and put him to shreds but was grateful that he was no longer in the picture. Strangely enough, they both went through something traumatic and found one another.

"That's how my parents always were. They never let me get away with anything while growing up since I'm the eldest. I was to make a good impression and be my sister's role model, but it was pointless. My sister parties and does drugs, while my parents live in denial." She shrugged her shoulders. "Now that I talk about this, I wonder if my family is just plain toxic."

They were silent momentarily; Maverick finished his drink. "It sounds like they are, but you're not like them. You seem to have a strong personality, and I know you will get over this pain and move on."

A smile crept on her lips. "I have to be strong, but it gets mentally draining. However, I have my best friend, who is letting me stay for a while until I find a place of my own."

This caught Maverick's attention. Iris was trying to find a place to stay; he and Matthias worked together in house and apartment estates and the traditional medicine field. He could have her close and would know where she would be. "You know, my friend and I just created a new apartment complex, and we need tenants there. Would you be interested?"

"R-Really? How much is the rent?"

"We try to keep rent reasonable, especially how everything is expensive now. The rent would be about $850 a month."

"Holy hell, that's a great deal, especially in this state! I would be very interested! Maybe my friend would like to move there too."

Maverick smiled. "I can give you a tour tomorrow at 11 a.m. It would allow me to have you meet my good friend."

He watched as Iris squealed in happiness. "Oh, thank you! I am so glad to have met you!" She stood and hugged him. Maverick felt his body turn warm at her touch. It's been so long since warm and loving hands were around him; the feelings were missed. 

"Oh, sorry, I just got excited!" she said, separating from the hug.

"I-It's no trouble. I-I'm glad I could be of some help. You know, I was wondering if we could see more of each other. As friends, of course." He didn't want to be just friends, but he wanted to know more about her and for her to do the same. Iris didn't know his true form and wanted to take the time to earn her trust.

Iris blushed. "Sure. I would like that very much."