***** One Week Later - Brenley's Point of View *****
I walked into Campus Perk and the place was busy as usual, with couples sitting around the fire sipping their coffees and tables of students studying. That reminded me that I had a test I needed to study for later. I had tried the night before, but I couldn't focus.
"Hey Dave," I said to my manager as I walked behind the bar and slipped on my black apron, tying it behind me.
"How are you?" he asked with a smile. His brown curly hair was covering his forehead and he was wearing a black superman t-shirt that showed how skinny his arms were and dark jeans with a black apron just around his waist.
"I'm good," I said as I started wiping down the counter.
There was silence between us for a few seconds before he finally asked, "Are you really?"
I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. It's just, ever since you got back from California you haven't been yourself."
I stopped wiping and looked at him. His dark brown eyes were hidden behind his black rimmed glasses and he was looking at me eye to eye because we were practically the same height. Judging by the look on his face, he knew I was hiding something.
"Sorry. I guess maybe I have been a little distracted."
"A little?" he scoffed with a laugh. "That's the understatement of the year. I can't even tell you how many orders you've screwed up and how many complaints I've gotten in the last week. Usually all you get is compliments. What's up with you?"
"I'm sorry. I'll do better, I promise," I said with a long exhale, rubbing my hands over my face and then smoothing them over my hair, tightening my ponytail.
He nodded his head and then walked away into the back room without another word. I could tell it bothered him to have to get onto me like that because he had never had to before. I felt really bad about getting complaints from customers because I had always taken a lot of pride in my work. I needed to do better. I really couldn't afford to lose this job.
For the rest of my shift I tried to push all thoughts of Dylan out of my head and focus really hard on what I was doing.
That night as the last customer left, I locked the door and got busy wiping down tables and turning the chairs over on top of them so I could do a quick sweep and mop. Dave came out of the back room and started helping me and when we were done putting up the chairs, he stood there holding onto the legs of an upside down chair, letting out an exhale.
"Brenley, I ummmmmm," he laughed, raising a hand and rubbing the back of his neck. "There's something I need to ask you. I know this is strange timing and I should've done this a couple years ago, but I never could get up the nerve."
I scrunched my eyebrows at him. "A couple years? What could be so important you've been trying to get up the nerve to ask me for a couple years?"
Then it dawned on me and my eyes widened. Oh no this couldn't seriously be happening could it? Not Dave. Oh please don't let it be what I think it is.
"Brenley we've been working together for four years and I've never met anyone that tries to go out of her way to do a good job like you. You love to make people smile. You've always made me smile," he said, stepping away from the chair and taking a step towards me.
I was standing there frozen, feeling like the world was moving in slow motion and that this couldn't really be happening.
"Brenley, I love hanging out with you and I've seen the way you are with Ellie and your Dad. You're so sweet and thoughtful and caring, and that's exactly what I'm looking for."
He looked down and said, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I really like you. I have for a long time and I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I had to tell you."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing as I tried to put together a coherent thought. My brain was seriously exploding right now. I didn't see this coming in a million years.
I started pacing back and forth nervously, wringing my hands on the washcloth I was holding, trying to figure out how to let him down easy and not hurt his feelings. Dave really was a great guy and one of the best friends I'd ever had, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. I finally stopped pacing and turned to face him.
"Dave. You've been such a good friend these past four years and I've felt so lucky to work with someone I get along with so well, someone that always makes me laugh and smile. You and Ellie are my best friends," I said, looking down at the washcloth in my hands.
I lifted my eyes and looked into his, building up the nerve to say what needed to be said. "You're a really great guy. You are. I just, ummmmm, I don't have those kinds of feelings for you," I said, cringing. It was painful having to turn down one of my best friends and possibly break his heart. I hated it.
He stood there processing my words and I could see a flash of hurt and embarrassment cross his face. He turned, grabbing onto the upside-down chair again to steady himself, thinking and letting out an exhale.
"I'm really sorry," I said quietly," laying a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "I hope that we can stay friends, because your friendship means a lot to me Dave."
He hesitated, thinking for a second and then turning his head towards me, searching my eyes before asking, "This doesn't have anything to do with Dylan Chase does it? Ever since you came back from California you've been acting super weird. Did something happen between you and him?"
I took a deep breath in and let it out before saying, "Well, we ummm. We started off as friends ........... but then it became more."
Dave scoffed and then laughed, throwing his head back.
"I knew it! You can't really be that naive!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Rich, famous guys like Dylan Chase don't fall for ordinary girls from Iowa that no one's ever heard of. He just said whatever he had to to get in your pants and you took the bait; hook, line and sinker. I thought you were smarter than that."
I was hurt and offended, but subconsciously I wondered if he might be right. Maybe I was just fooling myself to think Dylan ever had any real feelings for me. He was a really good actor after all, and I hadn't heard from him since I'd been back home. Maybe I was just another notch on his bedpost. Just thinking about it made my stomach ache and I looked down letting out an exhale, not sure what to say.
Dave looked at me with sympathy and his tone softened. "Sorry. I probably shouldn't have said that. Even though it's the truth, it was pretty insensitive of me."
I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest, still not looking at him.
"Hey, why don't you go home. I can finish up the mopping by myself."
"Are you sure?" I asked, raising my head and looking at him.
"Yeah," he nodded, giving me a weak smile.
I took off my apron and headed outside, getting into my Honda and laying my forehead against the steering wheel, closing my eyes.
***** Two Days Later *****
I gave a customer his change with a forced smile and then started wiping the counter off with an exhale. I wondered how long it was gonna take for me to finally get over this and feel like my old self again? Ever since my talk with Dave, I had been trying to act like everything was normal, but it definitely wasn't. I was just a little better at hiding it now.
The coffee shop door dinged, pulling me from my thoughts as a group of college students walked in. As they approached the counter one of the guys looked at me and said, "Hey, I think I've seen you in one of my classes."
He was tall and handsome with straight brown hair and blue eyes and he was wearing a basketball jersey with Morningside College written on the front. He was with three other guys that were wearing jerseys too.
"Umm. Yeah, I'm pretty sure we have Econ together. I never forget a face," I told him, forcing a friendly smile.
"Yeah. I think you're right. What's your name?" he asked.
"I'm Brenley."
"I'm Evan," he smiled.
"So Evan, what can I get for you?" I asked in as happy of a tone as I could muster at the moment.
"How about your number?" he asked with a mischievous smirk and his friends erupted and started patting his back and shoving him, laughing.
I laughed too. "Sorry, but I don't see my number anywhere on the menu," I said, pointing at the chalkboard menu hanging above our heads.
"I'm serious," he smiled.
I shook my head laughing. "So am I. It's not gonna happen."
"Fine, if you won't give me your number, how about I invite you to come watch my basketball game tonight? I promise I'm really good."
"If you were really good, you wouldn't be playing for a community college," I laughed.
His friends busted out laughing and one of his friends smacked his back and said, "She's got you there bro."
I saw him start to smile and he said, "You're not afraid to call me out on my bullshit. I like that."
I crossed my arms across my chest and let out a frustrated exhale. "So are you gonna order something or what?" I asked, starting to lose my patience.
"Yeah," he smiled. "I'll take a grande iced caramel macchiato with a double shot of espresso."
"See, now that wasn't so hard was it?" I asked sarcastically before I got to work making his drink. He stood there watching me as I made it and I could feel his eyes on me.
Dave slid over beside me and whispered, "Hey. I just want you to know there's no hard feelings about you turning me down the other day. I was disappointed, but I get it. You don't like me as more than a friend and I'm fine with that, but I hate seeing you moping around here all miserable and heartbroken. Maybe you should just go out with that guy. It might help you get over he who shall not be named."
I laughed. "He's not Voldemort Dave,"
"Yeah, but I think that nickname fits since it's a big secret and we can't say his name. It has a nice ring to it," he laughed. "Just think about it okay?"
The thought of going out on a date with somebody else didn't sound appealing at all, because I knew no one could compare to Dylan. Being with someone else would just make me miss him even more.
"I can't. Not yet," I sighed. "I think I just need to focus on school and work right now."
I turned around and handed the guy his coffee and watched him grab one of our business cards out of the holder. He flipped it over, scribbling something on the back.
"Here's my number in case you change your mind and you can keep the change," he said, handing me the business card and a ten dollar bill, giving me a flirty smile and a wink, before walking over to join his friends by the fireplace.
I looked down at the business card with his phone number scrawled on it and Dave walked up beside me and looked down at it too.
"Call him. Trust me. There's nothing better to get you over the last than the next," he said before patting my shoulder and walking away.