Short Story--Coffee Date--Date 1

It's my birthday week! That means a free short story. It's my gift to my readers to celebrate another year around the sun. This year, we're hanging out in a library (bet you didn't figure that out from the title). I'll post a piece of the story every day this week through Friday, so make sure you come back all week for the next scene.

All the other stories from the last five years are still on my blog under the link "Short Stories." Feel free to go back and read them. And in the meantime, here's the new one. Enjoy!

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​​Today was the day.

Kevin had been hemming and hawing about doing this for weeks now. Possibly even months. But no more.

He straightened his shoulders, tugged his sweater smooth, and drew a deep breath. The worst thing she could say was no, and this waiting around not knowing was worse than that in some ways. It was time.

Today, he would ask Stacy for a coffee date.
​
He put a hand on the door marked “Children’s Library Staff,” and pushed it open.

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“Hey, Kevin.” Stacy looked up from the stack of books she was repairing. “How are you this afternoon?”

He cleared his throat. “Fine. Just fine, thanks.”

“Great.” Stacy carefully taped a ripped page back together. “Was there something you needed?”

“No, I, um.” Kevin gave a slight cough again. “Yes.”

“You’re sounding rough this afternoon. Have you caught that cold that’s going around?”

“No. I’m fine.” And now he sounded like a broken record. Why couldn’t he find the words he needed? They had come out perfectly in front of his mirror that morning. For some reason, his own reflection wasn’t nearly as intimidating as the petite brunette sitting in front of him, her glasses sliding down her nose as she focused on her task.

“Okay.” She moved to another book.

“Anyway,” Kevin tugged at his collar, “I was wondering …”

“Hm?”

“I, um,” Kevin tried to lean nonchalantly against the doorframe, but misjudged where it was. His elbow slipped and he banged his shoulder against the wood.

“Oh! Are you okay?” Stacy jumped up, the book from her hands dropping to the floor.

“Fine.” The word was muttered, but he still cringed as he heard the repetition once more. He had a much better vocabulary than this most of the time.

“Hey, Stacy. We have an issue.” Felicia shoved past Kevin, knocking him into the doorframe once more. “Oh, sorry, Kev.”

“What’s wrong?” Stacy was following Felicia out of the room before Kevin could mutter another word.

He slammed his hand against the abusive door and groaned. So much for his grand plan of asking Stacy to join him for coffee. This was the closest he’d ever come, but it was still not close enough.

Who was he kidding? There was no way she could ever see anything in him anyway. He was just the nerd in charge of the reference desk, sometimes helping with the front desk. Nothing as important as Stacy’s job as the Head Librarian of the Children’s Department.

And now she thought he was sick. No way she’d go out with someone who might be contagious. Or who couldn’t say more than “I’m fine.”

​“Nincompoop.” He strode out and made his way back to his area of the library. He either needed a Plan B or a miracle. Or he needed to give up on the hope of sparking something with Stacy.

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What do you think? Will Kevin be able to work up the nerve to ask out Stacy? Come back tomorrow to find out what happens next.