Wednesday

"It's quiet tonight."

I take a drink of my coffee.

"Yeah," she says. "It usually is on Wednesdays."

I think that she must not make much in tips.

And for some reason, that bothers me.

"I'm sorry."

Her face scrunches up.

I can see the white of her teeth as they press into her bottom lip.

I wonder what she's thinking.

"Why are you sorry?"

"That it's slow."

"I don't mind," she says, leaning on the counter. "It just so happens that my most generous tipper is in tonight."

I smile at her.

I wish she would lean in closer.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah," she says. And just like that, my wish comes true. "Really."

"What's his name?"

"How do you know it's a him?"

She grins.

"You're right," I agree. "What's her name?"

I grin.

And also want to reach out and touch the single strand of hair that has fallen over her face.

Instead, I hold my cup tighter. With both hands.

"Edwina."

I chuckle.

She tries to maintain a straight face.

She can't.

And that makes me happy. Like, I know that she's honest…that she can't lie.

"Edwina?" I repeat and then lean in to whisper. "Don't tell her, but that's not a really pretty name."

"I think it's a really pretty name."

Her chin is in her hands.

My eyes drop. Involuntarily, of course.

And I see the slightest hint of cleavage.

My eyes shoot back to hers and I wonder if she noticed.

"It's not as pretty as Bella."

Nothing is, really.

She's blushing and I don't know if it's from my words or my wandering eyes.

I hope it's my words.

"Are you on Facebook?" I ask.

"That's random."

"I was just," I say, "well, I was just wondering."

"Are you on Facebook?"

"Isn't everyone on Facebook?"

"Yeah, probably," she concedes. "Why? Did you want to stalk me?"

She's kidding.

I think.

Fuck, maybe she thinks that's what I'm doing.

"I wouldn't, you know…do that," I tell her.

I'm lying.

Right now my hand is itching to pick up my phone and look at her Facebook page. To look at her relationship staus and see if she's single.

She has to be single.

Right?

And then I think that she's right here in front of me. I could just ask her.

Yeah.

That's not gonna happen.

"I know," she says. "Besides, you don't even know my last name. You wouldn't be able to find me."

She smiles at me.

I think she's flirting.

I flirt back.

Well, I try to flirt back.

"You could tell me, you know."

My voice is thick. Like I have something in my throat.

It's probably my heart.

"What?" she asks. "My last name?"

"Yeah," I tell her.

"But how would I know that you wouldn't go looking for me on Facebook?"

"You wouldn't," I tell her.

She's leaning in closer.

She smells like flowers and girl and coffee and pie.

I breathe in.

"I'm not that interesting," she says. "I only have like…I don't know…five friends."

"Five friends are a lot," I tell her.

She's biting her lip again and I'm grateful.

Looking at her lips means I'm not looking at her breasts.

Or the hint of them that I just saw a few minutes ago.

"Not on Facebook," she says. "You probably have a bunch of friends, don't you?"

"I have a few," I tell her. "On Facebook. Not so much in real life."

I don't know why I told her that.

She makes me say things out loud.

She probably thinks I'm weird now.

A social reject.

Awkward.

"Hmmm…" she hums. "Why is that?"

"Why is what?"

"The friend thing. Why don't you have many friends in real life?"

She doesn't move.

She's still leaning in. In fact, I think she's even closer now.

"I'm sorry," she says. Her eyes fall. "I don't mean to…I mean, I wasn't trying to pry."

Without thinking, I reach my hand out.

I touch her elbow that's resting on the counter.

I hear her take in a deep breath and my eyes shoot up to hers.

Wide.

Brown.

Beautiful.

And she doesn't pull away.

"It's okay," I tell her.

And it is.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You just seem…" she starts, "I mean. Well, I would want…"

I'm still touching her.

And her voice is soft.

And yeah...my hand is still on her elbow.

I'm still touching her.

Bella.

"You would want…?"

I squeeze gently.

"Nothing."

Her skin is soft like her voice.

Warm, too.

I wonder if she uses lotion.

"What?"

"No…nevermind."

"Tell me."

Please.

She blows the stray hair out of her face.

Her breath smells like spearmint.

"I would want…to be your friend," she whispers.

And blushes.

And I die.

And smile.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

I stare at her.

Like an idiot.

Like an idiot who doesn't speak.

Like a mute idiot.

It's awkward.

I try to form words…and can't.

Her words are too much.

Her words that are pretty…the same way that she's pretty.

"You need some more coffee."

And with that, she pulls away.

Taking her smile and her spearmint breath and her soft elbow with her.

Along with her words.

And I want to pound my head into the counter.

She's back in less than a minute and she fills my cup.

Her hand is shaking.

And I want to hold it.

So much.

"Bella?" I say.

Her eyes are on the coffee pot, but then they look up.

At me.

"Yeah?"

I take a deep breath.

"I would…um…you know…"

Butterflies.

Yeah…they're in my stomach.

"You would…what?"

I clear my throat.

"I would…yeah…I would like that."

She smiles.

"You would?"

She smiles more.

Lips stretching over her teeth.

Beautiful.

She doesn't even bite down.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"And Bella," I say.

No longer mute.

No longer stupid.

"What?"

"I would want to be your friend, too."

More.

I want to be more.

But friends…friends is a start.

Good.

A good start.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Swan," she says. "My last name is Swan."

She smiles.

I beam.

"Can I be your number six?"

This flirting.

It's getting easier.

"Send me a Friend Request."

.

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.

.

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A/N

Reviews are love.

Please leave me some.

All of you have just blown me away with all the love for this story.

Seriously.

I can't stop smiling.

Thank you for loving them…and me.

I adore you all…so much.

And as always…thanks and love to Marvar. Without whom, what you just read would be far less stellar. Really. WAY LESS. Also, she is the one who inspires me to write. And cheers me on when I'm not feeling up to it. Oh…and she's pretty.

See you in the morning!