Alright, maybe I was little depressing at the end of that last one. But it was a good build-up for this one, I think. I hope this was better than the last. I hope this holds the fluff I promised in the last one.

Continuation of The Party's Not Over (J20)

The Afterparty Is Even Better

He opened the door to a small cafe on the south side of his home city. It was Josh's first time coming here, despite it being only a mile away from his apartment. He chose a booth in the back of the shop. He closed out the messages to his co-worker who apparently didn't know the hint being given when a girl gave you the number to a Chinese restaurant instead of their phone. "Poor bastard," Josh sighed to himself.

"Yes, you are." A cheery voice said to him. He looked up to find a blonde smiling, grabbing a pencil from her apron. His heart stopped in disbelief.

she seemed to have the same reaction, dropping her pencil onto the table. They both realized what a nervous tension they were created by the noise of the pencil hitting the ground, rolling off the edge. Josh and Maya scrambled to grab it, hitting their foreheads together as a result. Maya gasped in surprise over pain, but he still asked if she was okay.

It had been a year since his random night-out where he met a mysterious, but nonetheless heartbreaking blonde. And here she was.

"Yeah." Maya stood up, taking her pencil with her, and walked away from his booth. Josh bit his lip in response to a number of things. He was still in shock of what had just occurred, what was still occurring to him; this may be a second chance to get her number and fix that embarrassing kiss.

Josh watched her walk up to the counter and lean over to a brunette. The brunette, much to Maya's obvious dismay, pushed her back in the direction of his booth. He hurriedly looked for a menu but realized he didn't have one. Maya avoided eye contact with the Matthews. "Do you know what you would like today? A menu? Instructions to the door?" He heard her mumble the last suggestion but pretended he didn't hear it.

"Actually, yeah. Um, so you don't owe it to me, but an explanation would be nice." Josh leaned in at her uncomfortable look, forgetting all his nice guy routines. "Why'd you disappear like that? Was I just being too forward, or something? You were really shady."

Maya sighed. "In half an hour, be here, okay? I get off then, I can talk then. Now, an actual order? Or get out, of course."

"Rude," Josh raised his brows at her.

"One, I'm rude to everyone. Anyone who says I'm nice is a pathological liar. Two, it's the real policy. No free wifi."

"Oh," he looked down. "Coffee? Black?"

"He's still here, isn't he?" Maya asked her friend and co-worker, Riley. The brunette smirked enthusiastically. Maya glared at her, knowing she was digging (her actual words) the potential relationship. "I hate this jerk," Maya complained, but it was so flatly a lie. The truth was she had thought about him every once in awhile over the year, even if they had only met for a night and never again.

"I wasn't looking for a relationship then," Maya started when she enough courage to walk over to Josh's booth. She sat down across from him.

"Understandable. But why didn't you just say that?" The real question was why he was still so hung up on a one-night fling that wasn't even a fling. Just a one-night.

"It was awkward. I'd just gotten out of another relationship that just didn't... Stir anything.I thought I lost my tether to romantic feelings, I was in a funk. Look," Maya sighed, "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings or your ego, okay?"

"I don't want you to apologize. I've always wondered if I shouldn't have taken that risk or if it was inevitable," Josh explained. "But if you hadn't been out of a relationship, would you have kissed me back?" Josh smiled a bit, trying to lift the tension.

Maya let out a playful scoff. "Sure. I mean, I was a little tipsy, so..." She grinned, telling him she did know how to not cower out of awkwardness.

"Well, so was I. Probably the reason I took such a chance but the chemicals. I'm much smoother sober, I promise." They shared a laugh.

"Okay, okay. I've got one: You're like a candy bar, half sweet and half nuts." Maya gave Josh an amused but surprised look, before bursting out with a laugh.

"Oh, yeah? How about, 'Do you work at Starbucks? Because I like you a Latte.'" Josh chuckled but shook his head.

"I so win. That was not as bad as it could have been." They were walking down the street to Maya's apartment, comparing bad pick-up lines. It had turned dark, the sky grey with clouds.

"No way!" Maya protested, grabbing keys from her purse that hung over her shoulder.

Josh just raised his brows, with a fainting smile. "So..." He smiled, trailing purposely off.

"So...?" Maya glanced at the door of her home. It was a cheap but comfortable Her mother used to complain it wasn't a house and she didn't have a real relationship, but Maya defended it until the end.

"I was thinking we could do this again... Sometime - maybe. If you wanted to, anyway -" Josh stopped himself with and closed his eyes. He laughed nervously. "So I'm not good, never been good at asking people out. Could you help me with that?"

There was a pause. Not only in Maya or Josh, but it felt like she was stuck in some slow-motion movie. The first thing she thought to do was kiss him like it was a year ago and they had just met. Like she never turned him down. But Maya chalked that up to being a binger on Netflix and listened more closely to the second and third thoughts. Two was to run and turn him down again. Three, however, was much more appealing.

"Meet me here, Friday. Is eight okay?" Maya asked, tightening her hold on her bag in desperation for this to be a good thing.

Josh nodded quickly, looking renewed with hope and optimism.

"I know a drive-in. I'll get pizza if you're still interested then," Maya said.

"I will be," Josh assured the blonde. She smiled at him, chuckling with positivity. Riles would be fangirling. She wouldn't admit that she went up to her room and instantly started searching her closet for the right outfit.

The days were long and slow thanks to Josh deciding the only thing in that coffee shop for him was Maya. He hadn't come after she had given in to a date. Eventually, Friday came around and she had convinced herself that the date would be nothing grand if he even came. (Her hopes were low, and her expectation was to expect for the worst and not be disappointed. Though she was often disappointed.)

There was no waiting by the phone, but the door was another thing. When she heard the buzzer part of her was hoping it was her neighbor Sandra's "secret" admirer bringing up flowers again. It was nearly Valentine's Day after all, and the old woman always looks forward to seeing a little something on her doorstep. Maya thought of Sandra almost like a grandmother and was always so close to telling her she knew the admirer was the old man Fred down the hall. He'd sworn her to secrecy, however.

Instead, the voice of her date came through a static-including intercom. "Hey, uh, it's Josh?"

"Coming down," Maya said, after waiting a few seconds to ensure that he didn't think she was standing there waiting for him. Even if that was precisely what she had been doing. Maya took a deep breath and tugged on her leather jacket. It made her feel confident and strong, especially with a white T and dark skinny jeans. It was her go-to confident clothes. She smirked, feeling a sudden rush of the magic it did on her and walked down the stairs to her date.

"Hey," she greeted him with a grin. It only grew as he took a look at her, sweeping her entire body. The only thing she could see as everyday wear was her sneakers. But they were cleaned and a good brand, so Maya paid little attention to them. "What kind of pizza are you thinking?"

"Oh," Josh smiled, "I don't really mind any kind. You look great, by the way." Maya tipped her head downwards.

"Flattering," Maya chuckled. She bit her bottom lip gently, unknowingly. Maya really wanted this to be a true and good thing.

Not long later, Maya and Josh were sitting comfortably on the back of his car. The fact that it wasn't fancy at all made her feel more secure, however weird it made her sound in her head. Maya always had some conspiracy about The Man and how rich people always turned into some sort of a douchebag. It was her teenage years, the only part of them that stayed with her throughout life, though now she kept them to herself.

"He's totally into her," Josh whispered in her ear. They were watching a movie about a rich man (How ironic, Maya thought to herself) and a low-life virgin. She still didn't understand why the name involved grey, but whatever.

"Yep. But he's more into those mommy issues. Plus he's a complete control freak." Josh looked at her, making a funny face.

"So? Don't girls dig that?" She just grinned and nudged him with her whole body, holding a slice of pizza.

Josh ended up driving to Maya's first, claiming that if he was stealing the last of the pizza, he was also driving the girl home. Maya laughed most of the movie, making a few people telling them to quiet down. Josh had quietly mocked them and played a mean and meaningless game of cruel backstories leading them to that very moment.

"I had a good time. Best time I've had in awhile, actually," she admitted on the drive back. Josh just smiled broadly, like it was a great accomplishment to treat her the way he did. Like a Queen, truthfully, she added in her head. Maya laughed, suddenly.

"What is it?" Josh asked from the passenger seat.

"That movie is so weird! I'm going to nightmares," she shook her head with a smirk. "I mean, it feels like I just watched the insane version of an X film. And with good quality." Maya looked at him. Josh was trying his damnest not to laugh as hard as she was, but it proved difficult. "What did you think?"

He took a moment, still choking down laughter. "I think... It was the best camera quality I've seen on an X film." Maya covered her mouth, trying to contain her giddy laughter. It felt good to let go of the stress of life that she had been tying with her. it was like the metaphor in Two Broke Girls: a rock and a balloon. Maya was both on herself.

"This is where I let out," she killed her last laugh to say as they approached her building. Maya thought on something, then looked over to her date. He was still smiling which felt amazingly good on her. "Do you have a pen?"

It was in his dash. Maya took it out and took his arm. "In case you want another good storytelling." She scribbled ten small digits on his palm.

Josh just looked at her, the blonde who had haunted his occasional dream for about a year. He leaned, this time not wasting time thinking about it. Josh wasn't sure if it was the air, or that this time they had actually been sober, but the touch of her lips seemed softer and more entrancing than the last time. Maybe it was just his memory fogging things, but he didn't mind. Maya cupped his cheek and leaned in. Josh most certainly did not care about comparing the kisses at that action.

"Call me," was all she said, in a quiet voice, but sure in what she wanted, when she pulled away. Maya got out and left Joshua Matthews wondering what kind of hellish land he had just landed himself into because he wanted her back in his car as soon as she got out. He could still taste strawberry on his lips. He wanted to know if it was lip gloss of just her, and he would be sure as hell calling her.

Looking up he saw the same brunette from Maya's work standing in a window. She was smirking down at his car and mouthed something. Josh couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like, "Endgame."