Coffee? Or Tea?

Kelsi pulled up to Java Joes and parked her mom's sedan with caution, still not used to driving after being away in New York City for so long. 6:45, she was early, but she headed inside anyways, hoping she'd beat Jason there so she could pick up the tab after he'd bought her a drink the night before. When she entered but didn't see him, she texted him for his order and got in line, the tapping of her foot not out of impatience with the queue.

Suddenly, a suave voice rang though the coffee shop."Hey! Look who it is, Kelsi Nielsen!"

Kelsi looked over her shoulder and saw a face she hoped she'd never see again, the face of Kade Richards. She recognized him from the basketball team. He had always been hanging around, trying to hit on her, never taking the hint that she wasn't interested in him.

"Oh, hi Kade," she said flatly, "how are you?"

"Not too bad, it's good to see you. What brings you back to town? Thought you were at Juilliard?"

She checked her phone and stepped up to the counter to order her tea and a black coffee for Jason. "Just home for the summer," she replied.

"That sounds cool." He couldn't help but notice her order and asked, "you meeting someone?"

"Yes, I am actually," she replied with a short but polite tone, hoping it would be enough to get him to leave her alone.

"Well looks like they stood you up. How about you hang with me instead?" he asked with a hand on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes and moved his hand off her shoulder.

"I'm just early and don't touch me, Kade."

"Hey, come on, Kelsi, lighten up. I didn't mean any harm, just thought you and I should do something tonight since you're all alone."

She made her way to the end of the counter to pick up her order, with Kade following her every move. "I have a date, Kade. What part of that did you miss?" she said impatiently. Why did she have to be so punctual?

"How about I wait with you? Then when your date doesn't show, I'll take you out for a drink and some fun."

Kelsi turned around and fought very hard not to throw both of the steaming drinks right in the creep's face. She stared squarely into Kade's eyes. "No thank you. Now if you'll excuse me," she said and shoved past him. It still wasn't enough as he kept following her outside, grabbing her elbow to try and stop her again.

"Come on, short stuff, I won't take no for an answer."

"Clearly," she muttered under her breath as she tried to pull her arm free, careful not to lose the hot coffee in her hand. "How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone, Kade?"

"Hey, Richards!" a firm voice said behind her. She turned to see Jason slam the door of his Jeep and step quickly towards her. "The hell's going on here? Are you alright, Kelsi?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she snapped, finally pulling her arm free. "Get lost, Kade. I told you I'm busy tonight."

Kade scoffed in response to Jason taking the coffee from Kelsi and glared back at his former teammate. He towered over Jason, even if Jason was clearly the stronger between them. "Wait wait," he said as he tried to stifle a laugh, "you and Cross? Out for a date?! That's a good one. Come on, Kelsi, you and me, let's ditch this—"

"Are you fucking deaf, Kade?" Jason said sternly. Kelsi's eyes shot open in surprise, having never heard Jason curse much before. "She said she's busy." And it was in her defence too. She instinctively reached for his free hand, holding her breath that it would do the trick to get Kade to leave.

Kade stared back at Jason and tried to laugh off the comment, but Jason's iron expression made him a bit uncertain. He knew Jason had a reputation, never starting a fight, but always finishing them. "Alright fine, you wanna waste your time with Cross? Go ahead. Maybe I'll see you around, Kelsi, if you're still looking for a good time," Kade said, hoping to rile Jason up. Only Jason just stood there with a calm expression as he held onto Kelsi's hand, a silent cue that he was confident he had won this one. Kade finally turned away to head back into the coffee shop.

"Thanks, Jason," she said, still feeling a warm flutter over how he'd intervened for her as she released his hand. "I don't understand what's with that guy, he just wouldn't leave me alone."

"Well not every guy knows how to ask a girl out," he replied with a shrug. "He always gave me the creeps, good ball player though."

"It's not like he even knew me in high school, probably just looking for another notch in his bedpost."

"That's true, he's one of those, just after pretty girls," Jason muttered as he took a sip of his drink. "Thanks for the coffee, what'd you get?"

Kelsi smiled at the subtle compliment and took a sip of her own tea. "London Fog, it's a latte with Earle Grey tea and vanilla. How's that black motor oil of yours?"

"It's great," Jason said and took another sip before looking down the street. "So do you want to just walk around for a bit?"

Kelsi looked across the road towards the lush green trees of a nearby park. "I saw Robinson Park put up their summer light display, let's cross the street and have a look." They headed for the corner and crossed the quiet intersection, the late evening sun casting long shadows as it sat low above the horizon. The pair strolled into the park and took in the spectacle around them. Kelsi instinctively looped her arm around the crook of Jason's arm that angled out from his hand being stuffed into his pocket, just like she had that one night at Lava Springs. He felt the warmth in her touch, it was friendly, familiar, and comforting despite how much it made his heart race.

Overhead, strings of festive lights twinkled like fireflies trapped in a web. The surrounding trees, usually silent sentinels, were adorned with clusters of fairy lights, their warm glow illuminating the laughter and conversations that filled the air on this delightful summer evening.

"Wow! This is better than I remembered!" Kelsi exclaimed in wonder at the sparking lights overhead. As they passed under a lush oak tree, Jason looked over at her eyes, how the soft green tone glowed under the sparkle of the warm fairly lights above her made his heart skip more beats than he could count.

"Yeah, it's really nice," he said, only he wasn't looking up at the trees. They walked on, the lights becoming brighter as the night crept over the park. "Hard to believe it's been three years," Jason said.

Kelsi nodded, her eyes sparkling with a hint of nostalgia. "Time flies, doesn't it?"

"That's for sure, so tell me more about Juilliard and New York," Jason said. They walked the whole length of the park, with Kelsi recounting all the drama of the winter show coming up.

"So you're composing all of the music then?" Jason asked as they came to sit on a bench at the end of the park together.

Kelsi took a long sip of her tea and nodded. "Yeah, this is a new show, I'm collaborating with another student who wrote it, but sometimes we do plays that are already written. You should have seen our production of Moulin Rouge last year, what a mess that one was, but we pulled it off."

Jason listened intently, his heart swelling with a mix of admiration and longing. He had always been drawn to Kelsi's vibrant spirit, her infectious laughter, and the way her eyes seemed to hold a universe of dreams. "I can't imagine what the shows must be like there, after what we managed to pull off in high school, all the work that went into those. Juilliard must just be on another level."

"Yeah it's pretty heavy, but I love it. Just being totally immersed in music has been a dream come true." Jason smiled at the way her eyes lit up when she talked about music, he had never noticed how deep her love for it was, but tonight it was written all over her face. "I have some online prep meetings here and there through the summer, but it's nice that this year I actually have a break." She heaved a heavy sigh and swirled the foam in her latte. "Thankfully it's just a phase, this college life. But enough about me, tell me more about what you've been doing."

"Well," he started, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips, "right after graduation, I got a job at Joe's Auto Repair. You know, the one on Central?"

Kelsi nodded, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "I know it, but I had no idea you were into cars."

"Yeah," Jason admitted, a shy smile spreading across his face. "I always loved tinkering with stuff, and Mr. Henderson's auto shop class was the only thing that really kept me going in high school."

"So, you started at Joe's..." Kelsi prompted, her voice gentle.

"Yeah, just changing oil and tires at first," Jason continued, his voice gaining confidence as he delved into his story. "But I picked things up pretty quick, started shadowing the other mechanics, asking a million questions." He paused, a hint of pride in his voice. "Joe noticed, then after a few months, he offered me an apprenticeship. I couldn't believe it."

"That's incredible, Jason!" Kelsi exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration.

Jason shrugged, a bashful grin on his face. "I guess so. I mean, I never thought I could make a career out of this. But the apprenticeship has been amazing. I've learned so much. Then I started taking night classes at CNM, got a couple of ASE certifications done. I worked crazy hours, barely saw the guys except for basketball, my nonna asked my mom if I'd died. It was rough, but now I'm almost finished my apprenticeship, just a few more months to go."

Kelsi's jaw dropped slightly. "Wow, but doesn't an apprenticeship usually take like four years?"

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, it does on eight hour days, but when Joe's slowed down, I moved over to West End Classics. They were swamped with work and two of their mechanics had just left. I managed to slip in at the right time and worked a lot of ten and twelve hour days."

"No wonder your family thought you died!" she exclaimed. "All that work, plus night classes, you must have been exhausted!"

"I was," he sighed and sipped his coffee, "I know I wasn't exactly the star student in high school, but I guess I finally found something I'm good at, something I'm passionate about. And that's made all the difference."

Kelsi smiled warmly, reaching out to touch his hand. "It certainly has," she whispered. "You should be so proud of yourself, Jason. You've done so well."

"Yeah, I worked so hard for so long, getting my hours in, late nights studying for the written exams, but I feel like I have a lot to show for it so it was worth it. I'm interested in a few more courses that get me some specialized licenses. Just more opportunities I guess."

"That's awesome, I'm glad you found something you're passionate about and made an awesome career out of it," Kelsi replied with a smile. "So you never left Albuquerque then? Fill me in on all the drama while I've been away."

Jason shook his head and delved delved into their shared memories, their laughter echoing through the park. As she wiped away a few tears of laughter at a hilarious story Jason told about the basketball team's lucky playoff socks, he couldn't help but notice how Kelsi's eyes met his. Was it his imagination, or was there a spark of something more between them?

Kelsi, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of emotions. She had enjoyed Jason's company tonight, his easygoing nature and genuine interest in her life. Was he just being friendly, or was there something deeper beneath the surface?

As the evening wore on, their conversation turned to their hopes and dreams for the future. Jason seemed pretty content to work for someone else, never wanting to be a business owner, but still eager to progress into other auto work like motorcycles or body repair. Kelsi shared her aspirations of opening her own music studio, her voice filled with a desire to share her love of music with others.

Eventually their laughter faded into a comfortable silence, the arid night air heavy with unspoken feelings that neither was sure they should voice.

Finally, Jason broke the silence. "Kelsi," he began, "I don't know if I've ever told you that I've always admired you. Your talent, your passion, your spirit. You're incredible."

Kelsi's cheeks flushed, her heart pounding in her chest. "Thanks, Jason," she said, letting the compliment sink deep. She was still surprised at how comfortable she felt with Jason. He'd always been a sweet guy, but now there was a maturity about him, a confidence that was undeniably attractive.

"So," Jason interrupted her thoughts, "any other exciting summer plans?"

Kelsi hesitated, then a sly smile crept over her face. "Oh you know, just working and spending time with family and friends. And maybe staying connected with some old ones."

Jason's heart skipped a beat. Was she flirting with him? He decided to take a chance, but he was acutely aware of the delicate balance of their rekindled connection, not wanting to blow it with her again. "Well, if you're looking for someone to show you what's changed around here, I'm your guy."

Kelsi laughed, "I'd like that."

Jason glanced at his watch, the time creeping towards the double digits. "Oh man, it's getting late and I have to work tomorrow." Jason said, disappointment lacing his voice that he had to bring their time to an end.

"Oh right, I'm sorry," Kelsi replied, "guess we better go back." They strolled back out of the park, the street lights illuminating the comfortable smiles that graced their lips. As they neared the crosswalk, Kelsi's mind whirled back to the years they had spent in high school together, the classes they shared, the summer job at Lava Springs, the final show at East High, but above all she couldn't get the feeling of his arms around her at that championship game out of her mind. She caught herself dreaming about being wrapped in his arms again when suddenly she was being pulled into them.

"Kelsi! Watch out!" As a late night cyclist whizzed towards them, Jason quickly grabbed her shoulders and ripped her out of the way and out of her daze.

"Geez, what the hell?!" she exclaimed loudly, the cyclist flying on without so much as a glance behind him.

"That was close," Jason said, pulling her instinctively close to his chest, "you okay?" Kelsi's shoulders rose slightly, his firm hold on her providing a sense of comfort and safety though the danger was long passed. She eased away from him and blushed heavily.

"Yeah… thanks." She hadn't been hit by a bike, but his touch had made her far from okay.

Jason walked Kelsi to her car, debating in his mind what would be an appropriate way to say good bye to her tonight after all that had happened. When she turned and opened her arms for a hug, he smiled that he didn't have to think too hard with her. He wrapped her in his strong arms and held her close, a hug that lingered, just like it had the night before.

"Listen, Kelsi," he said when their embrace ended, "I was wondering if you had any plans for Memorial Day? The shop is closed so I have the whole day off. Would you like to go to lunch with me?"

Kelsi hesitated. She knew she didn't have any plans, but she questioned whether she should. There was definitely a pull between them. She'd never forgotten their brief summer romance, and now, seeing him again, she wondered if there was still something there. But she was also hesitant to rush into anything, especially with her final year at Juilliard looming. The hopeful look in his warm brown eyes made her push all the worry aside and nod her head in agreement. "I'd like that."

"Great," he said with an excited smile, "lady's choice then. You let me know where you want to go and I'll meet you there around noon?"

"Okay, I'll let you know," she said and turned to open her car door. "Good night, Jason, it's been really great to see you again. I missed you." Without another word she slid into her car and fired it up.

Jason walked back to his Jeep, a spring in his step and an uncontrollable smile on his face.