It had been a slow morning at the coffee shop, the kind where the usual hum of activity was replaced by the quiet chatter of a few customers and the occasional clink of a spoon on a mug. He’d gotten used to these days—days where he could let his mind wander a bit while doing the usual barista routine. But today? Something was different.

It wasn’t like he was looking for anything in particular, but his eyes always seemed to find her.

She had walked in with her usual crowd of friends. Loud, playful, yet easygoing. She had this way of being the center of her group, yet everything she did radiated warmth.

She had that soft, almost shy smile on her face as she glanced at him from over her friends’ shoulders, and for a second, it almost looked like she was debating something.

Then she made eye contact.

He could feel his lips twitch, but he quickly turned away, pretending to focus on the register, mostly because it felt like if he kept looking, she’d know that he noticed her. He didn’t want to seem too... eager, even though he totally was.

He went about preparing their drinks, the familiar motions almost comforting, until he caught her eyes again, this time through the corner of his vision. It was like some unspoken challenge—her gaze lingering for just a moment longer than normal. Was she... teasing him?

His hand paused mid-air with the milk frother as his thoughts briefly betrayed him.

When he slid the drinks onto the counter for her group, he tried to keep his tone casual. "Here you go. One caramel macchiato, and a vanilla latte for you."

She didn’t speak. But there was this warmth to her presence, a quiet comfort that felt different. He always found himself wanting to know more about her, but she was a puzzle he didn’t have the pieces to just yet.

But just as he was about to turn away, her friend nudged her chair forward—just enough to make her stumble.

It was almost like some weird, perfect movie moment. He wasn’t sure if it was instinct or the fact that he'd seen her stumble a few times before, but his arm reached out automatically, catching her by the shoulders.

He felt the brief weight of her against him, a soft, startled gasp escaping her lips, and in that moment, everything seemed to slow down just a bit.

She was so close.

He hadn’t even realized how close, until he caught her wide and a little flustered eyes. Her hands gripped the fabric of his sleeves, and the air between them felt charged. He could hear her breath, quick and a little uneven.

"You okay?" His voice came out low—almost teasing—but there was no way to hide the amusement in his eyes. He wasn’t going to let this moment slip past him. Here she was, vulnerable, in his arms. It was... endearing, and maybe a little sweet.

He waited for her response, but there was no word from her—only a few moments of stillness before she nodded, her face flushed a soft pink.

He smiled. “You sure?”

She nodded again, though it was more of a nervous gesture than an answer.

And that’s when her friends, ever the mischievous bunch, began to push her toward him—just enough that it would be obvious to anyone that they were teasing her.

With a soft gasp, she almost lost her balance again. She was so close—too close, and yet not close enough, and he couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at his lips as he caught her.

Her hands, still gripping his sleeves, were warm, and the tension in the air between them was undeniable. She tried to avoid looking up at him, her eyes flicking everywhere but his face.

“Well,” he said softly, trying to make the moment last a little longer, “seems like you need a little more balance around here.”

She gave him an awkward, shy smile.

He could feel her nerves, but there was something about her—something that made him want to hold her there, in this ridiculous rom-com moment. But instead, he decided to lean in just a little, his voice quiet enough for just her to hear.

“How about I make sure you don’t get too wobbly next time?”

Her eyes widened.

Gotcha.

Without thinking, he pulled out his phone and offered it to her. “Here, take my number. In case you need a hand... or two.”