The Kiss

Chapter 13

Tina's POV

My eyes suddenly snapped open and I looked at the ceiling, feeling like a zombie raised from the dead too early. What day is it, and what's the time? That's how I start every morning, trying to grasp reality before doing anything else. But before I could even sit up to find my phone, a sharp, hammering pain surged through my skull.

"Ugh!" I groaned, clutching my head as if that would somehow make it hurt less. "I am never drinking again."

I could practically hear Trisha's voice in my head saying, "If you get a headache, take some aspirin with coffee in the morning. Trust me." Yeah, sure, great advice... after she helped me get wasted. Honestly, what kind of friends get you drunk and only then share the hangover remedy? Right. Mine. I mentally cursed both Trisha and Veronica for the disaster that was my current existence.

Throwing back the comforter, I swung my legs out of bed and realized I was still wearing last night's clothes. Why didn't I change? I squinted, trying to piece together the remnants of last night's events, but it was like trying to reassemble a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from multiple boxes. Taxi... maybe some dancing... and then blank. Whatever. Aspirin and coffee, I reminded myself, hobbling toward the kitchen like a hungover Frankenstein.

I walked into the kitchen, prepared to make coffee at half eyes opened, when I noticed a male figure standing by the stove, calmly stirring something in a saucepan. My brain screeched to a halt.

Am I... in my own apartment? I scanned the room, blinking. Yep, that was my cleaned kitchen and my pineapple shaped cookie jar, and my little collection of motivational magnets on the fridge. I blinked a few more times, just in case my hangover was causing hallucinations. But nope He was still there.

To his credit, he had a good physique. Tall, strong shoulders... definitely easy on the eyes. But who is he? Wait.! Did I bring someone home? My eyes widened, and I felt my cheeks burn. Oh god, did we...? But a quick check confirmed I was in the same clothes from yesterday. Okay, so at least that embarrassing scenario was off the table. But if I didn't bring him home, did he... follow me here? I glanced at the counter and spotted a heavy glass jar filled with my favorite candies.

I grabbed the jar, ready to bash him with it if things got dangerous. My hand was shaking, but adrenaline surged as I carefully calculated the distance to the door.

"Who are you?" I demanded, lifting the jar threateningly.

The guy turned around and, to my complete shock, grinned. "Good morning to you too."

"Joe!" Relief and confusion flooded me. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He flashed me that easygoing smile that never failed to get me flustered. "That's me, at your service. And I was hoping for a 'thank you,' actually."

"Thank you?" I lowered the jar, my mind still reeling. "Thank you for what? And how did you even get in here?"

He laughed, grabbing a kettle and pouring hot water into a mug. "Wow, you really don't remember anything from last night, do you?"

"I remember enough," I lied, crossing my arms. "But I don't remember you coming in."

"Uh-huh. Here." He slid a mug of coffee across the counter, along with two aspirins. Did I somehow manifest this? Just a few minutes ago, I'd been wishing for someone to magically show up with aspirin and coffee. I downed the aspirin like my life depended on it, savoring the blessed warmth of coffee in my hands. Thank you, genie, I thought, blissfully sipping.

"Finish that and go take a shower," Joe ordered with a smirk, as if he were used to bossing me around. "You'll feel human again, and by then, I'll have breakfast ready."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. I'd wanted a boyfriend to pamper me after a wild night out. Was he my very own genie, secretly granting my wish? After one last sip, I obeyed and headed to the bathroom for a hot shower, letting the steam ease the hangover and, honestly, the absolute confusion.

I returned in fresh clothes. My favorite oversized t-shirt and lounge pants and found Joe setting the counter with a spread of pancakes, butter, and, of course, more coffee. The scent of melted butter and syrup filled the air, making my stomach rumble.

"I hope you don't mind me raiding your kitchen," he said, casually pouring another mug of coffee. "I was starving."

"No way. I'm grateful! I can't even remember the last time someone cooked breakfast for me." I plopped down on a stool, gazing at the perfectly fluffy pancakes. "But... how did you make these? I don't think I even had a pancake mix."

Joe shrugged, looking pleased with himself. "You had flour and eggs... I improvised."

We ate mostly in silence, and I was grateful for it. Every now and then, I'd sneak a look at him, feeling equal parts grateful and bewildered. How did he even know where I lived?

I cleared my throat. "So... um, Joe. How exactly did you get here? And why?"

He chuckled, wiping syrup off his fingers. "Well, when you didn't answer my calls, I asked Tina for your address. By the time I got here last night, you were... let's just say, not your usual self. You handed me your keys, and I helped you inside."

"Wait, so you stayed here all night?" I blurted.

He nodded, sheepish. "Yep. You were pretty out of it, so I figured I'd stick around in case you needed anything."

Oh my god. He stayed to take care of me? A warm feeling blossomed in my chest. I almost didn't know what to say. "Thank you, Joe. I really appreciate it."

Just then, my phone buzzed from somewhere in the living room, interrupting the moment. I found it on the coffee table, and beside it was a bouquet of flowers and a small box. I picked them up, baffled, and glanced back at Joe. He was watching me, looking oddly proud of himself.

"Is this from you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, and I peeked inside the box. A chocolate cake, complete with candles. I couldn't help it. I dipped a finger into the frosting, licking it off. Homemade.

"I love chocolate cake!" I practically squealed.

"I know," he murmured, a soft smile playing on his lips.

I raised an eyebrow. "How could you possibly know that?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you posted on Instagram once about how you missed your mom's chocolate cake, so I thought I'd give it a shot."

Okay, officially dying inside. I felt my heart race as he took the cake from me and set it on the counter. We lit a candle and cut a slice together, and when I tasted it, I practically melted on the spot.

"This is amazing," I said, savoring every bite. Maybe he is secretly a genie.

Joe cleared his throat, looking uncharacteristically nervous. "Um, hey, Tina... Since we didn't really get to celebrate your birthday properly, would you want to go out with me this weekend? On a... date?"

A date. The caffeine must've hit all at once because I nearly shouted, "Yes!" But then, trying to play it cool, I added, "Saturday works for me."

"Saturday it is." He leaned in and kissed my cheek before heading for the door. "I have to get to Calvin's farewell party, but I'll text you the details."

As he disappeared out the door, I touched my cheek where he'd kissed me, feeling the warmth linger. If he'd stayed one more minute, I might've lost all control and pulled him back for a real kiss... or more. Instead, I cut myself another slice of cake and sank into the couch, reliving every second.

Genie or not, I'm pretty sure my wish just came true.

Joe's POV

Her cheek was warm when I kissed it, a soft, lingering touch that felt almost surreal. I'd thought about kissing her lips, but I held back, not wanting to rush things. The last thing I wanted was to freak her out, especially now that things felt so... real. Mom always told me that respecting boundaries was part of being a gentleman, and I wasn't about to mess that up.

As she got out of the shower, the smell of her sandalwood body wash filled the room, mixing with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. I could feel my heart skip as she looked at me, eyes soft, without a trace of hesitation. I wanted to pull her in my arms and taste those rosy lips of hers but restrained myself. Instead before leaving l planted a casual kiss on her cheek. If I would have stayed there another minute we would have ended up in bed.

When I reached home l, I figured I'd find my family there, but it was empty. Mom at the café, Dad with his buddies at the clubhouse, and Jia... well, who knows. I had the whole place to myself to get ready and think about last night. Not that I was some saint-if anything, resisting the urge to stay in her arms all night took every ounce of self-control I had.

By nine, I pulled up at Justin's house. A minivan sat parked out front, and the guys were loading it with enough food and booze to fuel an army.

"Joe, you finally made it, man!" Calvin hollered as he saw me coming up the driveway.

"What, you thought I'd miss this? Not a chance. I value my life too much." I grinned, and we hugged like long lost brothers before finishing loading up the van.

Calvin nudged me as we climbed in. "So, how's Tina? She doing okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. What about you and Natasha? Still going strong?" I asked, trying to keep it light.

Calvin's face fell, and he looked away. "We, uh... we broke up."

I blinked, thrown by his words. Calvin and Natasha had been that couple since high school. The one everyone thought would go the distance.

"Wait, what? Why?"

He sighed, explaining how he was headed to Canada soon, and Natasha didn't want to do long distance. Part of me wanted to tell him he could just skip Canada, but I knew that wasn't my place. Instead, I squeezed his shoulder and muttered, "If you ever need anything, I'm here."

The ride to the villa was an hour of teasing and crammed space, but when we arrived, it was worth it. Justin had set up the place like a pro, with lights strung across the deck, tables set up for BBQ, and a decent DJ setup in the corner. It was the kind of setup you'd expect at some swanky club, not a random weekend party.

As we all settled in, Eric raised his beer. "Two parties in one week. Our kidneys are really gonna love us."

"And your liver will have a few choice words too," Noah added with a smirk.

We toasted Calvin, wishing him luck with Canada and whatever came next, and then everyone turned to me with that unmistakable glint of mischief.

"So, how was last night?" Justin asked, waggling his eyebrows.

I knew exactly what he meant. "Nothing happened," I replied, trying not to sound defensive. "She was wasted, and I just stayed to make sure she was okay."

"Wow, Joe, ever the gentleman," Eric snickered, earning a mock glare from me.

"It's true! We are just friends," I said, rolling my eyes as I took a sip of my drink.

"Good man," Asher nodded approvingly, "Take your time. You don't want to scare her off."

"Here's to Joe and Tina!" Eric raised his drink again, and everyone followed suit, chanting our names like we'd just won the lottery. I couldn't help but laugh. These guys were relentless, but their support meant everything.

We spent the next few hours grilling, drinking, and swapping horror stories from uni. At one point, Asher tried to impress us with his BBQ skills, only to nearly set the grill on fire. "I swear, it's supposed to be like that," he defended himself, patting out the flames with a towel.

When I was finally able to escape the grilling and teasing, I found myself staring at my drink, my mind wandering back to Tina. There was something about her that was getting under my skin, in the best possible way. I couldn't wait for our date on Saturday, couldn't wait to tell her everything that had been spinning around in my head for weeks.

As the night wore on, Eric, true to form, was the last man standing. "Here's to... Claire, my on-again, off-again soulmate," he slurred, raising his glass to no one in particular. We all knew that was code for another breakup, but no one bothered asking. Eric's love life was like a soap opera on a loop.

Around seven, we all piled back into the van, half-asleep, half-drunk, and completely unprepared for Monday. I woke up the next morning with zero memory of how I'd gotten home, but my room looked like a hurricane had hit it. I groaned, rolling over as sunlight stabbed through my curtains, only to realize my phone was buzzing.

Tina.

Suddenly wide awake, I grabbed it, trying to sound casual. "Hey," I answered, failing miserably to hide my excitement.

"Hey yourself," she said, her voice warm enough to chase away my hangover. "Just wanted to check in. How was your weekend?"

I grinned, sinking back onto my pillow. "It was... eventful. But not as interesting as seeing you."

She laughed softly. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Only when it comes to you."

I could hear her smile over the phone. It was enough to keep me floating for the rest of the day, even if I had to drag myself to uni. Whatever this was between us, love or friendship. I knew one thing. I wasn't ready to let go.

______________________________________

"Sometimes, the best moments in life comes from the people who show up unexpectedly, make you pancakes, and quietly remind you what it feels like to be cared for."