chapter 4

Mia stood outside Birch café staring at the door like it might bite her

It was cute in that minimalist way. Clean windows pale wood lots of plants that probably had names. A soft playlist drifted out every time the door opened and she swore she heard Phoebe Bridgers and panicked immediately

She took a deep breath. Reached for the handle. Then spun on her heel and paced in a tiny anxious circle

"I am not okay. This is not chill. I am the opposite of chill. I am microwaved soup levels of messy right now"

Her phone buzzed

Jamie: I grabbed us a spot in the back corner. Plant zone. Maximum coziness

Plant zone. Maximum coziness. Was he trying to kill her with gentle boyfriend energy

She pushed open the door. The little bell above it jingled and she walked in like she hadn't been standing outside spiraling for the past three minutes.

Jamie was sitting at a corner table wearing a navy hoodie and black jeans and that stupid perfect smirk that made her knees forget how to function

"Hey," he said standing up like a gentleman or a romantic lead in a 2000s romcom

"Hi," Mia said and hoped her face wasn't giving away the fact that she was mentally screaming into the void

He handed her a drink

"I took a risk and ordered you a vanilla oat milk latte. Seemed like your vibe. Safe but slightly chaotic"

"That's freakishly accurate. Are you psychic. Should I be worried"

"Only slightly"

They sat down. The table between them small enough to feel intimate but not terrifying. The plants around them swayed slightly with the breeze of the AC like they were eavesdropping

Mia took a sip of her latte. It was perfect. Of course it was

"So," Jamie said leaning forward slightly. "Do you do this often. Publicly declare crushes to an entire café"

"Only every other Friday. Keeps me humble"

He laughed. That same deep warm sound she'd heard behind the bar. The one that made her stomach do gymnastics

"I'm really glad you came," he said after a beat

"I'm glad you asked me. Even though I considered fleeing the country out of secondhand embarrassment"

"I would've tracked you down and showed up at your new address with a coffee and a boombox. Like a caffeinated John Cusack"

Mia snorted into her cup

"Okay but only if you're holding it over your head while Taylor Swift plays. I have standards"

Conversation flowed like they'd done this a hundred times. Jamie told her about how he started working at Cosmos because he was broke and bored and then ended up falling in love with espresso machines and people-watching. Mia talked about her chaotic art projects and how she sometimes painted at 2am while listening to sad indie songs and overthinking every life decision

At one point he leaned back and said

"You're kind of exactly how I thought you'd be. But also not at all"

"Um. Explain yourself before I start spiraling"

"You're funny and smart and way too hard on yourself. But you're also like. Soft. In a good way. Like you're trying so hard to act like you don't care but you care a lot. It's cool"

Mia blinked

"That's illegal. You can't psychoanalyze me on a first date. That's like page one of the dating rulebook"

"Oh I burned that book. It was boring"

She smiled. Wide and real and a little shy

"So," he said after a moment. "Is this going okay. I mean. I know the last time we talked it was mid-cringe confession"

Mia looked at him. This boy who had barista'd his way into her life and somehow made her feel like she wasn't too much. Like maybe being a little emotionally chaotic was actually endearing

"It's going really okay," she said. "Like suspiciously okay. I'm waiting for the universe to drop a piano on me or something"

"Well then I guess we just have to keep dodging pianos together"

They stayed until their cups were empty and the playlist changed three times. He walked her out and stood beside her on the sidewalk like neither of them wanted to say goodbye just yet

"I'll text you," Jamie said rubbing the back of his neck

"I'll pretend to play it cool and wait thirty seconds before replying"

"Ten bucks says you respond instantly"

"Five bucks says I already drafted three different versions of my reply"

They laughed again. That warm fuzzy kind of laughter that feels like maybe something real is starting

He gave her a soft smile and then stepped back

"Later Mia"

"Later Jamie"

As she walked away she did not look back. But only because she knew if she did and he was watching her leave she'd combust

Instead she pulled out her phone and opened their group chat

Mia: I am floating. This boy is dangerous. I repeat. We are in a situation

Zach: Is it a falling-in-love situation

Kai: On a scale of 1 to romcom how hard are we spiraling

Mia: It's giving 10 Things I Hate About You but make it caffeine and compliments