Coffee & (Explicit Version)

~Coffee & Alice~

"Thanks for waiting for me," Zoey said as she took a seat across from Paul.

"Anytime for a friend," Paul said, "How d'you get home normally?"

"Generally, I try to take a ride with Carolyn or walk," she said.

"Do you want me to drive you?" He asked.

"If it's not an inconvenience. It's a drink wine while I watch shitty bootlegs type of night," Zoey said as Paul led her to his car.

"So you like musicals?" Paul asked as he typed in Zoey's address into his GPS.

"Live and breathe 'em," Zoey smiled.

"Wish I could relate, but people singing and dancing makes me uncomfortable," Paul said.

"Wow, I will do my best to convert you," she said determinedly.

"Good luck," he said. He groaned. "Ugh, my fucking GPS died. So, you get through via Pinebrook or Sycamore?"

"Sycamore. Go Timberwolves!" Zoey exclaimed, though it seemed to be in a mocking fashion.

"Ugh I hate Sycamore," Paul said.

"Hatchetfield High?" Zoey asked.

"I wish. I was also a Timberwolf but we hated ourselves so much," he said. Zoey let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm just trying to fake that I like it. It was the worst experience of my life. There was no theater program! I had to move away to major in theater!" She exclaimed.

"Ugh," Paul said.

"Hey! Theater is fun! You just don't like musicals. That's a you problem," she said, "And you turn left here."

"It is not! Do you like anything besides musicals or theater?" Paul asked.

"I like coffee, podcasts, and sometimes even spending time with Emma and Nora," Zoey said.

"Who are—"

"The other two main baristas? Sometimes Nora's sister, Kelly, helps us out," she said.

"I think I saw them in some of your posts," Paul said.

"Yeah, I've posted them a few times. Also, kinda out of nowhere, you and Emma would be great friends. She also hates musicals. Not to your degree, so a little less extreme, but still," Zoey said. They had arrived at her house. "Catch you at Beanie's tomorrow?" She asked. Paul nodded.

"I'll see when," he said, making sure she entered before he pulled out and headed home. He unlocked his phone to multiple messages from Alice once he parked. She finally called him before he could read any. "What's up, Al?"

"I need to tell you something, but I need your word that Dad isn't gonna know," Alice said.

"Okay," Paul said.

"Deb and I were just at smoke club, which I don't do unless the situation calls for it. The thing is, she's not well enough to give me a ride home and I smell like weed," Alice said. Her voice broke and Paul knew he'd have to jump into action.

"Al, I'll pick you up and bring you to my place. Do you have extra clothes?" Paul asked, starting his engine again.

"Yeah, I have them in the trunk of Deb's car."

"And you're at-"

"-Hatchetfield High. Thank you so much, Uncle Paul," Alice said.

"Anytime. I'll let Bill know that you wanted to stay at my place tonight since we have a lot of years left to catch up on," Paul said.