Lips Like Coffee

cup: 17

Norma

Kyle had dropped me home from work every evening that week. He insisted that I shouldn't wait at a bus stop alone, even though I insisted that I could take care of myself. Still after much argument while in the copying room, I agreed to ride with him. Almost every ride was the same as the first, silent with the radio playing, until today. While I counted the people crossing the street in front of us, Kyle turned down the radio.

"What's your favorite flower," he asked, looking over at me.

I creased my eyebrows as I stared back at him. "Why?"

"I want to know more about you."

Nodding my head, I thought about the question. Did I have a favorite flower? I couldn't name any flower besides a rose, but I didn't like roses. Narcissus was a type of flower, my subconscious threw at me. There was no fighting the smile that came to my face when I thought about it.

"I'm partial to narcissus." The hidden meaning in my words caused my smile to widen, and I turned toward the passenger side window. I was blushing like a school girl, but couldn't control it.

That man, whose beauty paralleled that of his Greek namesake, had an effect on me. I didn't know exactly what that effect he had was, but it was getting stronger by the day. It was the mere thought of him that made me smile, and all I could think about was being home with him. Curling up against his side while we watched some show on the television, and just enjoyed each others presence.

When we pulled in front of the apartment building, I clicked off my seatbelt and reached for the door handle. Before I could open the door, Kyle locked it and I turned to him with raised eyebrows. If he was trying something, he was trying it with the wrong one.

"This is going to seem really forward," he said, and I just stared at him as he spoke, "but would you like to go out sometime?"

"I've never been on a date," I said, then shook my head. "No, I'm sorry."

Again I moved to get out of the car, but he stopped me again, grabbing my hand this time. I looked down at his fingers around my wrist, then up at him. He released me, then told me to wait.

"What if it wasn't a date?"

He was trying hard for this, and I didn't know whether to be flattered or annoyed. Kyle didn't appeal to me the way...other men did. (Only one man was appealing to me at that time.) He was too much of a Larry Stu, too perfect of a character. From what I had heard about him around the office, was the he was never late nor had he ever missed a day of work. His suits were tailored to his exact measurements, not even a little loose around the waist. Which I noticed that he didn't wear a belt either.

Whenever I had gotten into his truck, there wasn't even a hint of trash or dust in or on it. He kept the truck as clean as if he had just gotten fresh off the belt. The truck was so clean, that he didn't even have change in his cup holder. It was all too perfect, and made me think he was either a manic germaphobe or a psychopath.

"Maybe it could be more of a group thing," he said when I didn't reply to him. "You could bring a friend, and I'll bring a friend."

"I'll think about it," I replied, then unlocked the door as I got out of the truck.

Just as I stepped down from the truck, the door to the building swung open. Pen walked out with his duffel bag on his shoulder, and hair pulled up into a ponytail. I smiled at the sight of him as I slammed the door of the vehicle, which made him look up from his phone. His own smile grew as he looked at me, but faltered as his gaze moved over my shoulder. Looking behind me, I saw that Kyle hadn't left yet and I waved him off.