Love Among the Coffee Beans

So we’re at the pool now.

I’m still kinda embarrassed about what I did to Shayla.

I don’t know what I was doing. Didn’t know what I was thinking.

I wasn’t thinking.

I was simply doing.

God, I feel so stupid!

Exclamation marks!

“I – I’m sorry,” I say to Shay as I set our stuff down in between two lawn chairs.

“Wha?” She looks up, kinda flicking her hair. “Uh… Yeah. It’s, um. Nah. It’s cool. It’s um… It’s really my fault. I just…” She takes a deep breath. “I can’t… not yet.”

I nod and my cheeks turn a lovely shade of red. “Nah, I understand.”

Yup.

So then I awkwardly take my shirt off.

I can’t tell if Shay’s watching.

I’d be giving her a strip show if she was.

And strip shows are awkward unless you’re a professional.

“Ugh!”

I whip my head to the side, my hair following suit. “What?”

“You’re awesome!” Shayla says, but her fists are clenched at her sides and she sounds angry.

I squinch my eyebrows together. “…What?”

“You’re wonderful!” she shouts. “Why?! Why do you understand? That is so… I love that! How did this happen? Oh my god!” She flops down on a lawn chair.

I flop down next to her with a small smile on my face.

I have no clue what’s going on.

“Thanks?” I chortle.

Chortle is a fun word.

“I don’t deserve you…” Shayla murmurs, her face turned to the sun.

No, no, Shay, sweetie. I don’t deserve you.

I contemplate asking her right then and there.

Should I do it?

What do you think, Constance?

I think you should. It’d be sweet.

Well I think –

Shut up Gary, nobody asked you.

So I’m sitting here, in all my shirtless glory, and I subtly nod to myself. I’m gonna do it.

“ – Shayla,” I say abruptly.

“You don’t understand, I totally don’t deserve you! You’re so good and I’m so me and you’re just perfect and sweet and adorable and fantastic and I shouldn’t have anything to do with you. What did I do to get you—“

“Do you want to move in together?”

I think my heart just died.

It just shriveled up and died.

That’s what it feels like inside of my chest.

In a good way.

“—There’s just no way that I could have done something so—What?”

Aw, crap, I have to say it again!

I clear my throat into my fist and look at her right in those purple eyes that make my knees weak and my palms sweaty.

“I, uh… I said, do you want to move in together?”

My heart’s still shriveled, just sitting there like a dead heart in a dead body.

That sounds awkward and gross.

“Ah… Hm.” She looks away with a strange look on her face.

Oh shi –

I said something wrong.

Maybe my abs don’t look as sexy.

Maybe my hair looks retarded.

Maybe what I said was retarded.

Maybe I’m retarded.

Maybe I should shut up.

I blink a couple of times, tilting my head at her.

“Daaaah um…” She looks me in the eyes.

I give her a scared yet hopeful but not-too-hopeful look, pursing my lips.

And then she takes in a long, noisy breath and then breathes out a small affirmative response. “Yes.”

It takes me a second to realize what she said.

“… Yes?”

That was a stupid question, Riku, yes, she said yes.

She said yes.

…

She said yes!

Oh, happy day!

…

Ahem.

“Yes?” I ask again, kinda smiling this time.

She looks at the ground and then at me, bobbing her head and says a little louder, “Yes.”

I inwardly do a happy dance.

Because I dance.

I totally dance.

No, Riku, you don’t dance.

No, I actually don’t.

Anyways.

“Really?”

She nods. “Yeah.” And then she smiles. “Yes.”

I smile back.

I’m happy.

I’m really happy.

This is the face of supreme happiness.

…

Even though you can’t see my face right now.

Because you’re reading a book.

Anyways.

What?

“That’s great!” I say, and yes, I did just use an exclamation mark.

Shayla blinks a bunch and her smile grows. “Yes!”

I cannot contain my happiness. This is awesome.

Super awesome.

Woot.

Woot!

“Yes!” I repeat, a huge smile on my face as I hug her to pieces.

Like Reese’s pieces.

Yum.

I like those things.

What?

I’m focusing.

“You’re…squishing…my giblets…”

Crap.

“Crap.” I let go of her and my face flushes because I get embarrassed easily and I’m strange. Like that song. When You’re Strange.

I think that’s a song.

“Sorry,” I chuckle.

Hehe…

Giblets…

“No worries,” Shay says, poking me a couple of times in the stomach.

I laugh.

Laugh, laugh, laugh.

It’s good for you.

Like beans, the magical fruit.

The more you eat, the more you –

“So… Yeah! That’s awesome! Um. I don’t really know what to do now.”

Nice, Riku.

Really selling yourself there.

“Um. Swim, make out, have some pizza. The options are endless, really.”

I vote make out.

Shut up, Gary, I didn’t ask you your opinion.

“You wanna swim?” I ask.

“Yes. Yes, I do. To the pool-mobile!” Shayla strikes a superhero pose and takes off her clothes.

That rhymed…

Anyways. So I walk over to the pool and I poke the surface with my left big toe.

I’m reminded of Tarzan, the Disney movie. When the elephant poked the water and asks if the water is sanitary, then when affirmed, says, “I dunno… It looks kinda questionable to me…”

I used to love that movie as a kid.

Good times.

And then I’m underwater.

I sputter and flail and I’m finally up above the surface. “You - …” I stop myself. I was gonna say something mean. And I don’t wanna be mean to Shayla… “ – beautiful young lady. C’mere, gimme a hand up,” I say, swimming towards the edge of the pool, motioning her with the generic ‘come here’ gesture.

Shayla walks to the side of the pool and holds out her hand. “Alright. Pull me in—“

So I do.

It was satisfying.

I’m laughing my buttocks off by the time she resurfaces.

She flicks her hair back and paddles over to me, looping her arms around my neck with a grin. “Iiiiii like you,” she says.

I plant a big, sloppy, wet kiss on her lips. “Iiiiiii love you,” I say challengingly.

She hooks her legs around my waist. “So, how are we gonna do this?”

Do what?

Gary’s distracted and it’s distorting my thoughts.

“Do what?” I ask her, pressing my forehead to hers.

“Move in together, silly,” she says, grinning.

“Ooooh, okay,” I say, smiling right back at her. “Well, I guess we start by looking for a place. And then we help each other pack and all that jazz… Uh… Yeah.”

“Question is, what do I do with my house?”

“Errr…” I blink. “Give it to a cousin?”

She giggles. “Yep. I’ll work on that.”

I laugh with her and kiss her once very briefly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means…” She pecks my lips. “That we shouldn’t—“ Another kiss. “Worry about that right now.” She smiles.

I smile back. “Oh. Well okie doke.”