I didn't rush to tell the girls about my date. I'd probably mention something if they asked, but the details and the little things were mine to cherish.

I felt protective of the connection Jim and I shared. Ridiculous? Maybe. Perhaps, it was all in my head. We hardly knew each other, after all. But then, there was Jim's interest in me, his thoughtful questions, his caring gestures, and the forehead kiss that didn't let me sleep at night.

The following day, I was in a daze, unable to focus on the book I was writing, nor could I pay attention to the one I was reading. Jim was busy, but he called me twice. Once, in the morning, and then to say goodnight. At midday, he sent me a text, to which he attached a picture of my manuscript.

I was just as distracted today. Luckily, the person sitting across from me at my kitchen table was the one I could talk to without fear and reservations.

"So, two dates," Harper said, grinning.

"Yeah. And now I can't look at the kitchen counter without blushing."

Harper's eyes flared. "Damn, girl."

"Oh my God, no, nothing happened there," I rushed to say. "But Jim said he wanted to press me to it and taste the ice cream off my lips. That's what book guys say, Harper. That's some serious romance novel stuff there."

"Are you sure he's not a writer?" Harper curled her hands around the mug and studied my face.

"He said his last name was Eldridge. I googled Jim Eldridge and found nothing."

"Smart girl. Okay, let's recap. Green eyes. Polite. A gentleman. Didn't let you run away. Chose to talk to you instead of assuming things. He sounds perfect to me."

"And there's something else, but you have to promise two things: one, you won't freak out. Two, you won't get mad at me."

Harper put her hand on her chest and nodded. "Promise."

"I wrote a book." The words tumbled out of my mouth, and, without giving Harper time to process them, I said, "And Jim insisted on reading it, so I gave it to him."

"Wrote a book? Ava, but that's amazing! Why didn't you tell me anything sooner? I'm dying to read it. Pretty please!"

I smiled at Harper's enthusiasm. "I'll give it to you after Jim reads it. I want to know his opinion first."

"So, you've known Mister Coffee for two dates and already trust him more than me. Alright, then."

Harper pouted into her tea mug as she took a sip, looking at me over the rim — emotional blackmail at its finest.

"Don't be silly. I trust you. In my defense, I wasn't going to tell him anything, but he was just so…"

"Green-eyed? Handsome? Charming?"

"All of the above. And honest. I felt he was honest with me, and it made me trust him. I wish I could be the same way with him."

Harper frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He asked me if there was anyone else, and I lied."

My friend raised her eyebrows, and I knew what it meant. I wasn't one to hide the truth. My blatant honesty and straightforwardness were like Harper's. We met when I was at school. I got my period for the first time, and Dad thought a female doctor specializing in gynecology would be much better at explaining what was going on with me. 

Harper was an intern at the time. Young, beautiful, and cheerful, she made me feel anything but embarrassment, talking to me and explaining everything I needed to know. By the end of the appointment, I felt like I'd known her for ages. After that, I visited Harper every time I was at the hospital. We became friends who could talk to each other and understood what the other was going through despite our age difference.

"What did you lie about?" Harper asked. "Did you tell him you have a boyfriend?"

"I said not anymore, which meant there was someone before, and you know it's a lie. I've never liked anyone the way I like Jim, and I'd never been on a date or dated anyone until him."

Harper tapped her nails on the mug. 

I sighed. "Say it."

"What you did was unlike you. So, why?"

I rested my elbows on the table and buried my face in my palms. "Tasha," I mumbled.

"The little bitch?"

"Harper, come on!" I groaned. "I've known her since elementary school. Yes, she can be obnoxious, but it was my fault. I shouldn't have listened to her."

"I don't like that girl, and I've always told you that. Something about her makes me cautious."

"Maybe she was right. Jim's more experienced. He's a man, Harper. He's older than me, and he's confident, and judging by the place he lives in, he's financially independent. His apartment overlooks the marina."

"That's the most expensive area in the city," Harper said.

"I know. What would a guy like him want to do with an awkward, inexperienced virgin like me?"

"Ava, Ava." Harper sighed, biting her lip.

"What?"

"A guy like him would probably give a lot to be with a good, inexperienced girl. If he has money and the looks, he might be surrounded by Tashas. Maybe what he needs is a girl like you. You should be proud of your convictions. You've always been, so what changed?"

I shrugged, avoiding Harper's eyes. "He's the first guy I really like."

"But what if he does press you against that counter? If he thinks he's not your first, he can be bolder. He wouldn't probably hold back that much. He might do something that could scare you, and it wouldn't even be his fault."

"It's not a romance novel, Doctor Lincoln."

"Based on what you told me, your Jim Eldridge might be a special guy. What if there's chemistry between the two of you, and you both want more? You can't lie to him and confess he's your first when you're together, naked in bed."

"I can't back down now, either. What would he think? It'd seem childish."

Harper pinched my cheek. "It kind of was."

"It wasn't."

My friend rose to her feet and padded to the sink, saying nothing while she rinsed off her mug. When Harper was done, she turned around and looked at me. "I only want the best for you, and this case might be the only one where our age gap does matter. I've been with enough guys to believe I know something, Ava. There's a difference between a boy and a man. An immature boy might want to get in your pants without caring about you or your feelings. That your date wanted to figure out what went wrong and didn't wait long to do it tells me he's quite mature, mentally at least. And he most definitely cares. He might understand why you lied if you tell the truth now that it's all new, but if you keep on doing it, it could hurt you both."

"I don't even know if it's going to last," I said, my voice low. 

"Oh, it will." Harper smiled brightly and picked up her purse from the chair. She slung it over her shoulder and leaned down to kiss my cheek. "He cooked for you, kissed your forehead,  and wants to read your book. That, my dear, is some serious boyfriend stuff."

Harper gave me a little wave and left me sitting in my kitchen, mulling over her words.

***

I met the girls at a small cafe next to the marina later in the afternoon. Tired, I was going to bow out of it when Ivy called me, but I wanted to see her and Isla. 

For the first time, I was late for our meeting. My three girlfriends were already sitting at a table in the back with coffee mugs in front of them. 

"Hey." I sat down next to Isla after getting a cappuccino for myself.

"Hey there. We were going to send out a search party," Ivy said.

"I lost track of time, sorry."

"Reading?" Tasha asked with a smirk.

"Some of us know how to do it, thank God." The words came from Ivy, who didn't try to hide her eye roll.

"I had to do some chores at home," I said and then turned my attention to Isla. "How's Rose?"

"She's okay for now," my friend replied with a small smile.

"That's amazing," Ivy said. "My quiz was okay. What about your date?"

"Good." I shrugged. "We had dinner and talked."

"That's it?" Tasha gave me an incredulous stare.

"That's it. I had fun."

Isla put her clasped hands under her chin and sighed. "Sounds dreamy. Did he cook?"

"Yeah. He's decent at it," I replied, smiling. 

Ivy rubbed her palms together. "So, you two are dating now, right?"

"I guess? I don't know. We didn't put a label on things, but he asked me if there was anyone else."

"That's a good sign."

"What about the guy you went out with, Ivy?" Isla asked.

Ivy wiggled her brows. "He's okay. We're kind of dating. He stayed over last night, and it was great. There was  some chemistry there. And you, Tasha? Any advances in the stalking department?"

Isla giggled into her mug at Ivy's question. I took a sip of my coffee, fighting the desire to laugh as well.

"I went to the same club, but he wasn't there. I'll keep on trying."

Ivy groaned. "Why? Why would you waste your time on someone unreachable? There are lots of ordinary guys out there."

"I don't want ordinary," Tasha said, folding her arms. 

"Why are you even so obsessed with him?" Ivy insisted. "Is it because of his looks? Fame? Cash?"

"All of the above," Tasha said. "You can laugh all you want, but I'll meet him again, and when I do, he won't get away from me that easily."

My vibrating phone didn't let me hear Ivy's reply. Jim's name flashing on the screen sent a wave of tingles through my bloodstream.

"Hey," I answered quietly.

"Hey, Ava. This is Jim, the coffee guy, the idiot, idiot, idiot, and an awful cook."

I chuckled, staring at the wooden tabletop. "He's a decent cook. More than."

"And he's anxious to prove it to you as soon as he can. I had a shitty day, but I bought this amazing apple pie and was hoping that maybe you weren't busy and I could see you at my place? I also read the first two chapters of your book and made some notes."

"Now?"

"Please? I can beg."

I lifted my eyes off the table and swept them over my girlfriends. Isla and Ivy were smiling. Tasha was staring at her phone, seemingly not paying attention to my conversation.

"I'm near your building. See you in half an hour," I said.

Jim exhaled. "Can't wait."

"Another date? Damn, he's interested," Ivy said when I hung up. 

"Looks like it. You aren't mad at me for leaving so soon, are you?"

"Don't be silly." Isla rolled her eyes. "We all have things to do later, and a date is a big deal."

I said goodbye to the girls and left the cafe. 

Getting to Jim's took me ten minutes. Just like the first time, his door opened even before I pressed the doorbell. This time, he was dressed in some slacks, and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up. Unlike the first time, Jim greeted me by pressing his lips to my cheek.

"Come on in. I've already put the kettle on," he said, opening the door wider. 

I dropped my purse on the end table in the hallway and followed him into the kitchen. My eyes roved over the tidy room and landed on the stack of papers on the kitchen counter.

"Here you are." Jim handed me a mug and a platter with a piece of apple pie. "Couch? We might be more comfortable there."

I nodded. "Sure."

I was the first to sit down and sip my tea. Jim made two trips to the kitchen area. The second time, it was my novel he carried.

Apprehension seized my insides, and my eyes zeroed in on the pages with Jim's notes on the margins.

"What did you think?" I asked.

Chuckling, Jim plopped down on the couch next to me and rested the papers beside him. "I might've had a word orgasm. Or two."

Hearing him say the O word made me blush. Of course, it didn't go unnoticed, judging by Jim's grin.

"I loved it, Ava. I love the main character. Abner has lots of layers to him. He's badass but not an arrogant prick despite what he achieved. I like him, and it's only been two chapters. And the descriptions make you feel you're in France."

"Have you been there?"

Jim nodded. "Several times, actually. On business and visiting one of my best friends, who lives in Paris, as you already know."

"Can I see the notes you made?" I asked Jim and reached for the pages.

"Sure. They're small suggestions. You don't have to take them into account. I just thought some sentences might flow better if you—"

"Jim, it's amazing. I can accept some criticism. You shouldn't be afraid of pointing things out."

My eyes scanned the first page, and I couldn't help smiling at Jim's comments. Deciding I would love to read them calmly, I set the novel aside.

"Thank you," I said to the guy who was sipping his tea next to me.

"Eat, Ava," Jim said, nodding toward my platter.

The pie was delicious, but Jim's company was what I loved the most. 

It got dark after a while. Jim took our mugs and platters to the sink and switched on the floor lamp next to the couch. Grabbing a remote from the coffee table, he pressed a couple of buttons.

Guitar chords filled the air around us, floating in it and making me drown in a sea of calm. The melody was soft and romantic. Jim put his folded arm on the back of the couch and looked at me. This time, I didn't make an effort to get away from the intensity of his green eyes. I peered into them, studied them, and when I dropped my gaze to Jim's other arm that was resting on his knee, I saw something I hadn't seen before — a tattoo.

A clef adorned Jim's forearm, and the small music notes surrounded the bigger symbol.

Carefully, I touched the design with my fingertips, just barely, but enough to feel the heat emanating from him.

"Goosebumps," Jim whispered, closing his eyes.

"What?"

"I get goosebumps from your touch."

My cheeks burning, I tried to remove my hand, but Jim gripped it instead and brought it to his lips. After kissing my knuckles one by one, he pressed my palm to his cheek. It felt smooth to the touch, and I caressed it, smiling at the peaceful expression that took over Jim's face.

"You love music," I said, glancing down at the tattoo once more.

"Very much," Jim said. "It gives me peace."

"Can you play an instrument?" I asked.

Jim sighed deeply and stared at something in front of us. Then, his eyes were on me — the eyes that robbed me of my ability to think.

"Come here," Jim whispered, curling an arm around my shoulders. I leaned into his side, letting him encase me in the kind of embrace that made me feel safe. 

When he held me like this, nothing mattered. I pressed my cheek to Jim's shoulder. He moved, so my face rested in the crook of his neck. Unable to decide what to do with my hands, I flattened one of my palms on Jim's chest. 

His heart beat fast, but mine...mine was going a thousand miles per hour. Being with Jim was a weird combination of rush and tranquility. It was the peace that coexisted with a thousand warring emotions. It was everything I hoped to feel one day.

I closed my eyes, relishing Jim's warmth, lulled by the soft music invading the space around us. 

It was later when Jim kissed my forehead, embracing me tighter.

His gentle voice broke through my exhaustion. 

"Sleep, Beautiful."

Ava is at Jim's place, in Jim's arms...isn't it perfect? Jim's POV and a sleepover in the next chapter.