Liza stood in her crush's front yard looking up at his bedroom window. His bedroom light was still on. Logan usually turned in early, so why was he still awake? The question pried open a gap in her mind and planted a seed of curiosity.
She found a small stone, hefted it once, nodded approvingly at its weight, then tossed it at his window. Instead of it striking with a little clink, it hit the side of his house with a dull thud, and Liza winced at her own bad aim.
A moment later Logan opened the window and peered down at her confused and a little irritated. "Liza? What the hell?" He asked.
"Sorry," she said, feeling a warm spray of embarrassment spread all over her. "I guess my aim is a little off."
He let out a nervous little laugh, and Liza wondered if he was alone. "Am I interrupting you?" Logan shook his head. "Well, Isn't this a little late for you? What are you still doing up."
"Is this why tossed a stone at my house, to interrogate me? You could have just rung the doorbell."
She shrugged and offered him a cheeky little grin. "I don't know what came over me."
Logan smiled back at her, and Liza thought he looked happy to see her. "Are you heading to bed?" She knew he was, but wanted to make conversation and keep him as long as she could.
"Work tomorrow. Early to bed, early to rise, or so they say."
"Yeah," she said and shook her head. "No one says that."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. How's the coffee shop?"
"Good," she answered and nodded up at him. "You should stop by sometime."
At this, they both grew silent and stood not talking for a moment that seemed to last a little eternity. She'd brushed up against what brought her here and scared him off again.
"Well," Liza started, reaching down and picking up the bag she had with her.
"I...ah. I guess I'll see you around." She didn't want to invite herself in, but she didn't want to leave either. But, if she didn't find a way out of the silence between them, she thought she might shrivel up from embarrassment.
As she turned, Logan sighed and shot her a defeated grin. "Did you want to come in for a bit?" Liza looked at him for a moment before nodding. Then she made her way to his front door with her heart drumming in her chest.
When Logan let her in, Liza couldn't help the triumphant smile spread across her face. "What's in the bag?" He asked her. She held it up and explained that she'd just come from the liquor store. Logan saw it was a bottle of champagne.
"Champagne? On a Thursday night?"
Liza flashed him a sarcastic smile. "I like to live my life on the edge."
Now it was Logan's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, you're such a rebel."
He led her into the kitchen and fetched a glass for her. "Aren't you going to have a drink?"
Logan looked embarrassed. "Naw. The hardest thing I drink now is coffee."
She reached past him and grabbed another class. "Gawd, you're an old man already."
Logan stared at her as he popped the cork, and the sound startled Liza. She let out a surprised little yelp then giggled and felt her cheeks burn scarlet.
"This your first time having champagne?" Logan teased. She punched him in the arm.
"Shut up."
After she'd poured their drinks, Lisa leaned against the counter and studied Logan, as if he were puzzled. "How do you like the neighborhood?"
"I dig it." He answered. "It's better than uptown." Then he added under his breath, "Cheaper too."
Liza nodded then sipped her drink. The champagne was sweet, and it bubbled in her belly pleasantly.
"You haven't come by to see me." There was a quiet accusation in her voice as if she wanted him to challenge this, but Logan only sipped from his glass.
"I've been busy."
"Busy?" She repeated. "Are you seeing other coffee shops?" It was meant to be funny but ended up being a loaded question. However, Logan laughed and shook his head.
"No, just plain old busy."
Liza sipped her champagne and thought back to the mornings they'd spent together in the coffee shop she ran. Logan would come in with his laptop and spend a couple of hours working. Sometimes they'd talk; about the news, music, and whatever else came to mind. The ease of small talk they shared led into a fondness, before Liza felt this quiet magnetism between them. She found herself looking forward to her mornings with Logan.
She also thought about how weird it was that he brushed his teeth after having a cup of coffee. "It stains your teeth," he'd explained as if she didn't already know that. She'd grown to like him as a friend before crushing on him. Then he'd disappeared.